Well, campers, I’ve spoken with the folks at Johnson and Johnson (a family company) about the Glade spots. Briefly. So far…nothing to report. I did get a reply to one of my blog posts, agreeing that the spokesmodel is definitely in the enigmatic camp, and offering that nobody really seems to know if her name is even really Dori Kelly. Hard to say.
At this point, I think I’m pursuing this as much because of the challenge, as I’m interested in talking with the Glade brand manager about the ad strategy. I’ve never know a company to be as tight with info as this (not criticizing…just making and observation). But I have to admit, this thing seems to be feeding upon itself.
I was never much of a science student, but I seem to recall that there’s some sort of scientific law that has to do with the concept that you can’t really observe anything without affecting and influencing the thing you’re observing. For instance, if you want to study something that lives only in the dark, you’d have to turn on some kind of light to see it. Turn on the light, and the thing leaves. The connection here is that my blog stats show that every time I mention “Dori Kelly,” I get a big traffic boost. BIG traffic boost. There’s obviously some interest on the web about the spokes-lass and her background. But I’m wondering how much MORE interest there is out there BECAUSE people like me are writing about her. No way to tell for sure, really, because observing and studying that phenomenon would influence the result. Ah, the joys of a through-composed paradox.
So…I’ll report back when I have something more to report. For now, all you Glade Spokeslady fans, keep up the traffic.
I was at my local FastSigns this afternoon, and I saw some of their recent work on cars. I’m sure you’ve seen cars that are wrapped from stem to stern with graphics, turning them into one big ad. Interesting idea, but I’m not sure that I would want my corporate identity in the hands of somebody who cuts off potential customers in traffic. Nevertheless, it made me think about naming rights.
Naming rights are nothing new, at least in Theory. Way back in the days of the Crystal Palace and the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan created an Operetta, The Gondoliers, in which the Duke of Plaza Toro decided to “go public,” selling shares in his Dukedom, for those members of the Great Unwashed, allowing them to bask in the glow of his royal blood. The only thing the duke did NOT sell was naming rights on his cloak. (I’m sure if there’d been such a thing back then, G&S would have satirized it.) Corporate HQs have always been named after their lead tenant, but many of these buildings have leased space out to other tenants, thus allowing the tenants to glom off some of the lead company’s fame. From there it was only a hop, skip and a jump to places like sports stadiums to sell their very names to the highest bidder. (Ever wonder why USC doesn’t sell naming rights to it’s home field? I’m sure a certain maker of condoms would like the answer to that one.) Read the rest of this entry »
As a marketing guy facing the New Reality or New Economy or whatever term you want to use to define the ever-changing world in which we live in, I’m always looking for ways to do more with less. I’ve yet to be fortunate enough to find a customer who’s idea of a marketing/advertising budget was “money is not a problem.” (Then again, I’ve never met a leprechaun or a unicorn, either.)
As such, I’ve been trying some ideas on my own (in the spirit of “eating my own dog food”), to see what works – and what doesn’t – under the current economic conditions. One thing that I recommend to all my clients is to setup a blog. That sounds simple – but in fact, I’ve found some results that might surprise you. Read the rest of this entry »
When I was a small child, I am told, I used to run out of the room when a TV show was on, but race back in, to watch the commercials with rapt attention. My parents found this behavior a bit odd, to say the least. Little did they know that I would grow up to be a marketing and advertising guy, where I would not only write about commercials, but write and direct them for a living. When I was young, it was difficult to defend this behavior. As an adult, I know realize that a 30 second commercial (at least the good ones) have average budgets similar to a 30-second sitcom, with better acting, tighter scripts, far better special effects and production values, and more compelling content. Read the rest of this entry »
If I were a woman, I think I’d be insulted if I got a Vermont Teddy Bear from my significant other. It’s a pretty stupid idea for a gift.
Ditto for a PyjamaGram. And they don’t seem to have anything on their site that I would classify as “sexy.”
Running those bloody commercials over and over and over again is NOT a way to convince me to buy. Enough already.
