Caffeinated posts from a copywriter/adgrunt. I write about advertising, design, astronomy, cooking, and pretty much anything else that strikes my fancy, including random bits of reference info for work purposes. You may also know me as 'that other gal' who helps run Adland. | make contact | RSS Feed | ATOM

Friday, October 29, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: A quiet Friday ]

+ Word of mouth marketing- do we need regulation? A great article by Dabitch.

+ Magzine editor itching for media planners to get creative. "The question is bigger than that, and I think that it has implications for the entire advertising and media industries. The question is why the media planning sector appears to lack creativity, adventurousness and innovation – qualities that I would argue are crucial for any successful media plan, along with a solid core reliance on the ratio between readership figures and costs. It might be time for media planners to do a little less number crunching and invest a little more time in thinking about the qualitative value offered by new, independent, creative media."
Thursday, October 28, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Economist on sex in advertising ]

+ Sex doesn't sell an article from The Economist. They are slow to catch up with this story, which I mentioned at least a few weeks ago. (Yah, I could go look it up but I'm feeling lazy). Here's some from the article:

But though life may be increasingly exciting for the sex-obsessed, in the wider population advertisers are finding that sex no longer sells the way it used to. “There's a lot less flesh flashed around in advertising,” says Claire Beale, editor of the trade paper, Campaign. “We're in a much more subtle era,” says Nicola Mendelsohn of Grey London, an agency owned by WPP, a communications conglomerate. “People are looking for things that are more real, more wholesome, more pure.” “Using sex to sell has been overdone and has reached saturation point,” says Paul Gostick of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Even agencies that specialise in striking sexual themes, such as TBWA, which invented the controversial FCUK logo for French Connection, a clothing brand, agree. “There has been a shift. We went through an era where sex was a means of shocking consumers, and that doesn't work any longer,” says Andrew McGuinness, the agency's chief executive.

Commercial and academic research supports the thesis. Only 6% of consumers surveyed by the CIM said they were positively influenced by sexual images in advertising. D_Code, a study of young consumers by HeadlightVision, another bit of WPP, concluded that they found sexually explicit advertising boring and repellent. Allison O'Keefe Wright, the report's editor, blames desensitisation. “In the past a brand could use sexual imagery to grab a young person's attention, now it's just part of the background. Subtle cues and suggestions are much more powerful.” Nostalgia, too is growing, stoked by fears of terrorism and war: “Playful, child-like imagery is having a lot of impact,” she says.

Women consumers are the most likely to be turned off by the cheesy and the explicit. Ms Mendelsohn's ad for a specialist shaving device for the female groin used a neutral silhouette rather than overt sexual imagery, which would have been “the last thing they wanted”. That made the shaver the best-selling electrical product of the past 12 months, she says. The same campaign is now planned for America.

Peter Frost, whose company, Proficiency2020, ran a conference last month (“Rethinking Pink”) on selling to women consumers, argues that crude sexual images are both distasteful and increasingly irrelevant. “When you see an office copier with a girl draped over it, it titillates 10% of the customers and alienates the rest.” Moreover, he says, many male consumers also like their advertising humorous and informative. He plans similar conferences in America next year.

Advertisers used to the sex-soaked style of continental Europe are struggling to make the shift. So are some home-grown ones. EasyJet, a British budget airline, attracted ridicule for a poster it produced earlier this year featuring a bulging bikini top and the slogan “Discover weapons of mass distraction.” Even Mr McGuinness of TBWA, no stranger to controversy on questions of taste, terms it “crass”. It was also muddled, he says, as the airline was simultaneously marketing itself as a cheap alternative for business travellers.

[ :: stuff :: Red Moon, Red Sox Victory! ]

+ What a night last night!!! Woooohooooo!


Here's two images I took of the lunar eclipse last night- while the Red Sox were kicking bottom! What game!
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Adland Wonderland ]

+ There's a ton of tasty articles over at Adland lately. Check them out!

:: Post-it notes remind you to learn to scuba dive

:: R.I.P. Exclusivity

:: Flicka - teaches girls to question media

:: Voting ads and their ilk heating up

:: New York Times discovers ad agency blogs

:: Banner ads' tenth birthday

:: Returning to the ABC's of advertising

[ :: spacey :: Lunar Eclipse ]

+ Lunar eclipse TONIGHT! It will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2007. Check out the link for viewing times in your area as well a link to a site where you can view it live on a web cast from around the globe.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Sip on this ]

+ Do you have Grill Skillz? (quicktime). Wendy's training vid. Must be from the 1980s. Proof that you can do interesting corporate videos. (found at m!ndless)

+ John Hegarty on how agencies must change their ways. His article this week discusses the role of advertising in the marketing of junk foods and issue of obesity which the UK government has recently jumped on. He claims that it's wrong to blame the advertising - instead it should be placed with the manufacturers. I think it should also be placed on consumers as well- since no one is forcing them to purchase or eat foods that are bad for them in mass quantities.

We shouldn't be surprised that our industry will be in the front line when blame is being apportioned. Throughout history, the messenger has always paid a high price. But in this case, can the messenger also bear some of the guilt? Possibly, so much advertising is so boring, unrewarding, unwelcomed and clichéd, it so easily becomes the scapegoat. We always have to bear in mind that nobody asks us to interrupt them. We impose ourselves on people. This carries with it a responsibility. A responsibility to communicate in a way that not only enhances our message, but also the consumer's experience. Just as companies have to now look beyond the coredelivery of their product to see how it impacts on a broader, more social scale.

