"No-name" client

                                  

                                                 "No- Name” client

I remember a commercial I saw years ago. I’ve remembered the borrowed interest all these years, but not which client paid for it. In fact, I never noticed it as soon as it was over.

The situation was a house party. A young guy was sitting in the corner playing a guitar. An older man goes over to him and says: "You’re pretty good. What’s your name?” As he tells him his name, the older man asks to see the guitar. When he gets it, he starts to play. He plays some expert riffs on it, astounding the young man. He hands the guitar back as the young man says: "You’re really good. What’s your name?” To which the older man answers: “It’s on your guitar.”

A close-up of the guitar reveals the name: “Les Paul”. 

The legendary performer and developer of many guitar advances.

A very involving situation. Was it about guitars? No. What was this spot selling? Who knows? Who cares? Great borrowed interest. Bad product identification. 

The Purpose Of Advertising

                 The Purpose of Advertising

From the advertiser’s point of view, he’s paying good money to have his product or service seen / exposed to as many people as possible in a position to use the product.

From the consumer’s viewpoint, it introduces a new product or service to investigate.

The purpose of the ad is to persuade you that this product is worth your time investigating. It will not have you leaping out of bed, dressing quickly and then running to the nearest store to buy it.

If it is a memorable ad, you will remember something about the product when you are walking down the isle in a store that carries these items, and, as you see the competing brands on the shelf, you recognize it, and decide to take a look at the packaging and read what it says. The information and design of the packaging already contributes to your impression of the product. The rest is up to the product.

The worst thing a bad product can have is good advertising, because a lot of people will find out how bad it is. 

Game Of War

                                             Game Of War

How much money has been spent on promoting this “free” game? It is everywhere on TV. How much money can they make when it is no longer free? They must have paid a fortune for Kate Upton as well as the hundreds of warriors and costumes and special effects. She seems to be mirroring the classic pre-battle pep talk given by many including Mel Gibson. From what I’ve seen of the game, it seems very simplistic, but I’d watch the promos just to see Kate. She’s very inspiring. 

Weasels Hide In Mouse-sized Type.

Weasels Hide In Mouse-sized Type. 

It’s important to freeze the screen and read the small type to see what kind of deal it really is.

A plug-in device to clean your computer of “junk” has a couple of small, but very important details.

First, the $19.95 isn’t a one-time cost. The small type says: “a year”. Twenty dollars each year. For how long?

The other hidden cost involves the “free” second unit. The first unit has “free shipping”, but the “free” one requires you to pay S&H. How much is that? It doesn’t say. These units are small and very light weight. It shouldn’t cost much to send these anywhere, but just see what they charge. Since both units will be shipped together, you’ve paid for both S&H. Not really free. (See Weasel Warriors).

Beware of weasels!

Star Athletes In Commercials

                        Star Athletes In Commercials

Sometimes using a star ex-athlete can be effective, and sometimes embarrassing. If you are paying that much money for a star athlete to attract attention to your product, the commercial better be one that will be remembered for his or her contribution to the situation.

Take Joe Montana, for example. His use in a Pappa John spot for a free pizza makes him seem silly, and doesn’t contribute anything. But his appearance in an A&T spot, along with three other big-name athletes, uses him to advantage.

The other ex-football players have each won the Heisman Trophy for being the best college player. As they brag about that by posing in the “Heisman” pose, Joe, who is sitting by watching quietly, slowly raises his hand to reveal a Super Bowl ring on each finger as he says, dryly, “What an accomplishment”.

            

Turn Off The Sound

                     

                                Turn Off The Sound

AARP has a Rube Goldberg-type contraption with a ball rolling in a complicated structure for its “Go Long” commercial. It’s fascinating to watch to the point that I couldn’t concentrate on what was being hawked by the voice-over. A perfect example of borrowed interest stealing attention from the client’s message. Sure, it will get attention but ask what the viewer remembered of the item being sold. Just turn off the sound and enjoy the visual in peace.

Making Legalese Human

                                  Legal Zoom-Making Legalese Human

Watching a local lawyer pitching himself or his firm on TV is usually an exercise in watching a mannequin move its lips. If they are as wooden in front of a jury as they are in front of a camera, how do they possibly win all those cases they brag about?

A fresh approach that’s centered around the people who need the service is being aired by Legal Zoom. [“Got Your Back”]

When "Leather" Isn't Exactly What You Think.

        When “Leather” Isn’t Exactly What You Think.

In the spirit of honest consumerism, a term that’s always heard in furniture commercials is “bonded  leather”. I finally asked what exactly that was, since I had never seen a “bonded” animal.

It turns out that it is created by taking scraps of leather and chopping them into very small pieces, soaking them into a soup-like mixture, and then pouring this onto a fabric, which is then baked into a sheet. It then has the outer look of leather, with a cloth backing.

You certainly can’t expect this “product” to have the wearability of real hide leather. That’s why it can be sold so much cheaper.

As in all things, know what you are buying.

Sick Days

                                                         Sick Days

Vicks has a campaign with a different angle on “sick days”. And turns it into a selling idea.

A woman (also a man) opens a door, coughing, and says “I hate to bother you, but I have to take a sick day.” You assume they are asking a boss for a day off, but the next shot shows a little girl (or boy) playing in their room, looking up, confused.

The voice over says “Moms (or dads) don’t take sick days, they take Dayquil.”