Getting the Message Across to the Right Targeted Market

In my Advertising class, several of us and the professor shared ads that were comical, smart, simple, and emotional. One ad that caught my interest was a print ad my professor showed us that encourage individuals to spread awareness of child abuse. 

The Anar Foundation created an ad that was specifically targeting children who are ten years old and below. The video showcases what the print ad looks like and how it works. At first we see a poster of a boy who has no emotion on their face and it says on the print ad, “sometimes, child abuse is only visible to the child suffering.” Of course when you see this poster as an adult, you may not think it’s special nor emotional. However, the video further explains that if you are a child under ten, you are able to see from their view of the same child on the poster with cuts and bruises on their face, and it states “if somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you” and it list the child abuse service phone number. Anar Foundation set up their print ad for children to see a different image because if they were with their abuser, they would not be able to see it. 

The Anar Foundation did a fantastic job with their marketing campaign. When you look at the poster from a adult’s persepctive, it does look plain and the child’s face is unemotional. Yet, when you see it from a child’s point of view it explains more about the child abuse and reaches out to them. This campaign was literally like exchanging secrets between the Anar Foundation to those who get abused. There are many child abuse campaigns that seek out others to get help or be aware of child abuse. However, with the Anar Foundation ad it’s only targeting children and they can only see it. This is brilliant because it’s children who need the help the most and by setting up this message secretly, they now know where to go. It is not creating awareness to the public in general but specifically children who are being abused. The Youtube video of this ad has over 7 million views. 

Although this is an effective ad, a classmate in my advertising class raised a question regarding this ad. By exposing this ad through video, wouldn’t people now know what the poster does? When I heard this I agreed with what my classmate stated. It’s true that people will now know what the poster does and it would not be as effective to children. However, another classmate stated that the posters could be different, and you would not know who marketed this campaign. 

Overall, the Anar Foundation had created an ad campaign that was simple, intelligent, clear, and unique. I have never seen an ad that specifically targets a market in a secret way. This ad was not creating awareness to the public but to those who get hurt the most: children. 

15 minutes could save you 15....enough already!!

Insurance commercials are crazy!! Is anyone getting annoyed by the Geico commercials? They may be clever and funny, but really, please stop with the play on words already!

Take this Geico commercial for example. "Happier than Dracula at a blood bank!" Where to begin... I am a fan of cynicism and a play on words but I think I've been desensitized with all these commercials from Geico. Especially the guy made out of money!! How does it start? Wait... "Chances are, you aren't made of money!" Of course the irony is self evident.

I don't know why but all insurance companies are moving towards this model. Geico with its crazy commercials. My least favorite was Gallagher at a farmers market! I'm not particularly fond of Gallagher. Although the worst of them are the General Insurance commercials with its horrid little tune and catch phrase! Ugh!

Take Allstate, Geico, 21st Century and State Farm. Everyone of them is trying to out do each other with their own cooky commercials. I think my favorite is Allstate featuring Mayhem as portrayed by Dean Winters, I think that dude is pretty funny (check out the commercial). The above commercial, not so much. I was a customer of Geico for seven years before I switched from Geico to USAA. Not really because of the commercials but because of the savings offered by USAA.

I was surprised because I thought Geico was the cheapest but it really isn't... I'm not sure if I believe these commercials anymore. Maybe because people are becoming annoyed with these commercials. It's not fair but guess what Geico, life is not fair!! How you like them apples? Enough of my own play on words.

The point is that I think insurance companies have realized that people are happy to switch only if they actually save money. Consumers have realized that they actually need to save money and aren't fooled by gimmicks and clever commercials. They need actual savings..So... the lesson for all insurance companies is stay clever but also stop spending so much money on marketing and actually save people money. Thank you!!

posted by Farrukh Memon

Using Google Glass in your daily life!

Google has been recently working on a product called “Project Glass.” According to CNN TECH, the product is “a Web-connected wearable headset that can shoot photos or video[s].” In addition, when you watch the video, the Google Glass can update your status on Google+, look up the weather, schedule or record a meeting on your calendar, have a conversation through video, look up images through Google, and send a message. The product literally functions like a smartphone. Adpressive stated that the “promo commercial for Google Glass sums it up quite well.”

Instead of showing what the product is, Google shows how the product works through our eyes. This commercial displays what you would see when using the Google Glass. Their first commercial was using various people doing many activities. It displays that by using Google Glass you can record a video or take pictures regardless of what activity you are doing. The commercial shows an individual that sky jumps while wearing the Google Glass to an individual getting directions. The video overall shows how you can use Google’s product anywhere. This Youtube video of Google Glass has over 20 million views.

The second video is more focused on an individual who is doing their daily activities. Throughout the commercial Google shows the various ways you can use Google Glass. It shows how the product can be used for directions, contacting people without touching the headset, and looking up any information on the internet. Already, the Google Glass Youtube video has gotten over 21 million views. So far they have been releasing many videos regarding their product. 

