Comedic Campaigns

Snickers Diva Campaign 

            Another Campaign by Snickers is the Diva Campaign.  Though I hate to relive this time period, these commercials were very popular during this years Superbowl and had a couple of time slots durning the game.  Unlike other companies, Snickers no longer has to persuade consumers why snickers is better than other candy bars.  All snickers has to do is continue to flash their name and their comedic commercials on the strobe light that is television.  This is why Snickers can put on multiple multimillion dollar commercials during a two hour program.  the consumers are used to the comedy and are now expecting to laugh.  Snickers is able to give them just what they want

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW6ZXHWvaGc

Consistent campaigns

Feast

Those these may be old commercials, they are a great example of how consistent snickers is with their campaigns.  For the Feast campaign Snickers is able to show their strong brand essence of “instant gratification” through numerous commercials.  All of which contain predominately male figures such as vikings, kings, pilgrims etc.  Snickers has a common theme of presenting a problem where their own brand is a solution.  They are good not to cause the problem but just to mention that one exists.  

Even the music in the commercials reiterate the MANLY characteristic of the snickers candy bar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9JnNhwTUTE

What is it really saying?

      I was sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop when I came across a Dasani water bottle the other day and it looked a little different compared to what i am used to seeing.  There was a large green recycle leaf shape on the side of the label which was the first thing my eye was drown to (the signature label has been solely blue for forever).  Then there some print under the new green symbol.  I couldn’t see exactly what it said so I was going to wait until the guy threw out the bottle, but then I thought what is the fun in that.  So shamelessly went up to the guy and asked if I could read his water bottle...what ever I’m over it.  He kind of looked at me funny, I mean who wouldn’t be confused if a stranger asked you that...but he let me and now I can blog about it. thank you Starbucks man.  Below the green water leaf thing said and I quote “30% less plastic 100% recyclable”. 

If I was any normal person I might think ok good job way to make the planet fill up with 30% less of your plastic.  But i’m not that normal when it comes to water, water conservation, and water bottles.  First off the bottle itself was about 30% smaller than the normal Dasani water bottle so all the reduced plastic was taken out it the size.  Secondly “plastic”= recyclable 100% of the time and it also equals landfills and garbage circle and eventually in our food chain.  

 It may seem like they are trying but it just does not do it for me and i will continue to never buy a plastic water bottle especially a coca cola product.  SO nice try coca cola PLEASE TRY AGAIN!!!!

Brand Positioning

Students like to complain a lot and I feel like a teacher’s least favorite phrase is “when will I ever need to know this?”  I am guilty of asking myself this all the time, but I wanted to blog about how even though I might not need to use certain subjects, I find myself thinking about my Advertising Public Relations class all the time outside of school, which could be annoying to some but I remember that I have to blog so it is probably a good thing I’m noticing things in the real world.  So for this blog I just wanted to talk about product placement.  I take an early train to chicago so I can have time to see old friends and family but my dear mother had other plans.  I had not stepped off the train and into her stereotypical suburban minivan for five minutes and we were pulling into the parking lot of the River Forest Jewel-Osco.  

You can probably guess how thrilled I was to be 1. about to spend a good two hours with just my mom and 2. a good two hours stuck in a grocery store.  Not thrilled at all.  But I kept a close detail on how the store was stocked.  First thing I see when we enter the store cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls etc. all of which happen to be on sale might I add.  Funny how that works out.  All of which are little kids first choice foods.  preceding the high blood pressure snacks is the produce section...by pass that section and turn to bread section.  House brands are on the ends and big brands like Wonder and Brownberry, take up a good portion of the isle.  Next to the sport drinks.  Gatorade had the biggest space on the shelf next to Powerade then the vitamin waters.  Down the isle I noticed Redbull had an entire two rows to itself and all the other energy drinks shared the super high shelves and the bottom two.  

         Nothing seemed out of place probably because I have been in that store over a hundred times, but now as I walk the isles everything makes more sense when it comes to placement. 

Marquetting Education

When it comes to advertising a product the sky is the limit.  I before this class I thought advertising was just for things you can buy in a store like food, clothing and sports equipment, but college has made me realize that education gets its own advertising.  Driving into Milwaukee the highways have a blue and gold coloring to them.  Schools are now putting up billboards.  Each school of Marquette makes their own T-shirts.  In the beginning of the year free T-shirts are as common as seeing a city bus, not really but they are always being handed out.  The free ones are usually gold.. what do all the students where to basketball games (which happen to be televised) gold Marquette shirts.  This happens across campus but especially in the admissions office.  Every high school student, and usually their little siblings, are handed a marquette T-shirt on their way out of the office.   Whether you study psychology and think this is a positive reinforcement, it is also great advertisement.  The student will where the shirt to school and the name and logo will be imbedded into their pears brains for a long time.  Psychology and Advertising cross paths on a lot of things especially instances like this.  

Brands Connecting With Their Target

We spend a great deal of class talking about “who is the target?”  We have discussed what makes an ad good or bad.  We have also seen a fare share of commercials that are lets face it, just not funny and sometimes really dumb.  But nine out of ten times we think this, we are probably not the target so our feedback probably means very little to the company.  I always thought that ads should be made for all types of people so that everyone and their mom will want to buy the product.  I recently understood that the point of the target is to convert the most people in a specific demographic to be a consumer of the product and dominate that market before you start to grow demographically.   

For that reason companies have been hosting events, where their target will be, across the country to interact with their target.  I mean I’ve seen Kellogg and Kashi tents at the mother’s day 5k race in chicago.  At events like the 5k, I felt unconnected with the product almost like they were just another registration tent i would pass.  There was a lack of personal interaction.  Granted they were nice and happy, it was just too in your face for me which could be because I may not have been the target even though I was in the race.  It was not until Red Bull came to campus that I truly understood how companies are trying to connect more with their target and have a more personal bond with their target.  They had a contest where three groups of students created a band using only school supplies with the exception of Red Bull cans.  All participants were winners with free Red Bull and one of the three prizes all of which any college kid would enjoy; Summerfest tickets, Tickets off of a website similar to TicketMaster, and a $100 tab at a local bar or restaurant where Red Bull is sold.  I was just in the audience but I can contest that every single participant left that room with a good experience with Red Bull, including those who did not buy Red Bull previously

Smaller venues made the difference.  It was more personal than the tents at the race, there was more interaction and the event was long enough where I felt, even as an audience member, connected with the company and their employees than i ever did with Kashi or Kellogg.  

http://www.theredrocklounge.com/images/redbull.png

Spring Break

I was relieved to get a break from school this spring break but I kept thinking about advertising class every time I walked outside.  Every time I saw a huge billboard or bus with faces on it.  But what really got my attention was when I was driving in Chicago and saw a billboard for Mini coopers. From a distance it looked like a really good 3d looking picture.  but as I drove closer I realized it was an actual Mini cooper attached, stories high let me add, to the side of the billboard as if it was driving on a wall.  Well done guys well done.  I always like Mini cooper but for a while it seemed that smart cars were starting to take the lime light.  but with this new ad I think that mini cooper is working its way into the spotlight, not by making extreme changes to their product but buy creating new and creative ways to WOW the american buyer. After seeing this advertisement Mini cooper is one of my top pics for a first car.  

http://www.billboard-outdoor.com/2008/07/21/mini-cooper-billboard/