It's 2010! The New Year + Nostalgia...

Happy 2010! Hope the holidays were a blast! Now it's back to work...or school... or job searching...or to whatever boat you may be floating. (Myself being in the latter... but not for long!)

So now that finals are over and I have successfully graduated, college is a thing of my not-so-distant past. And, of course, it is all I can think about. The classes I most enjoyed and the least, the professors I will never forget and those already forgotten, class trips and family vacations, roommates, friends, ads... I know, I'm a little obsessed- but what can I say? Passion has that affect.

So naturally, as I watched the ball drop in Time Square on the television screen this New Year's Eve 2009, I could think of nothing else. I was observing New York from Florida, watching the land of advertising, opportunity and my future. Nostalgia hit me like a rock through a window- three years ago that very night, I (along with my mother and sister) stood on that very street, staring at that illuminated globe, counting down the new year. Excited, cold, eager, smooshed and dehydrated, my family stood in that locked off section of the street for 10 hours. But we did it- we rode out the night in style and I can now say that I was in Time Square to bring in the new year of 2007.

My most vivid memory of that day, however, wasn't the mass bottles of urine strewn about the street, or the promised confetti that held written wishes that never came (they were all blank), or my first time eating genuine New York pizza- it was of my family's trip to the cleanest bathrooms in Time Square- the Charmin Bathrooms: the interactive campaign by Publicis NY. (See AMBIENT, CHARMIN, CHARMIN: BATHROOMS)

It was a bathroom theme park, equipped with entertainers dancing in Charmin bear suits, music, colorful walls, picture opportunities, televisions and even a stage. And lets not forget the actual stalls that were cleaned right before AND right after every use. Odor free and squeaky-clean, each room offered both Charmin Ultra Soft or Charmin Ultra Strong tissue for testing. Coupon dispensers masked as slot machines dispensed a coupon of your choice on the way out of the exhibit. Publicis NY succeeded in taking a place most individuals hesitate to enter and making it fun and enjoyable.

At this point I was a college freshman, new to advertising and not yet in my major courses, but I knew then that this was what it was all about: taking a brand and making it memorable. And I was as determined then as I am now to take part in the process.

This year the Charmin bathrooms offered a Broadway Musical experience with their "Bathrooms over Broadway" show- "the first-ever broadway show in a bathroom."

The 10-15 minute production stars Charmin, as well as famous Broadway performers. Actor Christopher Sieber, known for his role as Lord Farquaad in "Shrek the Musical," along with Maya Days, Marya Grandy, Bernard Dotson, and Joy Hermalin, "The Go Team" (five Charmin restroom entertainers), and the Charmin Bears completed the cast. They utilized "toilet-paper-fashioned props" as they performed musical numbers to the tune of familiar songs.

For every visitor to the bathrooms, one dollar is donated to select charities with Charmin's "Go for Good" campaign. The charities involved include, Broadway Cares, Boys & Girls Club of America, The Harlem Children's Zone and Angels in Waiting, chosen by "actor and stand-up comedian Mario Cantone, the campaign's spokesperson." 

This year the restrooms include, baby changing stations, stroller parking, a digital graffiti wall,  a kids' toilet-paper pit, photo-ops with a giant toilet, and a video "can-fessional" booth. There is also a daily blog with lut out. inks to "Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, where consumers can share their photos and videos" from their experience with the event. They even added a mobile app, "Sit or Squat," that searches for clean public bathrooms.

It's an advertisement, a tourist attraction, a fun house, a rest-stop and a clean bathroom all-in-one. I may not have had my blog back then, but I think my experience with the attraction that year and this Charmin campaign deserves a shout out. Because, why not live a little in the past? The past made us who we are after all.

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

Consumer Generated Ads Are Better Than Ever

Since my last entry I have had the hardest time finding something new and exciting to write about. It's not that I haven't been watching my prime-time TV shows or scouting out billboards on the highway or that I have just stopped being aware of what's around me (because let's face it, ads are everywhere whether we look for them or not). No ad caught my attention and nothing was worth writing about- I had hit a wall and could not find a single ad I was passionate about... until last night.

