Give me chicken! Give me liver!

Although there are thousands of new ads and commercials that come out every year, there are some that remain classics. One of the first commercials I remember seeing as a child and still can recall now is for the cat food Meow Mix. I know this may seem like a random commercial to so vividly remember, but I blame the jingle. The simple jingle is one that repeats one word -meow- over and over in a tune so catchy it will not leave your head for years (I'm living proof for that).

The Meow Mix jingle is a perfect example of why jingles exist in the first place. They are a catchy and easily remembered brand identifier. In this case, the jingle has been around for decades, even still appearing in commercials today. It is part of the Meow Mix brand, and because of that it won't be going anywhere soon.

Football Every Day of the Week

Have you ever wished that you could stay connected to your favorite NFL team more than just on game days? Well wish granted! The NFL has heard your cries and answered them in a very simple way -- giving you access to football everyday of the week!

This simple concept is so elegantly transformed into visual gold in one smooth commercial. With its upbeat background music accompanied with bright colors and continuous flow, this commercial immediately captures viewers attention. It depicts a young man rolling through out his typical week, the entire time staying connect to the NFL through various mediums. These include traditional television, smart phones, internet, etc. As he rolls through different boxes (or days) he is surrounded by different environments such as home, work, public transportation, and the outdoors.

There are obviously many different ways of getting "everything football", as the commercial reads. By creating this simple string of events and having the main character roll through them all, the sheer scope and many combinations are shown to the audience in about 30 seconds. Which is pretty impressive if you ask me. Take a look for yourself here!

Dead Island Trailer

Dead Island is a zombie video game that was released earlier this fall. The trailer was graphic and gory, but also surprisingly enough, a bit emotional. Some said it would make you cry, which isn't what one would normally expect from a video game. The trailer showed glimpses if the game; zombies, blood, and a family. There were great screen shots, music and the trailer was played in a different order in which the storyline, and what was happening, all came together in the end. It was like watching a mini-movie. To watch the trailer on Youtube, you had to be 18+ or signed into an account due to the graphic content. Besides being a great advertisement, it created a lot of hype for the game and made you want to play it. I wanted to check it out and I don't even play video games.

Campbell's Soup Snowman Commercial

The Campbell's Soup Snowman commerical has become a timeless winter classic ad. It has lasted, and remained a popular holiday commercial, for since 1995. It fits the brand, and the image it has created; the commercial is wholesome and sincere focusing on warmth and family. The snow melts when the little boy warms up after being served some Campbell's soup. It plays on nostalgia of playing in the snow, the holidays and family which appeals to both children and adutlts, espcailly mothers. Its appeals, to audiences emotions and holiday sentiments, make this commerical timless.

Starbuck's Holiday Cups Come to Life

Starbucks has a new app this holiday season for there featured holiday drink cups. The new app brings the cups to life, when the consumer views them through the free downloadable app. Currently it is only available for the iPhone but a Android app is supposed to be coming out soon. There are a variety of five different scenes, from carolers to ice skaters that can be seen on different cups. This provides more incentive to buy holiday Starbucks drinks, and is a perk to existing Starbucks addicted customers. It also lets the customer interact more with the product, not only by watching it but customers are also able to send snapshots of the scenes to friends and family, as an added bonus holiday greeting. It engages the customer in a fun and creative way, while also promoting not only the brand but the featured holiday drinks for the season. The new app enhances the brand, but also adds "experience".

Add Some Swag to your Brand

A new study conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) revealed that promotional swag generates more attention than more traditional mediums, such as TV, print or radio. Coffee mugs, pencils, and flashlights are among the many ideas for companies to distribute their logo to consumers. This finding helps show where the direction of the future of advertising is leading as marketers debate over the next great advertising medium. ASI also found that this newer form of alternative advertising has a lower cost-per-impression price tag compared to national magazine and prime time TV ads.

600 consumers, consisting mainly of businesspeople over the age of 21, were surveyed both in-person and online throughout major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. The respondents were asked to recall promotional swag received in the past year. Some key findings from the study include the increase of willingness to collaborate with the advertiser, more favorable impression of the advertiser after receiving swag, and bags were found to be used the most frequently among wearable swag items.

