Tension on the Ice

Hockey Season is a wonderful time of year where some of the biggest rivalries in sports play to the horn. Every rivalry game builds some intense tension between the teams that is visible when the puck drops. NBC has captured that moment of intensity with this season's ads for their Wednesday Night Rivalry.

Emotions run high in these games and NBC pulled that emotion from the captains of each team to show the audience how intense these games are. The dark colors only changed by the jerseys to give a feel of intensity. The ad delivers a tense feeling that delivers all the way to game day.

Find your Greatness

Back during the 2012 Olympics, a commercial come on that fueled inspiration for many. Nike started a new campaign that went along with their long term slogan "Just Do It". The campaign was called to "Find Your Greatness" and inspire people to just get out and get active.

Nike presented a campaign to inspire anyone to get out and that you are never blocked from greatness. Nike continued this campaign for the rest of 2012 including more ads involving everyday people finding their greatness.

Nike used a strong emotional pull to bring in the public and tell them that they can be great in what ever they work hard in and keep working. The campaign was acclaimed by many as an incredible message to make people "Find their Greatness".

Is Farmers Insurance Invalidating Their Argument?

Upon first viewing Farmers Insurance's ad listed below, entitled 'Proposarg' (not the best name I might add), I chuckled to myself, laughing at its absurd humor and admiring the agency that created it. However, it took a second viewing of the commercial for me to realize that humor was just that, absurd! It depicts a pirate stealing an engagement ring at the moment of proposal. While one may just simply regard this as a funny exaggeration, I ask you to take another look.

The plot of this advertisement illustrates what could happen to a ring if it was lost or stolen, and therefore shows a need for buying insurance on the item. That is all well and good. However, the problem arises with its main character- the pirate. I'm sure that the target audience is aware that it is highly unlikely that they will ever encounter a pirate, let alone have their possessions stolen by one. While the scenario for 'Proposargh' successfully achieves a funny and lighthearted tone which is unique to its market, I believe that it almost invalidates its argument as to why you should buy insurance.  I am aware that viewers know that pirates are not a reason to get insurance and that they have the capacity to think of circumstances beyond that. Although with that said, I think that this commercial is belittling the possibilities that could constitute the need for insurance on valuables. 

In the end, this ad seems to be directed toward young couples who may not know that you should insure an engagement ring. While it draws audiences in with its quirky storyline to ultimately be informative,  I don't think it is very convincing. In the end, I would propose a quick moment that links back to reality just before the logo and tagline appear in order to make the ad more authentic. 

Marvel on the Screen

Marvel has taken the world by storm. Their movie studios have produced some of the biggest blockbusters of this generation and with their arsenal of characters, they are not going to slow down. Starting with Iron Man in 2008 and already having planned films until 2028, Marvel has built a foundation that can continue for years. Recently though, Marvel has done something that has rarely (if ever) been done before. They have connected television shows that have been affected by the films and even had the TV shows affect the films, which means they dominate both screens.

Agents of Shield directly follows the billion dollar grossing film of The Avengers and continues a story of agents who deal with problems they don't call the heroes for. This brings the action and quality to a new level and advertises the Marvel universe to a group that did not want to bother to see the films in theaters. It also gives the fans of the show what they want, which is continuous amounts of the Marvel universe without waiting months for the next installment in the film series. 

Marvel continues to launch two films a year and each one continues to top the box office numbers. Their movie trailers continue to launch over millions of views on Youtube and continue for weeks to be the talk of many fans alike, but now with their own television shows on the screen Marvel knows where its fans are. For the past two trailer premieres, they have used their television shows to engage the fans and premiere them. Agents of Shield presented the next Avengers film: Age of Ultron, while their newest show premiered Ant-Man.

Well, this universe is pretty successful if a super hero by the name of Ant-Man is getting his own film, its even starring Paul Rudd and Academy Award winner Michael Douglas. When you dominate two screens: the big and the small, you have power in advertising when you can piggy back off of the films to the television. What's next? A partnership with Netflix to bring in something else to expand the audience?

Oh.

Magic Puppies

Most people in the world love puppies! Its true and I say mostly because it is not everyone's cup of tea. Advertisers know this and use this to their advantage, Budweiser is one of the biggest culprits to it. The Super Bowl ad was everywhere and almost everyone was talking about it after the game. 

Pulls your heart strings right? Well you are not alone and it took America by storm and spreading "Hey did you see that Budweiser ad with the puppy?" "Yeah! It was so adorable." Budweiser is already a very well known company, but over the years using a puppy has really made a difference in their advertising.

Again, strong stuff and will pull the emotion out of anyone! Puppies just make everything better and can help pull in a lot of people. So we have solved everything about advertising! All we have to do is just use puppies! Not so fast! Just because you stick a puppy in doesn't give you the love of everyone! 

Take the newest GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ad.

Not as adorable, the puppy was adorable and lovely but the conclusion was not. Causing outrage among many that watched it, GoDaddy pulled the ad and put another commercial in the space. The ad was not what people wanted to see, but it still had everyone talking. The ad made news stations and had GoDaddy all over the place, making publicity for a company before the Super Bowl even started. All of this over a puppy? Yeah, when you get something universally loved and put it in a bad situation, believe that there will be outrage. 

Puppies are no way the "Magic Bullet" to the heart of everyone, but if there was a list of things that can cause a connection with the viewer, they are near the top.

Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels Corporation has always been symbiotic with the advertising and marketing climate of the era in which they are advertising. From matching the design style of the era to the market climate, Hilton has shown many different styles of advertising throughout history. 

