Too Friendly? November 7, 2011

We all know of Friendly’s for their ice cream, but now we may be thinking about them because of their high energy and high fives.

Friendly’s recently launched a new campaign that exerts energy. The CEO, Harsha Agadi believes that the ice cream chain needs more enthusiasm. Agadi describes that he wants the feel of a high-school football game. He explains that it is super simple and super aggressive.

The reasoning behind it all? Friendly’s believes that families will love the personal touch.

But is this really what you want to encounter while trying to enjoy ice cream?

Friendly’s is aiming to give a trillion high-fives to their customers, and other employees. They even have a new mascot named High 5 Heidi. To go along with this effort there will be ads such as billboards, events and a mobile app, all of which were developed by Via Agency.

This to me seems like it is a little far off to be successful. My thinking is that no one really even likes to be sung to in public on their birthday, some people may not like to high five someone who has touched other employees and strangers hands before eating their meal. Too much of a personal touch.

I think that the idea is there, just the execution was presented in the wrong way.

I don’t think that it is important to have a “high-school football feel” when eating at a fast food restaurant. it may be more welcoming to have a homey feeling rather than a rowdy, crowded, and loud atmosphere.

Sprint November 3, 2011

Recently my boyfriend and I saw a commercial for Sprint. He began to comment on the commercial, and being the Ad major that I am, I furthered the conversation and asked why he felt the way that he did when watching the ad.

The ad I am referencing is the Sprint ad that features the company’s CEO Dan Hesse. He is on a pier, explaining to the audience the definition of unlimited, and how it relates to Sprint. The commercial is quick and to the point and speaks directly to the audience watching, and targeting non-Sprint mobile users.

When I asked what made this commercial so appealing, I was told that the fact that the CEO was talking straight in the ad it made it more believable. He didn’t seem fake or try to tell you about low rates, or better deals, he just gave you his insight. additionally I was told that because he was well dressed and “down to earth” it made the company feel more approachable and trustworthy.

The competition that Sprint has seem to be focusing on each other, going back and forth with ads directly comparing and saying that one is better than the  other. This ad takes a different approach and comes away from all of the details, and just tells you a cold hard fact. Unlimited, everyone gets it, no matter what.

I think that when everyone in your field is doing the same thing, the only way to stand out is to do something different, not something better. Sprint has done that with this commercial.

 

(Source)

Old Spice November 2, 2011

We all know that Old Spice has been the talk around town, because of their campaign featuring, NAME, “the man your man could smell like”. However, recently he underwent a virtual dual with Fabio to become the face of the brand. Ultimately, that ran its course, and Fabio was not featured in any commercials.

Yet, it was still time for Old Spice to change their game a little bit. The newest campaign, created by Wieden+Kennedy, is titled “Smell better than yourself”. This new campaign has a similar feel that the previous. it features the man coming home as a sea captain with golden coins falling from him as be fights off a giant squid. He says that although he does not actually have any of these things, “Thanks to Old Spice” he smells like he does.

The target market for Old Spice is not the men wearing the product, but their female counterparts. This recent campaign has also included the men. Even in the title, it targets the men, however, the female is a main feature in the ad, saying “Shhh, don’t tell my nose that!”

I think that these commercials are a great step away from “The man your man could smell like”. They still capture the image of the brand, target the women and newly, include the men. Old Spice is aware that the ideas are ridiculous and that it has been copied by many, however these new ads are saying were still funnier, and more creative than everyone else, and we actually get our point across.

Snickers October 27, 2011

In keeping with the Halloween theme this week, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite Halloween ads ever.  Snickers “Grocery Store Lady” is funny, witty, catching, buzz worthy, and insightful.

The ad is simple. Two children are dressed as a woman in the candy isle. Taking place prior to Halloween, a woman is shopping for her tricker-treater candy. The children say in a “matronly” voice to buy the candy because all of the kids love it.

The ideas behind this commercial I think are great. Be funny and target the kids, and those buying candy for the kids at the same time. The commercial was released in October of 2010 but is still being used this Halloween.

The commercial may come off to some as a little unnatural or frightening, but that’s what Halloween is all about. I think that it is creative and is reaching its target audience.

I found myself, asking if my friends and family have seen it. That must mean that other viewers were doing the same. the ad also did what all ads are for, create a need for the product. Telling the shoppers that if they didn’t have snickers, they might as well be giving out pennies. It also brought the product to the top of the mind of the viewer. Now suddenly they want the snickers, so they can eat the left overs.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Zombie Boy… October 25, 2011

Since this weekend we celebrate Halloween I thought I would post about a commercial that maybe this commercial would relate…

You may have seen the main character of this ad in Lady Gaga’s video for “Born This Way” or maybe a friend told you about him. His name is Zombie Boy, and saying that he has a lot of tattoos is an understatement.

Zombie Boy has recently been featured in the newest commercial for a tattoo grade concealer called Dermablend Pro. In the commercial he is seen at first, as a regular man with no tattoos and just a few piercings. As the commercial progresses he begins washing off what becomes known as concealer.  Great idea by creatives, to show how well the product works. The copy is also very catching and relevant “How do you judge a book”…. “go beyond the cover”. The ad could basically stop there and the point would be made.

However, the way in which the latter part of the ad is constructed it becomes confusing as to if the tattoos were being drawn on, or was his skin being painted “normal”. it is also shown that in order to achieve the desired look, you may need a team of professionals working on you. Which isn’t that appealing to everyday people who want to cover up, well, not as much as Zombie Boy.