Their overall marketing for this product was smart, clear, and simple. Instead of showing the product, Google structure the commercial to make the viewers see what it will be like wearing the Google Glass. Instead of showing an individual doing one activity, the commercial displays people who are doing hardcore sports to people looking up the weather. This means that the Glass will not fall off due to the activity you are doing. They are not targeting one audience but several. In addition, letting the public know that this product can be used in your daily life, just like how our smartphones are literally part of our life. 

Both videos are extremely simple but they create so much awareness to the public because it’s a product that is new and works very well in our life. Instead of physically taking out your phone to send messages, record videos, take pictures, or search the internet, Google Glass can be done by commanding the product to do something or touching the side of the headset. The Glass is easily accessible and is very convenient for you to use. 

Google did a great job creating awareness for its new product, which many businesses know that it is extremely hard thing to do.  

The Miracle Stain

Wouldn’t you love to have a stain of Joe Montana right in the center of your 49er Jersey? Not many people would be able to say they have that, and it’s a 49er fans dream.  In this humorous commercial, a man is shown eating some chips and salsa and his salsa spills on his 49er Jersey and magically creates a figure of one of the best quarterbacks of all time; Joe Montana.  Although this is a 49er fans dream, it didn’t last for long, watch this clip to see the traumatizing event that took place to this man’s Montana stain.






Take a look at the commercial below:

Darn Tide, it totally cleaned the stain of the jersey and made it look shiny white and brand new.  Throughout this commercial this guy who had the magical Montana stain was living the dream, going to games and events, creating his own Montanaland, and above all being the rightful owner of the one and only jersey with the Montana stain.  Until the end of the commercial when his significant other “accidentally” washed the jersey because it had a stain on it that she totally knew nothing about (sarcasm intended).  She then proceeded to give a "Go Ravens".

The marketing in this commercial about Tide is brilliant in my opinion.  First of all, the 49ers and the Ravens were the two teams that played in the super bowl and the Ravens were the team that ended up winning the game.  It was also a great marketing tactic that they used a jersey with a very famous Joe Montana face made by salsa that is usually very tough to get out of clothes to portray that tide can essentially remove anything.  After watching this commercial you can be sure that Tide will fulfill your needs of removing any stains or unwanted marks from clothes, even the ones that make you famous

Best in Class!!

I recently saw this commercial on the tele and started to smile and dance because Tetris was my favorite video game growing up. I even downloaded the musical score that was redone in a techno dance style mix thing! It was boss!

Car commercials, in general, are fairly mundane. I haven’t noticed many clever car commercials lately and this one stood out. Every time I watch a car commercial, it’s always about the same thing. The style of the car or the EPA MPG rating or how powerful it is. Now there is a trend that the American car manufacturers are following. They highlight features of the vehicle that are mundane yet important; 

and this is the more entertaining of the bunch that I have noticed.

The music is the most noticeable part of the commercial and then you see the old familiar shapes that are falling down a white screen. Very nostalgic and very entertaining because I was kinda dancing a little. It is interesting to notice that the American car companies have moved to a more practical side of the business. Highlighting features of the cars that are not really mentioned by European or Japanese car companies have certainly helped their revenues. Ford has certainly seen increased market share in the US and China and GM has come back from bankruptcy to once again dominate the market.

I have noticed that Lexus focuses on the looks and the performance of the car, as well as Audi. I haven’t noticed Mercedes-Benz or BMW mentioning trunk space or interior whereas Dodge has really employed a great marketing campaign and reintroducing the Dart to the market. It’s a cool looking car and I may consider buying one. It does have some fierce competition from Ford with their Focus and Toyota with their Corolla and Honda with their Civic. Hmm!! That’s a lot of cars!!

I think GM did really well in this commercial. The music was great and I think the idea was really clever with using the shapes to fill the trunk to highlight all the space that GM has created in the car with secret hiding spots and of course massive trunks while still keeping the other functional areas of the car solid and well….functional. They leave out the EPA MPG and price and instead just state that it is "Best in class!" for trunk space. I've always been confused with that quote... Best in class?!? There are classes that only measure trunk space? Welp...That's America for ya! We have "Best in class" for every category known to man/woman! (Don't wanna leave anyone out there!"

The commercial was great and I enjoyed the music very much. The idea was very clever and using all those shapes to fill the car. Genius! Good job Chevy.

Posted by Farrukh Memon

K-Marts New Surprise

Have you ever been at a store that may not have your size in a certain something you want?  It can be very frustrating, especially when that particular store won’t even let you order anything from the store and have it shipped to your house.  Many stores lose business from this lack of help they offer.  One store you can always count on to ship your clothes or products is K-Mart.