While watching my newest prime-time ABC drama "V", a single commercial caught my eye and held my attention. The 30 second spot is like a mini film with a charming song, various plot segments, and screen shots that skip every couple of frames. The result is playful and enticing- the only option is to watch, memorized as it unfolds. It begs the question: "What will happen next?" and the only option is to follow it through the very end. The ad is a novel, which is quite appropriate given the product: the Amazon Kindle.

Personally, I believe this is one of the best ads I have seen in a long time. It creates a world where the product remains in the spotlight, has a functional message and there is full ad recall in a single exposure (with me anyway- you now too!). After seeing the spot, glued to the couch and excited I had finally found an ad to write about, I could not help but wonder what advertising agency held the Amazon account. After a little research I found my answer and the ad became more impressive still. It's consumer generated. This is the winning commercial of the "Your Amazon Ad Contest", entitled "Kindilicious" by Angela Kohler of Los Angeles, California. It won both the Jury and Audience Prizes.

A Sept. article on AdAge suggests that consumers have created "commercials better, and more charming, than many professional ads on TV now." It also tells about a book, The Chaos Scenario, published on AdReview about the "digital revolution" and the "death of advertising." Besides the concern that consumer generated advertising will cause traditional advertising to become obsolete, I am still thoroughly impressed and cannot get over the fact that there was no agency involved.

The star of the spot, Annie Little, also sings the background song, "Fly Me Away," which is free to download on Amazon for a limited time. The piano music mixed with her tune collide to match the charm of the spot. Watch it carefully and you can see multiple shots were taken of her laying on the ground in various positions with different props that surround her to create the illusion of falling and movement. It's brilliant. So much in fact that I have nothing more to say. It's eye-catching, captivating, flirty and fun. It's a brilliant ad that completely resonates with consumers and connects them to the brand.

Brand perception matters. This spot is Amazin Kindle success.

Till next time,
The New Ad Grad

The Sesame Street Comeback: My Latest Obsession

The other day, while watching television, procrastinating and not writing my eight-page mid-term paper, I became obsessed with yet another commercial. This time however, it was more than just a compelling ad- it was personal enjoyment. The visuals were eye-catching and intriguing, and the audio was familiar. "Weird," I thought to myself, "how do I know this song?" By my second exposure I was singing along and quite enjoying myself, I couldn't wait to tell you about it.

Now, I present to you the Delta Pilar Kitchen Faucet with Touch20 Technology "Hands" commercial, which first aired July 13. Created by Leo Burnett North America (Chicago agency) for Masco Corporation with vocals by none other than Count von Count from Sesame Street!

Every time I see this ad I get so excited! Having been a Sesame Street kid, it brings me back to the good ol' days of rubber duckies and cookie monsters. And, it's not that I'm obsessed with my youth or the song, but that now I want the faucet- the commercial has sold me completely. Now, that's how you know it' s a great commercial. And, I'm not the only one who seems to think so. Ace Metrix, a company that calculates an ad's creative effectiveness using their Ace Score measurment based on two categories, persuasian and watchability, ranked the "Messy Hands" ad #1 for the quarter which ended Sept. 30. Out of a possible 900 points, "Hands" received an Ace Score of 705, a Persuasian score of 758 and a wachability score of 628. The linked site also mentions that the ad scored highest with women age 36-49- a category I don't fall into, but that's a moot point. (Well, if you count the fact that I'm 21, not a homeowner and therefore would have no place to stick my newely aquired faucet, then I guess it might not be a moot point honestly...well reguardless, I might just try to convince my mother to get one so I can live through her.)

The faucet hype is everywhere, winning consumer praise left and right. Another blogspot blog titled Pixie of Plumbing wrote her entire entry on the Delta Pilar faucet with, I presume, the intention to sell the product. But a huge chunk of the entry is how amazing the faucet is from a consumer perspective.

"Delta's convenient Touch 20 technology allows you to turn on the faucet with a simple tap allowing you to cut back on cleaning, the spread of bacteria and gives you the freedom to use your hands for more important tasks in the kitchen. As if that isn't amazing enough, the Delta Pilar also gives you the convenience of a pull down faucet with spray and stream modes that remembers the water flow and temperature in between taps allowing you to save water and time. I can't say enough about the Delta Pilar faucet!"

