Guerilla marketing and advertising

I was just on an awesome website, because once again I was bored and decided to look up some of 'the most interesting advertisements ever' (that was what I typed into Google). One site lead to another and now I am looking at types of advertising that hits people deeper than most do, because they provoke emotions and feelings when someone just looks at it. I am going to include some photos of what I saw and I want to find out from people who agrees with this type of Guerilla marketing. I know this is an advertising class I am blogging for. To an extent though these are advertising products or suggesting a specific action should be taken.
 Example 1: Red Cross

White square next to her says 'Know what to do'

Example 2: for the 'Death Proof' DVD

Example 3: Feeding the Hungry

All of these are startling ways to advertise or market a product, cause, etc. Some people probably think this is going to far. But is it? It provokes so much emotion and feel because unlike a print ad or commercial, it may be difficult to avoid or turn away from. These types are often found in larger cities, by companies who likely have a larger budget to work with. There is time and place for these and if seen at the right moment can provoke unspeakable reactions.

Can Geico really...put out good commercials?

I am sure most of us have seen an abundance of Geico Car Insurance commercials. Over the past few weeks (maybe even months now?) every commercial now has the same start-the rhetorical question "Can switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?" see the clip below which has their most popular ones:

http://youtu.be/cCK6wQ0BoxI

Initially I thought this blog post would be negative. But now as I am thinking more about it, I am realizing that the company has had a slew of great campaigns over the past couple years.

1. First, it was the gecko lizard. "I am a gecko, not to be confused with Geico"
2. Then it was actors or celebrities in bad situations who at the end turned it around by saying the phrase "But I have good news! I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico"
3. The Cavemen. enough said
4. Finally, the present day question ones.

I want to know why they switch so frequently from one campaign to the next, and I wonder if any of these have significantly impacted car insurance sales. I think the only way to keep people interested will be to start airing new ones with new celebrities or personalities. Repeats get boring fast, something many advertising companies forget. Geico uses primarily TV to advertise, more so than print, so it is going to be vital they keep this fresh or will have to again switch it up.

gimme a break..with this savory bench!!

Imagine talking a walk through the park and seeing...this! I was bored and surfing the web for cool advertisements the other day on Google. This is not a print ad, or a commercial. This in fact is a bench somewhere on the east coast (didn't specify where) and I think it is genius.

This idea was probably conceived from a group of creative advertisers who wanted to break out of the norm of print ads and TV commercials. The Kit Kat jingle is catchy but it needed more. This was the solution that even if someone doesn't run and go buy a Kit Kat after seeing it, no one will ever forget sitting on that bench. It does not look like any other bench in the park, that's for sure.

With the wrapper strategically peeled half away and the brown wafer parts look identical to the original, the time and craftsmanship that went into making it perfect must have been a timely ordeal. Affective advertising is breaking out of the normal things every company does. It's using tactics that other companies don't have the thought, money, patience, or time to do.

I think we need to go on a class field trip to find this bench. I have a feeling we would be eating a lot of Kit Kat's if we do so...

Olay's new face...Carrie Underwood

While surfing People Magazine's website this morning I saw 'breaking news' stating that country singer Carrie Underwood has been named the new face of Olay Skin Care. While I still do not consider this to be breaking news, I clicked on the article and found out that not only is this a big deal for her, but it is revolutionary for the company.

Underwood is the first North America ambassador ever for the company. I guess that means any previous spokesperson has either been 1. not from North America or 2. not a celebrity. Regardless of those details, it sounds like a big deal.

I am always hesitant to believe celebrities when they endorse a product because it's a lot easier to rave about something when you're getting paid a couple million dollars to do so. Underwood has been seem by most people as a pretty genuine person, so when she claims that her mother first introduced her and her sister to the original Olay beauty fluid years ago, I believe her.

Underwood will begin now to appear in television and print ads for the company which as females means we'll probably be seeing her a lot more. Check out the gorgeous picture of Carrie below and decide if you think she is the right person to represent Olay. And read the article from people.com here: http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2010/09/08/breaking-news-carrie-underwood-named-face-of-olay-skin-care/?xid=rss-topheadlines

Justin Bieber retaliates via Twitter...is that OK?