I think this is a great study to help defend any previous doubts on promotional materials. While most companies think slapping their logo onto waterbottles or pens may be an expensive form of advertising, it is actually more cost effective in the long run because of the stronger impression left on the consumer. The companies who have a larger advertising budget would see a benefit to creating useful products that incorporate their logo or slogan because the product would be recurring in the consumer's lifestyle.

This article was found on AdWeek.com.

Cravendale Cats with Thumbs

In Cravendale's "Cats with Thumbs" ad, it ponders the question, what would happen if cats had opposable thumbs? They would gang up and go after Cravendale milk.

The ad appeals to the audiences sense of humor, which is unique for an ad about milk. The humor in the ad can reach a large range of age groups which fits the product since milk is a beverage that pretty much everyone drinks and a common household product. The creativity and humor of the ad are what make it stand and and make it a memorable ad. The ad has over four million hits on Youtube. The ad positions the milk as something desirable and coveted. I really liked the ad, I thought it was hilarious.

Apple's Store Within A Store

Best Buy now features several Apple products that create a store within the store. As seen in their latest Holiday Ad, a salesman is showing a customer how to use face time, a key feature to many of the newly launched Apple products. They participate in a light hearted conversation and then the sales associate even jokes harmlessly, "I guess Santa better watch his back!"

The ad cuts to another scene of a darkened living room with Santa Claus entering. He is about to place presents under the Christmas Tree and then he realizes that everyone received a variety of Apple products instead of typical gifts he might deliver. A light in the opposite corner of the room comes on revealing the woman from the store sitting beside the cookies and milk intended for Santa. She then proceeds to chug the entire glass of milk with a menacing look on her face. The text "Game On, Santa" then flashes across the screen, suggesting that Best Buy has everything everyone needs at Christmas as well as the people who can help you "be" your own Santa Claus.

The overall tone of this ad is obviously humor and I think it achieves this goal. While some people may view it as an "attack" against Santa, I find it to be light hearted and informative of what Best Buy has to offer with its new Apple selection.

Here is the full length commercial.

Bing Calls Upon Rudolph For A Special Favor

With the holiday season fast approaching, advertisers have pulled all the stops to display their very best holiday themed advertisements. Bing, the third largest web search engine owned by Microsoft, is no exception. The company has partnered up with a whole cast of holiday characters in the hope of attracting people to their site. And with steep competition such as Google and Yahoo! they are ensuring this marketing campaign is unique to their competitors.

The overall strategy involves numerous advertisements that utilizes humorous situations featuring the characters of the holiday classic. Every character has a problem that they use Bing to solve, the end result shows them successfully pleased with choosing Bing as a search engine. There are four different scenarios Microsoft has planned to use for its Bing campaign. One of them features the Abominable Snowman (named Abominable) searching for a more ferocious roar. Another showcases a few characters searching for a vacation getaway that happens to be on an island of misfit toys. 

Microsoft has bought seven slots to run this campaign on national TV. They plan on running these four thirty second commercials from Thanksgiving until Dec. 21st. The goal isn't frequent exposure, but rather high impact for the viewer. While I am not a user of the Bing software, I find these ads to be rather appropriate for this time of year. Not only that, but with a holiday classic like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Bing is bound to get more exposure and recognition from the campaign.  

For additional information about this campaign strategy, you can find the full article here.

Watch the Abominable BING Ad here.

Whoever thought a Ginger could be so cool?

Chances are you have never heard of Lifestyle International Ltd. or Ginger. I hadn’t either until I saw their eye catching print ads online. But before I continue about these ads, allow me to catch you up on Lifestyle and Ginger. Lifestyle is a leading retail company in India. They sell anything from shoes to furniture and is comparable to what we call Macy’s. Ginger is a brand that can be found in Lifestyle stores all over. Although Ginger produces regular clothing they specialize in accessories, particularly jewelry.