As excited as she is about the faucet, you could say I am just as, if not more passionate about the ad. Without the 30 second masterpiece, I would probably have seen the faucet in a department store, thought to myself, "wow, that's pretty cool," and then kept on shopping without giving the faucet another thought. I may have mentioned the new technology to someone in passing, but that's about it.

Leo Burnett, himself, said:

"The greatest thing to be achieved in advertising, in my opinion, is believability, and nothing is more believable than the product itself."

And, it seems to me that the agency is still following his great philosophies. From the agency with its' creator who brought you the Marlboro Man, the Jolly Green Giant, Tony the Tiger, and the Pillsbury Doughboy, now brings you the Delta Pilar faucet with Touch20 Technology. (OK, maybe relating the faucet to pop-culture product icons is a stretch, but the magnificence of what the Leo Burnett agency has produced needed to be presented.)

This ad may not go down in future pop-culture history, but its audio/visual certainly brings back a childhood almost forgotten, while showing the amazing benefits of the product new for today. So I say, get your hands dirty, do an art project, bake some bread, go play in Mudfest; the Delta Pilar faucet is here to clean you up, while minimizing the clean-up mess. What a product, what a solution, what a commercial!

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

AT&T Rollover Minutes Campaign. Time for a change.

As I was watching TV (commercials) the other day, I saw one of the AT&T Rollover Minutes campaign spots. The first thing I thought was: "These ads used to be so funny, exciting...interesting! What happened?" Then it hit me like a nagging mom pointing out the obvious: who wants to watch a family getting nagged and nagged and nagged on TV when it happens in real life every day? Don't get me wrong, I love my mom- she's my best friend and she has and will always be there for me. However, she has her moments as much as the next mom. I've lived away from home for almost three and a half years now and she still reminds me to do my homework and about the studying I need to do for tests. She's a typical mom and that is one of the reasons the campaign has worked for as long as it has. I have to admit that some of the campaigns hit close to home and are really funny, like the Sibling Rivalry spot: 

Others, however, are getting hard to watch, like this recent Car spot:

 

Geneva Carr, the actress who plays the mom within the ads, does so believably and with good intentions. She accurately depicts a mother trying to teach her family not to be wasteful- a realistic hurdle during today's economy. Aesthetically, BBDO mastered the art of casting and situation within the campaign; the family of actors is credible and the situation of wastefulness is relatable. However, many viewers are rejecting the campaign due to its annoying reality. 

One blogger on Simulated Humor.net posted a series of articles about commericals- the first one entitled: "Commercials That Need to Die #1- AT&T Rollover Minutes." The title makes the author's opinion clear and the article continues with the animosity. It is written that there is "a series of commercials that have been plaguing us for months," and that they "all have the same basic script," which can be agreed upon that they do. It is that fact that gets the correct message of the commercial across to its audience. In any case, the blog advises "against watching any more" as she continues with her rant. I counted 12 comments on this blog, most agreeing with the message. The post is actually really funny, if you want to check it out.

Then I came across another blog with the same general outline. The first sentence of this blog states: "There is a television commercial I hate more than any other." It too continues to bash the AT&T Rollover Minutes campaign. Conversely, this writer holds more animosity towards the portrayal of the kids in the campaign than to the way the message itself is portrayed. Still, the attention this blog gives the spot heightens its success, in my opinion. The effect of the ad was so great, an entire passage was written on it, and bashing it is still giving it attention. Also, writing about it further conveys the message to others. Hype is hype whether it's positive or negative. This blog was more painful to read, but relevant all the same.

On the other hand, I did find critiques that praised the ads. A blog entitled Marketing Wisdom written April 19, says that " wise marketers win customers with wit, humor and entertainment" and then uses the Rollover Minutes campaign as an example of this. Further, it calls the campaign "stellar" and proclaims "the Rollover Minutes campaign features excellent writing, fine acting and a wonderful choice of characters – especially the casting of the mom and the oldest son." 

In fact, most sites I found praised Geneva Carr, the actress who plays the role of the mom. A Raven Wood Creative article exclaims that "according to AT&T, her role on “FamilyTalk with Rollover Minutes” commercials was supposed to be a one-time deal, but the humor of the spots soon caught on and AT&T found that the spine-chilling stare and finger-wagging we all have experienced as a child was a winner." It also credits her with the reason the AT&T commercials are so realistic.