Watch this humorous video to see how K-mart promises to always “Ship your pants”:

This commercial had me laughing the whole time; it was a very clever advertising strategy that allowed K-mart the ability to convey their point while being able to be funny and not serious or boring.  The saying “ship my pants” sounds a lot like another saying that could be said and it really brings your attention to the commercial in the very beginning because you aren’t really sure what you are hearing until you actually take time to figure it out.

I like how K-Mart uses a mixed audience within this commercial to bring life to all different age groups.  It ranges from a little kid to an old couple and they are all funny in their own way with their mannerisms they use to portray the fact that they are able to ship their pants!  With every age group they use they assure you that they are able and willing to ship your pants directly from the store, no hassle at all.

In terms of K-Marts marketing strategy, they did a great job if implementing an important idea within their business, the ability to ship items directly from the store; and make it humorous and entertaining for an audience to see and understand.  After watching that commercial I am now assured that if I ever go to K-Mart I am able to ship my pants with no worries at all.

YOU are your own worst critic!

Glamour, a well-known fashion magazine, did an exclusive survey on 300 young females and reported that "97% of women will be cruel to their own bodies." In addition, females would have an average of 13 negative thoughts regarding their own image. Dove released an article regarding their new campaign and stated “that only 2% of women around the world would describe themselves as beautiful.” Therefore, Dove decided to launch its own social mission called “The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.”

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty has been in existence since 2004 and on April 14, 2013, Dove released a Youtube video called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches.” The video has over 22 million views. 

In the video, there is a man named Gil Zamora, who worked for the FBI as a trained Forensic Artist. Dove brought in a few ladies to describe to Zamora what they looked like. Zamora was told that he could not look at anyone who entered the room until he completed his sketches. Each woman described herself in a harsh manner and had something negative to say about her own image. The ladies were told to get to know the other women who participated in this activity. In addition, men were also involved but only for describing the women they had met. Every individual who went in to describe to Zamora what the other women looked like gave a thoughtful and beautiful description of each woman. At the end, Zamora compared the drawings of the women’s description of themselves to the ones the others described. It turns out many women judge and describe themselves too harshly but to the rest of the world they are beautiful. 

This Youtube video was brilliant and well thought out. One of the top comment was the viewer forgetting that Dove was a soap company. The video was not about marketing their product or getting a discount on a service. It was about the world we live in consistently telling females that they do not look beautiful. Dove created such a personal, touching, and inspirational campaign about true beauty, therefore, creating a close relationship with its targeted audience and bringing in many loyal customers to its business. The campaign in general has boasted its reputation of accepting women for who they are and how they look. 

Dove made its viewers forget the company was a business, and instead had them focus on its social mission. This is extremely hard to do. With the Nike commercial, we knew the ad was Nike but with Dove, many people forgot that a business produced this powerful message. Dove made the video relatable by having ordinary women participate who ranged in age from younger to older and who were not models or celebrities. This also targeted different age groups. The vibe of the commercial was calm, warm, and thoughtful. It made the viewers feel comfortable and at ease. 

Dove did an amazing job incorporating its brand into a very powerful message. It made participates and viewers realize that they are their own worst critics. Because of its strong relatable message, the Dove corporation boasted its image as a corporation that is truly there for women around the world.  

Nostalgic Marketing

What’s the deal with all these insurance commercials? Every single one claims to be saving everyone some money? Has the insurance industry seen a decline in their customers recently or has the competition gotten so fierce that they have had to up their game?

Lately, the commercials have gotten more and more clever and funnier. Geico started the trend but State Farm has caught up quick with its catchy slogans. The most notable being “The Discount Double Check.” The following commercial is just one in a plethora of commercials that feature the use of the slogan in a variety of situations.

This particular one resonates with me personally though because I remember my grandfather performing this magic trick on me. I had hair then. Yay memories!

The commercial is pretty straight forward. The best part is the end of the commercial though when the granddaughter double checks her brother’s hair to see if there are any more quarters and of course, not only coins fly out, but also a watch! I almost burst into laughter, even though it’s not that funny. This is because there were several things going through my head right at that moment. I thought about the Simpsons. Marge normally hides things from Homer in her crazy big blue hair and that made me smile. Of course fond memories of my grandfather also helped.

I really thought that State Farm did a really good job as far as connecting with their target market. I don’t think there are many people that haven’t had that trick performed on them in their younger years. Nostalgia is a powerful tool in the marketing toolbox and many companies have used it with great success. Of course digital media isn’t the only medium, take a look at this old print ad. It reminds me of a friend of mine from high school that had a VW Minibus. Good times!

I may not remember other insurance commercials but I will certainly remember this one because of its specific relevance to me. Good job State Farm. I won’t be switching from USAA anytime soon but it was certainly a valiant effort. Keep it up and if I need a “Discount Double Check,” I will certainly call.

