Anatomy of an Ad is a new feature here on the mediablog, where we’ll deconstruct ads and discuss what works – and what doesn’t. Future editions will appear as we see ads worth discussing.
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I love bread. Especially fresh-baked bread. While the Bible says “man cannot live by bread alone,” I can come pretty close. My favorite bakery is the Great Harvest Bread Company, which opened not too long ago here in Amarillo. If you read up on Great Harvest, they’ll tell you the reason their bread is better is that they grind their own flour, fresh each day, which keeps the bread fresher, longer. In my own experience, this has proven to be true – their bread does not go stale as quickly as other baker’s bread. Frankly, I don’t care how they do it – I just love the way their bread tastes. They have a great product, and compelling presentation (free samples!) and a story that resonates in tune with their product. They seem to have a thorough understanding of their market, their appeal, and how to communicate that to the public.
That’s why you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw a spot for Great Harvest on TV the other night, as they aired what has to be the worst, most ill-conceived TV spot in the history of franchise operations. Read the rest of this entry »
My Dad (God bless him) is still teaching music in his ninth decade on this Earth. When he teaches jazz improvisation, one of the important points he makes is that a good soloist sets up expectations, then challenges them, by doing something unexpected. In other words, you create a pattern, establish it in the listener’s mind, then unexpectedly change it. That’s what makes things interesting.
Good marketing is a lot like that.
I was watching TV this evening, when a spot came on, for an animated show, proclaiming a Halloween tradition. They used the familiar Vince Guaraldi theme, and showed a familiar fall scene with the side of a house, leaves swirling. You were all set to expect a teaser for the umpteenth showing of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the classic animated Halloween special by Charles Shultz. Then you realized that the characters were all wrong – it was not Peanuts characters, but Simpsons we see on the screen. What unfolded was a spot for a very different Halloween tradition – a promo for the annual Simpsons Treehouse of Terror special. Read the rest of this entry »
What is coffee, really? Hot water run through some ground, roasted beans. What’s a soft drink? Carbonated sugar water. Pretty simple stuff, really. Yet, people are willing…nay, eager to pay $4 for a cup ‘o Joe at their local Starbucks, and $2 or $3 in a restaurant for a Coke or Pepsi.
What makes people willing to pay a premium for something with such a small cost of goods, and little inherent value?
I hate to harp on this “perception” thing (again) but people perceive that Starbucks coffee is better than Folgers, and they’ll pay more for it (plus the “experiential” thing that the Starbucks store represents). In a restaurant, when you want a Coke, you pay for it – without stopping to think that you can buy a case of Cokes at Sam’s Club for the same money you spend to buy a 12 oz. Coke while dining out.
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 »
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 »
If you’ve been watching the debates, suffering through the commercials, or just listening to the parties squawk, you’ve probably gotten the ide, as I have, that both McCain and Obama are humorless drones. McCain comes across as largely stiff and formal, while Obama strikes me as a slick, albeit empty suit. Then I watched the Al Smith Benefit in New York.
When I began working in the marketing/advertising/design world, computers were something that only large corporations used – no such thing as a “personal” computer. If you wanted to create artwork that printed using more than one color, you needed Amberlith or Rubylith, and an X-acto knife. White Plaka and Liquid Paper were an illustrator’s best friends, and my biggest problem was keeping a set of Rapidograph pens free of India Ink clogs.
Have you seen T. Boone Pickens “Pickens Plan” ads? Unless you live sans-TV, you really can’t miss them. (That’s the big advantage of being a rich guy with a point to make – you can actually afford to get your message out there.) Pickens argues that the biggest threat to our national security is our dependence on foreign oil. I’m not sure that I agree with him that it’s the biggest threat, but it’s certainly in the top five, and it is arguably the biggest threat (other than Congress) to our long-term economic security.
Pickens is doing a masterful job in getting people to discuss energy policy, something that makes most people’s eyes glaze over faster than you can say “1040 long form.” Since Congress does nothing (ever, about anything), Pickens has used the biggest bully pulpit money can buy, and taken his case directly to We the People. Good for him. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you know one way to tell what businesses are competitive – and lucrative? Count how many ads you see on TV. On that basis, there’s huge money in drugs, pet food, automobiles, and…fast food. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box (my personal fave) and their brethren account for a huge chunk o’ change in the TV network’s up fronts. Fast food is big business. Every dollar they spend helps establish product positions and reinforce their formidable brands. TV spots don’t just encourage you to buy fast food – they tell you how you should feel about a particular fast food outlet, as well as how and why you’d want to crave their products. The spots (generally) do a masterful job. They promote a positive image of each chain.
And all that hard work can be shot to Hell in the blink of an eye by one bad experience at a drive-thru window.
Have I mentioned that I have a 10-year-old daughter? She’s a really cool kid – really 10-going-on-30. In some ways, she’s remarkably mature. In other ways…lemme just say that when she’s excited about something, she’s got a squeal that can melt earwax. And she knows how to use it.
This evening, I saw a commercial for yet again another website targeting her demographic.
When I was a kid, 10-year-olds didn’t HAVE a demographic. The demographic was “kids.” Nobody marketed specifically to “tweens” – children beTWEEN the ages of 9 and 12. Psychologists would have us believe that this is an “awkward age” in the no-mans-land betwixt being a child and a teenager. Back in the day, marketers simply marketed to kids, and left the appropriateness of the pitch up to the individual kids or parents. Read the rest of this entry »
My Dad (God bless him) is still teaching music in his ninth decade on this Earth. When he teaches jazz improvisation, one of the important points he makes is that a good soloist sets up expectations, then challenges them, by doing something unexpected. In other words, you create a pattern, establish it in the listener’s mind, then unexpectedly change it. That’s what makes things interesting.
What is coffee, really? Hot water run through some ground, roasted beans. What’s a soft drink? Carbonated sugar water. Pretty simple stuff, really. Yet, people are willing…nay, eager to pay $4 for a cup ‘o Joe at their local Starbucks, and $2 or $3 in a restaurant for a Coke or Pepsi.
When I began working in the marketing/advertising/design world, computers were something that only large corporations used – no such thing as a “personal” computer. If you wanted to create artwork that printed using more than one color, you needed Amberlith or Rubylith, and an X-acto knife. White Plaka and Liquid Paper were an illustrator’s best friends, and my biggest problem was keeping a set of Rapidograph pens free of India Ink clogs.
Do you know one way to tell what businesses are competitive – and lucrative? Count how many ads you see on TV. On that basis, there’s huge money in drugs, pet food, automobiles, and…fast food. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box (my personal fave) and their brethren account for a huge chunk o’ change in the TV network’s up fronts. Fast food is big business. Every dollar they spend helps establish product positions and reinforce their formidable brands. TV spots don’t just encourage you to buy fast food – they tell you how you should feel about a particular fast food outlet, as well as how and why you’d want to crave their products. The spots (generally) do a masterful job. They promote a positive image of each chain.
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