I would have never been able to tell you about any of that if it had not been for the print ads I had found. These ads cleverly combine photographs of Ginger jewelry with whimsical sketch like drawings of women wearing it. What struck me first about these images was simply how interesting they were. It made me want to be the sketched women in the pictures. They appeared to possess a timeless beauty, with still being fun, fresh and young. Not surprisingly, this is the image and reaction that Ginger was trying to convey to its audience. According to their website their collections are meant for “the happy go lucky women who enjoy the sun and shade of life equally.” It further segments its intended audience into separate collections. These collections are for every type of woman – from the “soft romantic”, to the “head strong leader” there is a piece in this collection for everyone. This is also reflected in the print ads. All four of them seem to send a different personality and vibe to its audience. I think that Ginger did an excellent job in creating visually appealing ads that strongly speak to their intended audience.

Black Friday Funny

We all know Black Friday is not for everyone – but Targets ongoing seasonal ad campaign is. When done right humor can be a strong marketing strategy. In targets ads for Black Friday shopping, they have found something that works. This series of TV commercials features a crazed and intense Target shopper preparing for the Black Friday deals and specials Target offers.This Target shopper is better known as “the Christmas Champ”, played by standup comedian Maria Bamford. She does an excellent job in creating a humorous personality that many people are able to laugh at.

One reason these ads work is because they bring a light hearted and funny aspect to a day that is usually surrounded with stress and seriousness. It gives customers a chance to step back and think about how crazy the concept of Black Friday shopping can become. It also reaches a wide target audience, something that is pivotal for any Target commercial. Because Target has such a large selection and variety of merchandise, they need to create advertisements that will reach a large and differentiated target audience. Humor is something that all people can identify with and appreciate. By incorporating it into their Black Friday commercials, Target has successfully created awareness surrounding their Black Friday deals this year. If you haven't already take a look at one of these commercials below, or if you would rather read more about these commercials click here!

Highmark - It's Everywhere

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been noticing the same ad campaign across Pittsburgh region. These ads that have been catching my eye aren’t for the typical store, product, or entertainment that typically litters the billboards and TV commercial ad space. Instead it is for the health insurance company Highmark. These cleverly designed ads take a very simple concept and expertly create advertisements that deliver the message to customers without having to ‘cut through the clutter’.

The major medium incorporated into this campaign is the use of billboards. They all have the same design – the bright blue bottom half, white top half, with a big green check mark and the type that reads “accepted everywhere”. The bright colors are very helpful in catching the public’s attention, and by using the green check mark as the center of the visual backs up what the type is saying. Also the placement of these billboards is another aspect of the success of these ads. From my own personal experience, I have seen these ads in the middle of downtown, all the way to the rural countryside of Pennsylvania. The TV commercials are just as effective. They use the same bright color pallet, playful background music, and arrows to signify ‘here’ and ‘here’ or all the places Highmark is accepted.

Although I could not find any internet pictures or links to these ads, I am positive that all you have to do is look around to find one. And when you do I believe you will be just as impressed as I was.

Pittsburgh Penguins Find Their Future in College Students

With almost 300 straight sellouts, three championships, a young team, and a brand new state-of-the-art arena, it's no wonder that the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League are popular with the people of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Penguins merchandise is among the best-selling out of all of the teams in the league, and tickets for home games always sell quickly. While the crowd at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center arena is filled with season ticket holders, businessmen, and those lucky enough to grab tickets, there is a consistant presence of college students.

Six years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins weren't selling out every game and decided to try selling the extra tickets to students at a discounted price, a tactic they called "Student Rush." Students jumped at the opportunity to see a professional team for a cheaper price, and soon students were lining up hours before the game outside of the ticket windows to guarantee a seat. Student Rush was an instant success, and though the Pittsburgh Penguins team began attracting a larger, wealthier crowd, the Penguins front office didn't disband Student Rush. Instead, in a surprising act of public relations, they expanded it.

Today, the Penguins organization selects certain home games with 600 tickets for Student Rush, have a disc jockey to entertain the waiting students, give out prizes, and even bring out members of the team and coaching staff to dish out free pizza before the game. The Pittsburgh Penguins have made the message clear that they want college students to be able to enjoy the games, and by catering to the college crowd by giving them discounted tickets year after year, they are developing their consumer base for the future.

