Archive for October 18th, 2008

Oct 18 2008

A Spot that Refreshes

Posted by: admin in advertising, marketing, media, tags: Dr Pepper, Kelsey Grammer

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for soft drink advertising. As a naturalized Texan, I’ve always been pulling for Dr Pepper (even though my soft drink of choice is Coca Cola). Dr Pepper’s ads have, over the years, shown flashes of brilliance (think “I’m a Pepper, You’re a Pepper) and at times been so generic as to blend into the background of mediocrity. Lately, Dr Pepper’s marketing has been floundering in that sea of “me-too”ism. Just tonight, I saw a new spot, with a new slogan, new pitchman, and new attitude. And it’s brilliant. Read the rest of this entry »

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Oct 18 2008

A Tale of Two Liars.

Posted by: admin in advertising, marketing, tags: brand, Glade, Isuzu, liar, marketing, S.C. Johnson, spokesliar

For some reason, liars are funny. At least, when it’s obvious they are lying. In marketing, we get accused of lying all the time. In fact, my wife is convinced we’ll burn in Hell, just for being in marketing biz. But when liars are used for comedic effect, the result can be some advertising with impact, and longevity.

Perhaps the most famous liar of the last 20 years of advertising has been the Joe Isuzu character brought to life by by actor David Leisure and created by the NY ad agency, Della Femina, Travisano, and Partners. The Isuzu spots featured Liesure’s Joe Isuzu as an over-the-top pitchman, willing to say anything, no matter how outrageous, to sell a car. Here are some examples, thanks to Wikipedia: Read the rest of this entry »