I mustache you a question...

I recently saw an ad that did not use the typical format of a billboard ad. There seemed to be a lack of a catchy headline, there was text in the sub-headline area and there was no body of text. Although this advertisement lacked strong components, the visual of the ad made it what it was. The ad incorporated its surroundings by utilizing nearby telephone wires in its design. The ad is one of several in a campaign for Panasonic's new line of nose hair trimmers. Each ad uses cable lines running from the nostrils of cartoon men in order to show just how out of control nose hairs can get when Panasonic's products are not being used. The weak headline merely states, "Nose Hair Trimmer" and the sub-headline reads, "Safety cutting system." If this ad had not been a more along the lines of alternative advertising, the copy alone would not have been enough to sell this product. However, the use of the cable lines provides a light-hearted and funny way to get the message across to consumers that nose hairs can get out of control if not taken care of. The visuals make this ad what it is, but the entire set of advertisements are quite brilliant even though they are fairly simple.

View the original ad:

& the other couple of ads in the sequence:

-Sherie Key

Source: http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/11/27/clever-nose-hair-trimmer-ads/

Thank You, Mom

 

Proctor & Gamble took a different advertising approach for the 2014 Olympics. Rather than focusing on the athlete's current accomplishments, P&G focused on the journey it took to get them there. The company realizes that these athletes have a team of support guiding them to victory and that they should be recognized too. This commercial sticks out amongst the others because of the incredible copy. The words are powerful and moving, especially when speaking about the Paralympics.

The visuals and copy flow so beautifully together. The commercial starts by showing both the physical and emotional challenges children young and old experience, but always with mom by their side. The words speak about how easy it would be for mothers to protect their children, but they did something much better- they believed in them. "You gave me freedom, because you were strong. And now, so am I." P&G showed the impact just a few carefully selected words can have.

And if you aren't already fighting back tears, P&G finished off with perfection. A white screen that reads, "The world's toughest moms, raise the world's toughest kids." Kudos, Proctor & Gamble, this was an incredible commercial from beginning to end.

Silly Rabbit Trix Are For Kids

Trix advertisements have been widely popular since the 1990s and have built upon the same approach. "Silly Rabbit Trix Are For Kids" became a hit slogan and commercial for kids in the 90s and now. I know I remember telling my parents when they reached for the trix "Silly Dad Trix Are For Kids". It might have been a hassle for parents that like Trix but it was all fun for the kids when they were able to tell their parents that it was only for kids.

It is a proven advertisement that has been effective for several years and has continued their success to modern day. Using their wide arrange of colors and effects the Trix commercials are able to capture the kid audience that is intended. Kids love colors and love comedic animation advertisements. This can be seen and observed in most of the cereal advertisements that target kids and teenagers such as; Frosted Flakes (Tony the Tiger), Lucky Charms (Leperchaun), Rice Krispies (Snap, Crackle, and Pop), and Cocoa Puffs (Cocoo Bird). It is an affective strategy that targets the correct audience.

2013 F-150: A Working Man's Truck

Ford is one of the most popular brands of automobiles in the entire United States of America and the F-150 is one of its most popular products. It's strong and tough reputation makes the F-150 a popular brand for many blue-collar workers. In 1948 Ford started the F-series and has been improving and modernizing it as the audience changes.

In this era Ford tends to target the hard working blue collar man with their F-series products. It is extremely effective because they have had this reputation for so many years. Also many of the consumers of this specific product are hard working blue-collar men that need a reliable pick up truck to help them with thier daily tasks. The tone of the advertisement is as it should be, hard and tough, like the men that are driving these trucks. If the tone was not hard and tough than the commercial would not, as effectively, capture their targeted audience.

This Is SportsCenter -- Broncos & Seahawks Long Week

Sportscenter is already a respected product of the brand, ESPN. It is one the most popular and watched sports news show on television today. They have been around for so long that ESPN is just building on their already popular product. The key is to keep with the modern audience. By incorporating events that are highly publicized on the tv show.

They effectively marketed Sportscenter by using comedy to remind the fans that all up to date news for pre and post Super Bowl can be found on Sportscenter. They incorporated both the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos mascots in a comedic ad leading up to the Super Bowl. I think it was effective because it was able to entice and capture the audiences attention, especially the sports audience segment that was targeted. Also the ESPN logo was nicely placed at the top right hand corner that allowed the audience to view the company that was airing the advertisement, although it was already known.

Tim (T-Mobile) Tebow

Tim Tebow is one of the most recognizable athletes of this generation. He is so popular in the media that even when he is not playing football, he is still in news stories and publications. Critics and fans love to talk about Tebow but with no contract it looks like Tebow is the one talking.



