Burger King and Beckham-- a Symbiotic Relationship

With their new ad campaign, Burger King  is clearly trying to cash in on David Beckham's celebrity status in order to give them a hipper,  more exciting image, after years of using the family-friendly "Burger King" as the center of their advertising.  Interestingly, Beckham's image in the US is quite different from his image abroad.  In America, he is known more for being good-looking and famous (and being the husband of Posh Spice) than he is for playing soccer, which means that he has a different demographic of followers here that Burger King is trying to reach.  I would guess that most women anywhere from 15- 40 years old recognize Beckham  from seeing his picture plastered throughout celebrity magazines like People Magazine, whereas most men over the age of 30 who don't follow soccer are probably unaware who he is.

Using their positive associations with Beckham's celebrity popularity, Burger King is hoping to make itself "cool" in the minds of young to middle-aged women, which will hopefully make them consider stopping in.  After all, when someone like David Beckham, who could afford to eat at the most expensive places with all his celebrity friends, is ordering at the counter from a Burger King, it might make people rethink their feelings about Burger King as a cheap family-oriented food place.  At the very least, this audience will be drawn into the ad because Beckham's face is featured prominently, which draws their attention to Burger King for thirty seconds.  And because the viewer is watching the ad, they will also see the making of the "delicious" fruit smoothie that is subtly wedged in between Beckham close-ups, allowing the viewer's positive associations with Beckham to carry over to the fruit smoothie.

Perhaps even more than it is an ad for Burger King, this is an ad for the David Beckham brand.  Although he has long been tabloid fodder, Beckham really doesn't really have much of an established public personality for better or worse, which means that most viewers can't really connect with him or "like" him as a person.  That Beckham is willing to be in a Burger King ad, and especially when he is making fun of his image as only a pretty face, gives him a sense of humor that viewers can connect to, and ironically makes him more than a pretty face.  And by establishing a more personable side to Beckham, he makes himself more marketable, which in turn helps Burger King's ad campaign as well.  Probably a win for Burger King, definitely a win for Beckham.

Appealing to the male ego again...yawn

The arrogance of this ad is just too much for me.  And I'm not talking about macho ideal that it's appealing to-- this can be entertaining and even appealing (see the very similarly themed Kettle One ads).  No, the arrogance of this ad that is more off-putting than other ads using the same theme of "manliness" is that we (men) are assumed to feel a sense of camaraderie with this guy and what he stands for--as if he captures the essence of this desire for masculinity-- and that this open appeal to our masculinity is unique to this ad.

Obviously, appealing to the "man" in guys, especially young to middle-aged, middle- to upper-middle class guys is nothing new, so pretending that it is just annoying to me.  This might not be a problem if I were not part of the target audience, but unfortunately for 1800, I think I'm squarely in their crosshairs.  As a single, soon-to-be college graduate entering the workplace who drinks and goes out, and who even tends towards old-school symbols of manliness, I'm their guy.  This was further confirmed by the general tone and look of the ad which, I have to admit, drew me in.  The dark, subtle styling of the ad as well as the ad's use of a spokesman who doesn't look like a sculpted model were all hitting home with me; in fact, I would probably have been attracted to 1800 by this ad campaign if it had had no sound and maybe flashed the words "Men, drink up" at the end.  But when that guy opened his mouth while looking at us guys like we all are going to be impressed by what he is going to say, followed up by nothing impressive or humorous, I became bothered.

Perhaps the biggest issue was that I realized that I had been had; the ad had manipulated my emotions without any payoff.  It's like when a movie is talked up so much and is then panned when it fails to meet the high expectations.  I actually ended up having negative feelings towards the ad because it failed after it piqued my interest.  Although they say bad press is better than no press, in this case I doubt it because I'm actually certain to avoid buying 1800 tequila after this campaign.

My response to this ad might have been different if there weren't already a steady stream of similar advertising, even from 1800 Tequila's competitors, but even then, probably not because the ad is blatant where it should been subtle.  Notice how Kettle One tequila's ad (above) appeals to all the same hot points for the young male ego, but it does so in a way that the viewer is allowed to enjoy being targeted.  In contrast, this ad slaps you across the face with it's message and expects you to be grateful-- no thanks.

The ad that started it all

To me this ad has the simplicity of an effective print ad; it incorporates base, bright colors without shading, opting for bold, recognizable shapes and figures.  It is the perfect ad because at the same time it advertises its product in a memorable way, it also encompasses the beauty and accessible minimalism of the ipod.  This is the first ad campaign that I remember for the I-Pod and it was public's first access to the product goals of what Apple wanted to create in their product.

