It’s been a while since my last post, but I decided to go back to my roots and examine some commercials! Fortunately, I’ve been able to move away from cable TV and towards streaming for all my entertainment needs, but unfortunately, that means I’m not seeing/critiquing commercials nearly as much as I used to. So without further ado, in an effort to stay sharp, I present my analysis of Crayola Silly Scents:
Right away we notice a classroom with kids inside, coloring with Crayola’s new Silly Scents markers. I would peg the main Ad execution technique as “slice of life” with a hint of nostalgia. What I mean by that is, we’ve all been there. Coloring with friends in class is a fairly common occurrence at elementary schools as far as I’m concerned. Given, it has been over a decade since I’ve been in an elementary school, but I digress. It seems completely within the realm of possibility, so let’s just go with that for now.
Next, we see a child sniff a marker and pull a watermelon out of his nose. Now, before I continue, I must bring up two things. First, this is something that I miss about seeing commercials regularly. Commercials can and often times are completely ridiculous. They only have so much time to relay the information about their product to us, the consumer, and I find it interesting to see how different brands go about doing that. Crayola is selling Crayons to parents that want their kids to have as much fun as the kids in this commercial. Once again, I can completely believe this scenario, that is until we see the CGI watermelon make an appearance. I will file this technique under “fantasy” because I can’t remember the last time I pulled 1/4th of a watermelon out of my nose. The second thing I’d like to bring up is the fact that this is probably going to upset some people. I mean, you can’t really put anything on the internet nowadays without people getting offended, but the image of kids sniffing markers? I don’t think that’s what the people over at D.A.R.E. had in mind. Regardless, I laughed out loud, so I’ll add “humor” to the list of techniques used.
Next, we see a classmate’s reaction to the watermelon sniffer and she also decides to take a whiff of her marker! Lucky for her, she got the cotton candy scent. That must be 100 times more pleasant to pull out of your nose than a watermelon. Either way, we get another reaction shot from the classmates, as well as another kid reaching to sniff his marker. I’d like to add the “demonstration” technique here as well. We get not one, not two, but three kids showing us at home how to effectively use this product! Sure you can color with it, but why use it for it’s intended purpose when we could smell it instead? If you’re a kid watching at home, you’ve got to be wanting to sniff some markers by now! And for those several reasons, I’m also adding “unique selling proposition” to the list of techniques. Crayola is leaving other marker/colored pencil companies in the dust! Those other companies may have cheaper markers that color just as well, but do their markers smell like watermelons, cotton candy, popcorn and who knows what else? I doubt it. Are the kids with those markers sniffing them anyways? I honestly don’t know, but I’m guessing probably.
Anyways, this was quite a ridiculous commercial, but I didn’t hate it. I assume Crayola has done their due diligence to ensure the marker fumes are nontoxic. Here’s the list of Ad techniques I spotted in this commercial:
Over time, people change, tastes change and products change. And with that, Advertising and Marketing is always changing. Always adapting to stay alive, stay current and at the top of your news feed. And although there is no shortage of new, fresh marketing ideas; this list is dedicated to the brands that nailed their marketing campaigns early on and have been coasting ever since. Here are the 10 Advertisements That Keep on Giving:
1. GEICO
15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 15 years, it would be hard to avoid Geico commercials. Insurance and car commercials in general for that matter, and I’m sure you’ll begin to see a trend as we get deeper into this list. Geico has milked the sh!t out of that tag line, but that’s not the only thing happening in these cheesy commercials. If you pay attention, Geico actually alternates commercials between the gecko, the narrator asking rhetorical questions and normal people answering hard hitting questions with their tag line, because “saving money on car insurance is always a good answer”. Is it true though?! Does anyone even know? Are we all just too lazy to call Geico one day and see if they really can save us 15%? I know I am. I’m also obligated to mention the Caveman that we don’t see as often, if at all, anymore. So easy a caveman can do it. You may like Geico, you may not, but their Marketing Department has been able to create catchy tag lines and “advertising icons” as the gecko would say. Just to drive this point home, the Geico Gecko made his first commercial debut in 2000. And unless that gecko gets into trouble with the law, I’m sure we’re going to be seeing him for a long time to come.
