Twitter Opening Up to Advertising

According to the media source Reuters, Twitter has began to integrate advertising into their social media forum.  The social media site said that they are opening their platform up to third-party management software such as Adobe Systems, Salesforce Inc., Hootsuite, SHIFT, and TBG Global.  

In a blog, Twitter product manager said,"With the Ads API, marketers now have more tools in their arsenal to help them deliver the right message, to the right audience, on the desktop and on mobile devices — all at scale".

In recent years, Twitter has amped up their advertising to allow marketers to target users based on perceived interests and their locations.

 Twitter has already opened up to advertising.  Each time a user on the site retweets or clicks on a "promoted" tweet that is paid for by another advertiser, Twitter gains revenue.  The new application programming interface (API) allows great automation for advertisers who had to previously manually write every promoted tweet. 

In 2013, Twitter's revenues are expected to grow by at least 90% up to $545 million according to an eMarketer.  The same eMarketer noted that Facebook's API also experienced rapid growth from its API after it introduced it to advertisers in 2011. 

The Next Big Thing

For their year's Superbowl, Samsung knew they needed to create a larger than life advertisement. Their plan? Come up with the "next big thing".

In this commercial funny guys Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd compete for the attention of Samsung's head advertising executive and pitch their ideas for a commercial. The irony in and of itself is witty and fun to watch - the simple fact that they are not pitching the idea for a commercial, but actually creating the commercial using pitches. Watching this falsified "creative process" between an executive and two comedians provides plenty of laughter and intrigue. The best moment in the entire commercial is the climax with Lebron James talking to the executive on the tablet about possibly doing a cameo on a tablet for the commerical. This adds another layer to the irony being witnessed and really brings a smile to the face of anybody watching it.

At this point in the game, Samsung is a huge name and most people are well aware of the products they offer. The Samsung Galaxy S III, while their newest phone, was launched back in May of 2012 - about 8 months before this commercial. Many of their initial commercials discussed features in the phone and what sets it apart, but by this time people have become numb to those push advertisements. This ad pulls you in and makes you intrigued by the company itself, not necessarily just the single electronic it provides. As a huge competitor of Apple, both with tablets and smart-phones, Samsung used this opportunity to create a brand identity for themselves rather than exhaust the public with more talk of how great the phone is.

This commercial was about humor and wit and for once letting the tech-side of things take the back seat. While very small, there still is a call to action at the very end of the commercial, attempting people to follow and talk about Samsung on social media.

This does not however mean that Samsung completely neglects discussing the products. With this commercial, instead of telling you what it can do, while Seth and Paul are in the waiting room, they pull out their new Samsung Galaxy S III phones and do all kinds of cool stuff with them like search the web, take and edit pictures, etc. This type of demonstration I believe was well placed and became seamless with the humor in the commercial.

Interactive Advertisment

Interactive advertisement has become a very popular form of advertising. Today these ads generate more attention then regular ads.  It involves then consumer more and definitely makes the ad more memorable.  These ads are also making the viewer more involved witht their surroundings.  This type of advertising is one that is on the rise.  Look out for more of these to come.

           

Open Happiness

Coca-Cola's slogan, "Open Happiness" is only made stronger by their thoughtful and creative guerilla marketing campaigns. For over a century, as a brand they have set themselves apart from the competition. Coca-cola is more than a satisfying beverage, it is a culture. A culture that is shared by people of all ages, bringing them closer together through a common love, and adds just a little bit of happiness to your day. During their guerilla marketing campaign, Coca Cola visited different countries and spread their view of happiness with the people there. The following video is of a marketing campaign that took place in the U.S. and London.

Coca-Cola created an event that could surprise people and bring them together as one happy group. This is the entire idea behind the brand of their product so creating this reaction in people was key to the success of this campaign. A similar reaction can be seen here, when the Coca-Cola truck visited Rio De Janiero, Brasil.

The simple joy of a free coke is enough to send smiles all over the place. Coca-Cola ups the anti by providing even more prizes from their trucks that generate happiness and create a sense of community among the people involved.

Another excellent guerilla marketing campaign was Coca-Cola's "Hug Me" machine.

In this video, we see a coke machine that says "Hug Me" instead of "Coca-Cola" and has no buttons. When the machine is given a hug, a coke pops out! Once they realized how it worked, people loved this idea and flocked to the machine to give it a big squeeze of love. Friends would go together to give a group hug to Coca Cola to get their drink. This advertising was excellent because it really brought to light the friendship and love that Coca-Cola promises to provide. That bit of happiness translated into wide-spread understanding of Coca-Cola's mission.