When I see this, I think cool and can relate to losing myself in music to the point where I get lost in the colors of a mood-- the kind of surrealistic colors used in this ad.  Having people dancing to their own tunes, by themselves shows the self-expression and freedom that we all desire and that I-Pods can bring to us.  Having the dark, stylistic silhouette sticking out against unique, imaginative colors creates a kind of universality that Apple brings; after all, this people in the ad could be any number of people I know, including myself.

At the same time that the ad captures this mood, it also has great product placement, especially at the given the climate in which they first introduced this ad campaign since there was nothing like this kind of portable music player on the market.  The white of the ear bud cords and the I-Pod itself stands out and is clearly memorable to the point that even today, when there are multiple different mp3 players that look similar, this streamlined, white look is still associated only with the I-Pod.

Not only was this a great ad campaign at the time, but it has allowed for various offshoots, in print ads, radio ads and, of course, more tv ads.  The fact is, this kind of feeling that Apple tapped into is exactly what Lovemarks are about-- creating an emotional response in the target audience.  I have a particular feeling about I-Pods outside of the actual details of the product; every other mp3 player has had to focus on their actual product differences rather than emotional musical relevance because Apple so beautifully cornered the market on the expression and escapism of music in personal music player.

Timberland's Timely Advertising

My favorite print ads tend to be very uncluttered and direct, almost iconic pictures and text that hit you where it counts; they need to since you're unlikely to look at the best print ads for longer than a glance.  When I came across this ad, I was struck by the classy, under-developed look of the ad, with the perfectly shined brown timberland shoes in relief against the pure black background-- almost as if the shoes were in a display window, impervious to time and the changing trends.

Drawing from the simplicity of classic print ads of the 50s and 60s where this kind of look would have perhaps been done as a stylistic drawing, this ad asserts that it doesn't need to wow you with anything more or less than the quality of the product itself.  Since the background is just black, all the audience's attention is drawn to the shoes-- no gimmicks or distractions.  The ad asks us to either accept the shoes for what they are or not.  The font of the writing also backs up this emphasis on the product by claiming that Timberland's shoes are built to last, and this statement is made more believable by the rugged look of the writing as if it has also lasted for a long time.  

And then as if its bold, understated approach weren't good enough, it has a not so subtle dig at the bailout of the banks that has bothered so many working-class Americans, insinuating tongue-in-cheek that if the banks had been as concerned with quality and openness as Timberland is, then they wouldn't have tanked.

The ad is clearly targeting the middle-aged, working class demographic who perhaps have a nostalgia for the past when everything was "black and white" and when companies and banks cared more about quality and were more honest (or at least are remembered as such).  The claims of durability are also going to hit home for this same population since they want their shoes to be as tough as they perceive themselves to be; after all, even if the economy is struggling, you can at least trust that your your shoes are going to last.

Overall, this ad struck me as concise, appealing, and cheeky enough to be memorable.  Clearly this ad is not meant to be relevant in five or ten years, but for now it makes a strong impression and creates a sense of camaraderie with its target audience.

Advertising for REAL Men

The Budweiser "Real American Hero" ads radio have become intertwined with the relaxed NFL football Sundays of the fall.  The beauty of the ads is that they are hooking their audience while making fun of them at the same time.  The long-running campaign clearly targets the middle-aged, probably suburban male population who spend their afternoons imagining they are the ones playing there out on the field.

Taking advantage of this wishful thinking and this ideal of being a real man, Budweiser has an announcer with a very masculine, "down-home" American voice, narrating how other men are heroes in their daily lives.  However, they choose examples that are purposely unmanly, mundane examples like "Mr. Supermarket Deli  Meat Slicer".  The contrast between the macho execution of the ad and the heroes is deliciously funny in an absurd way, made even more so by the background singer who is trying to cram far too many descriptive words in the short breaks in the narration.

Yet despite their spoof of the male archetype, these ads still leave the listeners equating Budweiser with manliness, as if we don't mind the narrator making fun of "us" since he's clearly one of us.  I have a hunch that Budweiser is only able to get this message across because their ads are both memorable and only on during NFL games, so whenever we hear the ads, we think about football.  Its well-placed timing is probably more key than the content of the ads; that being said, I know a lot of people who listen to football games on the radio who look forward to hearing the new Budweiser "manly ads.  I think this is prime example of how limiting the exposure of an ad campaign can actually help it out by creating a sense of mystery and anticipation.

