Basketball Double Dribble

This year's NBA early season lockout has put basketball on the back of everybody's minds. Since we can't watch the pros play, maybe its time for us to go onto the neighborhood court instead.  That could explian why both Nike and Under Armour's latest work looks so similar. Either they have fully uncovered the real appeal of basketball or they have both double dribbled.


The latest work for Under Armour was just recently released from Crispin Porter + Bogusky. It is different. For both CP+B and for Basketball messaging. It is very focused on making the real basketball players, the ones who don't worry about lockouts . The tagline is simple: "Are you from here?".

It looks very similar to Nike's ad. Nike delivers a very simple message, "Basketball never stops". The lockout is on, but that doesn't mean the super stars are on vacation. Even the League's celebrities.

They both are good, very similar, and leave me wanting to play basketball though. It's a different season for CP+B and different for everyone I suppose.

Enter to Win

Enter to win contests are not a good idea. They really hurt the brand and company rather than create any stronger followers. Statistically, there are bound to be a lot more let down fans. The contests might be anywhere from designing a poster for a prize, or simply entering all of your guarded information. Expectancy Theory tells us that we are preparing to win and we are elated, when we don't it means a bigger fall down the heights of discouragement. That fall is even harder when there is a lot of time involved in a contest where you have put hours into the masterpiece, only to see a less tasteful winner emerge. This will significantly hurt the brandspace in the mind of the disgruntled non-winner.

Don't design a contest if you are trying to actually build a stronger following. There will only be stronger language in the bashing rants of your now brand-deserters.

Unless of course, everyone who enters will win something, which could be interesting...

Sign Spinning, a downward spiral

Sign spinning is becoming a common sight on street corners and busy roads everywhere, like a new marketing phenomenon is being born. Being noticed isn't everything, after all it can actually dilute your brand. They shouldn't be though. It is a terrible idea, for many reasons.
-The sign is SPINNING, how can moving cars possibly read the message.
-The sign is too small to have a readable message on.
-Be careful who you select to hold the sign, they are a part of the brand. Bored teenagers do not sell products nor do middle aged burnouts.
-I can see the building right behind the person, shouldn't the sign on the building be enough?

I say ditch the sign spinners and go with the classic monster balloons attached to your building, they do they same thing and cost much less. OR go all in, and make sure people get the message...

Ad Review: VW Piñata

The latest ad for the VW Tiguan is out, and it is amazing. Not a word needs to be spoken to clearly demonstrate the VW durability and toughness.

*****/*****
This ad was outstanding. This simple, yet rich ad clearly shows the strength of the VW in a very funny way.  I especially love the end of the commercial where you are left with the sound of the father swinging in vein. Great tone, use of humor, concept, and execution. Ditching CP+B couldn't have happened soon enough for VW.

Ninjas, Rock Stars, and Prodigies

Branding is every interaction that your business has with consumers. Hiring is one of the most pivotal moments in a company's efforts to either create a brand evangelist or  a powerful enemy. Once you have decided that you need to add some new talent, make sure you are reaching your highest potential by placing the ad on the right website. How much money does your company have to advertise? Not all sites are equal. After this important step, it's time to write the ad. Choose your words carefully.
Employers are more frequently looking for marketing "ninjas, super-stars, rock stars, prodigies, and geniuses". Do NOT ever use these words in a job posting. You look stupid. You not only will miss out on having good applicants, but you also hurt your brand.
This is war, and you are sinking your own ships in the battle to get the best talent on your team.

Ad Review: "Refuel" BMW 5 Series

I just saw the latest BMW commercial for its fuel efficient 5 series, called simply "Refuel". The ad , seemingly, starts off with the classic sports car racing a jet. The jet starts to lower near the car and the announcer touts the benefits of the car's fuel economy and leads to the mid-flight fueling of the driver's coffee cup.

My rating: *** / *****
It was ok. It seems absolutely overkill for delivering the message of fuel economy in a luxury car. It is an unexpected departure, but it is pretty stupid. Yes it also plays off of the schema that sports cars must be racing a jet or else, but they are selling too many benefits in one ad. They were on to something good, but got carried away.