Flowers are pretty, but they die too bloody soon to be worth the kind of money they’re asking.
Candy makes you fat – probably not a good gift idea, unless your S.O. is a chocoholic.
Cards are okay – but hardly original.
Diamonds? Talk about manipulating supply and demand to create a market. Diamonds are NOT RARE people! The DeBeers family laughs all the way to the bank. Don’t feed their evil plan.
Everybody’s gotta eat. Just don’t pick the wrong restaurant – you’ll never hear the end of it.
I want equal time: There should be a “Husband/Boyfriend Appreciation Day” to make up for the Hell we guys go through for Valentines Day.
If women knew what men REALLY want for Valentines Day, humankind would die out within a generation, and it would be the end of humanity as we know it.
Wanna know a secret? I know how to tell which products are lucrative, without the need for a crystal ball, a time machine, or a magic wand. For those of you around during Watergate, you’ve heard this aphorism before: “Follow the money.”
Tell you what. Watch TV for a week, and tally up how many commercials you see for specific products. My unofficial survey shows that there are several product categories that take up a disproportionately large number of commercial time on TV: Read the rest of this entry »
In the current economic climate, there’s a lot of speculation about how our economy might affect marketing. Fair enough. Marketing exists to try and turn prospects into customers, or more specifically, trying to get people to part with their money. Therein, as they say, lies the rub. When the economy goes South, people naturally pull in their horns financially, eliminating all but essential purchases. Sales are down all over – so what’s a marketer to do? Read the rest of this entry »
The Super Bowl has come and gone again this year, proving that every now and then, there can be something more entertaining than TV spots. Good for football…bad for advertisers. This year’s crop of Super Bowl ads were ran the gamut from not bad to Gawd-awful, with a few stops in-between. One of the notable losers this year was GoDaddy, who, once again, trotted out “controversial” as their ad strategy.
Sex sells, they figure, and being controversial gets you noticed, so why not put together an ad campaign that gets free publicity from the controversy (like creating ads the network won’t run, then trumpeting the fact all over the news). Besides, football is a guy thing (primarily) and guys love locker-room humor (everywhere), large breasts (on women), innuendo (and double-entendre…even if they don’t know what they mean), and…sex. After all, the strategy worked last year…and the year before…and the year before that… Read the rest of this entry »
The game has defied my expectations, to say the least. Not so the spots – with only a couple of standouts (from the usual suspects) the Super ads have been anything but. Here’s my spin on the second part of the festivities…
Halftime/Second Half
The GOOD:
NBC: LMAO. Normally, network spots promoting their lineup of shows are pretty lame, or just embarrassing (like the NBC “I’m feelin’ allright” spot earlier). This one was funny, and somewhat reminiscent of the eTrade “Money Coming Out of His Wazoo” spot from the 2000 Super Bowl. Wouldn’t make me watch their shows – but a nice effort, nonetheless. Read the rest of this entry »
As a service to those that TiVO pas the spots to watch the game (both of you), here’s my crack analysis of the Super Bowl spots – at least the ones that stood out for me, for whatever reason.
First Half
The GOOD:
Doritos: Crystal Ball. I laughed out loud at this one. You could see it coming, and it was still funny. I like funny. Memorable. People will be talking about this one tomorrow.
Doritos: Crunch. Another laugh-out-loud, funny spot. Gotta get me some of those chips. So far, Doritos looks like the clear winner in the Super Bowl spot contest.
Castrol: EdgeMonkeys.com. Funny spot. Not sure if it sells oil, but it’s got enough connection to the product to make me remember the brand. Which is a good thing.
Pepsi Max: I’m Good. Very funny spot, as long as you like slapstick, physical comedy. (I do.) It’s definitely a spot that will appeal to guys…and 10 year old girls. Wives…not so much. The concept of a “cola for men” is a bit iffy to me, but I’m willing to listen.
eTrade: Golf. Loved it. The idea of this baby playing golf, with his excess of ‘tude? Classic. Read the rest of this entry »
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