Justin Bieber is one of the biggest pop singers on the planet right now. He is 16 and has had two platinum albums, and girls everywhere go crazy for him. Like most celebrities, he has a Twitter account (twitter.com/justinbieber) which boasts over five million followers. So, after an acquaintance of his friends hacked the friends phone to find Bieber's number and post it, he retaliated by posting that guy's cell number on his own Twitter page. Tweeting ' everyone call me 248------- :) or text' that kid received over 26,000 text messages from people thinking it was Justin Bieber they were contacting.

I am a big Justin Bieber fan, and I don't think it was necessarily wrong of him to tweet this in order to get the kid back. However, there are a few separate problems with this. First off, what fans are dumb enough to think a huge celebrity like him would post their real number? Did they think Justin was going to answer the phone or text them back? Lets be realistic here. Second, Bieber is sixteen-far from being grown up. It was immature, but more forgiving of someone who is a teenager adapting to the spotlight.

I talked to a few people about this, and someone mentioned he was just abusing his power as a celebrity. Knowing millions of people would see this tweet, he may have a gone a little too far. I agree (kind of), but the kid certainly learned his lesson

Spanish Advertisement near MU campus

After returning from a trip to Target, I couldn't wait to blog on a US Cellular bus stop ad that I saw not far from the Marquette University campus. I only know a limited amount of the Spanish language, so it was difficult for me to understand what it was saying. When I first saw it I thought it was interesting that less than 5 blocks over there could be the same sign just in a different language? After thinking about it now from a more advertising side, I wonder if companies vary their advertisements if they are just using a different language. Like does US Cellular just translate word for word everything the English version of the sign says?

I would have to think that although they are selling the same product, in this case cell phones and talk/text plans, they have to change things slightly because it is catering to a different demographic. This was also a lower class and lower income area, so perhaps the advertisements for US Cellular that we see at the bus stops on Marquette's campus are offering a different phone or a pricier plan. What students need is very different than what the people of that area need.

I was not able to take a picture of the sign before driving by. This ad got me thinking though how much work advertisers have to go through to adapt to both minor and major changes in audiences over the course of just a few blocks.

AirTran Airways offers bad billboard

On my way to Bayshore Mall yesterday evening I saw a billboard for AirTran Airways. It stuck with me because it was so ineffectively uncreative and lame that the first thing I thought was 'I have to blog about that!!' It was the traditional blue sky background with the words "We're Closed For Labor Day. Just Kidding" and then underneath said "Happy Labor Day" Not only is this not a funny joke, someone in the creative marketing and advertising department should lose their job for how dumb this is. Companies pay a lot of money to rent out billboard space and to waste it saying they are closed (for a holiday no one really cares about to begin with) just baffles me.

Going off that, Labor Day is a Monday off from work and school. Maybe I should appreciate it more, but the fact that it is one day and the only thing most people do is (maybe) grill a hot dog, most people aren't going to see that billboard and think 'wow, haha lets travel someplace.' Does anybody go anywhere for labor day, with the exception of possibly a neighbors backyard or to the Uncle's house one town over?  No one I know. So please, explain why AirTran couldn't at least come up with some other event soon occurring to advertise instead. Football season is starting, baseball is heading to the playoffs, more people are traveling for work, and thanksgiving will be here before we know it. All four of those things are better things to be promoting via billboard.

I wasn't quick enough to take a picture since it was on the highway, and I could not find the image online. But if you happen to be driving towards Bayshore Mall here in Milwaukee, take a look for it. Hopefully they can come up with something better to put there by the time you reach it.

Left-brain vs Right-brain Debate

The motivation for this post came from another assignment I am in the midst of working on for this class. We were each told to do a book report, and given the choices of about five books we could pick from. We have to read it, then write a short paper summarizing it, giving it a rating, finding quotes, and telling the professor what we learned from it.

So I don't have a specific advertisement or commercial to show you, amongst other things. What I do have though is the book A Whole New Mind, written in 2006 by Daniel H. Pink. The book focuses on left brain people and right brain people, and how for the past few decades the world has been dominated by the analytical, logical, and rational people like doctors, lawyers, and engineers (these are the left brainers). The whole point of his book though is for the author to show readers how the world is switching over to more right sided folks; people who are creative and intuitive.

I got to thinking how this affects advertising. I am sure many imaginative people have been in the advertising field since the beginning, even when overshadowed by the organized geeks of the left. I think this means more emphasis on the creative side of all jobs, thus advertisers have a head start. This is their territory. Original work that can't be done with just a computer program or shipped overseas for cheap labor. It takes talent and time, something that left brain people may struggle with. The switch is happening now.

From a personal standpoint, my father is a chemical engineer, and now travels overseas multiple times a year to train the Chinese and Japanese to (basically) take over his job. It's ironic when you think about it. I see the government commercial stating that 'math, science, and technology' are the future of America and that is the field where kids should be gently pushed into. I disagree with that statement because it is communication and innovative thinking that will make our country and world better. If you push your child towards technology, that's great but get the passport ready to.

'The Social Network' movie. Genius.

http://youtu.be/hq27k6njR40

October 1, 2010 is set as the release date for the movie 'the social network,' documenting the Facebook creation and dominance in society. I can't think of any movies that have come out dealing with social media, but I'm sure there have been a few unsuccessful ones. This movie though is almost guaranteed to be a hit.  first off, it has Justin Timberlake in it. He is the only real celebrity in it which makes the movie more real. Using people who act and look similar to the founders and actual major players in the Facebook game is the best way to reach facebook users who are real people like you and me.

The tag line is suspenseful, claiming "You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies." And a movie site states there is suspense, sex, fighting, and punishments all going on.

I wonder if they will choose to market the movie on Facebook itself. I have yet to see anything, but you'd have to think so. This will be advertised mainly by word of mouth. One person will tell a friend who will tell someone else, and so on (kind of like how Facebook connections work!) The only ads I have seen  so far is a TV commercial, and that was only once. Expectations are high for this movie, and my prediction: 500 million hits

M&M's turn sexual...yet hysterical!!

The new pretzel m&m's are not only delicious, but the main print ad for them is a different side unexpected from the Mars Candy makers. The ad, which I first saw in People Magazine while sitting in the dentist office, has one line. Above the orange m&m is a question he is asking the onlooking doctor. He's asking it as he looks to the manly pretzel standing next to him. "You're putting him where?"

Now, younger audiences may not understand this. But anyone older than 13 can put two and two together and when you think about it, this is highly sexual, yet really funny. Mars company took a big risk by writing this into their advertisements.

The company makes kid friendly products-most of which could be found in a trick or treaters bag. I think that this ad posted very little risk though. M&M's are here to stay and I doubt any parent would refuse to buy their kids the candy anymore simply because of inappropriate wording used in the marketing for it. And anyone who didn't like it would likely soon forget, especially after trying them. Mars succeeded in this advertising strategy and are getting more business from both myself and those I have talked to about this ad, partly because of taste, partly because of marketing.

"Mixed" feelings on the Starbucks Frappuccino campaign

http://youtu.be/WmJGdOnsMPo


Of all drinks at Starbucks, the frappuccino has to be one of the most popular. It contains little coffee and lots of flavors, such as caramel, chocolate, and vanilla. One of my personal favorites!

At most coffee places a person can get their drink just the way they like it, and most places have no problem meeting special requests. Starbucks is no exception. So, I am a little confused as to why they came up with this big idea for the frappuccino, called "The new however-you-want-it frappuccino blended beverage" because couldn't I customize the drink before this started? I could add in, substitute, and make changes to the drink being prepared for me. Besides this fact...I like the campaign. What I like even more though is the way they are marketing it. There are commercials, print ads, billboards, in-store posters, and a whole bunch of ways they are making it known to the public. The best of these strategies is the commercial. It captured me the first time and I even you tube it just so I can watch it again. The sounds, colors, and images used make me want a frappuccino right then and there. Take a look at it above.

I would be interested to know how well their marketing strategies worked. Did sales increase significantly? Or maybe just slightly, making it not worth it? Starbucks even had a happy hour for a few weeks featuring half priced fraps. Happy hour for coffee! So overall, an odd campaign considering they were already satisfying customers, but one that certainly made me want one of their iced goodies all the time. This is one company with marketing strategies so unexpected yet so great. I'll drink to that.

Bitten By This Vampire Craze

Let me start off by saying the Twilight series of books are very entertaining. Well written and captivating towards readers. When they became movies I'm sure everyone was hesitant to see if they would live up to everything in the pages. They've been hits at the box office. That's where it should have stopped or at the least, have slowed down.

Now, there is a hit TV show called the Vampire Diaries and a new movie in theaters called 'Vampires Suck' which makes fun of the Twilight saga. Aside from these, the lunchboxes, the online chat forums about it all, etc. I have finally noticed that companies are doing whatever they can to bring in a vampire appeal when marketing their products. Case in point:

I have recently been seeing Jessica Biel's face all over the pages of women's mmagazines as she is a new spokes model for Revlon Cosmetics. However she is not just a spokes model for the company, but she is the face of Revlon's new lip stain called (are you ready for it?)....Just Bitten.