Advertising influencing athletes

One of the most common forms of advertising in the area of sports merchandise and apparel is the celebrity endorsement, or more specifically the professional athlete endorsement. These are beneficial to both sides, as the company gets to associate their products with some of the best athletes in their respective sports, and the athletes get extra sources of income from these deals. Companies have learned to make effective use of the hype surrounding athletes as well, piggybacking on the excitement of fans to generate interest in their products. 

Recently, companies such as Adidas have even started capitalizing on athletes before they even make the professional level. The best and most recent example of this is quarterback Robert Griffon III formerly of Baylor. In fact, after declaring for the NFL draft, Robert Griffon III (known as RG3) managed to earn more than any NFL rookie in history before even throwing his first pass in the league.

For those not familiar with RG3 and the situation in Washington, the reason so much hype is surrounding this young player is because of what he means to the city and the Redskins organization. He is considered the “hope of the city” for football fans, and a player that will lead them out of their championship drought. This is the perfect environment for a sports icon to develop. However, at the end of this year’s season RG3 suffered a severe knee injury. Now, as he may be poised to return to the field, he has been featured in another advertisement:

The story does not end there however. Shortly after this ad, RG3 took to Twitter to state that he would not return to play before he felt ready to do so:

Feel like I need to say this..Although my goal is to start Week 1, that doesn't mean I will compromise my career to do so.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 19, 2013

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a player’s advertisement has put pressure on their professional careers.

A very similar example we have is Derrick Rose, an NBA star and member of the Chicago Bulls. In the post Michael Jordan era, the Bulls have struggled to perform until the college star from Memphis came to the NBA. Rose, also having suffered from a knee injury, appeared in a similar commercial:

As of now, Rose has still not returned to NBA competition. Now, the question remains should athletes place unnecessary expectations on themselves simply for the sake of advertising?

Sex Sells

In our world today there is a very commonly accepted phrase that "sex sells".  Is this phrase becoming too common and to accepted?  Almost all the ad campaigns, it seems, has a sex angle to it.  From high fashion to food there is at least an innuendo of sex if the ads just doesn't allready come out and slap you in the face with the sexual content. 

This ad which is an ad for a men's perfume is very straight forward with its sexual content.  It is not trying to be something that its not.  This ad is sex and is using sex to sell and nothing more.

The second ad (which is an ad for aclothing line) is still pretty straight forward with its sexual message.  Half naked men and women foundling each other can only symobolize so many things. I find it a bit disturbing that these are the ads that are deemed popular and necessary.  With younger generations being able to see these ads what will they possibly learn for them?  Will they see them and even kno that they are sexual or has these type of images become apart of the visual culture that we give to them?  Yes some look at these images as being art but at the end of the day their main purpose is to sell a product.  I think its time that we start relying less on sexual content to sell things as simple as perfume.   

True Beauty

Unlike any other species on the planet, us humans are blessed with the ability to appreciate aesthetic beauty. As well, throughout history, what is considered "beautiful" has been constantly evolving. Regardless of what is considered the epitome of female perfection, there is always something left out: everyone else. And in a society that values beauty so deeply, shouldn't every woman have the privilege to believe she is beautiful? I apologize for getting on my soap box, but here I am going to look at an ad campaign created by Victoria's Secret.

 

Pretty, huh? Victoria's Secret "I Love My Body" campaign, not to be confused with an encouragement for young women to feel good about themselves, but about how you should pamper your body by purchasing bras that will raise you an extra cup size or two.

I can't help but notice that all of these young women look unhealthy, and not particularly sexy. Victoria's Secret would beg to differ, I suppose, and seem to enjoy perpetuating the image of toothpick legs and boobs  lifted up to one's chin.

I will admit that I am pretty biased. Last time I went to Victoria's Secret, I found a bra that increases you two cup sizes. I tried it on and as I looked at myself in the mirror with this perverse stuffed animal strapped to my chest I could only sarcastically think to myself, "Ah, now I am perfection." I suppose I just don't "get" Victoria's Secret. Perhaps it is the feminist in me, but I just don't understand why I need to be skinny to be beautiful or have large breasts (or create the illusion of) to be considered sexy. I take personal offense!

Just to leave on a note of positive belief in humanity, here is an image from Dove's Real Beauty campaign, where it is believed that beauty exists in everyone.

Tradition or Hoax

The Superbowl is a time for many top sit back and watch the game.  It is also a time where more people then usual tune in to watch the commercials that are played for all to see during the Superbowl.  It is a well known fact that these copmmercials are some of the most expensive ever made and aired.  One such commercial that has been getting a lot of attention is the Budweiser commercial with the clyesdale horse. 