One WikiAnswers question inquires only about where else she has seen Geneva Carr, but the answer she is given is filled with praise for the actress. It simply states, "That mom is hilarious. Her name is Geneva Carr." One can say the ad's entire hype is centered around the mom.

BBDO executives agree, though I'm not sure they view the commercials from all angles. In a USAToday article, Susan Credle, the executive creative director at BBDO suggests that "you have to like her even though she has to deliver the motherly message." (Of course, as stated earlier, this isn't entirely true as many people full-heartedly dislike the character.) And, in another comment about the character she says, "she's charming and likable and that allows her to be a little tougher and have more frustration in the spot without being annoying." I disagree, as do many, many others it seems. 

However, the campaign seems to be working for AT&T, as the article also states that "FamilyTalk accounts for about 60% of AT&T's contracted customers." Also, AT&T vice president of marketing Daryl Evans announced that the campaign has been working "gangbusters" for the past two years.

So, we haven't seen the last of the nagging mom trying to teach us the importance of not wasting unused minutes. But I'm here to say, I think it's time for a change. 

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

Carbon Footprints in the Media

Personally I think my level of Carbon Footprints is lower than average. I ride the bus or my bicycle to class, recycle when I can, run or take the bus to the gym and I turn off random lights and fans when they're not in use. I use my SIGG Eco-Friendly, Reusable Swiss Water bottle everyday, I bring my reusable coffee tumbler with me when I go for coffee and I always bring my reusable grocery bags when I hit up the store. Over the past years, green campaigns have grown to match the growing trend. More people are buying products that are organic, staying away from those that harm the environment and watching the way in which they, themselves, are affecting the environment.

Green campaigns are everywhere in the media, from Clorox Green Works with its "Powerful Cleaning Done Naturally" campaign by DDB West, to the inspiration for this blog, the Toyota 3rd generation Prius and its "Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine" campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi LA.

In the TV spots, as the Toyota Prius drives down a lane millions of people bloom, grow and sway in the wind as it passes by. The people are the landscape as they hum and sing a beat while they do acrobatics and climb on each other to become a swaying tree or a moving stream. Every new commercial reminds me of a scene from Cirque du Soleil. From afar the people on screen genuinely look like the object they intend to be. Being a hybrid car, the spot is as close to what the tag line suggests ("Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine") without it being an electric car and not having any fuel emissions- but that's a different story all together.

When I watch the commercials I like to single in on one acrobat to see how the intended effect is produced. It's amazing to watch and every new commercial is just as entertaining as the last. The portrayal of harmony is even adequately portrayed in the score- which Saatch & Saatchi and Toyota have made available for download on the Web site. They even produced a Web spot that reveals how the commercials came together in "The Making of 'Harmony.'" If you have the time I think it is definitely worth watching. The spot reveals the use of blue screens, how the extras were placed to create the scenes and it has commentary from the on set crew. At the end it reveals that "over 1,000,000 people were created from 200 extras," "9 different Nature costumes were created," and that the spot took nine days to make, 12-hours each day. It even lists how many of each costume were created. Awesome and crazy but the outcome portrays the effort. 

(My favorite spots happen to be "MPG" and "Solar." The emerging oasis in "Solar" and the Earth and Sun in "MPG" are mesmerizing and interesting, eye catching to say the least.)

The print ads for the campaign accurately mirror the TV spots and they are fun too, but not as exciting (less extras are used and they only create certain landscapes within the ad.) One print ad, seen in the May 2009 issue of Entertainment Magazine, shows a Prius on a lane zooming past a "man"-made tree, bent over from the fast and strong wind created by the passing car. The tree is the only landscape of the ad that is made of people. The rest of the background landscape is just that- a picture of a landscape.

I enjoyed the print ad, thought it flowed with the rest of the campaign, but I have to admit, I was a little let down- where is the harmony in the print ad between "man, nature and machine" that the tag line suggests? Only the lone element of the tree produces the message. More could have been accomplished with the ad. However, the final draft does have the eye catching image to relate it to the rest of the campaign media.