Posted by Farrukh Memon

The nightmare of Kevin Durant

What two bigger stars in the game to shoot a commercial than an MVP and Scoring title candidate, and the “robin” of the team that won 27 games in a row this year. Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade star in this not so much of a nightmare advertisement. Kevin and Dwyane are also two of the most popular players in the game on two teams that many would put money on to meet again this year in the NBA finals. And the last time I checked, no one wants to grow up to be like the bench player, they want to be the star like Durant and Wade. What better way to get them to bring gatorade to their games or workouts than put their heroes doing it.

In the commercial Kevin Durant drives to the basket for a dunk and is blocked by Wade. Durant Wakes up from this nightmare and instantly begins to work out and train and practice. In all of these workout sessions he either eats a gatorade chewable, or drinks a gatorade before or after his exercise. Kevin Durant is then playing in the game and drives the lane and dunks over Wade, which he then wakes up and you can assume Wade will too go on to be fueled by Gatorade to a block.

This is a smart way for Gatorade to advertise not only its brand image  but multiple of its product lines. Gatorade wants you as the consumer to know that there is a product for all occasions. The idea Gatorade is trying to say to you is that without Gatorade being there to keep you going, you would not be able to achieve this, so drink Gatorade and you will be able to do whatever you can dream.

Gatorade also made possibly one of its most versatile commercials ever. Two of the most recognized basketball players in the world and they made a commercial without any dialogue. You don’t need to hear anything in this commercial to understand what is happening because the commercial isn’t about telling you what it can do to help you it hits at showing you what you can do with it. Not having and words in the commercial allows it to be aired in any country that sells Gatorade and has the sport of basketball, which is an extremely large market.

Putting the Life back in Life Insurance

State Farm always does a great job touching the hearts of viewers that are privileged to see their commercials.  Nothing about that changes in this State Farm commercial that portrays a mother stressed over medical bills and the agent allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief when he assures her she has enough money from the life insurance she purchased years ago.

See for yourself in this well made commercial by State Farm:

State Farm focuses on many different kinds of insurance, and has commercials for almost everything they sell.  This commercial does a great job of showing just how important it is to have life insurance.  Without purchasing life insurance this mother would have had a lot of trouble being able to support her son in this time of need.  As we all know,  a lot of things happen in life that are unexpected and leave us feeling like we are in trouble, but State Farm does a great job of showing their customers that they are there for them when times are tough.

State Farm is a very well known insurance company that is trusted and respected.  They are known to have great commercials that get their point across about the different products they have and how they can help you or benefit your life, and also something you can relate to.

This commercial hits home with a lot of parents who would do anything for their children.  Many parents without insurance who watched this commercial are probably considering getting insurance now because you never know when something unexpected may happen to a loved one.  This is a great marketing strategy by State Farm.  They are able to connect with many different demographics on a personal level and try to fulfill a need of having insurance that many people don’t have, but need to have.

Anything you can do, She can do better!

In my advertising class, we discussed gender roles within ads. My professor, Amy Young, explained, “gender stereotypes are incredibly common in advertising such as a woman being portrayed as a quiet, submissive, sexually available, young, beautiful, thin, non-intellectual, and unemployed individual.” She then showed us a Nike commercial that broke out of these stereotypes. According to Adweek, Nike’s commercial "gives voice to a generation of ass-kicking women."

Nike’s “Voices” commercial has four of the most independent, powerful, and influential women in the athletic world. Joan Samuelson, an Olympic gold medalist marathoner, stated that during her time, girls did not run around in public. Lisa Leslie, an Olympic gold medalist basketball player, stated that the boys on her team would not pass the ball to her. Olympic boxer Marlen Esparza stated that her father told her she couldn’t be a boxer because she was too little. With Diana Taurasi, who is another fellow professional basketball player, explained that people are not used to seeing many woman being so passionate.

Samuelson, Esparza, Leslie, and Taurasi are excellent role models that represent women who went against the typical normative gender roles and continued to follow their passions. Nike did an inspirational commercial, marketing female power and incorporating it with their brand. How the ad was formatted was clever and captured the audience’s attention. 

Nike positioned the athletes in front of the camera and only showed their faces. It felt as if the ladies were having a personal conversation and talking directly to you. There was no music and it was just them talking. By doing this, the commercial had a quiet yet powerful vibe because it created an environment that was serious and calm. Then Nike filmed young girls in confident stances, holding sports equipment and lip syncing as the professional athletes spoke. This made the whole commercial more powerful because many girls typically are judge by gender roles. 

The commercial portrayed the girls doing particular sports like football, baseball, and boxing because the general public would associate those activities with masculinity. This image proved to the audience that all girls can play any sport. At the end of the commercial Nike showed its signature saying, “JUST DO IT,” thus implying any young girl could play any sport she wants regardless of her gender. 

The commercial had nothing to do with a product, but with getting a message out there. By doing this Nike created a personal relationship with young girls who want to pursue their athletic careers. Therefore, Nike’s commercial will enhance its image positively because it is sharing a new message that is empowering. The sports company is creating brand loyalty because they specifically marketing to young girls but with an inspirational message. Nike did a great job creating a personal connection towards their targeted audience. 