While the Pittsburgh Penguins also reach out to other audiences within their fan base, their specific outreach to students is unique in the National Hockey League. The Penguins organization recognizes that college students are an opportunistic audience to attract, since students are close to earning their own independent wages, are willing to spend money on good entertainment, and can also easily become loyal customers to the brand. Other teams in the National Hockey League, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, have seen the success of the Penguins' Student Rush and are trying to emulate it in order to build their fan base as well.

Student Rush continues to be a successful and inspiring promotional event for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and there are no plans of disbanding it any time soon.

SOURCE: "Student Rush offers kids a chance to attend Penguins games"
Pictures are from the Pittsburgh Penguins official site.

'Tis the Season: Classic Christmas Commercials

'Tis the season for Christmas shopping, music, shows, and, of course, advertising.

Every year, consumers look forward to their favorites of each as signs of the season, and classic holiday commercials are no exception. A handful of television advertisements have found their way into the hearts of consumers and so are expected to air during the Christmas shopping season.

Such classic commercials are the M&M's "Christmas Faint," "Hershey's Holiday Bells - We Wish You a Merry Christmas," Campbell's winter Chicken Noodle Soup commercial, and, in the Pittsburgh area, Eat 'N Park's "Christmas Star" commercial.

The ads range in tone from humorous to relaxed, but all have the same warm mood that consumers associate with the Christmas season. Since people have grown to love the commercials, associate them with the holiday season, the ads also inspire brand loyalty from the consumers who enjoy them. People may purchase the products advertised in the classic commercials as a way of supporting their favorite classic ads and as a way of participating in the holiday season as a compliment to their favorite commercials. After watching the "Hershey's Holiday Bells" commercial, one might purchase those holiday-themed Hershey's Kisses in order to bring the 'magic' of the commercial into one's home for the holiday.

In the advertising frenzy this holiday season, companies will compete to grab consumers' attention and their hearts. They hope to inspire consumers to not only buy the product, but to associate it with the holiday season and become loyal to the brand as a holiday tradition, just like with their classic predecessors.

Penn State Hires Ketchum Agency for Crisis Communications

In its latest move for crisis control, Penn State University hired the Pennsylvania based Omnicom Group agency, Ketchum, for crisis communications. This is another response that the university has made in light of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.

While the Ketchum agency is better known as a PR firm, it is also recognized for having around 50 crisis executives and has also built a reputation for its success in crisis communications.

It will be Ketchum's responsibility to advise Penn State and help the university reach out to all parties involved in the scandal and speak to them and the public truthfully about the scandal in order to build trust with the public and rebuild its image again. No matter what the public opinion is of the scandal and the university, it is Ketchum's hired duty to help Penn State recover from the scandal.

SOURCE: "Penn State Enlists Ketchum for Crisis Communications"

Disney Magic for Disney Parks in Times Square

Times Square in New York City is full of lights, billboards, and screens, all vying for the attention of the thousands of tourists that visit it each day. One screen in particular captured the attention and imagination of visitors in order to promote Disney Parks by using a bit of 'magic' called an Augmented Reality Billboard.

When someone stands on the special marker located opposite of the billboard, a Disney character appears on the screen and interacts with him or her in Augmented Reality. It was a success with children and adults alike, as people danced with Donald, dug for buried treasure with Captain Hook, helped Cinderella try on her glass slipper, and modeled with Cruella De Vil.


This short-lived promotion for the Disney Parks is not only memorable for the people who saw it and participated, but is an example of how to successfully promote a business using Augmented Reality Billboards.

SOURCE: Disney: Augmented Reality in Times Square

Kohl's "Friday" Parody for Black Friday

Back in March, the now-infamous song, "Friday," by Rebecca Black, went viral and garnered lots of attention for the 13 year old aspiring singer and her song.

Kohl's recently parodied the song in their latest ad to promote their Black Friday sales, and it certainly got my attention. Since "Friday" is so well known, for both good and bad reasons, just hearing the song has people paying attention to the ad. It's humorous seeing "Friday" being used in a real commercial, and the commercial is well-done in that it gets the point across quickly that you can get all of your holiday shopping done at Kohl's on Black Friday at good prices. However, the ad could also have a negative impact on consumers as well, since so many people voiced their dislike of Black's "Friday," those people could also dislike Kohl's for using the song, and even featuring Rebecca Black herself in the ad as a background shopper.