According to an article written May 11, titled "2010 Toyota Prius Marketing Theme: Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine" by John Voelcker, Saachi & Saatchi also put up "harmony installations" in large cities. They featured "oversized flower sculptures" that had free WiFi capabilities and charging power outlets, bus shelters ventilated by photovoltaic solar panels (which demonstrated the solar moonroof option for the vehicle) and living flower "floralscape" billboards that went up next to some of California's highways. [Photos curtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom.]

Pretty impressive. But, all of this leaves me wondering, "If it is all about 'Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine,' why not make the Toyota Prius completely electric?" Well that answer, friends, lies within the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?. But, that said, hopefully things will change back and the car companies will start mass producing electric cars again. But in the meantime- the Toyota Prius will have to do. At least we'll be in harmony for the time being.

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

P.S. To learn more about global warming the film An Inconvenient Truth is great to watch. You can also visit www.climatecrisis.net.

Progressive Insurance: Pop Culture?

My family and friends are now used to it. If you hang around me enough, you'll get used to it too. I'm always discussing advertisements. Something will come up in the car, while watching TV, even in random conversations. I go off into "ad rants" and explain to everyone around me in which way the advertisement works and why the agency chose to present the ad the way they did. Better yet, if I really, really get into an ad, I'll go out of my way to tell people about it or bring it up in conversation.For some time now I've been raving about the Progressive Insurance commercial "episodes" (as I like to call them.) The clean, white store juxtaposed with Flo's fun, enthusiastic personality is entertaining. I look forward to Flo's quirky reaction towards the people who come into the progressive.com store. With her "tricked out name tag," her "I ♥ insurance" pin, crisp white apron and super sweet lipstick color that matches her nails, she's the girl everyone wants to befriend. And I'm not alone. When I told my sister I wanted to write my first blog on the Progressive Insurance commercials her reaction was: "Oh! I love those! You should also write on the Apple commercials, I really like those too." 

Now, the fact that she paired Progressive Insurance and Apple in the same sentence says a lot.  Apple is possibly the most popular brand of our day, but to be paired with Progressive Insurance? That says a lot about the brand.

After hearing her reply I started my blog research and I came across an article written on Sept. 7, 2009, titled Progressive Corp.'s Flo takes on Geico's gecko in pitch for insurance customers written by Shaheen Samavati. The article has quotes from members of Progressive's advertising agency, Arnold Worldwide, as well as brand statistics and insight on Flo and Stephanie Courtney as a spokeswoman . But, one thing that caught my eye was the reference to Facebook followers, fan pages and message boards, with quotes by members on the campaign team. One quote by the account director, Trevor Nardini stated that "[Flo] has broached the territory of becoming popular culture." So I thought, "Really? Popular culture? I wouldn't go that far..."

Popular culture as defined on Dictionary.com is :  

"noun: contemporary lifestyle and items that are well known and generally accepted, cultural patterns that are widespread within a population; also called pop culture."  

Now, I'm not sure I agree that Flo has even come close to "broaching" pop culture but it is true that people are having fun with the commercials and her character. On Facebook.com, searching on "Progressive Flo" (the Google search the article used) came up with three page results and 89 group results "Just for Fun." Flo even has two MySpace pages, one company made with 242 friends and one fan made with 42 friends- but hey, that's one more MySpace page than I have. She even has a Wikipedia entry as well as many YouTube videos. That's pretty good. But as for "broaching" pop culture, I'm still not convinced. But, Flo as a pop culture icon or not, is pretty awesome and she gets the job done- according to the article she helped raise brand recognition 17% in 2008.

All this aside, before I sign off for the night, I just want to give a shout out for Progressive's literary reference to Moby Dick in their "Ahab" commercial. "Ahab" is not only my favorite of the many "Flo episodes" but Moby Dick is one of the greatest literary novels of all time and I think it's great they play around with it. Plus, I think it's great to teach those that have not read the novel that Moby Dick is the name of the whale, not the captain, as so many people confuse (at one point I was confused too, I admit.) So now, you too can have more money to buy an electronic fish finder by switching to Progressive Insurace! "Saving you money on boat insurance. Now that's Progressive."

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad