the finale: MY FAVORITE ADS

During the semester, we've been talking about the "science" of advertising - the aspects of marketing, what goes on before we ever get to the creative stuff.

But today, we talked about the creative aspect of it:
The creative team consists of creative director, copy writer, and art director, otherwise known as the CREATIVES. The marketing and advertising research figures out what do say, the creatives figure out HOW TO SAY IT.

Here are some of my favorite ads (some are part of a larger campaign...)









Now to explain why i love these VERY DIFFERENT commercials so much:
In class we determined that creativity often combined two objects or elements and tries to connect them. In all these commercials, the difference between the message and personas or elements of the commercial seem ESPECIALLY unrelated.

They all use comedy of some sort (a talking baby). In that way, they grab your attention because they are not predictable. When you think of a stock trading company and their ad, you don't think of a baby using it e-trade, a computer webcam, a blackberry, AND talking! It definitely makes you stop flipping channels to figure out what is on the screen.

Another reason is expressed by the PSA announcement - which isn't selling a product, but an idea to encourage kids to invent something. It uses the innocence and simplicity of children to sell this idea.

Often times it's difficult for me to explain why i like a commercial: after all, i have never invented anything, i don't buy skittles, use e-trade or buy snickers...

Yet i most likely WOULD if put in that position. These commercials have given me a favorable perception of the companies and their products.

They just make me laugh at their randomness. But interestingly enough, they get their point across:
1.) in the PSA, the boy invented something useful to his life. even though it's not perfect yet, it's a start and his friends admire him for it.

2.) in the snicker's commercial, the whole point is FEAST. the car contains the leaders of different eras, the people of different cultures and times that would be the ones to feast. in that respect, snickers is fit for kings. so you should buy it too.

3.) for the skittles commercial, the target audience is young adults or kids that are interested in candy that is "extreme" or unusual. for a product like skittles gum, that is new and branching into the gum business, they used cool flavors to attract this "extreme" audience: the really cool extreme aborigine guy on his tiger elephant and helicopter even admits that the gum is very extreme.

4.) all i can think of for the e-trade commercial is that it's so easy a baby can do it...but for me personally, it's just hilarious to see a baby talk (and receive a phone call from a "naughty" girl)

COOL media for advertising

Chapter nine starts off by talking about media planning and the challenges planners face. Media planning is to conceive, analyze, and creatively select channels of communication that direct their advertising messages to the RIGHT PEOPLE at the RIGHT TIME.

This is an interesting place that advertising is found:




I've seen this car on the UT campus often. It is part of communication media. It is transmits the advertiser's message. While we are accustomed to the traditional forms of communication media (TV, newspaper, radio), something like this is new and innovative. The Red Bull car has no purpose except to PROMOTE the product (red bull energy drink).

I've often seen people giving out FREE red bulls from the trunk of the car. This form of media is especially effective because it is moving and colorful. Kids on college campuses are often on the go and frequently passing cars, but this one grabs our attention. Since young adults "on the go" are the advertiser's target audience, the COOL car is perfect to catch our attention as we walk down the street. And better yet, they give away free red bulls as a promotion, creating a DESIRE for us to go buy red bull on campus (however overpriced it may be, hahaha)

Integration Triangle

The integration triangle is used to show how various brand message sources influence the perceptions we have of a product. This is trying to be from the point of view of the customer.

Everything a marketer sends out is a message.

So to understand how your messages work on consumers, marketers use this model. With this knowledge, marketers can know where the messages are coming from, what effect they have, and the cost of influencing or controlling those messages.

In the triangle, there are PLANNED MESSAGES, PRODUCT/SERVICE MESSAGES, and CONFIRM MESSAGES.

* Planned messages are "say" messages -- in other words, this is the message that the company directly says about itself. These messages can be relayed in a number of "traditional" ways -- advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, merchandising, etc. In that respect, they may be the most accurate, according to the company. It is self-serving, and therefore is not the most impactful -- of course a company is going to communicate positive things about themselves...

* Produce/service messages are "do" messages -- they tell what the company/product actually does. This has more impact because it can CONTRADICT the planned message. It's how the product actually performs...it is powerful in that performance usually speaks for itself. Sometimes consumers may be willing to refute the other messages (if negative) if it has been PROVEN by actually trying the product that it is good.