Either way, Kohl's using the infamous viral song for their Black Friday ad proves that using internet pop culture in advertising is effective for reaching out to multiple generations of consumers since so many are familiar with "Friday."

See the commercial here.

Dermablend Go Beyond The Cover Commercial with Zombie Boy

I still don't quite understand why someone would want to tattoo themselves THIS much, however, at least Rick Genest is putting his tattoos to good use. Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy, not only appeared in this advertisement for Dermablend, he can also be seen in Lady Gaga's music video for Born This Way.
The ad campaign "Go Beyond The Cover" for Dermablend skin concealer is unique and effective. I first saw this advertisement while on StumbleUpon (a search engine) about a month ago and have been meaning to blog about it since. The ad certainly has a freakish effect, mainly because of Zombie Boy's signature stare, but also because the product is so fantastically successful! Watching him take off the concealer and then seeing the process of applying the concealer play in reverse was rather mind blowing.
The ad campaign for "Go Beyond The Cover" is a clever idea as well. Especially since now so many people are concerned with judging others by their appearance. The campaign attracts a wide range of people including both male and female, particularly ages 13 to 35, depending on the person's lifestyle and attitude.
I love the ad and would even consider buying the product...now I just need to get a tattoo!

Super Bowl Aerial Ads

Even though the Super Bowl is still months away, that doesn't mean that advertisers and marketers aren't thinking about their commercial time during the game. It is known that Super Bowl ads are one reason why some people watch the event while spots cost millions of dollars for just 30 seconds of air time. For this year, the price for each thirty second commercial is 3.5 million dollars, being half a million higher than last year. The problem is that smaller companies and companies that do not have a large marketing budget can not afford to advertise in this manor.

To solve this problem, AirSign Aerial Advertising is now offering advertising live at the Super Bowl for a fraction of the cost on a first come first serve basis. The company has been experienced in the the business since 1996 in advertising in the air. Stated by the founder of the company Patrick Walsh, "One of the best options for Super Bowl aerial advertising is our newest branch of advertising, Blimp or Airship advertising, the manned airship is customized with a client's brand and it can float over the open stadium for the entire game." On these ships, companies can have whatever message they would like with their logo and company name illuminated through internal lights.

I think that this is a great new method of advertising during the game- although viewers of the game can not see the ads, the attendees of the Super Bowl will be seeing the ads during the entire game. What do you think? Do you think this is an effective way of advertising besides commercials?

Click here to read the full article.

In Honor of Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, Outback Steakhouse aired a commercial in honor of those who have served and who are currently serving for our country.
The restaurant played black and white footage of servicemen coming home to their families and friends.
Like many other restaurants, Outback Steakhouse offered a free meal for all veterans on Friday the 11th.
I actually really like this commercial. It's patriotic and uplifting. Airing this commercial and offering a free meal was a great way to get more people into the restaurant...even if they aren't a veteran.

Subscription Shopping…Good Idea?

Most of us have been ordering products off of the internet for years now, but things can be made even easier. Now we have what is known as “subscription shopping,” wherein certain websites will automatically send products to you without your ever having to do a thing. Venture capitalist Phineas Barnes claims that consumers are overwhelmed with all of the choices out there; this service can only make things easier for them.

This service operates much like the Fruit-of-the-Month Club, though it is a bit unclear as to what exactly these services offer. Can one rely on the website to not take advantage of their subscription by automatically sending them the items with the most exorbitant prices? Also, can a consumer set the automated ordering system to send them the same items each week or month, or are these subscriptions entirely controlled by the company one is purchasing from?

I don’t foresee this as being a long-standing trend, or at least not one that is likely to grow very far beyond where it is now. As the article on Adweek says, a lot of orders sent via subscription companies are a direct result of consumers simply being too lazy to cancel. If a lazy consumer were to be charged a decent amount for one of these subscription purchases, I believe they would rather swiftly cancel their subscription. What do you think? Would you ever subscribe to a shopping service? I wouldn’t.