Helpful Neighbor

Ace the helpful place, while rather new to the e-marketing world, does a very good job with their recent line of neighborhood commercials. Ace has always prided themselves on being your neighborhood friendly place for all your home improvement needs but has often fallen to the bigger names such as Lowes and Home Depot. This commercial however is just what Ace Hardware needs to boost its brand name. This nicknames commercial for Ace is a great combination of many key marketing and advertising elements.

The commercial starts off with a normal question one might ask their neighbor about their yard, “how do I keep my grass green?” also a question we feel a hardware store should be able to help us with. The “neighbor” who is in an Ace Hardware uniform, takes the man on a quest through the garage and into the backyard, past other “neighbors” who are all in Ace uniforms. All of the Ace workers address the main character in a nickname such as “The Rodfather”, “Hot Rod” or “Rodman”. While Ace is not as big as Home Depot or Lowes it needs to find other competitive advantages such as customer service and being able to share that neighborly feel with the customer. Truth is most people, don’t know where to begin on most household fixes or problems and the last thing someone wants to do is go to a store where they feel belittled. With this commercial Ace shows that it’s customer service is like walking through the hedges to the neighbors, a very comfortable experience.

Secondly the way the commercial runs through the garage, into the front yard, and finally finishing in the backyard, The Ace employees are all working on a task that is very common to our seasonal fixes, and Ace wants you to know that no matter what your question or concern, you can come to Ace and get a knowledgable answer in an comfortable environment. Much like how you feel in your neighbors yard, like you can ask anything to a close friend.

While we are full of a generation of do it yourselfers and local grown lovers, Ace Hardware does exactly what it needs to make a good commercial. In this commercial Ace tells the consumer they not only have everything you need for your jobs around the house but they do it with their excellent customer service. I personally enjoy going to a local hardware store where I can feel comfortable with the employees and with this commercial I feel that Ace will have to make a few more nicknames for the new regulars.

It All Starts at Dick's

After watching this commercial I couldn't help but feel like I was invincible.  Although Dick’s Sporting Goods is an athletic store, this commercial can relate to just about anyone.  The main point is that it takes hard work to be successful in any endeavor you wish to pursue, and Dick’s does an awesome job of capturing that through the lens of athletics.

Unless you have seen this commercial numerous times, you probably wouldn't think this was a Dick’s Sporting Goods commercial as you were watching it.  Most commercials that are inspiring and motivational like this are done by companies like Nike or Under Armour, and interestingly enough Dicks Sporting Goods sells both of those kinds of products.

The story line of the commercial is laid out nicely because it shows people who haven’t succeeded yet, or are set back form an injury; and what they do and the sacrifices they make in order to reach their goals.  I am an athlete myself and seeing some of the things in this commercial was really inspiring and helpful.

In regards to Dick’s Marketing style, this obviously relates to sports but it can also relate to anyone with goals and dreams of bettering themselves.  For example, if you work for a company and want to be the top seller, you have to work hard, set goals, and sacrifice some things in order to make that vision a reality, and that is what this commercial is trying to convey.

Also, the fact that Dick’s didn't reveal itself to the audience until the very end of the commercial was something I think was a great idea.  The commercial does a great job of grabbing the attention of the audience and then giving them the name of the company who is a part of the commercial.  All athletes now know that if they want to do what it takes to be the best, “it all starts at Dick’s.”

Clicking and cropping doesn’t have to be the only way to look cut!

Have you ever photoshopped your picture because you looked bad in it? Or do you usually crop your photo to only show the good parts of your face? We all know that most people who use Facebook crop and touch up certain parts of their body or face to make themselves look attractive or reasonable. We all have done this and yet some are ashamed to admit it. Gold’s Gym in Costa Rica uses both a social media outlet and image to get customers motivated to work out!

Translation: "What you leave out of Facebook, put it into Gold's Gym "

Pic&Translation credit: Adsoftheworld

Although Gold’s Gym is a United States based corporation, the company does a smart job in marketing to individuals outside of the U.S. In the print ad, the audience gets an image of an overweight individual who is trying to crop his photo to cut out his body. The image is set up to be on the computer, and when a little message pops out it states “what you leave out of Facebook, put it into Gold’s Gym.” 

The message itself is smart, clear, and simple. When we want to cut certain parts out of a photo, it usually means we do not like how we look. In other words, if you don’t like your body, Gold’s Gym is there to help you get healthy and fit! Even though the comment is short, it gets the  message out to the targeted audience. It helps gets an individual motivated to lead a healthier life. 

The image of the individual and then connecting it with Facebook was an excellent idea. We usually change our appearance the most through online medias such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Gold’s Gym created a great relatable connection with fitness and social media. 

The targeted audience of Gold’s Gym is people in their 20s and 30s who are not confident with their appearance due to their weight. The ad itself is extremely simple yet powerful. It tells what people usually do through a social media outlet along with a message that connects with fitness. This well thought out ad motivates any individual to work out and join Gold’s Gym.  