* Unplanned messages are "confirm" messages -- these messages prove what the company SAYS and DOES. The company/marketer usually has no control over this message. Sources include gossip, word of mouth/testimony, things competitors say, etc.

Levels of Relationship

In this post i will just talk about the levels of relationships that marketers have with their consumers...

TRANSACTIONAL

In this relationship, the goal is purely about the exchange of product; there really is no reason for the seller/marketer to follow up on the consumer. For example, when you go to a farmer's market and buy vegetables, your relationship ends right there.


REACTIVE
In this relationship, the feedback is necessary in the event of a problem with the product. An example would be when you go to the dry cleaners. There is no follow up, they just let you know that if anything is wrong with their services, let them know.

ACCOUNTABLE
Follow up occurs even when there isn't a problem - for example, a salesperson may call you after you purchase something to check whether it met your expectations (no cognitive dissoance...), and ask for suggestions to improve their services before too many customers are lost.

PROACTIVE
In this relationship, the seller continues to contact you long after you have made the purchase in an attempt to assess your CONTINUED satisfaction. this is usually for a more serious purchase like cell phone services or insurance.

PARTNERSHIP
This is the most developed one -- a continuous relationship between seller and customer; in some cases, they may even know you personally, for example - a personal shopper at Macy's or Nordstrom's. They call to notify you of sales, assist you automatically when you walk through the door, and even wonder where you are (call/email/mail) you when you don't use their product/services for a long period of time.

>>All of this is part of RELATIONSHIP MARKETING: creating, maintaining, and enhancing long-term relationships with customers and other stakeholders that result in exchanges of info and other things of mutual value or interest. That is why there are different levels - different sellers/buyers have different relationships because different issues are important to them.

>>Why are these relationships important?
As the level of the relationship increases, or becomes more involved, the cost of losing a customer increases in value as well. If a customer has one bad experience with your product, they will tell everyone they know (Word of Mouth) and you will have lost a real customer and countless potential ones.

>>But it is important to know that PARTNERSHIP cannot and should not be used for every seller/buyer relationship. Similarly, not every product needs such a high level of relationship. It all depends on the NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS and the PROFIT MARGIN if those customers are lost...For example: coca cola (an international company) and which wich (local, Austin) aren't trying to sustain the same number of customers.

Package Analysis

This is a package analysis of Clorox Disinfecting wipes:



Right away you recognize the Clorox brand at the top of the package. This makes it easy for identification for those who are very loyal to that brand. This is also important to penetrate our physiological screening process. The bright colors (there are yellow, purple, blue, pink) grab your attention right away.

But first and foremost as the purpose of packaging is CONTAINMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE PRODUCT and convenience. Clorox used a relatively new concept that was both innovative and helpful to the consumer: an upright container, where you pull the wipes out of a hole like a tissue box: this way, you don't have to touch all the wipes trying to grab only one, and the liquid solution on the wipes doesn't drip to the bottom of a flat box (like wipes usually are). It's upright position also makes it easier to store in pantries of cabinets. It also makes it a bit more attractive of a product instead of a big box sitting on the counter. It looks almost more approachable, and cleaner of a design (which may be penetrating my psychological screens...)

cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is when people strive to justify their behavior by reducing the inconsistency between their perceptions of their purchase and reality.

Simply put, when you feel regret after buying a purchase, you often try to justify why you bought it. This usually happens with more expensive product.

Usually, this happens when your purchase decision was based on the peripheral route on the elaboration likelihood. When you only respond to basic stimuli ("ooh, pretty colors on that iPod") you fail to realize the truth about the product. Your attention shifts to NONPRODUCT information (colors, music in the background, endorsement) and your comprehension of what the product does is very shallow. Instead of forming an attitude toward the PRODUCT THEN BRAND, you form attitudes and beliefs toward the ADVERTISEMENT THEN BRAND.

MY OWN experience of cognitive dissonance was when i bought my digital camera. I didn't go through the motions of central perception route - i didn't ask for opinion, i didn't watch multiple advertisements with high involvement, i didn't even read or research good cameras. I just went to the store one day and saw a camera.

It was red. It was shiny. And it was relatively cheaper than the rest (although still pretty expensive...)