Profiting from Honesty

It's hard enough to admit you're wrong to someone in private but to do that in a very public way, criticizing the quality that your brand has stood for in the past would seem to be a very bold move.  This is exactly what Dominoes Pizza did when they launched their Pizza Turnaround campaign, effectively admiting that their pizza was substandard and that they were completely overhauling the recipes of their pizzas. 

The campaign took me and a lot of other people by surprise--that  a company as big as Dominoes would do this was unprecedented.  It showed that they care about the customer reviews that they get, and that they are not so big an organization that they don't care about the basics of having a tasty pizza.  It has given them a percpetion a personal company with faces of their employees and customers representing who they are. 

Personally, I don't remember how their pizza used to taste, but I know how their pizza tastes now, and I think it tastes good (though my taste buds are not particularly refined).  I'm guessing that they gained just as many new customers who were impressed by their honesty as they did get people who had previously tried their pizza and were turned off.

At the same time, I'm mixed about this campaign because it feels a little manipulative, and maybe their emphasis that "we are admitting to being wrong" was too strong--as if we should be impressed that they would do the right thing.  Do I believe that Dominoes' management just did this to get it off their chest? -- no.  Their main goal is still to sell pizza and make money, and it just happens that this is the best campaign to do that.  However, if nothing else, this campaign shows a strong enough confidence in your new pizza recipes that you believe it will satisfy people who are more critical than normal coming to try your pizza. 

Although the campaign may be more motivated by business savvy than authentic humility, it still strikes a chord with audiences and stands out in a very ad-saturated market.

Whetting the Appetite

First off, I have to say that I'm smack in the middle of the targeted audience of this movie poster for The Dark Knight Rises, and as such, I can attest to the fact that this ad will get every fan of the past two batman movies by Christopher Nolan excited for next, and apparently final, installment of the series.

This poster is designed to be a total tease for the large number of people who have seen the other movies, and it foreshadows a lot.  The symbol of Batman's broken mask, as well as the line "The Legend Ends" suggest that Batman may actually die in this movie, which would be unprecedented for a number of reasons.  For starters, how often does the hero of a movie die--especially the superhero in a superhero movie?  I'm struggling to come up with another mainstream superhero movie example that would be equivalent.  Even more so, this just further cements Nolan's reputation for taking the Batman franchise and creating dark, realistic movies that just happen to be about extraordinary events.  By Batman dying, Nolan would essentially be saying that he's not in it for the money of churning out blockbuster movies (although the last two have definitely been blockbusters), but for creating great movies where the storyline will not have to dovetail to classic Hollywood endings.

The ad also so simply captures the dark, edgy mood of the series that has appealed to so many people-- bad weather, black moods, and nighttime action.  A the same time, we see that the villain of the film, which is always crucial for superhero movies, will be Bane;  this answers the main question that all the fans of the movie are asking: who will Batman fight?

Overall, I just really like the understated, yet revealing nature of the ad, I feel like it is the perfect ad at the point that it came out with still a year before the movie is released.  It may only give us just a taste of what's to come, but that taste lingers.

Memorable but Effective...?

After NBC's unprecedented high visibility decision to pull Conan O'Brien and reinstate Jay Leno as the host of the long-running Tonight Show in the middle of O'Brien's first season, Conan came out looking like the victim, and TBS quickly picked him up to become the host of a new late-night show, in an attempt to compete with NBC and ABC late night television programming.  This ad was part of the campaign to get people excited for the new show and confirm the rumors that TBS had indeed created a show for Conan.

I love the simplicity of the ad and the way it conveys Conan's personality and humor without him even saying anything.  The image of Conan, known for being tall and lanky, awkwardly trying to pose in a strong, serious pose that we could imagine Leno or Letterman doing in their commercials is very effective at many levels.  Obviously it captures Conan's hip, absurd brand of humor that appeals generally to younger generations; this humor awkward comedy is unique to Conan or at least this what the ad wants us to think. 

The ad also capitalizes on the sympathy that most people had for Conan after the ordeal with NBC.  That Conan wants us to laugh at his expense just makes him more personable to us, and less like a talk-show host that we can't relate to.  That the show is called simply "Conan" further emphasizes the approachable character of Conan, and stands in stark contrast to the other nightly programs.  We are on a first name basis with him.  Similarly, Conan's scruffy beard, which he did not have on the Tonight Show, makes him seem less like a talking head and differentiates him from the other clean-shaven hosts.

Symbolically, the ad shows us that Conan cannot be fit into the standard mold (or a chair); it embraces an outsider image of Conan in contrast to the other celebritized hosts.  It violates the general ad format of the other late night shows that always show the different scenes from past episodes.