It’s Not Complicated

With times turning in the way of handheld devices, At&t’s advertising campaign “It’s not complicated” is an absolute win. One of the first things they teach in advertising is KISS, (keep it simple stupid) and At&t’s commercials are spot on with that idea. All of the commercials focus upon one main idea of simplicity using different children to answer different questions using children to answer simple questions is their way of telling the consumer that it is common sense that their product is the more superior. The use of children in a company’s commercials also gives that company personality and familiarity with its audience and allowing that company to increase its image positively.

Within this commercial the adult asks the kids if saving is better, because who doesn’t love to save money? Especially on something we use so much and spend so much money on. The kids all agree that saving is better. The kids then go on to say what they would buy with all they money they save. The kids, being kids say they would buy an island made of candy, but the simple idea is that you can buy things that make you happy and that you want because with this company you can save money. The point At&t is trying to get across is that, “It is obvious these qualities are better, we have these qualities, switch to At&t.”

At&t has over 15 of these “it’s not complicated” commercials for this campaign and they have all seemed to be very creative and very useful. Lastly a strong quality in advertising today is getting your audience to laugh, while displaying your message simple and clear. These commercials have just as much of an impact in word of mouth, by people discussing At&t with the commercial and that is shown recently to be the strongest variable to deciding purchases. With adding up what seems to be a lot with these commercials, it may help to think of it as At&t does, it’s not complicated, it’s a great commercial.

Creating Needs or Product Fatigue?

Take a look at this Apple commercial.  Notice anything?  What’s Apple saying?  More importantly, who is the audience?  This commercial features the new iPad mini.  A new device that Apple just launched in response to smaller Android based tablets.  Samsung, according to Forbes, has experienced explosive growth and has taken some serious market share from Apple.  Competition drives innovation and innovation is Apple's middle name!

Though Apple still enjoys the lion share of the tablet market with its original iPad (now in its 4^th generation), other competitors like Google (Nexus 7), Microsoft (Surface) and Amazon (Kindle Fire HD) have gained some ground.

The reasons for the development and launch of the iPad mini are beyond the scope of this blog; however the commercial is very much the topic of interest.  It’s clean.  It’s quintessentially Apple.  It starts with the original iPad.  Nice!  Then suddenly, wait what?  Is that a SMALLER iPad?  Wait a minute!  I can get the same thing in a smaller package (and hopefully a smaller price tag too!)?  Well… not quite; the mini starts at $329!

Apple has gone great lengths to prove that the iPad mini is every bit the original iPad.  Same design, same display (minus the Retina Display, perhaps the next generation?) and the same capabilities.  The subtlety is incredible and I think Steve Jobs would approve.  My ears say “Two of a kind,” but my eyes say one in the same.  How clever of Apple to say one thing but show another.  I think this is the best part of the commercial and the most subtle.  Apple has successfully demonstrated to me that anything I can do on the iPad (which I don’t have), I do on the iPad mini (which I won’t buy).

My next point is the demographic at which the mini is aimed.  Apple users are very loyal, and I suspect the mini is aimed at existing customers.  Those chosen few that resisted the temptation to purchase the original iPad.  Maybe due to price?  Check out this research study performed by Newzoo.  

My theory is that Apple customers have demands.  Demands that they may not even be aware of!  They expect the release of a new product every six months or a year because that’s Apple’s standard operational procedure.  Forget competition, Apple is catering to your non-need!  How many times is someone going to upgrade their iPhone?  By the way, there is a rumor for yet a newer iPhone this summer!  Just when you thought your iPhone 5 was going to last you the year!

There is mixed sentiment of course.  How many iPads and iPods and iPhones and iOMGs will Apple produce?  The answer is... as many as you DON’T need!  Seems unsustainable if you ask me; and if you don’t believe me check out this Apple commercial spoof on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Overall though, I may not be an Apple customer, I do Apple commercials quite entertaining and very effective in showcasing the features of their products.  And most importantly they excite consumers.  They are consistent and I like them.  Cheers!

Posted by Farrukh Memon

What It Takes to Be “YOU"

Have you ever been part of a pick up game of any sport and just sat their as your friends got picked and you waited and waited? Eventually you were the only one left to pick and you went to your decided team.  This could be the result of either two things: 1. You may just flat out not be good at sports or the other more likely option, 2. YOU’RE HUNGRY.  No one is themselves when they are hungry and Snickers makes this known is there slogan “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”

Take a look at this Snickers commercial to get an idea of how hunger affects your performance on the football field:

In this comedy based commercial by snickers it depicts an old lady playing football and not doing very well. All it takes is one big hit from the defender for a young lady to toss the older lady a snickers and she magically turns into a man who looks a lot more equipped to play some football. 