IMMEDIATELY i experienced problems. The shutter speed was very slow - i had to wait for a few seconds after i pushed the button for anything to happen. The flash was terrible, and i was really reconsidering my purchase. But i tried to JUSTIFY it, thinking to myself: "after all, it IS my favorite color" OR "nobody else has one like it" OR "i already bought it, so i'll make the best of it"

Advertising can help (or persuade) us to keep that purchase by reminding us or reassuring us that our decision was correct, and our purchase was worth it. It defends the purchase/product against any skepticism.

Needless to say, i still have that camera (it's been about 2 or 3 years now). I have YET to see such an advertisement that reassures me of my purchase.

Meanwhile, i see PLENTY of other ads for this camera:

I plan on making an informed decision next time, more central route, than peripheral...

and ya know? Christmas is coming up....

positive/negative motives....

Yesterday in class, we talked more about consumer behavior and the motives that ads have.

There are ads with a negatively oriented motive, or positively oriented motive.

Motivation is the underlying forces that contribute to the consumers' purchasing behavior.

Negative motives have a prevention focus: they are concerned with avoiding negative outcomes. Positive motives have a promotion focus: they are concerned with obtaining positive results.

watch this video:



This is an example of positive motives. Bud Lite is promoting their new beer that has a lime infusion - all apart of the whole "summer fun" experience.

Their statement was: "if you DO drink this, you will be surrounded by young, attractive friends, chillin' at the pool, having fun"

In terms of consumer behavior and motivation process, this is what the commercial accomplished:

1.) You sitting on the couch watching this vs. the POTENTIAL lifestyle once you have their product is an example of ideal status vs. actual status. This creates tension and you may feel the need to do something about it....buy the drink.

2.) Through the use of cool colors, fun music, young/attractive people, and the punchline: "but it's still not summer, until you bring it out", the ad creates positive DESIRABILITY for their product.

3.)Since this is simply a beer, it is fairly easy to obtain (unlike the abs after the exercise machine....)So, the product has PROBABILITY.

Both #2 and #3 pose the desirability of drinking and probability of drinking. The pathway, according to bud light, is:

4.) THEM! BUY BUD LIGHT LIME.

Fresh Breath - does it really matter?

Today in class we learned the aims of marketing and the role advertising plays.
One of the aims of marketing was to create exchanges that satisfy the perceived needs, wants, and objectives of individuals and organizations.

An when discussing advertising role in the promotion part of marketing, we looked at the PERCEPTION of a need. Does advertising HELP the perception of needs/wants or CREATE it out of nothing?

The example for this post is hygiene products. When we were learning about the history of advertising through american society, the Roaring 20s was a time when cleanliness products were advertised as a part of basic necessity. In other words, if body odor or bad breath didn't bother before, it SHOULD now....so use our product.

This has translates into the standard of "freshness" that we have now...

Look at this Eclipse gum commercial:



Besides being hilarious (hahaha), this commercial shows how advertising 1.) made us feel bad if we had bad breath, 2.) presented us with the "only" solution, and 3.)set their brand apart from others - "natural germ killers"...

This ad also reinforces satisfaction, because this campaign always shows a 2nd encounter...the first guy who had bad breath is now enjoying the gum, and now recognizes the error of his stinky ways.

so it reminded you why you bought it in the first place...
and enables you to persuade others about it.

and now gum is something that many of us (me!) can't live without.

Breaking away from the PC image

One of the most popular and in my opinion, effective forms of comparative advertising (that is fair)is the Mac vs. PC campaign.

It's use of personifying the Mac computer as a young, good-looking man and characterizing the PC (Microsoft)as a nerdy, older man has left an impression on the Microsoft brand that many feared couldn't be broken.

It has come to the point where many college students buy their first laptop - usually a Mac- because it just "seems cooler".

Mac's commercials aren't unfair - they simply state the advantages of their product and the problems withe PCs. Below is one of the Mac vs. PC commercials.



But FINALLY the time has come:

Microsoft is ready to fight back the stereotype of what is in reality a quality product.

I recently saw this commercial while watching TV in my dorm room. Both me and my roommate agreed: it was effective in trying to erase the PC image. It used real people in many different industries. People who are "old", "young", "conservative", "liberal"....This way, more people can identify with the product.

It used hipsters, little children, celebrities, and even Bill Gates himself.

Here is the ad below.



And as a consumer who hasn't bought her laptop yet, i just might reconsider getting that Mac.

Socially Acceptable - shock value?

At first, these commercials may startle you --- and motion your little cousin out of the room in a hurry.