In this commercial Budweiser playes on their campaign technique of being a "all American traditional beer".  How much of this is actually true?  Yes this commercial pulled on the heart strings of all but the fact of the matter is that Budweiser is no lomger an American beer.  Budweiser is now under Belgian Brewer InBev. which is a Belgium and Brazillian company.  Although his product used to be an American product it no longer is.  So is Budweiser making false advertisements by naming its product the All American beer?  That is up to you to decide. 

Joaquin Phoenix stimulates drowning in new PETA ad

In PETA's latest attempt to stop animal suffering and encourage people to adapt a lifestyle that doesn't involve the mistreatment of animals, actor, Jaoquin Phoenix channels his inner fish. 

Apparently a vivid fishing experience when he was three years old convinced him to become a vegan.  

"The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death", Phoenix says. 

The advertisement was set to be aired during the Academy Awards; however, ABC deemed the commercial too controversial and political.  The ad was then moved to a later time slot during Jimmy Kimmel Live's Post-Oscar show. 

Though controversial is definitely expected from the animal rights organization, it is understood why the time slot was moved to a later time.  Showing a human in the act of drowning induces fear among most viewers.  It definitely plays on emotions as it tries to encourages those who watch to adapt the vegan lifestyle.  

Similar ads that plays on the emotions of the viewers include PETA's 'Everyday Dogs' commercial, which depicts animal body bags in several situations where a dog would be.  

Both ads use emotion and empathy to encourage viewers to protect animals and adapt their views. 

Apple's New Ipad Commericals

Apple has come a long way since its famous "1984" advertisement that left the world amazed.  However, arguably the biggest information technology company still can compete with the best of the best, especially with its latest Ipad commercials that landed on television just a few days ago.  The newest commercials 'Alive' and 'Together' take the high road by simply focusing on what the product can do vs. attacking its competitors.  

Both ads take on the classic white background of apple ads with simple, yet fun background music.  The 'Alive' ad focuses on the concept of interactivity with the many apps that it offers.  The Ipad showcases it's creative and high quality as it highlights just a few of the 300,000 apps that Apple offers.  Here's a look at the 'Together' ad that also aired a few days ago.  
 

Apple's second ad 'Together' emphasizes some of the many ads that can be used with more than one person.  It also focuses on the some of the more commonly used functions of Ipads such as reading, watching, videos, or playing games.  Some of the apps that are seen in the advertisement are things you couldn't even imagine you could find on a tablet. (such as dissecting the human brain)  

Both ads stick with Apple's consistent theme with its white background, simple yet fun music, and it's emphasize on the capabilities of the products.  The simplicity and consistency with the brand's previous commercials make the ads identifiable with the company. 

Pepsi Jumps on the Harlem Shake Bandwagon

Just when everyone thought that the trend was finally going to fade off, it seems companies are starting to adopt it and make it there own.  The Harlem Shake has taken the world by storm.  It is roughly two weeks old, and pretty much anybody and everybody has made their own video to replicate it, including Pepsi.  While Pepsi is the first major company to take on the Harlem shake, we can't help but wonder if they caught on too late, or that there's still a little more time left for the shake to be a thing.  Oddly enough, they weren't the only one's who thought about making an inanimate object do the dance.  Here's a look at what Pepsi came up with.  

Big time publications such as the Atlanta Wire and the LA Times started calling the trend "unwelcome right around Valentine's Day last week, but does the ad still work even after it's caught onto the tail end of the fad?  People say that the Harlem Shake lost its coolness after it went mainstream.  The only good news is that they did another video featuring Nascar driver Jeff Gordon that was closer to the original video of the dance.  

I think it's safe to say that viewers are still stuck on the trend for the time being; however if Pepsi is going to continue to utilize the dance for their advertisements, they should probably stick with the Jeff Gordon ad.  At least it's more humorous than watching a bunch of cans and bottles bounce around.  Either way, I agree with most people in thinking that the ads won't be running for much longer. 

Got Milk? gets the Rock Bottom

We all know Got Milk for their ad campaign involving milk mustaches, but during this year's Super Bowl enlisted the help of "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment", Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock. Johnson is must known for his wrestling career as 'The Rock' in the WWE. Within the last decade, Johnson had made the successful leap to film. He's starred in moves such as Walking Tall, The Rundown, The Scorpion King, Gridiron Gang, and most  Fast Five.

Got Milk's new ad follows Johnson on his journey to get some milk after he realizes he has run out at home. Along the way, Johnson is confronted with certain situations, that on any other day he would have to stop for including helping a little girl get her cat out of a tree and helping a couple trapped by a lion. The ad emphasizes the importance of milk, but don't worry, Johnson gets the milk home just in time to save the world from an impeding alien attack.