I think that this commercial is done very well, I think that the message is wonderful, and to the point. The execution however, was a little shaky. I think that the ad could have been played backwards, and it would be less confusing.

Luv’s October 18, 2011

The recent campaign for Luv’s diapers is another that gets straight to the point. The title of their TV spot is “Diaper Blowout!”, which says it all. Cartoon babies are judged in front of 3 judges on their diapers ability to keep in their, business.

Why am I bringing any of this up? Who would want to talk about this subject?

Parents, who are concerned with the functionality of the diapers they are buying for their children and the creatives and strategists know this.

However, the commercial was voted “The Consumerist’s second annual “Worst Ad in America” contest. Out of 115,000 votes, the ad pulled in 32% of the vote.”   But why? yes the images are not exactly appealing, but it is done in a fun energetic way.I think that Luv’s said it to their consumers straight. This is what we do, this is what you can expect. That is what commercials are for, to inform the consumer on what they are getting but, in a creative way so that it will be remembered.

All products are not glamorous, and diapers certainly are not.  Many of the competitors commercials stay away from the cold hard facts and just show cute babies smiling, when really, there is much more going on. Luv’s demonstrates what is really happening, in a comedic and as unoffensive as possible.

I think that this commercial is unconventional but I would not go as far to say it was the “Worst Ad in America” I have seen ads that have no insight or direction at all. Luv’s “Diaper Blowout” just has gone where no other commercial has gone before and I believe that some were turned off by its truthfulness.

Tablets October 17, 2011

Ever since the iPad has come out, it seems that every tech company wants a piece of that market, the market of the tablet of course. More and more products like the iPad are hitting the shelves…but none of them have even come close to the popularity of Apple’s iPad.

Enter the Kindle Fire. The new Kindle that is being released by Amazon. This tablet has been creating buzz ever since it was unveiled. But what makes it different than all of the other iPad wannabes? The Kindle Fire is different first from previous Kindles in that it is all touch screen, it is also back-lit and in full color. With the Fire, you can now stream movies, TV, music, play games, read magazines, newspapers, and of course down loadable amazon books. All of these features, excluding the books, were not available on previous models of Amazons Kindle.

The Fire is then compared to the iPad. Fire can play games, though not as many, it can also surf the web, and download content that was not available in the past. But iPad still seems to have the lead in this market. However, Amazon has a marketing strategy that blows Apple out of the way, that is their pricing.

Consumers can purchase the Kindle Fire for only about $199, more than half of what the iPad costs. Kindle Fire is sure to get the market share of those who want a tablet but could not fathom spending upwards of $500 on one, especially when their main focus was to read.

I think that the Fire will do very well, they have a specific audience targeted, and I do believe that this audience will respond positively to the new product.

(Source)

For Men Only.. October 11, 2011

The new Dr. Pepper commercials are making a statement against women, stating that Dr. Pepper is “Not for women.”

The 10-Calorie soda is being marketed for men only. The packaging and commercials are ment to make the man feel manly when drinking the soda. The 10 calories that are in the soda are called “10 manly calories with all 23 flavors”. Their commercials show men doing rough and tumble things, making their statement clear to anyone who see’s it. Even the website and facebook of the product exclude women from using it.

Although Dr. Pepper says that they are not out to exclude women or alienate, they are simply being direct with their targeting strategy and out to have some fun with a campaign.

This may work with the trend of viral, comedic videos that like the Old Spice campaign, but it seems that everyone is jumping on that wagon, so weather or not Dr. Pepper will succeed with this campaign will be interesting.

I think that being so direct may pay off for them, but their target age of  25- 34 year olds may not be the main buyers, i think that a younger crowd will buy into this “manliness” more like 17-20 year olds.

The fat that Dr. Pepper 10 is targeting the same audience that Pepsi and Coke did with their low calorie drinks is not surprising. However, the manner in which they are doing so is.

I am definately going to keep up with this subject and see if their very direct messages pay off for them!

(Youtube Vid)

(Ad Age)

First entry… October 4, 2011

I have decided to make this blog about the advertising industry, basically, general things that I find interesting in the field. With my career goal in adverting I found it fitting to take notes on different ads that I see in the media, as well as what is going on behind the scenes.

For my first post I thought that I would start by commenting on current news. This past week the world lost Steve Jobs, creator of Apple. We remember Steve for all of the brilliant and innovative work that he had accomplished over the years, but we can also comment on how he used advertising to create an image for his brand.

When most of us think of Apple we are reminded of a piece of technology that defines who we are, but why do we feel this way? How did Steve Jobs make Apple such a huge part of our lives?

Looking back, Steve was very traditional in the way that he advertised. He mostly used TV, print, outdoor and other non web media. Steve’s idea for marketing was simple, tell the viewers what this product can do to change their lives. “…the product wasn’t an iMac, iPod or iPhone, it was the brand itself and how a well-designed product — any product — can make your life better.” (Adage.com)

Jobs was very particular about how and where his ads were placed. His whole goal was to create a brand image, and any product under than image would be considered innovative.

I think, well, we all know that Jobs had the right idea because of Apple’s success. The ads tell us how Apple products can change our lives, and through these ads, we were told what we needed, what we wanted and that our lives wouldn’t be productive without one of these products. Apple is not a product, it is a lifestyle.