Snickers does a great job of marketing in the commercial by appealing to both the men and women audiences.  It is manly enough to appeal to guys who enjoy sports, especially football, and humorous enough for ladies to be able to connect to it and catch what Snickers is trying to convey through this commercial.  Both genders will be able to connect with the idea that Snickers can satisfy hunger and make you feel like yourself again.

If you’re sitting here reading this and have that feeling of hunger arising and you’re not feeling quite like yourself, I suggest you go grab a Snickers and let the rest take care of itself.

The Next big thing: “Seth Rogen VS Paul Rudd”

Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd both featured in a commercial? Everyone knows these two individuals bring laughter to any audience. Samsung released a comical commercial during the Super Bowl of both actors fighting it out to be the “Next Big Thing.” The commercial was uploaded to Samsung’s Youtube page, where it has already gotten more than 21 million views. 

Using celebrities to market Samsung’s product is an excellent way to grab the attention of many viewers. The script that Samsung created for both Rogen and Rudd was extremely well thought out. Rogen and Rudd fight it out to become the spokesperson for Samsung, by specifically criticizing each other’s appearance, work, and personality. 

What makes the conversation relatable to the audience is that the comments they say to each other is true. Rudd comments that Rogen only gets excited for food and that Rogen’s movies do not usually do well. Rogen points out that Rudd needs to be touched up because he’s 40 years old. Marketing individuals who make fun of themselves and state comments that the public says connects to the audience. Along with the conversation, in the beginning of the commercial they use a product made by Samsung called the Galaxy to consistently prove their points. The characters display the many ways the Galaxy can be used and how quickly the smartphone functions.  Also, popular trends such as Gangnam Style are mentioned from the middle to the end of the commercial. The commercial does well in capturing the audience’s attention. 

But, does the commercial market their product well? Not really. It only gets mentioned in the beginning of the commercial when Rogen and Rudd pull out their phones to make fun of each other. Also, when the representative of Samsung comes out to get the two actors, he uses the Galaxy to record the meeting. The commercial relies solely on the two actors being funny. However, the commercial was created for the Super Bowl and Samsung did a great job capturing the attention of the audience. Although, the commercial may have been entertaining, it fails to bring light on the product. 

A walk in Panera's shoes

Panera only recently has started putting more focus on their advertising hoping to gain an edge in the fresh baked goods industry. An industry that itself is just starting to take off. This type of ad does more than just advertise to its targeted market. It allows Panera to not only advertise its products but it endorses its image.

Panera’s use of symbolism within this commercial allows the audience to understand the process of Panera and your experience when you go there. The ad takes you through how their bread is made daily and the shows us how the bread is baked with fresh ingredients from only the best and healthiest places. And how the ad finishes, ending where it first started with a ball of dough, shows that Panera’s process is a daily job that they take pride in. Another connection we can make is that this machine in the ad is rather familiar to Rube Goldberg of which all his creations are handmade assuring that all of Panera’s products are handmade.

Panera also shows us how it gives back to the community, donating leftover breads and goods to charity completing the circle of giving which is also metaphorically linked to the continuous process of Panera’s circular commercial. The ad itself is very rustic and organic in color which also is how the company likes to portray its image to customers which is well displayed throughout the advertisement. These types of ads do more than just sell the product. They sell the brand. The Panera bread brand through this advertisement would be fresh, handmade, charitable, giving. While also Panera is advertising its products, we don’t hear once about a particular type of sandwich or bagel, just about Panera as a company. This strategy lets us associate these God terms with not just a particular meal item but the Panera Company overall. All together Panera does a very good job of using different advertising techniques in appealing to their target market and have set themselves in a great position to expand their audience with more well thought out advertisements like this one.

Investing in this economy? Risk averse? Not these "guys"!!

Who would have thought that a talking baby would be an effective vehicle to market a new stock trading platform?  Amazingly enough, the campaign has been extremely successful at promoting E-Trade, it's brand image and its product and services.  Say what you want about the platform, the commercials are hilarious!

Take the following commercial from Super Bowl 43 for example.  The ad features two babies, an African American baby and a Caucasian baby.  The topic of conversation, investments, is quite dry, but E-Trade has successfully made it a topic of interest; though indirectly.  The commercial is from 2009; a turbulent time in the US economy as many people were afraid and skeptical of investing what remained of their savings in the stock market.  The commercial aims  to calm those fears and is aim at people who were afraid of the stock market by offering them control over their investments and giving them hope of recovery.

As you may have noticed, the babies talk about the issues which concerned most investors.  These were, uncertainty, lack of control, and investor’s lack of confidence in the US economic recovery.  E-Trade uses this knowledge to expertly address the issues that the investors faced.  Take for example the song the African American baby chooses to sing, “Take these broken wings” by Mr. Mister.  Notice the subtlety with which they address investors’ confidence.  Anyone who has heard the song will surely recognize the message of the song; hope. 