In class today we talked about the social impact of advertising, and what is acceptable or offensive in different target audiences.

The advertisement above is very recent. Levis jeans campaign is currently running on TV. The first one is called "First Time" and just like the name suggests, you think it's about....sex. But in reality, the commercial is about taking risks (like jumping into that lake) and how that brand helps you achieve that confidence.

But it certainly has some sexual shock value.

In the U.S., this kind of ad is just a little extreme, but for the most part acceptable. Levi hooks you in, because you want to know WHAT THE HECK this commercial is about?!?!?! It definitely puts a personality and abstract idea of youth and freedom on the brand of jeans.

The video below uses that same shock value of "oh my gosh, little brother cover your eyes!"

But what i've found is that most people that watch these ads end up saying:

"all that was just for a pair of JEANS?!?!"

Interactive Advertising

While searching for other things to post to my journal, i realized that advertising has gone FAR beyond ad agencies conveying a message to the consumers (the audience). There are whole interactive websites dedicated to products.

NOT in the SELLING of these products, just the INTERACTION.

Just type in any brand of food, beverage, candy, etc. in google, and there will be a whole website. Typical features include GAMES, MESSAGE BOARDS, MEDIA (like wallpaper or icons).

This makes use of the idea we learned that buying a product these days allows you to express yourself. Buying stuff is an extension of you.

To see Examples:

1.) http://www.stridegum.com/#/home/
2.) http://www.pepsi.com/
3.) http://www.covergirl.com/

these are only a few...

Stride Gum - continuing a motto

Stride Gum distinguishes itself as a brand by promoting how long the flavor lasts. It realizes that this could be a problem for production, as you only eat a new piece if the old one loses flavor, right? These ads make fun of that idea..."What if they WON'T spit it out???"



Previous commercials have been in the stride factory, and it is shut down because no one buys new packs of gum.

I think it shows a lot of creativity to think of a NEGATIVE aspect of your product and turn it into a comical quality.

And i do admit, i buy it because it last longer. :)

STRIDE - THE RIDICULOUSLY LONG LASTING GUM

VW beetle: old meets new...

In this commercial, VW is using the actual product as the persona. It is comparing the old (original) version of the VW with the new SUV version. The ad agency has given it a name (Max) and an identity - a German man, who makes clever comments.

This may stick out to consumers amid all the "noise" we get everyday on television, etc. If we are used to seeing people telling us about a product, seeing an automobile doing that would catch our eye.

The commercial is trying to show progress while still maintaining the qualities that make VW a specific brand. By using the European SUV of the Year award, it is establishing a level of excellence. It is trying to appeal to the idea of an SUV, but when Max says "you're so compact you're practically my size!" VW is trying to tell consumers that like the original product that things haven't changed too much.

My favorite part of the video was the second commercial. Max says he and the new SUV are like twins. The new version is the FASTER, MORE POWERFUL one...and he's the funny one!

I think this was an effective advertisement; using that band, and setup, it is the making of a good campaign.

Doublemint Gum

In these videos, Wrigley's Gum is capitalizing on the popularity of Pop songs already available to consumers.

Both commercials (Doublemint and Juicy Fruit are both owned by Wrigley's) use the melody of the original song, changing the words to talk about their product.

I think the idea is: if they liked the song/the artist, etc...then they'll listen to them talk about our product. Chris Brown and Julianne Hough signify a certain type of person. Cool, pretty, hip hop, country - all these things and all these kinds of people will identify with them, and thus the product.

And plus, the graphics and effects are pretty cool. Targeted toward young adults.

Old Navy, models and target audience

I used to think that persuasive advertising wouldn't work on me. That i understood what the ad agency was trying to do. But this Old Navy commercial proved me wrong. Yes, their target audience in this particular ad is young women, but what is important, especially in the United States, where there are many different ethnicities, is to represent them in your product. In this series of Old Navy commercials, there's an African American girl - VERY pretty- and she's living a fabulous life, wearing stylish Old Navy clothes, etc.

The next day, i found myself at Old Navy, where i DON'T usually shop!!! I was only attracted to that store AFTER those ads ran on television. Since the model, or persona for that advertisement looked more like me, i was able to identify with the brand...and was actually going to buy something from it!

This is very clever, because when you think about it, companies would make a lot more money if they made an attempt to appeal to all races.