Got Milk idea of employing one of the biggest action stars of the time is genius. The commercial still goes along with their brand identity of using a iconic figure that kinds look up to to represent their brand. Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock' is looked up to my millions of young kids for either his wrestling or his actions movies. The ad comes at a time where Johnson is arguably at the top of his career. He is set to defend his WWE Championship at Wrestlemania in March. The ad also coincides with the upcoming release of Johnson's new movie Snitch. By using an icon that currently is not only in the spotlight in film, but also in the sporting world, Got Milk is stepping up their advertising campaign with a commercial that packs a punch...literally.

  

"Someday is Today" Brand Image Campaign

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) relies on Public Relations efforts just like many other non-profit organizations. Contrary to organizations like the American Cancer Society and the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the LLS has very low public awareness.

 Their mission is to raise money to advance the treatment of blood cancers and they decided to increase public awareness of the organization by launching a brand image campaign that features TV commercials, print, outdoors and digital ads.

The theme of the campaign is “Someday Is Today” and it's estimated cost is at $20 million in paid and unpaid media. With this campaign, LLS wants to differentiate themselves from non-profit advertising by having a hopeful tone and demonstrating how supporters have made a difference for the organization. 

Andrew McMains' article in ADWEEK quotes Lisa Stockmon, Senior Vice President of LLS’ Marketing and Communications Department on her comments regarding the objective of this campaign. She said: “We wanted to be less sort of guilt. We wanted to be less trite. We want to be more part of, 'You know what? The money that you invest in us...makes an impact and we have been able to change the face of cancer from the work that we do,’” she said.

The ad below is the most popular ad from the campaign so far. 

I believe their campaign is smart and effective because it integrates society members as being key players in their success at finding a cure for cancer. Although the cure has not been found yet, their ads are hopeful in that some kind of cure will be found soon and this can only be accomplished with the financial support of those who believe in the organization's mission. Their advertisements do a great job of informing the public of what LLS has accomplished so far. They include statistics to support their claims and in my opinion, this is what engages people and makes them want to support this organization.

Non-profit organizations are surprised at the success and hype created by the campaign. What is most shocking is that network and cable stations are running their TV ads for free. LLS’ campaign is getting significant exposure nationwide and they aren’t paying for the spots! That is truly impressive as there are so many non-profit organizations that would want to be in their shoes.  

Mike vs Ike and Left vs Right

          Two iconic candies Mike and Ike and Twix seem to be more similar then meets the eye.  Just Born Inc. (the owners of Mike and Ike candy) started a break up campaign where Mike and Ike are no longer the iconic duo they have been known as.  This campaign started in 2012.

          Shortly after the release of this campaign the Mars company that owns Twix released a left vs right campaign. It is the same concept of the Mike and Ike campaign were the candy is feuding. Is the Mars company stealing the concept from Just Born Inc.?

            Never before have the these two very different candies crossed paths before. Twix and Mike and Ike have had campaigns that are each funny and unique in there own ways.  These two adds are very close in their concept and in the way that they are displayed. In both commercials conflict became the central theme and was played out till the end.

Science Is Awesome!

 The people at Science World British Columbia is a non-profit organization in Vancouver that values science as the gateway to the future.

Starting in 2007, Science World released a series of compelling outdoor advertisements that were often interactive, tangible, or humorous to share interesting facts about the world. Most recently, they covered a billboard entirely in gold. The mere two ounces of gold for the billboard cost $6000 and was guarded day and night by security personnel.

The goal of Science World is simple: make science fun. Through this, they hope to make kids and adults alike excited about the future. These ads have been very effective in creating a stir in Vancouver and have even won awards for their innovation.  Outdoor advertisements such as these turn bus stops and sidewalks into interactive exhibits where passers-by can learn new facts and can get hands on with these exhibits masquerading as advertisements.

I truly cannot think of a more compelling way to advertise the contents of a science center than to bring some knowledge to the masses in a creative, interesting way.

There is a gallery of many of their ads here. I would definitely recommend looking at them!

Booking.com got it booking right!