How I would have done it:
All they had to do was play with the tension of running out of fuel. My ad starts off with as sunset driving scene in a lonely desert. After a couple of car glamor shots, go inside the car and show the look of terror on the driver's face when he realizes he is running on fumes. then show a gas station in the distance. He just makes it and pulls in, then the camera pulls out. The announcer says the mileage benefit and have the driver get back into his car with a new cup of coffee. The driver continues on to Vegas...

Tornadoes and Marketing

This has been the worst tornado season on record. It has also been the most widely viewed tornado season on record. Social networking, Doppler radar, In the filed Tornado Hunters, and live casts mean that knowledge of where tornadoes are is available like never before. Yesterday, I was glued to an all day live cast from Oklahoma; I was thunderstruck. I couldn't help but think how many countless lives were saved as the forecaster could warn towns and cities with enough time for the people in the path to get to safety.

Thank you to the news channel 4 team who followed the storms every movements for hours and to the chasers in the filed who risked their lives to ensure that we knew where the tornadoes were.

I was also struck by another feature of the live cast; a 15 second video advertisement that played before the feed would roll. It really bothered me and it got me thinking. Yes, there were hundreds of thousands of viewers, but isn't there an ethical time where marketing needs to have a break? Lives are at risk, those 15 seconds are very important to concerned viewers who might be in the path of the tornadoes.
There is a place where marketing does not belong.
Forget about the potential impressions the ad will get. Not only is nobody watching the content concerned about what they want to eat, but the ads cross a line. I think there should be a law against playing ads in an emergency situation like that because there is clearly a lack of common concern for human lives. Those 15 seconds could mean life or death.

Insurance Company Advertising

Insurance is not sexy. In fact, it is as boring as it gets; you hedge your future risks and pay large sums of money. The insurance business is a very crowded, competitive market with many companies offering the same service; yet, the advertising makes it seem like a buffet of services. The advertising covers just about every approach in the books because each group has carved out their niche. Of the many insurance companies, the main players that are leading the industry are: All State, GEICO, Farmers, Progressive, State Farm, and Esurance. Every consumer demographic is represented. Some of the best, and worst, ad campaigns have been the result of the intense battle. Who is doing the best? I think it looks like this:

1. All State 

They get the best ranking because of their use of targeting and creativity. They currently run two main campaigns, "Mayhem" and "Are you in Good Hands?". The comforting voice of Dennis Haysbert sells reassurance and safety. It isn't flashy, but neither is his target market; it is effective though.
Mayhem will be in the advertising books for best campaigns of the century. Personifying hazards is one of the most creative and catchy ways to bring the all state name into your everyday life. The campaign leaves you wanting to see how much worse life can be. It also directly jabs at the competition without indirectly selling their company. Keep them coming.

2.GEICO

A Gecko with an English accent, ever watching cash, cavemen, and the near movie trailer stories are why GEICO ranks number 2.  GEICO is about icon building. They break the rules by having many mascots, but each is memorable and targeted at different groups.They each use comedy, as well as deliver the serious message about saving money with any one of the icons you go with. For using so many approaches in one company, that earns them second place.

3. State Farm

The subtle use of magic and a jingle that has stood the test of time earn them the number three spot. No frills, but the jingle stands out in your memory with the message of being a good neighbor. 

4. Farmers

The Farmers' University ads are annoying, but leave you feeling educated about their offerings. They are bordering boring, but the message is effective.  However, their jingle is awful and needs to go.

5. Progressive

No. Why would you choose to model your ad spokeswoman off of the movie "JUNO"? I hate cannot stand these ads; they actually make me mad. While the spokeswoman does stand out, the message of what they are selling is lost. The ads would rather emphasize the zany ramblings of the horribly annoying woman than anything else. I don't want to even talk about her any more, they need to stop the campaign though. Targeting such a small group of wanna be hipster/ art / JUNO crowd is a highly questionable move. 

 

6. Esurance 

Esuck. How could an insurance ad be worse than FLO from progressive you ask? Stealing. They thought it was a good idea to actually steal the idea of FLO, enough said.  Let's not forget those terrible cartoon based super fail cartoon ads from a few years ago. There's strikes 2 and 3 right there. JUNO sucked and probably 1% of the people who saw it liked that girl; why are you perpetuating it? I cannot wait to never see their ads again.