The substance behind McDonaldsLine Rider commercial is simply brand management. McDonalds is whoring the Line Rider brand, let alone someone else’ barely related ride, as thier own. McDonalds has very little value for this demographic so they have to expose line rider.
Sure the ride is nice, but the drawing is better. Notice the drawing doesn’t have to do with McDonalds food. I’d give McDonalds more props if they drew as fat a ride as their burgers are.
This is too much of a copy cat for me to be seen as giving much value. Sure it’s been seen a couple hundred thousand or a million times, but I’ll bet they could quadruple it if they made a good one. I think it’s a hack to throw in the yellow logo, we don’t want to see your logo like that…put it in the drawing or draw it like only the line rider could.
Another creative advertising technique follows the emotions do feel when you pull your ipod out of your pocket or when you put on that favorite shirt? Chances are every time you use a product (which is all the time) you usually feel an emotion for that product.
Some products make us feel confident, professional, effective, entertained, soothed, and perhaps like the recent Under Armour (underarmour) commercial a product may excite you.
We wanted you to recognize the emotion of excitement you may feel as you view this ad. Also take notice of the thoughts you have as you watch this Under Armour Super Bowl commercial.
You might notice that the cinematography also builds from the individual, their drive, effort and achievement, and collects that drive to a collective effort. This advertising technique of connecting the individual to the group so this individual athlete will feel part of the greats (also notice the use of the pro athletes).
How effective do you feel this Under Armour commercial “The game has changed, we are the future” is? It looks like to us that he ad caused a bump in searching for “under armour” on Google trends, but not something continuous or sustainable. Their alexa rank data has the same trend.
In advertising it is believed that the better communication strategy is to get your point across without actually having to spell it out to your audience. As such, advertisers often use metaphors to communicate their ideas. We believe, however, that there are reasons and degrees of deviance away from this advertising strategy that are appropriate. There are times when you can use a metaphor to support your idea, but also directly tell your audience how it is.
The recent E*Trade Super Bowl ads give us one example of appropriate deviance - watch the commercial:
In this ad, a talking baby shows how easy it is to buy stock when he says, “Check it, Click – I just bought stock. You just watched me buy stock. If I can do it, you can do it.” Then seems very surprised as he spits up on camera and says “Woah!”
The use of a baby by E*Trade is intentional. The baby is a metaphoric representation of how easy it is to trade stocks online with E*Trade. This creative advertising probably surfaced as the creative team brainstormed the metaphors they could use to communicate how easy their system is to use. Someone may have said something like, “so easy a baby could do it.”
Using a baby to communicate ease of use is about as close as you can come without spelling it out to their audience. The creative execution of the ad kept people entertained and pleased to see the ad again. You might argue that the ad wasn’t creative because they did spell it out to their audience by having the baby say: “If I can do it, you can do it.” Your argument would be very correct, had we not planned to introduce two exceptions.
Two exceptions to spelling it out for your audience are:
When a new product or service is being introduced and the customer needs detailed explanation.
When the point of the advertising is to demonstrate a function of the product(s)
The goal for E*Trade was to communicate one function of their product, how easy it is to use. Other advertisers have successfully used the same strategy, but a different metaphor, to communicate ease of use.
This campaign has been successful for E*Trade. Google searches for eTrade nearly tippled the day of the super bowl and the week after, as well as the February traffic to etrade.com has beat the trend line average.
Other advertisers have used this tactic as well. Remember, Geico’s Cave Man commercials?
Their tactic was the same: “So easy a Cave Man could do it!
One of the more popular 2008 superbowl ads resulted from the marketing of a combination of products. This example of crossover advertising showcases Bud Light and the upcoming movie with Will Ferrell “Semi-Pro”.
Will Ferrell in Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial as Jackie Moon from the movie Semi-Pro where he is a Player/Coach of the Flint Tropics basketball team in a spoof ad showing his character making up lines for his ad in character. He comes up with lines like, “Refreshes the Palette, And the loins” and the director is heard yelling “CUT!” then he ends with “Bud Light, Suck One”.
The technique of marketing two products or crossover advertising can:
Increase the complexity of the marketing message, so be careful when using it you may let it get out of control.
Increase the size of your customer base. Bud Light and movie producers now had the opportunity to introduce their product to the other’s company’s customer base. In today’s landscape of digital media and social networking companies can expect their ad to be picked up (for good or bad) by each customer type.
Decrease advertising costs.Promoting both products in the same advertising space allows advertisers to split the cost of the ad…in this case millions of dollars.
Promoting both may dilute the message.Getting too many things into an advertisement can reduce what people get out of it. This crossover ad is heavy on the Will Ferrell (or Semi-Pro).
Create an association (for good or bad).Most advertisers are pretty careful about what brands they associate with, but associating with a movie could be risky, especially if the movie ends up being a flop or controversial.
From the chatter we’ve seen about this ad, it seems to have produced well for Bud Light and Semi-Pro. We’re glad it’s worked out for them, but what are the other possible effects of crossover advertising?
You can discuss this with the AdBeef community here
Sunsilk Super Bowl Commercial - Tomorrow Can’t Wait
Description: This Superbowl Commercial with music from Madonna, Shakira, and Marilyn Monroe is all about their hair and image for this Sunsilk hair care ad from Unilever.
Coca Cola Super Bowl Commercial - Charley Brown Parade Float
Description: Superbowl ad features a Giant Underdog and The Family Guy Stewie as balloons fighting over the Coke bottle balloon until smiling Charlie Brown balloon wins with the Coke. Commercial ends with Coke branding and slogan, “The Coke side of life.”