Given the era in which this advertisement above was produced, the black and white colors and heavy copy were iconic to pieces of the time. Elaborated market segmentation became a large consideration when advertising during this era. The copy in this ad speaks to a wealthier individual, one who would be able to travel to Dallas, whether it be on a business trip or for pleasure, by pointing out that "comfort is the keynote" of this new hotel.

In a more modern version of Hilton’s advertisements, shown above, the same visions of luxury, travel, and comfort emanate from the graphics, showing the cozy fire and nicely-dressed man, while the copy conveys just as much wealth and opportunity in saying “Stay Hilton. Go Chill.” The colors are warm and inviting and the copy reinforces a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Should Ads Retouch Images?

In recent days, there have been a few instances of "leaked" unretouched images of celebrities.  This has caused quite the controversy on social media.  A photo of Beyoncé from a recent photoshoot for L'Oreal was leaked, showing "Queen Bey" looking somewhat less perfect than usual.  The response on this was fairly split: many attacked the superstar for promoting a perfected image of herself, while others attacked L'Oreal for retouching her in the first place, excited that the singer looks like everyone else.  Truly, the star looks nothing like her usual self in the unretouched photo, despite wearing a full face of makeup.

 

Additionally, unretouched photos of supermodel Cindy Crawford were leaked from a foreign Marie Claire shoot recently.  The reaction to this photo was less mixed: most were stunned at how great the 49-year-old mother of two looks without Photoshop.  Of course, she usually is retouched, but her look sans Photoshop is not surprising in a bad way.

 

 

This new trend of Americans being opposed to heavily Photoshopping women in advertisements and on TV is on the rise.  Regardless of whether or not the images receive positive or negative feedback, the common theme on all of them is why the women needed to be retouched to look "perfect" in the first place.  Brands like Dove and Aerie already refuse to Photoshop their models, trying to boost the self-esteem of women and aiming to make them comfortable in their own skin.  Hopefully these leaked photos will help other brands see the benefits of using "real" women in their ads.  This could be a turning point in how women are viewed in the media in the US, and that's exactly what needs to happen.

 

Viral Videos and Advertising

As services like YouTube, Instagram Video, and Vine are gaining popularity, advertisers are seizing the opportunity to use this to their advantage.  Some of these videos are so popular they go viral, gaining hundreds of millions of views.  The popularity of these videos can sometimes help to sell a product if used in an advertisement (assuming it is done in the right way).  The Screaming Goat videos from YouTube are an example of this. These crazy farm animals were everywhere when they first came out around two years ago.  There were a ton of parody music videos using these goats, most notably Taylor Swift's "Trouble".  Though their popularity has declined slightly since then, that didn't stop advertisers from using them in two separate commercials for this year's Super Bowl XLIX.

 

 

Sprint used theirs in a humorous commercial, implying that when their prime competitors, AT&T and Verizon, find out about Sprint's new family plans, they're going to scream.  Sprint has recently been kicking up their advertising efforts in what appears to be a rebranding campaign to make them seem fresh and new.  Using this viral video fits with that idea, and they kept the idea continuous by using a donkey in a different apology video.

 

 

Discover also utilized this idea in their Super Bowl ad.  This ad was a variation on a previous ad.  Both focus on a customer calling Discover's customer service and finding out that Discover provides its customers with their FICO credit score every month, to which the customer replies, "Good, because I hate surprises."  In the original ad, he opens the door to find a surprise party.  The Super Bowl version has a goat waiting inside with balloons, and the man and the goat scream at each other.  This was a funny way to compliment their previous commercial, and worked pretty well.

 

Both Sprint and Discover had good ideas for these screaming goats, and it fit with their campaigns.  It was quite a shock to see two commercials with these goats during the Super Bowl, though.  It made the two commercials hard to differentiate between.  This is certainly a risk associated with utilizing a viral video in a commercial, but since everyone was talking about them afterwards, it seems to have been a pretty good decision overall.

Do Emotions and Feelings Sway Consumers?

One of the most memorable campaigns of late is Lincoln's series of commercials featuring Matthew McConaughey.  These ads, primarily promoting Lincoln's new MKC, are memorable not due to flashy visuals, catchy slogans, or upbeat jingles.  What makes these ads so special is that they are almost entirely emotional appeals.  There is no mention of prices, warranties, or features of the car, as is usually seen in a car commercial.  Instead, the ad focuses on McConaughey, an actor famous for movies like Dallas Buyers' Club and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.  He discusses (often at length) the way Lincolns make him feel and why he chose to buy one: "[he] didn't do it to be cool, [he] didn't do it to make a statement.  [He] just liked it."  Interestingly enough, the first commercial was actually McConaughey's idea; he approached Lincoln, and they liked the idea.  This is not the norm for celebrity endorsements.

The lack of any concrete logical appeals in this series of ads is completely different for a car commercial.  Though consumers do get a glimpse of the inside of the car, which looks very luxurious, and there is an appeal to McConaughey's credibility, the bulk of the ad focuses on McConaughey's feelings.  The calm, slow delivery of the lines is also outside of the norm, as many car commercials feature few spoken words, or the delivery is very fast.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the commercials.  With such a high-involvement purchase, many consumers want to know more about the features of the car and would prefer a logical appeal.  However, the ads have certainly gotten people talking about Lincoln, and as they say, no publicity is bad publicity.