We have to see our communication as part of a bigger picture. We constantly talk about advertising moving from the era of interruption to one of engagement, but it seems to me that very few marketers take that thought on board. Instead, there are knowing nods when it's voiced and then actions that go in the opposite direction.

His points are right on. And I can't understand why marketers do not get this. It seems logical to me. Turning away from this concept is going to be detrimental to brands that do no follow. Especially with products like TiVo and consumers being more savvy about messages they tune into and which ones they block out- it is imparitive that we bring engaging and relevant messages to the public- rather than just boring, cliche crap that no one connects with except perhaps the CEO.

Perhaps it's just me, but it seems like there have been a lot of "no duh" revelations recently in the world of advertising. Unfortunately, the marketers still aren't getting it.

Some logical rules for what not to do:
- Don't be boring and bland. How do you catch someone's attention by being boring? Everyone knows that people are bombarded by advertising all day long- you need to stand out. For ages people in advertising have blathered on about "thinking outside the box". It's now considered cliche, but so many never actually acted upon it and instead went the boring and bland route. Consumers decide what they take in, for the most part, by what intrigues them, what entertains them, and what is relevant to them. So, make it provocative and compelling.

- Don't do what your competitor is doing. Too many companies think that it's OK to do what everyone else is doing. That's wrong. Very wrong. Again, how do you stand out from them if your ads and message is exactly the same? You don't. There are too many ads out there that could easily have the logo and brand name swapped out and be an ad for their competitor. It creates confusion for the consumer and it doesn't help to build the brand. A couple examples would be bank ads, toothpastes, supermarkets, and off-price retailers.

- Don't be creative and wacky just for the sake of being wacky. This might seem like a contradiction of the first thing I mentioned, but it's not. Creative advertising is very important- but it must also be relevant- either to the consumer (lifestyle, etc) or to the brand (brand story, benefit, etc). Ads that are wacky for the sake of wackiness might catch attention, but they won't do anything for building the brand or getting people to lay down their cash.

- Don't be obtuse. Keep your message simple- wrapped up in a simple story. As one of my professers would say: "Keep It Simple Stupid"- a.k.a. K.I.S.S. If you can't explain the concept in less than 3 sentences, it's too complicated. When you only have 60 seconds or 30 seconds-and even less in print- you need to keep it to the point. If something isn't helping to communicate the idea- ditch it. Stick to the point you are trying to communciate. This goes for design as well- don't use fonts that are hard to read- especially in headlines- and don't design ads where the copy is hidden along the gutter in 6 pt.

- Don't talk down to consumers or insult them. Seems like an obvious thing, but a lot of ads miss the boat with this. They shoot themselves in the foot and they don't even notice.

- Don't forget that you're a consumer too. The specific things that prompt you to buy or try might be different than the target you're trying to reach, but it is important to tap into some of those most basic ways of thinking. What prompts you to buy, how do you interact with brands, how do you deal with brands that don't live up to their promises, etc. Sometimes it seems to me there are a good number of people in advertising that forget this point.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Ad news bits ]

+ Amado “June” Diokno Jr., former copywriter and now commercial director, talks about advertising in the Philippines.

He laments the fact that a lot of directors and copywriters remain anonymous, like much of their work.

“We should be getting royalties from ads that we made and that are still running until today,” he stresses.

He also observes that the advertising industry lacks originality, and is contented on being copycats. “It’s all noise and no content.”

+ Funky new outdoor brings mechanical billboards to Emirates. "The ingenious billboard was designed not just to reproduce the mini-suite and the movement of its sliding privacy doors, but also to convey the message of a whole new world of comfort and luxury opening up in the sky thanks to Emirates' efforts. The electrically-operated reinforced aluminium doors replicate the actual ones by opening and closing in slow motion, offering motorists a peek into the newest expression of Emirates' dedication to a sky-high quality travel experience." Definitely a nice use of the media.

+ A very interesting article on housework and the educated female."It proved even more advantageous to advertisers who baldly suggested that a woman was not a truly loving wife and mother if she didn't purchase certain household products. "Nothing says loving like something from the oven, and Pillsbury says it best," went one well-known slogan. Within Procter & Gamble, an advertising strategy that equated maternal affection with fluffy, fragrant towels was known as "the Downy guilt campaign.""

+ Lintas' media division Initiative Media headed by Lynn de Souza and BBC World recently released their annual survey on ad avoidance, the fourth of its kind survey undertaken by the two companies.

De Souza says, "Worldwide there is a lot of research that has been done by Lowe on ad avoidance and what was found that since ad avoidance was at its peak among people, advertising creatives should be outstanding so as to make a mark amongst the clutter. Taking a cue from there, we at Initiative Media, decided that its not always possible to make outstanding creatives. So to get out of the advertising fatigue, the answer lies in the way you use the medium and therefore it comes in the area of the media planner and buyer's area. So assuming that the creative is of a high quality, how can the media planner/buyer make sure that they can combat advertising fatigue."

The study also found that "media reach continues to be high, sponsorships have lost their identity,programme promotions are useful, innovation in advertising is appreciated, and interactivity is liked".

+ Mangia Media has served up more than 25 million ads on pizza boxes for clients including Verizon (VZ ), Time Warner's (TWX ) TBS channel, domestic giant Clorox (CLX ), Internet-service provider United Online (UNTD ), and beverage maker Snapple. With multimillion-dollar sales, the startup has been profitable since 2003. Cohen likes to boast that "we built a successful business in the worst advertising environment since the Great Depression." Business Week is slow in getting to this story- Adland had a post about this back in April.

+ In Australia, the "State Government has called for a crackdown on television advertising featuring graffiti. Linda Lavarch, who chaired the Government's graffiti taskforce in 2002-03, said some recent ads on TV used graffiti as a marketing tool. She accused corporations of being irresponsible and outrageous."
Thursday, October 21, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: World Series, boycotts, recall, and awards ]

Before getting into the nitty gritty, I'd just like to post a WELL DONE RED SOX! Perhaps this is the year they break "the curse". It's been a crazy AL playoff series, and I'm sure the World Series will be just as intense. Shame that the fans in Boston flooded the streets around the stadium last night though- well not so much the fact that they were on the streets but the fact that probably 80% if not more were just drunken college students - which can lead to trouble. I was fasinated by the fact that FUX stayed on it for so long- seemingly in the hopes that something tragic would happen. Typical of that station. And also a point to FUX network- when you're covering a playoff game (or anything for that matter), you should not cut back into it in the middle of play. There were a few times that they ran ads rather than returning to the game, which is just bad. It's an example of how not to do things- content/programing is king- not the ads. Shame we'll have to contend with their crappy coverage for the World Series.

Ok, enough of that...on to the ad news:

+ PSFK reviews Adland's blog list. And, whey hey, this site ended up on their favorites list with a favorable review too. "Frequent posts about marketing and advertising by the caffeinegoddess. Varied and sprinkled with a good dose of attitude. Well worth subscribing to the RSS Feed." How loverly. Cheers guys!

+ Czech ad agency takes top honors at award festival - Leo Burnett Advertising Prague was named agency of the year for the third time in a row at the Golden Drum Awards in Slovenia. They won a Gold Drum for Association of Librarians of the Czech Republic- Crime and Punishment print ad, Silver Drum for Greenpeace -The National Anthem television spot, and Bronze Drum for hairdressing salon James Hair - Marilyn poster. Congrats. See the ads and other winning ads here.

+ Ad use of "recall" flawed?-

Mr. Heath, author of The Hidden Power of Advertising, said "recall" -- the dominant metric used to measure the success of an ad campaign -- is flawed. He said the recall test, in which consumers are asked if they've seen an ad and what they remember about it, incorrectly assumes that ads work best when consumers process and retain the details in an advertisement.

"Advertising can work without attention being paid, without using a rational message, without argument or reasoning and without being recalled," Mr. Heath said yesterday at a forum of the Association of Canadian Advertisers.

Mr. Heath said that when people watch television, they go into what he calls a state of "low attention processing" -- a relaxed state where they can be particularly susceptible to emotionally driven, brand-building advertising, even if they don't remember seeing it.

He said consumers tend to choose one brand over another because of emotional factors, not rational ones.

Mr. Heath said that to produce great ads, agencies and marketers must stop pretesting them with focus groups and just trust their own judgment. He said ads should never be pretested unless they're in final form, with full editing and music.

+ Revolution Magazine reports that Agency Glue London has developed the online drive to support the launch of a through-the-line campaign for McCain Oven Chips, along with a TBWA\London television commercial featuring Singleton in a spoof infomercial.

The McCain's brand, which is 25 years old, is pushed online through "the McCain home of 1979" website. Visitors to the site can explore the house and interact with different elements to find out more information about the brand and play games. Interactive elements include being able to look in the cupboards, turn on the radio, peek in the freezer and watch TV. The site also hosts a viral game, accessed via the oven door. The ChipGrabber game puts users into the role of mum. Players are tasked with trying to keep their ravenous family from pinching piping hot oven chips before the rest of supper is ready, with a chance to win £25,000. Other features on the site include an interactive Slinky, the McCain TV ad, a quiz and a ViewMaster gallery of classic 1970s images.

Chinup.co.uk states: "This year McCain is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Oven Chip. Launched in 1979, the Oven Chip transformed the national dish, for the first time offering chip-lovers a healthier and more convenient alternative to the hand-cut, fried chip. The McCain home of 1979 website celebrates the way we used to live - the music, the décor, the toys and games which were part of our everyday life."

+ Burger King Bars Ads from TV Show Discussing Kerry. Reuters reports:

Hamburger chain Burger King said on Wednesday that it would not run its commercials during a controversial program about U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry to be aired by Sinclair Broadcast Group .

Sinclair on Tuesday backed away from airing a documentary critical of Kerry's Vietnam War-era record, but said it would show portions of that film in a special program that discusses allegations he betrayed fellow veterans with his antiwar activities.

Burger King's move suggests advertisers may not be assured the new program's format averts political controversy.

There are already boycott emails circulating on the web. Boycott Sinclair Broadcast Group lists out advertisers along with contact information. I'm not sure where they got this list of advertisers though. According to the site, there have been "100 advertiser pullouts, with more coming in daily."
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: places to go ]

+ Looks like creative "hotshop" Moderinsta! has a blog. Also Saw a Good Idea is a blog by Renegade Marketing Group. (found via the links at Adland.

+ Rotating Gurus at Core Marketing- from Perth, Australia.

[ :: adgruntie :: Go Sox- um, and ad stuff ]

First, a quick "Go Sox!!"- and now on to some ad news...

+ Sony attempting to tackle iPod with Walkman campaign in Europe. "Sony is responding to the popularity of Apple's iPod with a multimillion-pound pan-European ad campaign around its iconic Walkman, created by Fallon London, using the line "Feel the music". Six advertising executions will use time-lapse films to show how urban artists are inspired by the music on their Walkmans. The songs used will be available for download via Sony's online music service Connect."

+ Kotex launches evolution of "Red Dot" campaign. (It's a press release so there's a lot of self-fluff in here.)

Continuing its signature graphic look -- punctuated by the "red dot," which universally represents a woman's period, and innovative insights into young women, the evolved campaign is a 360 degree communication. The effort includes product and packaging innovations; a campaign of print and television; and high impact alternative media choices. The advertising campaign was created by Kotex brand's agency of record, Ogilvy & Mather, led by the agency's Chicago office.

"We are a lifelong brand to young women and as such constantly leverage new insights from our extensive research with women around the world," said Tim Lehman, President, Adult and Feminine Care Sector, Kimberly-Clark. "The fresh common threads and themes we found, clearly visible in the campaign, help women make sense of the way they feel physically and emotionally during their periods."

The advertising campaign is illustration-based and initially includes three television spots, three print advertisements and the use of a national mall tour.

"Creatively, the campaign shows an illustration of a young woman's world - - not a literal one, but emotional," said Christine Schipke, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Chicago. "In the campaign, we show a world that springs from a connective line or 'common threads' shared by all women, punctuated by a red dot. Through this, Kotex offers a bigger sense of our young woman's world and the period as just one part. The campaign strengthens its tone of sisterhood with visuals and language that employ a feminine sensibility young women immediately recognize."

"Help women make sense of the way they feel during their periods"? Huh? So now the pad is a therapist too?

Beyond that inane statement, I do think Kotex does good ads. They don't follow the traditional feminie hygiene stereotypes of that mysterious blue liquid, women in white pants skipping, biking and being active, and all those other horrid, bland and stupid executions.

+ Jackie Chan advertises bike in India in billboards and commercials by Ogilvy & Mather for Bajaj's new bike - Discover.

+ Bringing back the effectiveness of the jingle-Part of the Boost Mobile advertising campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi in New Zealand won two top awards for advertising effectiveness last week for their use of a song "Hook Up", performed by hip hop group Dawn Raid All Stars. "The song spent more than 10 weeks in the New Zealand music charts - reaching number eight - hit number one in Samoa and was twice performed live on TV2's Top of the Pops programme."
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Ad news for your noodle ]

+ Chickenfight.com- another chickeny thing from CP+B and, I'm guessing, the Barbarian Group.

+ Hidden has found the virginbrand (non-official, not linked to the Virgin brand, blog), which links to an interesting article about Branson and his business philosophy on Fast Company.

+ Researcher links to an article "Is Mass Marketing Dead?".

+ Happy Birthday now a registered trademark. "The words “Happy Birthday” can no longer be legally used if they are pinned to any other product, as a private Chinese company has claimed to have registered them as its trademark in 25 countries, including the US, Japan and European Union members this month."

+ Can Sainsbury's rise to the challenge? "Sir Peter's "Business Transformation Programme" had, said Mr King, distracted Sainsbury from focusing on "the customer offer". So now, the company that once symbolised middle-class aspirations is returning to its roots. Sainsbury's will focus on selling better-quality foods at lower prices; making sure that goods are well displayed and not dumped in store rooms. For the time being, Sainsbury's has dropped its advertising slogan, "Good food costs less at Sainsbury", because the message is just not true." Although there is no mention of a temporary slogan to be put in place while they sort out the mess.

+ Is American advertising too PC for its own good?

It's difficult enough to speak directly and to the point, especially in 30 seconds of TV or radio, or even less time in a print ad or in direct mail. But when you have to purposely cloud or defer the words you use in deference to being PC, they're so watered down no one will hear them...The challenge in marketing communications today is not getting your message out. The challenge is framing your message in a way that it actually says some thing that motivates people to act favorably, or at the least, favorably support your brand. (How many times have you been so insulted by an ad that you'll never consider buying that brand? Now there's a great result from a marketing investment.) PC, un-creative agencies and timid clients have made it much harder than ever to communicate because they've turned so many people off. Do you think TiVo would be as popular if commercials were as good as the nuns and glue? Our forefathers fought for free speech, not boring speech.

+ How fluffing the creative can lead advertisers dead on the air. "No matter how good the planning is, a successful advertising campaign must have strong creative tocomplement the strategy – if you get this wrong entire audiences may be missed, says Mark Banham." Some decent points about creativity and effective use of the medium.

Monday, October 18, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Economist, SB ads, and duh ]

+ Economist billboards- the new crop of ads includes one execution where there is no mention of the magazine/newspaper- not even a logo. Just the image of Brains from The Thunderbirds on their trademark red background.

+ New Ford ads same old baloney. "Or as the spot's unctuous, phony voiceover puts it: "As long as you keep your promises and never lose sight of your goals, your dreams are just around the corner." Ad copy doesn't get any closer to baloney than that."

+ A-B has bought 5 minutes of Super Bowl ad time as of October 11th. "With a $2.4 million to $2.5 million asking price for a 30-second spot, A-B may have already committed $24 million to $25 million for Super Bowl ads. So far, Fox has sold about 65 percent of its ad time for the Feb. 6 game. Other reported buyers include PepsiCo, Ford Motor Co., Universal Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures and CareerBuilder.com."

+ Adjusting to the reality of a consumer-controled market, Scott Donaton takes a look at what marketers are doing and finally realizing. The power is in the hands of the consumers. Funny how it's some big revolation. It's always been true. Before TiVo and other similar devices, there was always the remote control...which people seem to have forgotten. One click of a button and your ad is no longer on the TV screen. One turn of the dial and your radio ad is off the air. One flip of a page and your print ad is ignored or not read.

"General Motors' Roger Adams, noting the automaker's experimentation with less-intrusive forms of marketing, said, "The consumer wants to be in control, and we want to put them in control." Echoed Saatchi & Saatchi chief Kevin Roberts, "The consumer now has absolute power.""