Read more about this trend here.

New Life to Old Brand

The company Procter & Gamble is bringing life back into one of its oldest and most well known brands- Ivory soap- by producing new packaging, advertising, and social media initiatives. The company is using the Ad firm of Wieden & Kennedy which is based in Portland OR to produce the new packaging with features bright colors like cyan, purple, and green chosen to contrast with the soap's pure white. Its social media efforts include producing a Facebook page. At the same time, the company is producing ads that are intended to promote the Ivory Brand's "value and simplicity".

Ivory is one the six soap brands sold by P&G, the others are Olay, Gillette, Old Spice, Safeguard and Camay. This Advertising effort is the first major marketing strategy for the company in years- having only advertised minimally since 2006 spending a high of $1.4 million that year and less than $325,000 in total between 2007 and the first half of this year. Therefore, this new marketing is definitely a change for the company to push their products.

I think that is is important for brands like this to bring new life into their products. The company already has a strong foothold in the industry with history and trust. But, it is important to bring the products into the 21st Century to market to new consumers. It will be interesting to see if their sales increase due to these new marketing techniques.

Click here to read the full article.

There's a soldier in Jonah Hill

With the release of the newest Call of Duty game, a proper advertisement is in order. Modern Warfare 3 under Activision, created a commercial that is aiming to make this their biggest game release yet. Appealing to their loyal "gamers", they are also trying to reel in many new customers. The ad also recalls the slogan it used in past advertisements, "There's a soldier in all of us".



From Adweek, "When Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel showed up in Call of Duty: Black Ops, it seemed both pleasantly incongruous and entirely apt. They brought star power without it seeming gratuitous, or breaking the internal logic of the ad. They, like us, simply escaped and became soldiers." Activision, with their new explosive trailer directed by Peter Berg, brings in Jonah Hill of Knocked Up fame, together with Sam Worthington from Avatar in an action-packed, dramatic trailer. Worthington is described as "the Vet" while Hill is perceived as "the n00b", or newbie. The ad starts off with Hill following Worthington through different cities such as New York, Moscow, and Paris, trying to learn the ropes. We have humorous dialogue paired with intense shooting action. Of course, in the end, Hill becomes a seasoned vet and Worthington is surprisingly impressed.

It is a shot in the right direction if Activision wants to truly appeal to both demographics- the "vets" of the Call of Duty franchise, and the "n00bs" or new players. It's interesting and funny, and they want you to know that YOU can get in on the action, no matter what your skill level or knowledge. For a company that has, in the terms of video games, an older franchise, it is important to appeal to new customers. The involvement of these actors, who are suppose to represent both demographic of gamers, creates a fun and inviting atmosphere that is appealing to both. Would you agree?

Source: Adweek

'Real' Models for Advertising Campaigns

In my last post, I discussed some negative consequences of interactive advertising and how one man ended up in front of a judge for his uncontrollable actions towards a cardboard female of a sunglasses advertisement in a drug store. This type of virtual advertising came back to my focus after reviewing a collective series of ads from a website that presented 'real' consumers of products used to connect with the audience.

One example given from Rediff.com, discussed Ford Motor Company's latest campaign titled, "Swap Your Ride," where the one of America's oldest car dealers uses real people to sell an experience. The campaign is aimed at those who have never set foot in a Ford dealership by providing actual footage and testimony from participants of rival car brands. Ford let these participants ride around in one of their new car models for 10 days to ask for their opinions. The dealer has creatively devised a way to bring in the Ford avoiders who have not experienced a Ford 'Ride' ever in their life.

I think this is a wonderful technique used for pulling in new customers as well as re-affirming a current Ford customer's decision on a one of people's largest life purchases. Most people do not buy cars very often and also tend to remain loyal to a particular make or vehicle. This type of interaction with real consumers helps Ford remain a reputable car maker in the industry and also save money by hiring an expensive advertising agency to deliver a message blatantly obvious to those who have tried Ford's products.

This article was originally found on www.rediff.com.

