In this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated, Terminator Salvation continued its full on assault of the sports world by teaming up with Jeep to create this double truck ad. The strategy behind the ad is solid, but it misses on an opportunity to speak to a stationary audience.
The strategy behind the ad speaks to the ruggedness of the Jeep Rubicon. The Jeep Rubicon is so capable and comfortable that a robot chooses to take it out to its favorite fishing spot. If a machine that is hell bent on taking over the world and eradicating the human race can trust the Jeep Rubicon to get where it needs to go, anyone can. Imagination aside, the Rubicon is shown in the ad to be the exact vehicle you need to get you anywhere you need to go.
While I agree with the strategy behind the ad, I do not agree with the execution. This is a double truck ad, with entirely too much empty space. The robot fishing in the stream could be easily conveyed in the top two thirds of the ad, leaving the bottom third with space to convey some unique selling points of the vehicle. In my opinion when you have a stationary audience, like you do in a magazine, you should take that time to inform that audience of information you can’t fit into a TV or pre roll spot. This space could also be used to tie into the movie more. Having the unique selling points tie into the movie theme would be an entertaining way to convey interesting points for both the movie and the vehicle.
The ad feels like it was built plainly to appeal to both the movie clients and the vehicle clients. By doing that, both clients were shorted on what they could have been given.
What do you think about this print ad? Does it do anything to make you want to see the movie or drive a Jeep?
Baked Lays newest campaign, targeting women is riding the strategy that baked lays will help you get into or stay in shape. On the surface this strategy works. Women trying to trim a few pounds will be drawn to a product that will help them curb their cravings for unhealthy food. Everyone has cheat days. Everyone has cravings. The key to dieting is not totally cutting out the bad food. It’s limiting it to a manageable level, a level that allows you to attain your goals. Lays is trying to position its self as this product, but doesn’t do a very good job in this commercial.
In this commercial Lays shows a woman working out with her trainer. While the trainer goes to get some water, the woman cheats, hide and seek style. She stops working out and upon the return of the trainer, continues counting way ahead of where she actually is. The woman is utterly exhausted and collapses to the floor. Immediately after the woman collapses from exhaustion they show a bowl of baked lays. The voice over then comes in and says, “staying in shape can be deliciously fun”. At this point I’m very confused. Are Baked Lays some type of rehydration product? Will eating a handful of Baked Lays make me feel re-energized? Re-energized enough to finish my work out?
With the way this commercial is cut together Lays is positioning their product as a Gatorade type, re-energizing snack. The last thing I want immediately after working out is a bowl of chips. Baked Lays have 65% less fat than regular potato chips. That’s great. But how does that help you stay in shape. Will the Baked Lays run a mile for you? Or do 50 sits ups for you? No. Baked Lays can’t help you stay in shape.
Lays would be better suited positioning their product as the alternative to full fat snacks for people that are trying to get into or stay in shape. Show a woman in workout clothes at the store. She reaches for a bag of regular chips and has a flash back to her workout she just finished a half hour ago. Then she decides to grab the Baked Lays because they have 65% less fat. Make Baked Lays the snack you choose so you don’t ruin the work out you just finished. The emotional and rational connection would be far more effective this way. Baked Lays just aren’t believable as the product that will help you stay in shape.
What do you think about this commercial? Does the strategy work for you?
On a trip through the You Tube universe this past weekend I stumbled upon this old Wendy’s commercial. This first thing I thought was, wow, that was actually a good spot. I started looking further and found more and more classic commercials, both good and really, really bad. These gems have been collecting dust on the shelves of memories long enough. I am going to start bringing them back to life. Every Thursday I will reveal a different Old School commercial and dissect it like I do with current day spots. If you have any ideas for commercials that have gone the way of the dodo email me at UltimateAccountGuy@gmail.com or send me a tweet @TheAccountGuy.
Now on to this week’s Old School commercial.
Amid a sea of cardboard cut out burgers Wendy’s went out on a limb and proclaimed they were the unique burger in the fast food dinning experience. They used timely humor and a straightforward strategy as the platform to display all the options Wendy’s has to offer.
The strategy was perfect for the time. At the time fast food restaurants had very choices and there was almost no customized orders. Before Burg King started delivering burgers “Your Way, Right Away”, you were forced to take what was available. Clearly Wendy’s competitive advantage was the ability to get your burger the way you wanted it. This commercial does a great job of conveying the point that at Wendy’s you get exactly what you want and at other places you don’t.
As the dowdy Russian woman walks out again and again in the same outfit you’re hit with a laugh. Add on top of that a good jab at the hated enemy of the USSR and you get a great commercial that conveys a solid strategy and sticks in the mind of the consumer.
Let me know what you think about this spot? Does it hold up to the test of time?
Gillette has adjusted their strategy recently to capitalize on their current customer base. The newest spot for the Fusion blade has a talking blade telling a gentleman that it’s time to get a new blade. When the lubrication strip (also an indicator strip) turns white. It’s time to throw it out and get a new one.
Everyone learns in Marketing 101 that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. So the strategy to focus on keeping your current customers instead of going after the competition makes sense. It even makes sense to try to grow the revenue you receive from your current customer base. They are already buying your product. Why not try to get them to buy more?
It seems like a natural evolution until you think about the current situation of the economy. In this economy people aren’t as brand loyal as they usually are. They don’t feel the need to stick with one brand because that is what they always use. So when you tell your consistent customer of 5 years that he should be buying more of your product you run the risk of coming off as greedy. Granted, there is a payoff to ditching your razor (a better shave) when the indicator strip turns white. But when everywhere you look, people are cutting back and hunkering down to ride out this economic downturn, using your razor an extra week seems like the least you can do.
In my opinion, Gillette would be better served to offer some type of reward program if they want to focus on their current customer base. They could make a program where you sign up on their website, enter the skew numbers from your package of Fusion blades and after your 5th or 10th package you get a $5.00 off coupon. Or even a referral program to earn free packages would help to keep and engage your current customers and bring new customers into the fold at the same time.
Right now, it’s harder than ever for companies to keep their customers. Since it is so important to keep the customers you have already earned, they should be working harder and making it worth the customers while to stick around.
What do you think about this strategy? Is it a solid strategy to keep the customers Gillette already has?