Swept Away by The Swiffer Couple

At first it may seem that Swiffer is just embracing stereotypes in order to get this adorable. couple to touch our hearts. With a closer look, however, I think you'll find that this campaign has a multitude of facets that illustrate the easy of using their product. By using the elderly in their commercials, the benefits of their product are amplified. In previous campaigns, Swiffer typically depicted middle aged women using their product. The downfall with using a younger actor is that the young would merely find a Swiffer convenient because they have the ability and strength to wring out mops reach high spaces easily, while the elderly find it the easy of using a Swiffer to be a relief for aching joints and arthritic hands. Also, by using these older actors, ironically the ads get through to a wider audience. It captures the hearts other elderly persons as well as their children and grandchildren because the humor in this ad reminds them of loved ones.


In the example below, the ad displays the elderly woman trying to tackle the dusting. Her husband shows concern for her as she attempts to climb a ladder to reach above a display cabinet. Unlike the middle-aged examples used in previous ads, these ads show a solution to any even more dangerous problem. Lee (the elderly woman) admits, "Now that I'm getting older, some things are harder to do." With the Swiffer, husbands and daughters won't have to worry about their mother falling and critically injuring herself when cleaning.

The following example takes a more playful approach. The old women had trouble wringing out her mop, however the ease of the Swiffer mop is comparable to something pleasurable that involves two people- dancing! In both of these commercials, the inclusion Lee's husband, Morty, makes them more relatable appealing to men.

Despite being an average couple from a small town in New York, the success of this campaign has brought fame to America's new favorite elderly. They've been featured on the Ellen Show and various other talk shows where they discuss their history together. When asked why the commerical was such a hit in an interview, Morty Kaufman stated, "Frankly I think it's our age. You usually don't see people our age in commercials... We feel that all the commercials are made by young, beautiful people and we think our age group has been neglected and so we're holding up our end." (Huffinton Post) I believe that this unique campaign reveals that viewers simply want to see real and relatable characters. One can easily see that not only does it make the product more appealing to audiences, it also makes them emotionally involved. All in all, their success is owed to their deviation from the norm.

Ragu defends controversial campaign

During the 2012 Olympics Ragu had planned for a different type of campaign to sell their pasta sauce. Enter the Long Day of Childhood campaign. Created by agency BFG9000, the campaign focused on how Ragu's signature pasta sauce is the perfect treatment for your child after a long day of being a kid. After airing their first commercial, Parent's Bedroom, Ragu was the sixth trending topic on Twitter within minutes and continued to generate buzz for days and weeks afterwards. While some people on Facebook saw the humor and supported Ragu and its new campaign others weren't so keen on the strategy.

Other consumers stated they would simply opt for the competitor, Prego, instead of buying Ragu for their family. One of the creative minds behind the campaign, Mr. Dwyer, thought that the humor and entertainment aspect would create emotional connections with consumers. "It can be tough being a kid," Mr. Dwyer said. "And when it's tough being a kid, mom and dad want to comfort their kids and the way they do that is through meal time, and Ragu sits squarely in that space," Mr Dwyer said.

The campaign targeted parents as Mr. Dwyer stated and each one of their commercials adds a humorous aspect to what being a kid is like and how parents sometime don't always know what is best. Whether it be replacing a hamster that died and having your daughter question the color change of her furry pet to a mom wiping dirt off her sons face with spit.

Prego is the most apparent competitor, and by the comments on some social media pages, may have even gained some business with not all parents thinking of this campaign as funny. Ragu even went so far as to pull the videos from their YouTube channel to recover from the controversial backlash. Whether you think Ragu was right or wrong in airing the campaign it is important to remember that even a well loved commercial that increases your brands position will always have those who find some way to pick it apart. Do you think Ragu was right in airing these commercials?

Long Day of Childhood: Parent's Bedroom

Long Day of Childhood: Hamster

Long Day of Childhood: Cheek

Advertisers are Loving Instagram

As young social media users become less active on Facebook, they are flocking to Instagram. Instagram introduce advertising on their app only a year ago and as the hottest new social media outlet, its becoming widely used by large companies with strong campaigns. These include McDonald’s, Levi’s, State Farm, General Electric, Lexus, Ben & Jerry’s, and many others. While Instagram is careful not to drive away its users with an overloaded amount of ads, they also have plans to make advertisements widely available. Instagram developers have made it easy for businesses to create promotions with them. They offer several tips and resources for interested advertisers. These include impressive ad launch results, case studies, and a gallery of creative ways to use Instagram. 

This Tuesday, Instagram just made advertising on their app even better by updating its video features. As of now, videos loop continuously until the user scrolls past it. Each video will immediately play again as soon as it ends, thus removing the users’ ability to pause.  This is a feature that was recently added to Facebook videos.

Advertisers love this feature because it better insures that users will actually watch their ads and maybe even re-watch them! As a result, agencies can rest assured that their campaign was even further ingrained into the minds of their clients’ consumers.

 (Source: https:/business.instagram.com/advertising)

Duquesne's Transform the Way You See the World Commercial

We've all seen it...it's the commercial that keeps popping up on the local television networks and can be seen at Palumbo Center before basketball games.

The creative strategy of this ad is to target high school students who are considering a college education and their parents who may influence whether or not they choose to continue with a higher degree. Competitors of Duquesne include the local Pittsburgh universities and small, catholic universities throughout the United States. Duquesne's brand position is that an education from here will change your perspective on the world, guide your future life and all while the Holy Spirit is by your side. Its unique selling proposition is that an education here will be life changing.

The theme of the ad is positive education with endless values. The selling idea is that an education from Duquesne University will help to guide you in your future endeavors. The commercial is constructed to show the progress of a day at Duquesne. Starting with darkness, the ad quickly lights up and reveals the center city location that Duquesne has. In the script, key words like "change," "transform" and "compassion" cue for a video speed up or time lapse shot to help the ad get through the entire day. This "speed" is a way of quickly showing the change that will occur from Duquesne and no other university. On the contrary, the end "spirit guides you every step of the way" is a slow motion focusing on a group of people laughing and happy to emphasize that this is possible. The ending shot of the flag blowing in the wind is symbolic of the endless paths that will arise after studying at the University. Additionally, showing students interacting with each other, studying and working with professors and priests shows that everyone is here to help the prospective student on the journey of a college education.

The script is also very intriguing. Starting from change and building to values, the Holy Spirit and Duquesne are with you all of the way. In summation, the script reads: something will change within you at the University, and with these changes you will have a new perspective of the world. It says that the education will be one of the hardest and biggest things you will accomplish, where lessons become values that pave the path for the life you lead and the Holy Spirit will guide you through it.

One difference with the YouTube commercial versus the TV ad is in the upper right hand corner, there is the "D" logo. If you hover over it, a menu comes up to allow for the option to subscribe to the Duquesne University YouTube channel. I did not notice this until I watched the ad several times, so it could be a technique to really capture those prospective students who are on the fence with a decision. They will likely have viewed the ad several times. When they click on the "D" they can see videos about all of the different colleges on campus, events and faces of the faculty. This could potentially convince them to study at Duquesne.

Where the ad fails is that when you type "Duquesne University" into Google, it is listed farther down on the first page. Potential students who are looking for college may not browse past the crease to follow all of the Duquesne links. There probably isn't much the University can do to have that moved until the video page and the YouTube page get more views.

Aussie #DitchTheDrama Television Ad Controversial or Just Funny?

Aussie recently released a television ad about girls’ hair drama. In the ad a guy dresses as a girl and goes through different scenarios where he expresses his obsession over maintaining his hairstyle. As a girl, I felt the ad really touched on, in an exaggerated manner, how I think girls deal with their hair. The ad was not only funny, but it portrayed hair problems in a light, fun, and engaging way. In my opinion, the ad showed how ridiculous hair problems can be while also promoting how the Aussie products can help. The sequence of the scenes, specifically the point where the actor is talking about his curling iron are done in a way that pleasantly builds up to the ending. At the end of the ad a woman is shown actively participating in volleyball without caring about the state of her hair because she had used Aussie products.

(Link to the ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-igSlC7oD4 )

One of the criticisms that came with the release of the ad was consumers saying that the ad negatively depicted transgender individuals. Some consumers have said they are offended because they believe the actor is depicting a transsexual, while others are defending the ad saying it is not offensive to transgender individuals. 

In my opinion, the only parts of the ad that need improved are the music that plays at the end of the ad and the colors and décor used in the ad. The music seemed dated, the colors could have been more muted, and there needed to be more “white space”. Some of the outfits that the actor wore distracted me from his hair, and all of the props and design of each scene could have been cut back so as to focus more on the actor’s hair issues. However, this is not to say that the ad was poorly developed. In fact, the concept and construction of the piece was creative.

Aussie. (2015, Jan. 20). Sh*t Girls Say About Hair #DitchTheDrama. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-igSlC7oD4

Cracked in the Cupboard

This ad is from the Citizens Against Spouse Abuse. I think the ad displays a very powerful message, especially through the imagery. The cracked mug compared to the solid, strong and shiny mug  represents the power that a man has over a woman in a violent relationship. I believe that the cupboard also recognizes that the door is often closed on this issue and the purpose of this ad is to not only raise awareness but also alert those victims of domestic violence that there is help for them. I believe that the door of the cupboard in the advertisement is open to show that there is light being shed on this issue. A criticism that I have of this ad is the copy layout and design. The copy itself is strong and displays a message that needs to be heard, but with the small font size it is hard to read. I like how the ad has one line of copy. It gives the viewer a small amount of information to read, but it is such a strong message that it allows them to think and process the information. The biggest thing that I would change about this ad is the text size. The text is so powerful and needs to be read, but a viewer has to squint to be able to read what it says. This advertisement is a PRP ad because it utilizes emotional appeals and strong visuals.  I believe it could also be a CRP because it could lead to a long lasting behavior change as well as motivation and understanding about domestic violence. Overall I believe this is a strong ad with a message that needs to be heard, the copy just needs to be larger so that people can read and understand what the text is trying to say.

Women Shouldn't...

Here's a simple and powerful campaign idea from UN Women using real suggested search terms from Google's auto complete feature. The ad is both simple, but multidimensional- creator Christopher Hunt, head of art for Ogilvy & Mather Dubai, offers this summary: “This campaign uses the world's most popular search engine (Google) to show how gender inequality is a worldwide problem. 

The organization successfully combined the right visual with the right message, which produced the desired effect- controversy. They sought to address a provocative issue to an international audience. In particular they wanted to reinforce the preexisting notion that women are discriminated against within the global community.

The message is creative, and provides a two sided conversation, and utilizes copy in conjunction with an attention grabbing visual. The message creates a lasting persuasion.

Women Shouldn't… You fill in the blank. It’s a call to action pulling on the heart. 

Women shouldn't... have any limitations!