2. Sonic
The great thing about Sonic (besides the food) is the fact that they created a marketing campaign around these two, mainly goofy guys #relatable. And it works so well for them! Now, I haven’t been to Sonic in years maybe, but that’s not to say I won’t ever eat there again, because I most definitely will. The food is just average American fast food, which is fine, but I’ll admit that the main thing bringing me back to Sonic are these two guys and their weird conversations. It’s not like I ever crave a Sonic burger or tots immediately after I see a commercial, but I’ve seen so many of their commercials at this point, that when I think of “Sonic” I only have positive thoughts (that goes for the hedgehog as well). Sonic’s Two Guys Marketing Campaign has been the fast food chain’s main advertising strategy for over 10 years! Those two guys should probably start eating healthier if they want to make it another 10 years #amiright. Anyways, well done Sonic! Your commercials make me laugh and that’s never a bad thing. Keep it up!
3. Dos Equis
The most interesting man in the world. Need I say more? If I’m like half as cool as this guy when I grow up, I’ll die happy. Dos Equis managed to find the suavest old man I’ve ever seen, sit him at a table with attractive young women and just take us through his escapades. It sounds simple enough, but that’s the genius behind the marketing. This guy has done everything under the sun. He can’t be tamed, he won’t settle for anything less than the best. And Dos Equis is his constant. Apparently he doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does, he drinks Dos Equis. So I’m sold #lol. Don’t even get me started on the younger guy in their newer commercials. It seems like fans are divided when it comes to the new face of Dos Equis, and I think most people lean toward the side of not liking it. Honestly, I could not care less. It’s everything Dos Equis commercials have been for the last 10 years. With that being said, I like to see this kind of reboot, or tweak if you will, to a marketing strategy. There was nothing wrong with the commercials how they were, but by having a younger spokesperson, now the brand can relate and cater more to their younger drinkers. Underage drinking is a crime by the way. But us young adults are out here, and it’s cool to think that one of us could be the most interesting man (or woman) in the world. I also like to think of this new guy as the younger version of the original “most interesting man” so this works on a couple of different levels for me.
4. Chevrolet
Okay. Up until now, I’ve had mostly positive experiences with these recurring ads, but this is where I draw the line. The new Chevy spokesperson acting as a moderator for “Real people. Not actors” (which is a complete lie by the way) has got to be one of the most annoying advertisements on TV today. It’s actually a little insulting that Chevy thinks we’re buying this crap. Chevy, your trucks and cars may be great, but your current ad campaign sucks! Normally, bad commercials don’t phase me too much, but the fact that they’re trying to make this a thing, irks me to no end. Chevy has only been running these commercials for about a year, but it feels like decades because they’ve been shoving them down our throats so hard and I’m sick of it. This makes the list only because I see what they’re trying to do, but I am begging them to choose a different path. This is not the answer, it never was and it never will be.
5. Progressive
Yay, more insurance commercials! And it won’t be the last one on this list either, I promise. So, Flo has been in our lives for about 4 years, and that’s really as good as any company or brand can ask from their marketing team. The great thing about these commercials is that they’re funny! They’re lighthearted, they’re upbeat, what’s not to like? I mean sure, all commercials suck when you’re trying to watch your show or the game, but all things considered, Progressive is not that bad. And although Flo has been with Progressive for the past several years, I don’t feel beat over the head with all the different Ads that they do. Given, I don’t watch TV all that much anymore, but from someone who occasionally does, I think Progressive has the right idea when it comes to spreading out their ads and showing them at a reasonable frequency.
6. Farmers Insurance
I suppose I might as well stick to insurance companies for now. Are you noticing a trend yet? You will, no worries. First of all, I couldn’t tell you the difference between Farmers and State Farm. I honestly thought they were the same thing until I started writing this. Farmers (and State Farm for that matter) should do more to differentiate themselves from other companies with like-sounding names, but that’s beside the point. The one thing I do know is that “We are Farmers! Bum ba dum bum bum bum bum!” jingle that’s just so damn catchy. And they have J.K. Simmons as their spokesperson? How in God’s name did they manage to swing that? In any case, this has been Farmers go to marketing campaign for 7 years! Isn’t that crazy? Time flies when you’re having fun watching commercials, I guess. Well done, Farmers.
7. Skittles
Okay, this one might be a stretch, but bear with me. I L-O-V-E love Skittles! Not to eat, but I enjoy how care free and fun their commercials seem to be. As if nothing else in the world matters as much as their candy does. That’s the world I want to live in! So these commercials get me every time, and I never mind pausing to watch them. Taste The Rainbow? I mean, with a tag line like that, Skittles sell themselves. And in this case, the tag line is the main force propelling their marketing campaign forward. “Taste the Rainbow” has been their tag line for 35 years! Any brand that has stuck to their guns for that long and are still in business deserve a spot on this list. Taste the Rainbow!