So in the midst of her frolicking in a field with a hunky vampire look-a-like, she models a bright, shiny coat of pink/red lips. I have a couple issues with this, but the main one is that Jessica Biel is not the right girl to be fronting the product. Biel is known as an athletic, down to earth, very carefree person when it comes to her appearance. However if Revlon is going along with the traditional vampire girls (i.e. from the movies and TV show), they should have noted that those girls are fairly opposite from Biel. Revlon should have considered someone who for example, has fair skin and possesses more 'vampire-ish' qualities, rather than changing the way audiences look at Biel in real life.

This got me thinking a lot about the use of models and spokespeople in advertising. It is critical to have someone who directly represents the products attributes before they even become the face of it. In this day and age when many people are so in sync with celebrities, having someone they feel they can relate to may make all the difference. I don't want to purchase this 'just bitten' lip stain because I think Revlon took the easy way out by getting any popular actress of the moment and handing her a big check.

Advertisements need to touch your audience, not feel forced. And with that, let the vampire craze disappear!

I'll raise my right hand!

The best campaign I have seen in a while is the 'Women of the World, Raise Your Right Hand," which started a few years ago by DeBeers and the Diamond Trading Company, one of their subsidiary's. I remember seeing in ad in either Glamour or Elle magazine, both of which are targeted to the same demographic, that stuck with me on impact even though it wasn't flashy. It was the words written that made it connect with me. The words said ""Your left hand says you're taken, your right hand says you can take over. Your left hand celebrates the day you were married. Your right hand celebrates the day you were born. Women of the world, raise your right hand." This is/was a campaign celebrated not only single women, but all independent women everywhere. I'm still only 20 years old and not close to being married yet, but as a young, free women I would be first in line to buy one of these diamond rings. The campaign focused strictly on print ads, showing how powerful the message being sent was since they did not rely on TV or radio at all. The words in each ad vary from ad to ad, although all send the same overall message. And they certainly have me raising my right hand!!

Axe is too much, all the time

Axe body wash and deodorant commercials are everywhere. Every time I see one they all deal with seemingly 'hot' girls with young teenage boys, trying to get them clean. This ad, for Lynx body wash (lynx and axe go together) was in a skateboarding magazine. Axe used to target all teenage boys as well as 20 somethings. But now, with all the Old Spice commercials and ads for their products, Axe really has become a second or third choice among men. So, an ad like this scream 'desperate!' at me. We've all seen someone in a bikini, so although I see a pretty girl in a bikini, the lynx part of it doesn't reach to me at all, even though they aren't aiming it towards me. the only clue this advertisement is even for a body wash is because the girl's abs say 'wash me.' Really? She's not a car, and it's the oldest joke in the book. Axe & Lynx need to give it up and take a back seat to Old Spice. Perhaps a new approach is what they need. Sex sells, but only to an extent. Give it up.

Chic in your pants? You're 2!

http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/banned-huggies-commercial/

This past spring my roommate and I had seen a commercial for Huggies diapers. Normally neither one of us would pay any attention to a Huggies commercial, simply because it has nothing to do with us. However as soon as I looked away I turned back because the narrator had a french accent, which is not common in American commercials, especially those that are for diapers. After watching the commercial I remember saying "that's just weird." Turns out the commercial is entitled 'I've got chic in my pants,' advertising Huggies new denim blue diapers. Why a company would even resort to making this kind of variation, and let alone advertise it in this way is beyond me. 

There are many issues I have with this commercial, which was short lived because it got banned after too many people complained it was inappropriate. First off, the product is diaper. It does not need to be 'chic,' because the only thing it deals with is poop and pee. Second, the person wearing this diaper is one or two years old, with no care and no idea if what they are wearing is stylish. Finally, 'Chic in my pants' turns sexual when you add in the hot, 20 something girls staring this baby down. There is nothing mesmorizing about a child in a diaper. The fact that women are staring at him is more creepy than anything else.

I could probably think of a few more reasons why I think this commercial is stupid and somewhat inappropriate. However, it was taken off the air months ago and I'm still talking about it. So it obviously had some effect. I may not be a mom buying my child diapers but if I was, the last thing my son or daughter would be wearing after seeing that would be a Huggies denim diaper.