They Got it Booking Right

Booking.com's new commercial "booking.yeah" employs some serious humor with the theme of an epic adventure and some not-so-subtle allusions to a certain taboo word. "You got it booking right" is the theme of this commercial. The customer finally did it, they created the most epic, wonderful vacation of their dreams with the help of booking.com.
The word booking and the "F" word (I'm sure you all know which word I'm referring too...) have similar consonant sounds, so when used in the proper context, "booking" can sound almost like profanity. Since it is clearly not the same thing, and cannot be mistaken for the F word, this comes off as extremely humorous and even silly.
As self-proclaimed "planet Earth's #1 accomodation site" booking.com shows that it will provide you with the most epic vacation you will ever experience. The commercial is filled with visuals of people overjoyed at the sights, food, hotel rooms, and everything involved with their vacation. The music employed in the commercial has an epic theme like something that could be found in movies such as Indiana Jones or Star Wars - sounds of triumph and celebration. This adds to the exaggerated idea of how happy you will be that you used booking.com.
Booking.com is already well known in Europe, but is now making its debut in the United States. It is important for them to create a lasting and memorable first impression to grab a new audience and stand out among many competitors such as priceline and kayak. I think they truly hit the mark with a fun and relatable commercial. They got it booking right.

Taco Bell encourages you to 'Live Mas'

This year's Super Bowl brought about two new ads from fast food chain, Taco Bell. Taco Bell is known for having some of the most memorable ads in recent times. One key element can be found in most Taco Bell ads...humor.

Almost everyone can remember the Taco Bell chihuahua that debuted back in 1997. The ad employs a spanish-speaking chihuahua to advertise their 99 cent tacos. The chihuahua uses the tag line "Yo quiero Taco Bell." This literally translates to "I want some taco Bell. The slogan was uses throughout the late 90's into the 2000's.

In the late 2000's, Taco Bell came up for the idea of "Fourth Meal".  The concept was designed to promote Taco Bell's late night menu, and to attract younger consumers to stop in late. The copy at the end of the ad read, "Open 'til 1am or later ". The ad also implemented a new word, 'Fourthmealer', which referred to those who ate Taco Bell for their fourth, or last meal of the day.


  During the Super Bowl, Taco Bell strategically released two ads, one Pre-game, and one During game. Both ads use noticeable songs of recent times, but with a slight twist. Both songs are entirely in spanish. The "Grande Papi" Pre-Game ad, shows a man walking with a baby strapped to his chest walking to Taco bell to get a burrito. The song associated with the ad is Notorious BIG's Big Poppa. The rap hit is one of the most known songs of the last two decades. The ad promotes Taco Bell's Cantina Steak Burrito, which is shown at the completion of the journey to taco Bell.

The second ad, "Viva Young", was a During-Game ad showing residents of a retirement home going out for a little nighttime fun. The 'old folks' hit the town and cause all types of chaos and finally returning to the home in the early morning hours, with one resident having some new ink. The song that goes with this ad is FUN's We Are Young. The song became very popular over the past year, and it's smooth-flowing melody is easily recognizable. The ad uses Taco Bell's current tagline "Live Mas", meaning "Live more". The fact that both of these songs were produced in complete spanish only adds to the humor of the commercials. 

The worst of the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl has come and gone, and the advertisements that came with it are now bearing the weight of public scrutiny. Fortunately, because there are so many ways that these advertisements are analyzed, we can get a great idea of how effective the commercials from the Super Bowl have been already.

Given the fact that the average cost of a 30 second spot in this year’s Super Bowl came with a price tag of a record $4,000,000, it would seem to me that we as the audience should expect the very best creative and entertaining commercials that a company can produce. And there is no reason why we shouldn’t. If we are going to spend our money on their products, it should be expected that they make an effort to compete for our attention. 

The Super Bowl, as a singular event, provides the best opportunity of the year for companies to do that. Much of the United States is tuned in to the game, and the commercials that accompany it have gained such a reputation that some even watch the game just to be entertained by the advertising. There will most likely not be a better opportunity in the year to reach a more extensive or a more receptive audience. But this can also be a double-edged sword. Because the audience is watching the commercials more actively, they will also be more judgmental about them. 

 

It would be easy to understand if a company attempts something unique and risky in their attempt to capitalize on the great opportunity that a Super Bowl slot provides. However, some companies seem to fail in their advertising efforts without even departing from the standards of their previous methods.

As an example, the least effective advertisement according to Forbes was the Calvin Klein “Concept” ad, which featured a male model with a ridiculous physique, dressed in nothing but underwear. This ad seems to be the latest attempt by Calvin Klein to promote their product by associating it with unrealistic body images, and it is obviously not being well received by the general public. 

Occupying the positions for the second and third worst ads of the Super Bowl are the continuing efforts by GoDaddy.com to appear edgy and provocative. The most widely talked about ad is the kiss between a model and a “nerd.” The ad is simply uncomfortable, and even if their intention was to make it infamous, it seems to be so poorly received that there is no way it could have a positive effect on their business.