Uh, yah, they've always had the power. Marketers- this is nothing new! The consumer has always wanted control and been in control. Why has it taken so darn long for people to realize this is beyond me. It's quite obvious. Even if you're using an "intrusive marketing model" the consumer still has the ultimate control- they can ignore your efforts, they can decide *not* to buy your product, they can do as they please. And always have. No matter what efforts you use, in the end, the consumer is the one who makes the decision to either lay down their cash, or walk away. And it has always been so.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Viral ads, product stories & product placement ]

+ John Hegarty talks about the trouble with viral campaigns.

Interesting, isn't it, that as we see the growing influence of globalisation and "world citizens", we also see the rise of regional languages that reconnect people to their roots. Even the stuff we eat is based on this fundamental fact. Italian, Indian, Chinese and even fusion is influenced by context. I've yet to hear someone say, "I'm eating virtual tonight".

Yet this is what the viral world is in danger of missing. Will we have to develop a different set of communication skills to cope with a lack of context? Almost certainly. If, however, as a medium it just relies on shock to get its "click through", we soon find, as that poor cat did, that it will fall out of sympathy. Brand building is not just about recognition and notoriety, it is about building empathy and respect. I'm not sure you can just shock somebody into that point of view.

Definitely poorly planned and conceived viral marketing is in danger of missing out on that. But, good viral marketing doesn't miss out on context- it embraces it and uses it to its advantage. Of course, there is a mix of shock in even the best viral marketing, because you need to give the viewer a reason to want to watch/play/read it. There has to be a reason for them to want to participate. And if that requires shock, it's not a bad thing. But it must be more than that.

The Ford Ka cat ad which he mentions in the beginning was a poor concept- even if some ad agency came up with it- the fact that Ford marketing folk would have let it through the channels shows a misunderstanding of how to do viral campaigns. What does an evil automobile do for the brand? How does it connect to a consumer? Why the hell would it make you choose that car over another? Sure, it could be funny to some. But just being funny for the sake of being funny- that's just bad advertising/marketing. And that's something that we sometimes forget it seems. Subservient Chicken by CP+B and the Barbarian Group was funny- but it played of a key brand element for Burger King- have it your way. The humor was tied into the branding statement...and actually falls out of the branding statement/tagline. Which makes it work for the brand, connect to the consumer, and gives a reason for choosing BK over other fast food establishments. And, that is the reason why it got so much high praise from the ad community- at least those who understand how advertising and marketing really works.

+ Fuse fights stereotypes from ad trenches.

"There's only been one company that's consistently been able to do that, and that's Nike. Nike has never run a separate national ethnic campaign. They've always spoken to the passion for the sport, whatever that sport is.
Because things are still put in buckets of general and ethnic market, you have companies that totally miss the mark because they're still looking at advertising as separate buckets. And the only way to not do that is to have a truly diverse group at the table." Cliff Franklin also goes on to state, "Many times, it's a diversity budget or an ethnic budget that's really focused on corporate relations and not truly related to building a brand. Everything in branding is about understanding your audience. But when it comes to ethnic marketing, there's a lack of emphasis on understanding the audience."

Some good points. It's interesting to see that by separating your efforts you can create a rift for the brand. Why do you have to segment your advertising based on ethnicity? If someone fits the target that likes beer, sports, or whatever, then they should fit into the target audience of your strategy based upon that. Not because of their ethnic background.

+ Every product tells a story- or at least aims to.

"What storytelling brings to the table is a power that is ancient, primal and wickedly potent. Perhaps the ultimate human expression, stories are highly effective learning tools because, as art forms, they unite ideas with feelings. "As soon as you are telling a story, you are activating the listener's imagination and engaging their emotions," says Jim Wortley, a Toronto-based advertising and marketing creative director. "It's like music -- it goes in somewhere deeper and very personal."

Which is the aim of good advertising. Create an interesting story that relates to the brand. Thing is- not enough ads tell interesting stories or relate to the brand at all. Which is one reason there's a lot of crappy ads out there.

+ Product placement on TV shows takes center stage. It used to be that product placements would be in the background of shows- people drinking Brand X cola, a bag of Brand Y fast food on a counter. But now the products are being woven into the show as key players.

The plot of Friday's episode of What I Like About You, the WB show popular with young women, has two characters competing for acting work in a new Herbal Essences ad. The actual ad then airs for the first time in a commercial break shortly after that scene.
"This is the first time we are doing something as integrated as this," says Ann Sempowski Ward, brand manager for Herbal Essences, North America. "We're looking for a breakthrough way to reach young women."
The appearance is just one example of how marketers are using scripted content to get their brands noticed and making it harder to tell what's a show and what's an ad." And only time will tell if that will be a turn off to viewers. "The risk is that viewers eventually get turned off by the commercial clutter in shows."

As the last line in the article states, "It's a very fine line between doing something that works and something that could turn off viewers," warns ad buyer Donchin."
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Plethora of stuff ]

+ Independent agencies are doing better than the conglomerates- in London at least. And with all the recent news about big agencies vs. independents, it's not all that surprising.

All over London, independent agencies are thriving. They have persuaded an increasing number of clients to leave the mammoth agencies.

The confidence and profitability of these maturing agencies - companies with a track record of a decade or less - is the most interesting fact to emerge from a report which is released this week.

Willott Kingston Smith's annual survey of the financial performance of marketing services companies shows the independents are now more profitable than subsidiaries of the global advertising giants.

+ Reuters reports that "P&G's Old Spice brand for men will tout its new Red Zone scented body wash in 10-minute to 20-minute segments that mimic television's reality shows".