8. Jack in the Box
More fast food! Jack Box has been the notorious logo for Jack in the Box for 23 years! Ronald McDonald has been around longer than that, but when’s the last time you saw that clown anywhere? Hopefully the answer is “not recently” because that clown what pretty terrifying and McDonald’s was smart to branch out into different looks. Anyways, Jack in the Box has been more than consistent with putting Jack Box in all of their commercials, and for that reason it belongs on this list. Jack in the Box has done well to immortalize Jack Box and make him an advertising icon. So I’m fairly certain he’ll be around for a very very very long time.
9. Verizon & Sprint
In general, phone commercials are somewhat dull and boring. They try to throw in a joke here or there, but their goal is to inform us about prices or new deals and it all usually falls flat for me. None of the cell phone giants have been able to pull away in a clear lead as far as their advertising is concerned. Now, Verizon had the “Can You Hear Me Now” guy, Paule Marcarelli, for 9 years! And for 9 years we had to listen to him ask if we could hear him. Maybe not the best commercial in the world, but the phrase”Can You Hear Me Now?” and Verizon became synonymous at one point. But this bullet is not just for Verizon, no, it is also for Sprint. Sprint, probably the least memorable cell phone giant, is actually hitting back hard. Using Verizon’s most popular spokesperson against them is quite brilliant. Sprint definitely loses points for originality, but now that they have Paul, I think they will keep him for as long as possible. And because both of these companies have used the same spokesperson at one point or another for the last 15 years, I think it was worth a mention on this list.
10. M&M’s
Last, but not least: M&M’s. M&M’s have basically been around forever. Not literally, but they’ve been around since I’ve been alive, so that puts things into perspective doesn’t it? The video linked shows a compilation of several M&M commercials, but you’ll notice right away that there is ALWAYS at least one of their spokescandies representing. Now, M&M’s have been using the same marketing campaign for 75 years, and for the last 22 years this has been their look. There’s no reason for them to stop using these spokescandies because they are the M&M’s brand. And if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. In other words, M&M’s hit the marketing jackpot! Advertising just comes naturally to them. It must be nice to sell candy to the fattest country in the world!
11. Honorable Mentions
This is acknowledging that there are many other companies out there that have found success with their recurring advertisements. These all had potential to be in the top 10, but there were a lot of heavy hitters in this category. Many of these strategies are not utilized much, if at all compared to those on the list. Let me know if you think I missed another big recurring marketing strategy.
Ronald McDonald McDonald’s
Dehungerize Snickers
Chester Cheetah Cheetos
Bunny Energizer
Terry Cruz Old Spice
Clydesdales Budweiser
Mr. Clean
Chihuahua Taco Bell
Like a Good Neighbor State Farm
Gives You Wings Red Bull
It was pretty difficult for me to end this list. There are so many commercials to choose from, but how do you make a decision? I was just honest with myself and what I personally see, around and on TV. The key here is that brands benefit from recurring commercials when they’re selling a consistent quality product over time. How many different ways can you tell people you sell insurance, or food, or beer, or cars?! There’s only so much you can do with any product, but these thought out and well devised marketing campaigns are not only able to sell their product, but capitalize on our emotions as well. I’ve just showed you 10 Marketing Campaigns that have been putting out the same ads for years and they’re all doing just fine! We’ll see about how these new Chevrolet ads fair in time, but for the most part, these brands have all nailed their marketing strategies and deserves some credit. Well done.
It’s been awhile since my last post, but I figured I’d indulge my old hobby of analyzing advertisements and movie trailers. Today we’ll be discussing the highly anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer and see what all the buzz is about!
Needless to say, The Avengers franchise has undoubtedly changed the superhero movie genre for the better. While many will argue that DC comics has a greater presence on TV (Arrow, The Flash, Gotham), Marvel has thrived on the big screen! However, I’m not here to argue which Universe is better because they both have their own unique characters and storylines (a point I’ll come back to later). I’m a huge fan of both comics, but today I’ll be talking about The Avengers: Age of Ultron!
Now, if that didn’t give you goosebumps I don’t know what will! Okay okay, I’ll admit I’ve seen this trailer an unhealthy amount of times, but can you blame me? Like I mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of superhero movies and when you get all these characters together something amazing is bound to happen! Although I am very excited for the film, I will try to give an unbiased assessment of the advertising techniques used in the trailer.