From the Garden

This advertisement is right-brained and peripheral-route.  It appeals to a higher level of thinking, where one must equate a fresh tomato to the bottle of ketchup while also attempting to lead to a long-lasting change when making a purchasing decision.  Heinz, as a food product, appeals to the physiological needs of an individual while trying to stand out as a more luxurious product when compared to other brands.  This advertisement specifically touches on the fact that Heinz is a natural product through both the copy, out-rightly stating so, and the graphic, utilizing a ketchup bottle sliced like a tomato.  This ad targets men and women, ages 25-65 who are conscious of the food and products they provide for their families.

Havas Worldwide charges smiles for sweet treats

Still in the process of changing names from Euro RSCG to Havas Worldwide the creative agency wanted to promote its new name around Melbourne. Havas Worldwide found out that an astounding 97% of commuters in Australia were unhappy with their commute and took action on this to build their own brand. Project Change came as a result and the agency planned to try to improve Melbourne's commute. Baking several hundred cookies and outfitting an old ford mustang the company took Melbourne by storm. Using a pole to reach to other commuters in cars commuters would notice a basket being guided toward them from agency employees in the car next to them. Almost as if on queue they would crack a smile with this delicious surprise. Other members took to the streets and carried baskets full of cookies while passing them out to citizens all while selling their brand at the same time. Havas was able to "sell" all their cookies and gain more than one thousand smiles in payment.

You Better Call Saul Now More Than Ever

This past Sunday night marked the debut of AMC's highly anticipated "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul."  Stemming off of the raging success of "Breaking Bad,"it was anticipated by many fans that "Saul" would deliver the goods of being suspenseful, dramatic, and leaving you on the edge of your seat.  It did just that.

Its easy to look forward to a show like "Saul" just for its cinematic value.  But if you are an advertiser, the demographic (and the amount of people from that demographic) that tunes in to the show can be a very intriguing gathering of facts that can pay dividends for clients.  

Consider this,  

• "According to Nielsen, 6.88 million viewers tuned into the premiere of "Better Call Saul" scoring a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic."

• "4.36 million members of the 18-49 set tuned into the "Better Call Saul" premiere."

• "63% of the overall audience fell into the relevant audience."

(via http://adage.com/article/media/walking-dead-huge-amc-call-saul-sets-debut-record/297058/)


With this staggering amount of people tuning into this new hit show, advertisers have to consider AMC's 10pm time slot on Monday night as the holy grail for prime time media space.  The vast majority of the "Saul" audience resides between the ages of 18-49, representing a significant portion of the Millennials and Generation X. As the debut season of "Better Call Saul" and the madness that comes along with it progresses, so will the demanding madness to target this important audience demographic that rests their eyeballs on it weekly. Growing poplularity with AMC's shows, and the colossal popularity of an AMC spinoff, is a significant sign to advertisers that AMC maybe becoming the crown jewel for targeting young consumers.  With previous success with shows like "MadMen," "Walking Dead," and "Breaking Bad," AMC continues to establish itself as the ultimate business partner for the advertising industry.

Considering Millennials, they are continuing to change the idea of what previous generations have established as to what Americans are spending their money on.  According to an article by the National Journal, Millennials are "spending money differently than previous generations, preferring to throw cash at new experiences and adventures and to reward socially responsible companies that they can connect with and that they deem as authentic, and are are helping to disrupt the landscape of casual restaurants and boosting the earnings of chains such as Chipotle or Panera Bread."  In addition, the article states that Millennials are less interested in spending money on things that are luxurious and unhealthy, and more interested in spending money on products that are naturally made.  (via http://www.nationaljournal.com/next-economy/solutions-bank/the-secret-financial-habits-and-economic-prospects-of-millennials-20140903) 

With this in mind, maybe advertisers should consider saving the luxury and soda spots for other cable networks.  Almost 2/3 of this Sunday's "Better Call Saul" viewers would thank them for it. Millennials may think Doritos taste good and Cadillacs are cool, but we aren't exactly looking to spend our money on those products.  

With the dangerous, scandalous, and sometimes terrifying content that is conveyed on Vince Gilligian's popular shows, can we expect to see ad spots that do more of the same during the "Saul" slot?  It may be something to consider, since it is assumed the audience that is tuning in wants to be dazzled by the adventure and lawlessness that Saul Goodman delivers.  As a fan of the show myself, I think I can speak on behalf of fellow Millennials when I say we aren't exactly tuning into a show like that to be lectured on what cold medicine is right for us.  No thanks, we want to soak up the last bit of excitement we can get from the weekend, with the reality of Monday morning patiently waiting for us after the show is over.  So, do us a favor and just give us what we want:  Entertainment!!  

Something You Probably Didn't Know About FedEx Ground

 

Last week at my internship I met with representatives from math + science = success, FedEx Ground and the Carnegie Science Center. They discussed promotional items for this year and brought up certain requirements for logos on those products.

I learned that FedEx has a hidden arrow between the E and X that represents moving forward. I also learned that FedEx Ground is a Pittsburgh-based company in Moon Township. Its location in Pittsburgh is something the company is trying to drive forward in the math + science = success along with the educational aspect.

The main reason why they are teaming up with the campaign is because when people think of FedEx, they think the only careers are for people to drive the trucks. They forget about the people who go into planning routes, coordinating how packages are picked up and the math and science behind it all. You can view one of the ads here: http://www.wtae.com/leigh-ann-durham-engineer/30853516.

All of the ads end with the phrase "Everyone can learn math and science. Math plus science equals success, sponsored by Pittsburgh's own FedEx Ground." It is a campaign three years in the works to work and change people's opinions that anyone can learn the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills and to remind people about FedEx Ground's location.