The segments revolve around a contest on U.S. college campuses to choose the best-smelling candidate for a "Red Zone Presidential Election," and will be available on demand for cable television subscribers to Comcast Corp.'s video-on-demand services.

"We're creating branded content to make it more interesting and reach more people," said Nancy Newman, integrated marketing manager at Comcast Spotlight, which created the campaign with Old Spice. "Showing scent on television isn't a very easy thing to do. This turned into a presidential parody."

Brent Miller, communications manager for Old Spice, said the brand was experimenting with longer advertising forms to reach young male viewers.

Advertising agencies have held out on-demand services as a new way to invite consumers to find out more about brands, or build ties to products through entertainment.

Yawn. Another election spoof type advert. Scary how many we see pop up during an election year. I wonder if guys will actually care enough to want to tune in. The idea is in the right direction, but the concept itself- who smells best- I mean, who cares?

+ Men- Listen to music while you pee. Yes, it's another urnial cake ad, but this one's a bit different.

As men in barrooms all over America will soon discover, Country Music Television’s latest advertising ploy gives new meaning to the phrase “streaming audio.”
The week of Oct. 25, men who select the right urinal will be staring straight down at a flashing, lighted message and hearing a woman’s voice announcing: “Don’t miss Outlaws on CMT. You seem to miss everything else!”...The Wizmark is a motion-activated, deodorizing drain filter cover with an anti-glare lenticular viewing display and pre-recorded audio unit powered by two AA-volt batteries. It’s also waterproof.

Seems to me this has the potential of turning bathrooms everywhere in to a bit of a mess- especially if the woman's voice catches the blokes off-guard. ;)

+ A press release from Stoli discusses their new "Frozen" campaign which is going to be breaking soon, created by Publicis NYC. But the odd thing about the press release is that it states that the ads were previewed at Cannes this year- and won Bronze Lions in the outdoor/out of home category. But what makes no sense is that ads must have run to be eligible for a Lion, and if these ads are breaking now- how the hell did they win Lions? One guess is that it ran in Europe- although it does seem odd if it was done by Publicis in New York- but not totally unlikely.

But the way in which the press release is worded, it makes it sound like it was just previewed at Cannes- which would make it not eligible to win. We call these things a ghost ad or scam ad- ads that have not run. And the worst part about it is that this is a press release- not an article by a journalist- so if there was a mistake, it's the PR person or someone in-house.

+ McDonalds drops the golden arches from UK adverts and replaces it with a gold question mark in a poster campaign due to begin this week. "Posters will include close-up photographs of fresh salad, fruit pieces and a bagel smothered in cream cheese.The strap-line for the adverts, which appears below the gold question mark, reads: “McDonald’s. But not as you know it.”" Since when is a bagel smothered in cream cheese healthy? It is impressive though to see them take away the arches. Bold move for a brand that tends to stick to more traditional methods.

+ Rogue Molson ad airs over the weekend in Toronto and Montreal, Canada. Apparently it was a part of a pitch by Toronto agency Vaughn Whelan & Partners. The ad was just one part of the pitch campaign, which also included emails and directing people to Project Hijack web site. On the web site you'll find the ad along with a letter stating the idea behind the premise and "The goal is to literally hijack the pitch process so that our little agency can get our big idea on the table." The linked article that this information was found at, does not state if the Molson honchos are annoyed by this or not. Talk about a different approach to pitching to a client.

[ :: sidetracks:: Humor in strip form | Funny client things ]

+ Nicholas Gurewitch's The Perry Bible Fellowship- a humourous comic strip you must go take a look at. Oldest ones are at the bottom. (hat tip Clay.)

And there's another very funny one by Wulffmorgenthaler. Another you must check out. (Hat tip to Jesper)

+ Amiga Dab pointed out Clientcopia- a site filled with all the stupid things clients say and do. Based off the dreamless.org thread from a few years back. Enjoy!
Friday, October 08, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Connect ]

+ Wal-Mart told to get sensitive.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. can’t be content with earning the respect of its shoppers. To succeed, some experts said, it has to pluck consumers’ heartstrings.
That’s the advice Kevin Roberts gave the retail giant at a meeting attended Thursday by more than 400 retailers, suppliers and students.
Roberts, worldwide chief executive officer of Saatchi & Saatchi, an international advertising agency, joined a slate of more than a dozen retail experts at the fourth annual Emerging Trends in Retailing Conference, held at in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas. The Center for Retailing Excellence at the University’s Sam M. Walton College of Business hosted the event.
Roberts said retailers cannot succeed simply by providing a range of products at a competitive price. He said price competition among mass retailers has become too fierce, and successful companies will have to maintain a positive emotional connection with customers. "Wal-Mart has become irreplaceable," he said. "It needs to be irresistible." ...
Brands, Roberts said, had" lost their juice, "because most merchandise has been made into commodities because of their low prices and wide availability. To succeed, he said, retailers and product manufacturers will have to focus on stimulating shoppers ’ emotions. Rather than price, he said, shoppers will be lured to buy products if they convey a sense of mystery, sensuality and intimacy.
"The next creative revolution is going to happen in the store, "he said." When you go into a Wal-Mart, there’s very little mystery left."

And he's right on. There are so many brands pushing price that they all start to blend together. Offering low prices now is not the differentiaing factor it once was. The marketplace is overcrowded now with low-priced stores. How do you stand out among the competition when you've become a parity brand?