Vampire's 2012 Volvo Up For Grabs

With the upcoming premiere of the final installment of the Twilight saga, Volvo is monopolizing on an opportunity to promote their 325hp Volvo S60 T6 R-Design. The concept of the ad is to firstly promote the Twilight movie, but secondly couple it with an opportunity to win "Edward's car", the Volvo and you have a contest that will send "Twihards" into a frenzy. However, how effective will this promotional strategy be? Is Twilight really that big of a deal to inspire someone to enter to win the actual car? Or do preconceived stigmas attached to the franchise alienate certain audiences?

Of course an opportunity to win a free car is hard for most people to pass up. But what if it's a Twilight car? I for one am not a fan of the Twilight franchise, so I tend to tune out the previews for the upcoming movie which is where this ad is featured. I feel like Volvo's attempt at promoting their new car may be successful to younger high school audiences, but the opportunity is only valid to those eighteen years of age or older, which limits who would want to enter. On the flip side however, maybe the Twilight name won't be a contributing factor to people's decisions to enter for a free car or not. It may just be a matter of opinion.

 To watch the full length ad click here.

Antispokesman makes a great spokesman

I've never actually seen an advertisement or commercial for Columbia Sportswear...or at least I don't remember seeing one. But when I read about the new campaign for their Omni-Heat Electric line of outwear clothing, I was not only shocked by how crazy Wim Hof is, but also at how creative the campaign is. The New York Times describes Wim Hof, a Dutchman who has trained his body to overcome subzero temperatures while running, hiking, swimming, etc., as the antispokesman for Columbia Sportswear due to the fact that he isn't wearing any Columbia sportswear during the ad. In fact, he isn't wearing much more than a pair of shorts.
In a commercial that will only be posted online, Columbia Sportswear explains that clearly the average person cannot do what Hof can, and therefore must use their Omni-Heat Electric products.
The antispokesperson is a clever idea and I think it will be extremely effective in their campaign. However, I think they should do more than just post the commercial online and give it some air time in order to reach a broader range of people.

For the entire article: click here !!

Ad Swapping

Online video websites are trying to come up with effective ways of placing advertisements on their pages. Oftentimes, the viewer simply wants to watch their television show or video clip without interruption. In fact, it doesn’t seem much of a stretch to say that the idea of having to watch an advertisement either before or during the video they’ve selected is enough to infuriate the viewer. One new approach to this problem is ad swapping.

Websites like Hulu and Youtube have started testing out a new system that allows the viewer to decide for themselves which ads they will get to see. Hulu is utilizing its “Ad Swap” feature, which enabled the viewer to choose from a list of substitute ads if they do not want to view the pre-selected one, while Youtube has put forth a system in which the viewer gets to select between three different ads. Despite these new attempts at injecting ads into online video, the results still show that the “Skip this Ad” feature is the most popular choice.

In fact, there has been little positive response to the ad swapping idea. The general problem with it is that by the time the viewer has decided which ad they wish to see, they could have already been halfway through an ad that was selected for them and started automatically. This ad swap concept provides the viewer with a choice, but it still slows them down in achieving their ultimate goal, which is: to watch the video that they selected. I think that the best choice for everyone involved is to give the viewer the option of watching the ad or not. This way the viewers who are actually interested in the product will watch, while those who aren’t won’t become upset and start associating the product with negative emotions.

Read about ad swapping here.

Adobe Systems boosts Advertising

Adobe Systems is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in California. The company has historically focused upon the creation of multimedia and creativity software products.

Recently, the company has acquired a privately owned advertising company called "Auditude" to increase its advertising platform. Video advertising has been a new, creative, and innovative way to market products, services, and events. Within the month of September, Americans watched 6.8 billion online video ads where the company "Auditude" streaming 344 million of these. That made the company the seventh-largest source of such ads in the US and the fifth largest video advertising network- now making Adobe responsible for all of these advertisements.

"Auditude" offers a wide range of integrated advertising system for video for computers, phones, and tablets. With this acquisition, Adobe plans to combine "Auditude" platform with its own Flash Media Server and Pass products and integrate the company with Adobe Digital Marketing Suite. Overall, this acquisition places Adobe Systems high in the video advertising market ratings.

For more information, click here.