**I was curious about other logos with hidden messages. Follow this link to see the top 11. The Pittsburgh's Zoo & PPG Aquarium made the list: http://mentalfloss.com/article/53146/11-hidden-messages-company-logos.**

A Life Saving Feature

Most car commercials highlight the safety features that the specific automobile has. Volkswagen took a different approach in terms of safety with this public service announcement that they released. What I really like about this ad is that although it is sponsored by Volkswagen it does not advertise any of their products. It is simply a message to the community about the importance of not texting and driving. Car commercials always explain what their car has to make sure that you are safe, but one thing many of them don't mention is the actions of the driver. This commercial is a real eye opener. The movie theatre that this PSA was aired in was equipped with a broadcaster that had the ability to send a text to everyone in the theatre at the same time. The PSA was tested in Hong Kong in April of 2014. There are plans to bring similar PSA's to the United States.

New Drive for Billboards in Silicon Valley

Billboards in Silicon Valley have grown in importance over the past few years. One of the primary reasons is the 14 feet high by 50 feet wide boards that stand over the 101 freeway. Traffic is often stopped there so billboards located in this region directly reach travelers stuck on the freeway (Satariano, 2014, para. 1). It is such a prime location that it is called the “gold coast” by some individuals (Satariano, 2014, para. 2). Some companies who hope to have their ad placed on a billboard are put on a six-month waiting list (Satariano, 2014, para. 2).

(Picture from the Bloomberg Businessweek article. Click here for the article.) 

Many startups are using the billboards to not only “gain notice from peers”, but to also “prove their legitimacy” (Satariano, 2014, para. 7). One ad that was posted by Dice.com shows a picture of a software engineer “lying provocatively on his side” with the message “find the hottest tech talent” (Satariano, 2014, para. 4). Natasha Raja, who is vice president of marketing for Dice.com, said, “We wanted to make people smile when they were stuck in traffic....The people you see, they aren’t models, they’re real engineers” (Satariano, 2014, paras. 8-9).

(Picture from the Bloomberg Businessweek article. Click here for the article.) 

To rent a billboard will cost a company $14,000 to $40,000 a month, up from $5,000 in 1999 (Satariano, 2014, para. 10). The boom, which started in 2011, has only continued since the 101 freeway has “a captive audience stuck in traffic and promotions can help recruit new employees and gin up business” (Satariano, 2014, para. 12). This captive audience has only proved beneficial to companies especially startups that want to get their company out to consumers. Dice.com has already started on their plans for another billboard (Satariano, 2014, para. 18).

Personally, I think billboards, if done right, can be a great way to get consumers to know about your organization. The billboard by Dice.com would not only catch my attention and make me laugh, but it would also give me a positive feeling about the company as I would assume from the billboard that they have a good attitude about the work they do. Additionally, after seeing the billboard I would no doubt look up the company. Therefore, if a billboard can grab the attention of its audience and make the company known to the audience then the billboard has been exceptionally beneficial to that company.  

Satariano, Adam. (2014, Nov. 19). Boxer-Clad Coders Adorn Silicon Valley’s Billboard Boom. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-19/boxer-clad-coders-adorn-silicon-valley-s-billboard-boom.html

"Dadvertising" Had Triplets

Nope, the title is not a typo. "Dadvertising" is the newly-coined term that refers to advertisements that are specifically targeting dads. Three recent examples (shown below) aired during the coveted Super Bowl timeouts spots just this past Sunday.  With the wide range of creative ideas that we witnessed in the commercials that night, I could help but think how interesting it was that different companies, with different products chose to market themselves so similarly. I wondered how they all managed to arrive at these nearly identical concepts. Obviously the answer lies in very detailed and focused research.

Economic trends are shaping societal trends. As it become more commonplace for women and men to both be working, it means that there is a balance in the how parents share household duties such as cleaning, grocery shopping, taking the kids to school, etc. For example, grocery stores are marketing more to men now as research shows a trend of men taking over that responsibility.  

All in all the roll of the father is ultimately changing. In commercial advertising, fathers are no longer the butt of a 'dumb-dad' joke.  As Dove, Toyota, and Nissan illustrated, fathers are much more involved. The ads show dads participating in the birth of their newborn, consoling their crying toddler, and hugging their daughters. Though the subjects are dads, these commercials also have surprisingly strong affect on women and moms as well. As a result, I believe advertisers are finding that this new way of marketing to men through 'dadvertising' reaches a much wider audience in a much stronger way. 

If you compare the above commercials to your typical Carls Jr. (see below) or GoDaddy ad, I think men (and especially women) would find a 'dadvertisement' that showcases the importance of family and love to be much more heartwarming, memorable and affective.  

Rear Window (Not Like the Movie)

This ad campaign by  Mercedes-Benz, I think, is incredibly cute and clever. Appealing to a slight sense of humor, and the need for esteem and status of the target market (most likely upper-class men, ages 27-55), Mercedes is able to communicate that their car, the SLS AMG, can outperform even the most notable and famous of sports cars. The advertisements appeal to right-brain thinkers and rely on both the images themselves and the small amount of copy to convey the intended message.

It took a bit of research to find a campaign that I found interesting enough to share and that we haven't already discussed in class. I chose to post these advertisements solely because I found them just unique and creative enough. I think that Mercedes is always able to develop effective and useful ads, whether they be fact-based or funny.

Why do we have to wait for the Super Bowl to watch great commercials?