Connecting to the consumer is vital to stand out in a highly competitve area like this one. How do you get into the hearts of consumers? Firstly by showing you care about them. What they want, what they need, and prove that you can/do/will provide what they are looking for. From customer service to products on the shelves, it's a complete package that demonstrates that the consumer is valued. And it requires follow through on every level, from the advertising to how your companies employees interact with shoppers. It's a complete package that the consumer sees. It may seem like an obvious thing, but there are a ton of retailers who do not understand this. I have experienced this on numerous occasions, and I'm sure plenty of others have as well. When you have a bad experience, there's no desire to continue giving money to a company that just doesn't get. Places that understand how to treat their customers and how to give them a good experience every time will reap the benefits.

Advertising can only do so much. If an ad convinces someone to step into your store or buy your product, if their experience in the store is not satisfactory or the product doesn't perform, all the advertising in the world cannot save it.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Selling the work and Superbrands ]

+ Tom Monahan on selling your creative.

You see, brilliant work is harder to sell than crappy work. Much harder.
So often I hear people say, “great work sells itself.” No. Sorry. Great work is different. Great work stands for something. It says something. It stands out. It sticks its neck out. And for many clients, all of those things are scary. For most all clients and agency brass, the last one, the sticking out of the neck bit, is really scary. So if you’re going to do great work, you’ve got to be able to figure out how to sell great work.

He brings up some good ideas. And I'm sure there are plenty of creatives who don't think so much about the selling of an idea as much as the creation of it. And that's understandable. But when you don't have a good AE out there on the line for you, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

+ Hidden Persuader mentions that Superbrands has released it's top list Cool Brand leaders, and Selfridges got named the UK's sweetest brand. Stephen Cheliotis, who chairs the Cool Brand Leaders Council, "said the panel was looking for brands that fulfilled five main rules of cool. The brand must: Offer something authentic. Stand for something and have a purpose. Be innovative in its field. Make a stylish product. Be original and unique."


Wednesday, October 06, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: bits and bobs. ]

+ An open letter to the advertising industry. Love the first line: "OK, guys? Seriously? We're not idiots, even if your market research seems to think so." Yes. Yes. Yes. Right on. There are some good points made and some so-so ones. I think though, that this letter should be an open letter to advertisers, more so than the ad industry.

+ As economy improves, job dissatisfaction is on the rise - "Many workers who may have been glad just to have job security during the recession are now grappling with dissatisfaction and weighing career options, according to several surveys." Not a surprise. Many have taken jobs just to get some kind of income coming in. I myself have done that. Thankfully they were only temporary or freelance jobs that I could get out of when better opportunities came up.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: All's well ]

+ Subway's "Choose Well" campaign called misleading and deceitful by the National Legal and Policy Center. I'm not surprised.

+ Oh please. This is funny and absurd.

Clear Channel Communications Inc. set out earlier this year to persuade advertisers to cut their standard 60-second spots in half. But with the plan already meeting some resistance, Clear Channel now is launching a new program to help radio advertisers spice up their abbreviated messages. The minute-long format lets radio advertisers drone on about their car dealerships, their mattresses and their electronics stores. Clear Channel thinks these verbose, sometimes amateurish messages prompt some listeners to change stations.

Um, yeah. Good luck to Clear Channel. If they can convince advertisers not to repeat their name 16 times, actually use an interesting concept for the ad, and find the money for producing a proper radio ad...then they might succeed.
A lot of those boring ads are boring because of the choices the advertiser makes, not the ad agency. So I don't see how creating an in-house group to create these now shorter ads will make any difference. Besides, :30 radio spots have been around forever. Most advertisers prefer to get the :60 spot so that they can fit in more stuff. And, perhaps Clear Channel needs to re-evaluate it's decisions on programming before they start blasting advertiser's ads- because I'm sure there are plenty of people (and I know quite a few) who have made a conscious decision to avoid Clear Channel stations due to their politics.

+ Anheuser-Busch is launching a caffeine-infused version of Budweiser, called Be, which also contains guarana and ginseng with a sweet/tart fruity aroma.

Anheuser-Busch's decision to roll out Be reflects the fact that consumers face a growing spectrum of drinking choices, said Bob Lachky, vice president, brand management, and director, global brand creative, at the domestic brewing unit.

Years ago, people defined their drinking through a particular brand, such as Budweiser, or a type of drink, such as wine, he said.

Now, they decide to drink a Budweiser or some wine depending on their mood, the drinking occasion - such as a date - or the time of day, Lachky said. "It's more about individuality and wanting something different and not conforming."

The new drink will help rejuvenate the Budweiser brand, McGauley said.

"It just adds a tremendous amount of contemporary adult attitude to the Budweiser name as well," he said. "It's bringing some very key consumer elements that young adult consumers are looking for under the Budweiser badge and name."

That's pretty cool. It's different for sure. If it tastes good it might stand a chance. Although I'm not sure about the increased numbers of caffinated drunks wandering the streets. ;)

+ Conflicting marketing research- 50 percent think that marketing research can't be trusted

The affair raises one of the thorniest questions in advertising today: can market research be trusted or is advertising a business in which judgment should hold as much sway?

Many creatives still share the touchingly naive belief that advertising should be an intuitive business in which people back their judgments rather than use research as a safety net.

But the days are long gone when a creative director, presenting a campaign to a worried client and asked for some tangible research why he thought it was so good could splutter ". . . it just is."

Today, as the advertising holding companies invest billions in buying research companies, and clients' chequebooks back that strategy, passion alone is not enough.

But at the same time, I'd like to point out that you can make research say anything you want it to. And this just proves that point.
All data is scewed in some way. Even Neilsen ratings, presidental polls, and the like all are subject to being faulty- and more than the +5/-5 percent thing that they state. Remember to ask how many people were polled? The fewer polled the highere the chance of inaccurate numbers. Were they really representitive of the whole? Because if not, again, you get inaccurate numbers.