TBS is well aware that everyone was waiting to see what Conan would do in reaction to his embarrassing predicament and this ad served as the strong answer to that unspoken question.  That so little is said just makes that this unusual, yet stylistic ad so much more striking and memorable.

However, I'm not sure that in the long run this ad was right decision for the show because Conan is so central to the ad.  Conan is the show and there is obviously no "Conan" without him.  As Conan goes, so goes the show.  The personalities of the other hosts are not nearly so central to the show; just by looking at the history of the shows indicates that the hosts are replaceable without too much difference in viewing numbers.  Because the other shows emphasize the celebrity guests who will be on rather than the host, I am still willing to watch the show to see the interviews even if I don't particularly like David Letterman, for example.  However if I don't like Conan, I'm probably not going to watch the show, and this is something that appears to hurting them.

As a loyal fan of the stylish AMC drama Mad Men I was very excited when I first saw this car ad online for Lincoln with Mad's John Slattery as the spokesman.  Using Slattery's image of a stylish, sophisticated worldly-wise man from the show, the ad shows him talking pointedly and succinctly as a voice of authority about the qualities of the Lincoln MKX.

Its a fitting match, particularly given Lincoln's target audience, which would seem to be middle-aged men who are in the same tax bracket as Slattery's character, people who perhaps are sophisticated or fantasize about being sophisticated and need someone that they can respect showing them why this car is worth it.  Constant flashes up to Slattery's face and clothes emphasizes that Lincoln is an accessory that matches the style that you exude in every other phase of your life.  Actually, I was rather surprised that Slattery's face was featured just as much as the sign of the Lincoln.

While this ad will probably be successful, I find it amusing that an imagined character is the most respected source on cars out there.  This just shows once again that people buy with their hearts not their heads.

Bleu de Chanel classy statement for unpredictability

Breaking out of the Box...(literally)

Tapping into our deeply our desire to free ourselves from others' expectations and the desire to be classy, the Bleu de Chanel tv ad really resonates with me at an emotional level, despite the fact that I am probably not a part of their targeted audience.  The ad draws us in by showing some brief glimpses into the past off-camera relationship life of a movie star/model from his own perspective,  which gives us the ability to relate to him as a real person.  In particular, the lingering camera shots on the faces of the actor and a girl from his past in these flashbacks remind me of that initial meeting with someone where you both feel an attraction to the other person but don't yet admit it verbally-- that exciting tension between vulnerability and reservation that everyone has experienced.

These quick flashbacks are on the actor's mind as he is being besieged at a crowded press conference, seemingly 10 microphones in his face and a hundred cameras flashing, and they contrast this present situation where his personal life is all but nonexistent and unimportant to the reporters.  One reporter is condescendingly repeating a question put to the actor, and everyone is impatiently waiting for him to answer it, presumably the way they expect him to.  But the actor is conflicted about whether he should just give them the answer that he is used to giving-- the superstar pop figure answer-- or whether he should be true to who he really is.  To add to the tension, he sees the girl from his past among the reporters nervously waiting for his answer.  Finally he makes up his mind and says, "I'm not going to be the person I'm expected to be anymore," and then strides away from the press conference as the walls of the room fall down.  

For me this ad is all about atmosphere.  I love the use of only black, white, and blue that gives the ad that stylized, sensuous feel of a posh, classy jazz club of classic film noir--the kind of place that you might day dream about walking into with a tailored three-piece suit and a beautiful date on my arm.  My only complaint is that the music isn't a lonely, muted trumpet playing some mellow song, but that would probably make the ad less appealing to most people today.

 The ad has made dreaming this fantasy even easier by providing us a classy guy aspire to be, since we already relate to him personally and we respect him for breaking out metaphorically (and literally) of his box.  Not to mention, he is a good-looking guy who is desired by this beautiful woman.  

You might notice that I haven't mentioned Blue de Chanel yet, but this is simply because the ad doesn't mention its fragrance until the end.  But honestly it doesn't need to because this ad is simply concerned about associating this beautifully drawn-out fantasy of style and class with their product, which it does with flying colors.  

Does this ad make me want to buy their fragrance?  Certainly, but will I go out now and actually do so?  Probably not  because I wouldn't buy any kind of cologne that costs as much as this one most likely costs.  However, if I had money to spend on cologne, I would certainly be more likely to buy Bleu de Chanel, even without having any idea of how it smells because I have this positive association with it.  And because this ad appeals to a timeless fantasy deeply ingrained in the American (male) conscious, I will probably still have a positive impression of  Chanel fragrances years down the line.