I must be honest, this Super Bowl did have its share of bad advertising Some examples include the Nationwide's dead child ad, Mercedes Benz's Rabbit and the Hare race, Doritos' distasteful airplane scene- the list goes on. However despite their poor audience reception, even these bad advertisements possessed a certain flair that pervaded the typical day-to-day advertisement. Of course, there's always plenty of ads that truly over the course of each year but for me it's difficult to remember a time when I was so moved by one ad, let alone three or four! Of course, I'm thinking of the Budweiser commercial with the puppy who was saved from wolves and the Dove Men commercial about being a dad.



Why can't everyday ads exude this level of creativity? One would think that if all ads were as entertaining as the ones that run during the Super Bowl, then maybe viewers wouldn't be so inclined to avoid or become annoyed with them. I speculated that this would either make television too overstimulating for audiences or perhaps it would demand a raise in the creative quality of all advertisements. As a creative person and student of advertising, it can be hard sometimes to real myself back into the reality despite how much I want a world full of Super Bowl-grade advertising.

All in all, we have to remember the reason why the Super Bowl spots are so coveted- it's not just because of the number of viewer, it's because the way the viewers are watching. They are so engaged and so excited because they've been anticipating this day for a long time. It would be simply ridiculous to risk missing out on a second of this game just because to avoid the few ads. Typically people watch television so passively- flipping through channels, hoping that something mildly entertaining will catch their eye and help them relax for 20 minutes. During the Super Bowl, however, the viewers truly take part in the event. They're hanging on to every play and referee call with a variety of emotions ranging from anxiety to joy and anger to sadness (sorry Sea Hawks). On NPR, the announcers even discussed how the event is practically a holiday.
 In the end, those of us in advertising need to keep in mind that the nature of commercials is to be effective, not enjoyable. But by the grace of the Super Bowl, a combination of the two is always promised.

Super Bowl (Ad) Hangover

The Super Bowl is a spectacle in itself with the media attention, two weeks of hype, the boost in economy for the hosting city, and of course the game.  Its also quite a spectacle for advertisers, as an astronomical amount of money is spent for a spot during the game.  Year after year, the ads that are shown during the big game always create some buzz the following Monday, and as a result it has created this sense of everyone being a Monday Morning Quarterback for advertising.  Some may be feeling a little slow Monday morning in the wake of their Super Bowl celebrations, but there is also this hangover that is driven by the big budget advertising rapid fire we as Americans are exposed to on Super Bowl Sunday. With millions of eyeballs and money being invested into this four hours on a February Sunday, just exactly what body of work do the ads being produced and aired showcase? Comedy, emotional appeals, and nothing short of strange are all apart of the commercial extravaganza, especially this year.  I thought this year the ads heavily favored the pathos side of things.  One that made me feel a little uneasy was the following ad by Nationwide.

To me, this may have blurred the lines between appealing to the emotions and being a little unethical.  Using death with children to sell insurance is a tad on the sleazy side.  There were a couple that were well recieved and had a good message too. Examples include Coca-Cola having an anti-bullying spot that had a good message and a clever optimistic twist on cyber bullying at the end, and Always gave an empowering message for girls as well.  

Adweek came out with their top 5 ads from the Super Bowl, and I would definitely consider them the most talked about commercials that aired whether for their comedic or emotional value (see list here: http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/5-best-ads-super-bowl-xlix-162716).  But one ad that I found to be well done and maybe should deserve a spot on this top 5 list is the Dodge spot entitled Wisdom.  

Dodge uses the wise words of the elderly, which is something that should be valued and can be underappreciated, to associate their brand with the longevity, perseverance, and value that your elders possess.  I thought this was a great strategy and gives the Dodge brand this distinguished and accomplished brand identity that showcases to the audience the quality and dependablity that comes along with a Dodge vehicle, resulting from over 100 years of learning what works and what doesn't.

When I saw this ad, I also thought about how important it is to step back, shut up, quit complaining, and take advantage of the wise advice that the elderly have to offer.  This was Dodge's way of saying sit down and shut up, this is who we are, were we've been, and where we are going from here.  There's a great deal of value in that.  

Everything I Need to Know About Promoting I learned From...The Kardashians?

I do not keep up with the Kardashians. Their television series has never been one that I have been able to find interest in, and I do not follow any of them on social media. One of my favorite blogs, however, is the NPR Social Media Desk, Social Sandbox. As I was scrolling through the other day, I noticed a post titled, "What We Can Learn From the Kardashians." I stopped scrolling immediately and clicked on the link. What could a credible news source like NPR possibly learn from the Kardashians, a family that I still do not quite understand why they are even famous, but that is beside the point.

http://socialmediadesk.tumblr.com/post/103132787406/what-we-can-learn-from-the-kardashians

As I read the post, I realized it was less about the Kardashians themselves and more about the ins and outs of promotions, the career path that I am interested in taking. Melody Kramer, the author of the blog analyzed the Kardashians' actions and social media efforts and showed how their success and popularity correlate. She mentioned things in her blog that we use in our everyday life, that could be tweaked and turned into promotion tools. The one that stuck out most to me was Throwback Thursdays on Instagram. By using their archives, the Kardashians are reminding their followers that their family is their brand, but other social media users can use archives as a tool to remind followers of past success.

This article did not change my view of the Kardashians, but it did allow me to look at social media and promotions in a new light. Social media and promotions are such a small tool that can be used in such a big way. The thing that I love about blogs such as the Social Sandbox is that the promotion tools they offer are social media tips, and social media is free. Developing a strong presence in the social media world is the key to being successful in marketing, promotions and advertising.