+ British businessman Richard Branson, president of the Virgin Group, said today he hopes to begin carrying space tourists on sub-orbital flights in just three years. His new company, Virgin Galatic, has already sold tickets- apparently even one to Trevor Beattie of TBWA/London. Also ad-related, 7up already has announced a promotional contest for next year to give away at least one free ticket- currently of a value of $190,000.

[ :: adgruntie :: Ad links 'a plenty ]

+ Adland pal Bill has put together a fantastic review of advertising blogs - noting their date of birth as well as pointing out which ones talk about ads, and which ones just cram the ads into their web page. Plenty to keep you busy for a good long while. And Cup of Java received a gold star! Yay!

Here's a list of the top gold star links:

Coudal
Influx Insights
BlogFonk
Cup of Java- heh you're here already!
Creative Generalist
Texturl
Consumerwhore
Snarkhunting
The Media Drop
Speak Up

But go and check out the article. There are other really good blogs listed as well.
Monday, October 04, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Wnek & Irn-Bru ]

+ This week Mark Wnek talks about creativity in the UK.

London Adland can be a cold, parochial and relentlessly competitive place.

For those who stick with it and manage to thaw London Adland's stiff upper lips - like the brilliant former creative director of S&S in London, Aussie Dave Droga; now worldwide creative head for Saatchi parent Publicis - the world of creative management is their oyster.

They certainly won't have any competition on the global stage from English creatives, most of whom are too busy whingeing about the big logo to bother about the big picture.

+ Irn-Bru launched a new advertising campaign today- one of its biggests ever. "The Scotsman reports that "one features a policeman at a football match being led away by a group of streakers. The other shows a tramp and his dog being Hoovered up by a road sweeper. Both scenes are missed by an onlooker drinking a can of Irn-Bru." In addition, kilted skydivers decended on Glasgow and Edinburgh to land in Glasgow Green and Holyrood Park as a part of the PR stunts taking place. The Leith Agency has put this campaign together.

Sunday, October 03, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Infomercial and results ]

+ The infomercial infomercial turns 20 this year. The Seattle Times gives us a little history to the cheesy, shilly ads. "Veg-O-Matic daddy Ron Popeil, often thought of as the father of the infomercial, first bought 60-second television commercials in the 1950s. But until 1984, the Federal Communications Commission did not allow more than 16 minutes of advertising per hour, with two-minute spots the maximum length."

+ Agency only gets paid when it gets results.

The Intelligence Agency's fees are dependent on the success of the advertising and marketing campaigns it designs for clients. "This is a business that's far too fuzzy," says Luke Haase, a former Detroit-area public relations executive who moved north and started the firm in 1999. "We don't get paid for doing stuff. We get paid for results."

Haase's firm appears to thrive during a gut-wrenching time for advertising agencies. Clients are becoming increasingly fed up with costly advertising campaigns that fail to boost revenues. They want to see tangible results. This drive for accountability is giving many big ad agencies major heartburn. Agencies have had to cut their prized 15 percent commissions and lay off thousands of workers.

While ad agencies may not have fully adopted pay-for-performance plans, they're sharing more financial risks with their clients, Vanden Bergh says.

It's definitely a different idea, although I'm not sure that it's one that will catch on. But who knows.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Busy over at Adland ]

+ Lots of new articles over at Adland:
+ Juan Valdez - coming to a coffee shop near you. As mentioned here in a prior post. Read the story at Adland for the whole scoop and ads.

+ Welcome to the neighborhood- Reebok's new campaign. Not bad. From the same agency that brought us "Terry Tate- Office Linebacker".

+ Can these ads really tempt Americans to SMS? What a bunch of crap ads. It's like some art director's wet dream photoshoot or something. Targeting teen boys is fine. But what do the ads have to do with SMS? Where's the tie in to the product? And as Dab points out- why not use real texting language? Thumbs down for this campaign.

+ Norweigan recycle company advertises in Urdu! Cool. Ads tie in nicely to the media and surrounding event.

+Hollywood Pitches In To Help Put Coca-Cola On The Come Back Trail. These folks first off are completely wrong in stating that an ad agency would never think of this idea. Secondly, the Americans they portray in the ads are a slim minority of the total population. They miss the point of Americana- if you want to tap into that, there's a better way this execution. Plus, the concept feels trite. Sure, it's not trying too hard to be cool- but it's trying too hard to be "american". Besides, as someone else had mentioned, what makes Coke more American than Pepsi? I'm not sure that's a strategic point to grasp on to. Beyond the typos this ad lacks a reason to drink Coke Classic. With all the low-carb, sugar free, carb free crazes going on, why would anyone drink regular Coke? Another thumbs down.

+Taste and Flavor vs. Freshness- Miller and Bud's latest campaigns. Loads of ads to view in this article. Miller's still attacking Bud, while Bud's moved on to embrace the freshness of their brew.
Friday, October 01, 2004
[ :: adgruntie :: Advertising and coffee- what a combo! ]

+ Just a reminder. AdTractions contest over at Adland ends October 3rd with judging on October 4th (monday).

+Colombia's Juan Valdez Taking on Starbucks in NY -"Colombian coffee icon Juan Valdez will lead his country's growers' federation into Manhattan on Tuesday to open its first New York coffee shop, and market watchers are wondering whether the challenge to Starbucks Corp. will amount to a hill of beans.

The National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers plans to open its first Juan Valdez coffee shop at Lexington Avenue and 57th St. on Tuesday in a modest challenge to Starbuck's dominance of the gourmet coffee shop market."

Juan Valdez is also currently running lifestyle focused print ads in magazines this month and next month.