T-Mobile is building upon the brand that is Tim Tebow. By using Tebow T-Mobile is able to capture the fans attention especially when they aired it during the Super Bowl. It lured every fan in and made them watch what Tebow was doing in a commerical during the Super Bowl after not being employed by the NFL all year. Although they captured their targeted audience most of the attention was on Tebow and not on the product. They product became lost in the advertisement and as a result I do not believe was as effective as it could have been.

Vanilla (Everywhere) Ice

And again, Vanilla Ice finds a new venture in his never-ending career. Each year, Kraft Mac & Cheese releases a new macaroni shape that entices cheesy macaroni lovers near and far. 2014 is the year of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and having been part of the TMNT movie, Kraft chose Vanilla Ice to introduce it. The connection between Ice and TMNT seems relevant, but I question the message they are sending to more modern consumers.

Vanilla Ice brings back childhood memories for parents that have purchased the Mac & Cheese for years, but what about the new generation of parents? Kraft has already won over the now, older audience that is likely to relate and enjoy this commercial. I would think that it would be more important to target new consumers. When my generation thinks of Vanilla Ice, one-hit-wonder, Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off, The Vanilla Ice Project and Vanilla Ice goes Amish on the DIY Network come to mind. The Ice Ice Baby star's very, very long resume has become a joke to most. For one of the biggest companies in the game, I would think Kraft would be more innovative. It’s time to move on from the Vanilla Ice generation and bring in new blood to represent your company, Kraft.

Comcast Cashes Cashes in Late with Celebrities

One of the biggest cable companies in the country is Comcast. Lately they've been up against some tough competition as verizon has been offering their new Fiber Optic FIos system in more areas. Comcast's answer to this is their Xfinity service that offers similar internet speeds. To raise awareness of their service and the new X1 operating system they created this commercial to be aired during the Super Bowl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWOP83sakI

The presentation of the commercial is spot on. It matches the look of the Star Trek films perfectly and effectively communicates the main idea: that the X1 operating system is state of the art - straight out of the future. My main issue is that it just feels too dated.

The Star Trek reboots are hugely successful films and the second film was one of the biggest films of last summer. The technology of the films is also extremely futuristic and definitely matches the message that they're trying to send. However, the last film came out over 6 months ago. Comcast paid for two big name actors of a film that, for the most part, isn't going to be instantly recalled in the minds of the consumers. On top of this they didn't even use Chris Pine who is the obvious star of the series as James T. Kirk. Wouldn't the ad have been better served by some quick rapport between Kirk and Spock. They're relationship has been the linchpin of the films so far and would've definitely done more for the success of the ad.

JBL going after Beats by Dre

Beats by Dre, the popular over-the-ear headphones, have dominated the market for the past 4 or 5 years. This is in part because of a smart message to a specific target audience: teenagers and young adults. Most people in this age range enjoy hip-hop and pop music, and Beats communicating one major message to its prime prospects: bass. Because bass is such an important part of hip hop and pop music these days, along with dubstep (another popular genre for young people), the target audience wanted the Beats because of the bass. The fact that Dr. Dre, a famous rapper, endorsed these headphones also helped with popularity. They come in all kinds of bright colors that are recognizable from a distance and have become a fashion statement.

JBL has released a TV spot that directly attacks Beats by Dre. They comment on the fact that strictly loud bass does not make good sound, the colors are ridiculous ("We were going to offer neon, but we thought the loudest part of headphones shouldn't be the color"), and how you "don't have to be a doctor to know that trends fade." It is a clever ad with passive aggressive puns that jab at its direct competitor. Watch it below:

Rethink Breast Cancer

One of the biggest misconceptions of breast cancer is that it is perceived as an older woman’s disease. Although the majority of breast cancer patients are over 50 years of age, every 1 in 68 women are diagnosed with breast cancer by age 40. Rethink is an organization dedicated to raising awareness with younger generations. Rethink's mission is “to continuously pioneer cutting-edge breast cancer education, support and research that speak fearlessly to the unique needs of young (or youngish) women.”

Rethink is looking at new ways to capture their audience. They want to step outside of the stoic pink ribbons and scary self-exam booklets. This organization has a section on their website — Our Manifesto — where they make a pledge to motivate young woman to think responsibly about breast cancer and take action early. They also have a contest to name the most powerful story and a humorous video that replaces the old breast exam card. 

The “Your Man Reminder” campaign was a hit. This video went viral through social media channels, having been watched just under 7 million times. This advertisement’s call to action is to download their app, where you can get reminders, additional education material and schedule annual appointments. I think this ad was such a success because they made a really scary topic lighthearted.  Taking the edge off the conversation opens up the dialogue between women and their health care providers and reminds women that we are all at risk and to just be more aware.

Sources

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/probability-breast-cancer