Mar
10
Animals in Advertising
With the advent of DVR I rarely watch television spots. Every now and then a spot catches my eye and I take the time to watch it. And of course I watch Super Bowl adds to see who invested that magnitude of media dollars and on what creative. Recent animals spots got me thinking about how companies tie their brands into this type of advertising creative.
Companies have often used animals in their ads to break through the clutter. Some go the anthropomorphic approach having animals talk or in human situations. While many are done well, some really miss the mark. Budweiser is not only the king of beers but the king of animals spots as well from the Clydesdales to Spuds MacKenzie to the Lizards, their agency always seems to hit the mark.
Current successes are the crows in the Windex TV spots for S.C. Johnson as well as the Kia Soul spot with dancing and driving hamsters. (I find myself singing along with the jingle for this ad)
I recently saw a Radio Shack spot with talking squirrels with English accents. The squirrels looked like a taxidermist tried his work on road kill. It was quite disturbing. The image was so off-putting I don’t even remember the product they were promoting. Quizno’s had a spot about 5 years ago with rat-like creatures singing about their Pepper Bar. Why would a restaurant want to associate its’ product with rodent-like creatures? Not very appetizing.
If your company is investing the time and budget to create televisions spots and purchase media, it is so important to test “cutting edge” concepts to ensure you’re not damaging your brand. I cannot imagine that any focus group of consumers found the Radio Shack spots appealing.
You want your televisions spots remembered for the right reasons. Don’t leave consumers wondering what your marketing department was thinking.
Mar
09
Celebrity Endorsement Repost
Posted on LinkedIn Licensing, Merchandising and Brand Management Forum
This post ended up being spot on in terms of the issues celebrity endorsement can cause. Ten months later, the Tiger Woods scandal exploded in the media.
On 01/22/09 7:39 AM, Patti Saitow wrote:
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Nike’s model is an outstanding example of the potential that exists when you pair the right person with a product line. Nike doesn’t just do endorsements. Athletes like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan actively participate in the brands which carry their name and have generated billions in revenue for the company. These are licensing deals and as GiGi stated above, athletes receive a royalty from sales of products bearing their name. It is a win-win situation for both company and athlete.
Endorsements are globally acknowledged as adding the “cache” of the high profile endorser to the brand. Endorsements are often less involved than licensing deals and don’t carry royalty revenue for the endorser and often times are for limited advertising campaigns.
In either case, there can be a downside to celebrity endorsement/licensing. If the person with which your brand is affiliated commits a crime or is involved in something controversial, it could have a negative impact on your brand by association.
Depending upon your objectives for your brand, either avenue can generate excitement and interest in a brand of which consumers may not be universally aware. Just make sure the personality of that celebrity has the characteristics of how you want your brand perceived.