The Ad execution techniques are as follows: humor, fear, physical attractiveness, fantasy, drama, narration and unique selling proposition acting as the main execution technique. All of these elements work together to make the final product exactly what it is. While some of these techniques may seem unnecessary, I will explain where they all fit into the trailer and why I believe they are being used.
Humor is not exactly a prominent theme in this movie, but it is definitely present. Joss Whedon is no stranger to lightening up his movies with a little bit of comedy. I think he does this so the audience knows he’s not taking his job too seriously, and although every scene isn’t 100% serious, I think the audience appreciates the giggles in between the action. The fear technique is also apparent throughout the trailer. Ultron is threatening humanity which provides the plot for the movie and also the conflict that The Avengers must unite to overcome. Fear is usually used in advertisements to scare people into buying their product, but in this case, fear is motivating the audience to buy a ticket to the Avengers so they can root for their favorite superheroes! I don’t think I need to go into much detail about physical attractiveness. These are all A list actors portraying these characters, looks definitely played a part in their casting. Because the audience deserves a good looking group of hero’s that they can fantasize about well after they’ve saved the day. Which brings me to the next technique: fantasy. Fantasy in this case means exactly what you’d think. All of these villains and superheroes are of course not real, but with the advanced technology and vivid imagination of the movie makers today, these characters are brought to life and it’s not so hard to believe that this could actually happen! Drama also plays a huge part in believing this “superhero world” is real. Because nothing is just black and white these days. It’s not just The Avengers vs. Ultron, it’s The Avengers vs. themselves and their own personal struggles. So dramatic! Narration is also occurring throughout most of the trailer. Specifically when Samuel L. Jackson (as Nick Fury) is giving his rallying speech that The Avengers so desperately need and always seem to get at the perfect time.
Now all of these elements are great selling points for this movie by themselves, but when it’s all put together we call it a unique selling proposition. The reason it’s unique is because there’s not going to be an off brand Avengers crew in theaters this summer along with the real Avengers we know and love. That may be an extreme example, but what I mean is simple: If you want to see The Avengers: Age of Ultron, you’re not going to settle for some chick flick or even another action movie for that matter. Because after seeing this trailer you know what to expect (more or less) and there is not a single movie that will be anything like this. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll see Batman vs. Superman as well. Not because it has superheroes so it’s a sufficient substitute for the Avengers, but because it has it’s own unique selling prop that I’m anxious to see! Thank you for listening to me ramble on! I hope you learned something and I’ll see you May 1st!
Hey, I know it’s been a long while since I’ve posted anything, but I’m back! It’s been the busiest year for me, trying to graduate on time, but I prevailed and have much more time to spend finding cool videos for you all to enjoy. I really want to get back to my roots and post about things that I’m interested in: marketing and advertisements. So here I go..
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the Red Bull commercial that came out this year? I don’t even particularly like Red Bull, but at least when I see this commercial I don’t cringe… It’s entertaining, it’s exciting and it perfectly sums up what Red Bull is all about. The awesome thing is that, although this is a really cool advertisement with lots of brand recognition, there are only a few Ad Execution Techniques going on and I’ll tell you the prominent ones.
The Ad Execution Techniques are as follows: MUSIC, Physical Attractiveness and Slice of Life. If you watch the ad multiple times, you’ll be able to see all of these techniques in play. Music is the obvious one. As soon as the commercial starts, “Come Get It Bae” by Pharrell Williams begins playing and it instantly picks you up and gets your attention focused on the advertisement. Physical attractiveness is another technique being utilized. It’s subtle, but it definitely helps the scene with the woman surfer. Finally, slice of life. This is what Red Bull is selling. Of course they’re selling an energy drink, but they’re also selling a lifestyle. And this commercial does a great job of pinpointing they’re target market. Red Bull sponsors the risk takers, the thrill seekers and the go-getters. Overall, Red Bull does a great job of reaching they’re target, but also getting average Joe’s like me to take a second look at their product. Well done Red Bull.
Old Spice always delivers some of the funniest commercials. Humor is a major Ad Execution Technique of theirs, but so is Physical Attractiveness, Drama and Emotional Appeal. You’d be surprised how many factors go into producing just one ad.
Hands Down, one of the coolest commercials ever. I don’t even want to know how long this took to make, but it sure is fun to watch! This was done using only parts from the Honda Accord. Pretty impressive, right?