The conversation is full of innuendo, hinting that though the time for investing is not ideal, just as “it’s not the venue for flexing the ‘golden pipes,’ E-Trade’s proprietary tools will help take control of your investments and give you confidence in the market and help you be profitable.

E-Trade brilliantly employs effective marketing techniques to attract new clients.  It even boasts it's success and claims that it attracts 1000 new investors every day at the end of the commercial. 

If you visit E-Trade’s commercial website, there is no link that will take you to their commercials or address their marketing campaign or public relations.  The website is all business.  It is professional, concise, clear and very effective at displaying E-Trade’s brand and the services they offer to their clients.

The marketing campaign is very successful because it employs the right balance of humor, innuendo and subtlety to linger in the consumer’s mind long after they have seen the commercial.  Even though you may not be "in the market" right now, when you are, I'm sure you'll visit E-Trade's website to check out what they have to offer.  Great commercial.

Posted by Farrukh Memon

Where There's A #IWILL, There's A Way

As the marketing industry for sport products is getting more competitive and demanding, athletic innovation has been increasingly becoming a hot topic. Businesses are creating new products and ideas to capture the attentions of their targeted audience.

Technology, as you know, is continuing to grow rapidly and becoming the foundation within the world we live in. Under Armor is taking advantage of this digital generation concept in their commercials.

With their light weight and durable products, athletes are able to train longer and harder. In this commercial, Under Armour sets the sitting within Mexico, showing a young man named Canelo Alvarez, running down the street. Alvarez is wearing the Under Armours 39 product line which monitors heart rate, calories burned, and intensity. A product like this wasn’t around for athletes in the past and now can be used today.

Just as technology has played a major role in the world we live in, it has played a critical role in the world of marketing as well. Under Armour was able to promote so much in a matter of one minute using known athletes and having them use training and health products, also creating a theme of giving the audience a glimpse of the future.

Not only Under Armour is marketing the idea of technology with its products but using individuals who are influential within the athletic world. Canelo Alvarez (Boxer), Bryce Harper (baseball player), Georges St-Pierre (martial artist), and Kemba Walker (basketball player). Using these individuals help increase the awareness of this product and influences many fans to buy it.

Implementing a futuristic theme that tied with their products while using athletes that showcase the usage of it well gives Under Armour a great opportunity to gain more customers. If they continue to create commercials that capture the consumer’s attention then they will continue having a successful future.

Posted by:  Jordan Patterson

Are you a Gold Digger?

In today’s society, Gold digging is typically seen as taking advantage of another person just because they take a lot of money. Have you ever considered that Gold Digging can be done on objects other than money? Say food for example. 

In the latest commercial on Velveeta Cheese, a young man is seen as trying to manipulate an older women through complimenting on how she looks, when in reality all the man wants is a luscious bite of Velveeta Cheese on the macaroni.

Within the commercial, the women isn’t necessarily a younger lady, and you can see that the man already knows who this lady is. You may have missed this but at 00:02 second mark, the maker of the Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese was shown to be Bernice. This is the older lady the man complimented, and being very flirtatious trying to only lure in the cheese, and to the ladies misfortune, not her.

In regards to Velveeta’s Marketing strategy, they did a great job of implementing the idea of “Liquid Gold”. This conveys to the viewer that Velveeta is ‘Gold” and something that consumers don’t necessarily “want” but “need”. This commercial also did a great job of incorporating a wide variety of age groups and not just focusing on one specific age, the older and younger generations can both enjoy the humor of this commercial. Next time you’re in the need for some cheese, Gold Dig of a friend to make sure you get the best kind: Velveeta.

Warehouse Commercial

The Commercial Warehouse blog is where our team will post various opinions regarding how well corporations or companies market their product to their targeted audience through commercials. Our blog is not aiming towards a specific product, but we will comment and review various products each week. 

Please comment and read our posts! Thank you!

Introduction

We are a group of business students from Pacific Lutheran University here to blog about various commercials. In our business class we are required to choose a topic to blog about. Our goal is to attract a large audience to read our thoughts regarding how well a product is marketed through commercials. Our team is made up of four people, three business majors, and one business minor. Now here is a little bit about each person in our group: 

Hey! My name is Jordan Patterson and I am a junior at Pacific Lutheran University majoring in Business Marketing. I play football here at PLU and love sports. Something I like to do in my spare time is hang with my buddies and go on random adventures.

Hi, my name is Ashley Yi and I'm currently a senior at Pacific Lutheran University majoring in Communication, minoring in Business Marketing. My hobbies are playing golf with my friends and blogging about music. 

Hey, my name is Farrukh Memon and I am a senior at Pacific Lutheran University and currently majoring in Business. 

Hello everyone! My name is Kyle Yee and I am senior attending Pacific Lutheran University majoring in Business Human Resource. I enjoy doing activities outdoor but preferably when it is sunny out. I love being out on the lake all day in the summer. Hope you enjoy our blog.

We hope everyone will find our blog useful and interesting. Enjoy!