Domestic Violence PSA

This PSA during the Super Bowl could not have been more well placed. It was right before the halftime show where Katy Perry was performing. Naturally, she was chosen to increase women viewership of the big game. The spot on TV was only 30 seconds, but this is a minute. Both are equally moving.

A woman calls 9-1-1 to order pizza, but the operator on the other end realizes this is not a prank call. The woman is in trouble, domestic violence trouble. She needs to be protected from her own man. Overturned furniture and the aftermath of abuse could be seen from the images. The woman and man are not seen during the PSA.

During the NFL regular season, all of the PSAs warning of domestic violence focused on the phrase "No more," showing football players and celebrities. The campaign grew to another form where "Speechless" was born. In these PSAs, the celebrities struggled to find words to describe what was happening to them.

The Super Bowl PSA was based off of a similar phone call from South Carolina to the 9-1-1 dispatch. According to The New Yorker, domestic violence has decreased recently, and advertising has focused more on raising awareness to bystanders, or the women of domestic abuse.

The New Yorker article highlights the most important aspect of this PSA: "with an audience of millions, the league has the power to drive this conversation, and maybe even effect some change." This PSA has the power to make a change with all of the viewership of the Super Bowl.

The article can be viewed here.

Wake Me Up to Some Bacon...

We all think we know every trick that advertiser use to reach us digitally, socially, and on print. You've seen the ads that play before entering into your favorite sites. 

You know about the flashing banner ads, the contests, the sweepstakes, and even the sponsored Google links that match your search terms. But as technology advances -- and society gravitates toward new programs and digital devices -- advertisers have found sneakier ways to capture your attention. Yes interactive advertisement is no longer a novelty but a commonality, and yet the execution of this style of advertising is reaching new heights ad by ad -- flooding the market. But how about sensory advertisements, I mean honestly who says prints can’t be interactive too.  More and more innovative companies prove that dividing the world into interactive and print media is arbitrary at best. A recent example: Novalia, a British award-winning technology company that makes interactive print products that play music and connect wireless to digital devices, like the boombox made from paper. Out of the lab came a new album cover that scratches, spins

and mixes like a DJ when touched.

According to an AdAge article sensory branding is a marketing approach that has been in use
for decades. It empowers brands to forge emotional associations and connections with people through multi-sensory experiences such as sight, sound and touch, which solidify positive feelings, thoughts and opinions about a brand. Sensory marketing goes beyond just advertising, too. Research has shown that sounds influence people's moods when shopping and can positively impact their

purchasing behavior. This is why wine stores play classical music to inspire a quiet, reflective mood that complements the product, while a bar might blast rock music, which has been proven to drive more beer consumption. But there are dangers with this approach. Brands must be careful not to disrupt and annoy viewers. They should partner with ad technology vendors that have thoroughly vetted sensory marketing features and have tested the mobile products to ensure they're additive to the user experience. Ad tech vendors that incorporate sensory marketing should have an in-depth understanding of how specific sounds and vibrations -- including the duration, frequency, tone and volume -- can influence people's specific emotions in their mobile ad products before they come to market.

Will Female Empowerment Advertising Continue?

Many companies have created advertisements that are meant to empower women from all age groups. Just recently, the Like A Girl video, which not only trended on YouTube in 2014 but also gained roughly 54 million views so far, has added to a growing debate on gender. In the ad, men and women both young and old are asked what it means to run, throw, and fight like a girl.

(Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs )

Ericka Souter, when asked if the ad could change the message to girls, commented on the advertisement on Good Morning America saying, “It absolutely can. This is a really powerful message because it treads on our biggest fears as parents. We want to make sure that our girls have a positive self image and that’s kind of hard to do at times because they fall into this thing that they should be sugar and spice and everything nice and they are not supposed to be tough but they can be strong and this kind of ad campaign can change that image” (“'Like a Girl’ Viral Video,” 2014).

(Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkTh_r66lDA )

The Like A Girl ad is not the only advertisement that has sought to show female empowerment. Companies like Verizon, Dove, Pantene, among others including the recent ad from Under Armour, have continued this trend on female empowerment (Winter, 2014, para. 4). The reason companies continue creating these types of ads is because they work. The ads are not only creating connections among women, they are going viral, and gaining media coverage, which has spread them even more. Nan McCann, co-founder of M2W, says that “a female empowerment story will take off because the trend has gone mainstream. Many brands, of course, can see the value of hitching their wagons to that star” (Winter, 2014, para. 3). While some people say the videos are “gimmicky or condescending” the Like A Girl ad is “...on track to break P&G’s social media records” (Winter, 2014, para. 6). Ads that promote female empowerment work and their presence will stay as long as they continue to keep the honesty, and powerful message that previous ads have created (Winter, 2014, para. 6).

One of the interesting things that I have personally noticed lately are posts created by men saying that they do not understand why women need a movement for empowerment and they wish the videos would stop as they are unnecessary. These comments are the precise reason I hope these ads do continue if not to help women in present times, than to represent all the women from the past centuries who did not feel they could act the way they wanted to, who did not have a voice, or who were left in the shadows because they were “women”.  

ABC News. (2014, July 1). ‘Like a Girl’ Viral Video Strikes a Chord With Young Women. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkTh_r66lDA

Winter, C. (2014, July 10). Do Advertising’s Viral Video Pitches to Women Have Staying Power? Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-10/drugstore-brands-woo-female-shoppers-with-viral-videos