Classic Coke Super Bowl Commercial - Political Jinx
Description: Republican Bill Frist and Democrat James Carville are shown debating the 2008 election on television in this Superbowl commercial, when both say the word “wrong” simultaneously. “Jinx, buy me a Coke,” one representative says. They both go outside, and drink coke, while touring Washington DC and watching basketball, happily sharing different perspectives. Commercial ends with Coke branding and slogan, “The Coke side of life.”
Toyota Sequoia Super Bowl Commercial
Description: Toyota Sequoia Super Bowl Commercial Ad, “Anything but Ordinary” introduces the “All-New Toyota Sequoia: Anything but Ordinary” car, with plenty of extra room for all ocassions shows a tricycle race with adults racing big wheel trikes, which are shown piled high atop the all new model of the Toyota sport utility vehicle. The on-screen graphics show the line, “The dishes will wait, Life won’t.” Commercial ends with “Toyota. Moving Forward.” as “The Mongoose Flies” plays in the background.
eTrade Super Bowl Commercial - Baby Throw Up
Description: A talking baby shows how easy it is to buy stock when he says, “Check it, Click – I just bought stock. You just watched me buy stock. If I can do it, you can do it.” Then seems very surprised as he spits up on camera and says “Woah!”
Taco Bell Super Bowl Commercial
Description: Taco Bell Super Bowl Commercial Ad introduces its new Fiesta Platter with a Mexican mariachi band, wearing sombreros and playing guitars. They encourage the office workers to take a break before the meeting and enjoy the Fiesta Platter.
Gatorade Super Bowl Commercial - G2 Dog, Man’s Best Friend
Description: In This Super Bowl commercial a thirsty dog laps up Gatorade Hydration Drink, then looks for more when he’s finished. Man’s best friend is seen with three flavors of Gatorade beside his water bowl on the floor.
Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial - Will Ferrel Commercial Lines
Description: Will Ferrell in Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial as Jackie Moon from the movie Semi-Pro where he is a Player/Coach of the Flint Tropics basketball team in a spoof ad showing his character making up lines for his ad in character. He comes up with lines like, “Refreshes the Palette, And the loins” and the director is heard yelling “CUT!” then he ends with “Bud Light, Suck One.
Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial - Genesis
Description: This Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial introduces the new 2008 Genesis luxury sedan car. The copy reads, “More spacious than a BMW 7-series. Priced like a 3-series. Introducing the 375 horsepower Hyundai Genesis. Summer 2008. Think about it.”
Victoria’s Secret Super Bowl Commercial
Description: Victoria’s Secret Superbowl Commercial Ad features model Adriana Lima, toying with a football in sexy VS lingerie. Script reads “Victoria’s Secret would like to remind you, the game will soon be over. Let the real games begin. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Amp Super Bowl Commercial - Energy - Jump Start
Description: Tow Truck driver needs Amp energy drink in this Super Bowl Commercial to help stranded motorist generate enough power to get started again. Music, jumper cables and an interesting tow truck with extending speakers play a supporting cast to Amp Energy Drink in this Ad.
Here are the 2008 3rd Quarter Super Bowl Commercials
Claritin Super Bowl Commercial - Nascar
Description: Claritin Non-Drowsy Allergy Medication is promoted by NASCAR Driver Carl Edwards which he claims he would feel safe using while driving at 180 miles per hour on the race track.
Cars.com Super Bowl Commercial - Witch Doctor
Description: A car buyer talks with a car sales manager about how he was prepared by cars . com for his auto purchase by getting information using the dealer locator, “Otherwise I was going to have to go to Plan B.” The sales manager asks “What was plan B?” Car buyer points to a witch doctor in the waiting area and says, “I was going to have you a witch doctor shrink your head.” He looks at the witch doctor, then a salesman comes to the office door asking, “Hey Ted can I take off, I got a tiny head” (it has been shrunken). The manager, looks back at the buyer, who says, “Sorry about that, I should get him outta here.
Sales Genie Super Bowl Commercial - Panda
Description: Ling-Ling’s House of Bamboo Furniture frets he will lose his business due to lack of sales but his wife suggest that he use SalesGenie . com to find more leads in the Super Bowl Commercial.
Vitamin Water Super Bowl Commercial - Shaq Jockey
Description: Shaquille O’Neal plays a new jockey riding a horse named “Chunk of Love” and “wants a crown to go with all those rings!” according to the horse race track announcer calling the race with excited, very fast chatter and rattling off the names of horses. O’Neal looks almost as large as the race horse he’s riding as he works his way from the back of the pack to the front, with a few basketball foul moves and ends up smiling at the track camera for the photo finish. He towers over all the jockey’s in the winners circle as he drinks from the Glaceau Vitamin water after winniing the race “by a nose” and is smacked on the butt by a jockey walking by, much like on the basketball court, but here O’Neal appears startled by it.
Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial - Cave Men Wheel and Party
Description: Funny Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial shows cave man who invents the Wheel to help move a stone Cooler to a party, but it is used to carry the cooler and is rather heavy. An on screen translation of the cave men groaning under the weight the subtitle reads, “Wheel Suck!” and the ad ends with another caveman breaking a Bud Light bottle with a rock, then saying, “Bottle opener Suck!”
Ice Breakers Super Bowl Commercial - Carmen Electra
Description: This Icebreakers Ice Cube Gum Super Bowl Ad features Carmen Electra, posing for photos and autographs among a line of fans. One fan offers Electra gum in the commercial, which she tries and states, “Woah.” Voice over reads… “Ice Cubes gum…So surprisingly cold, beware of the spontaneous ‘woah’.
Bridgestone Super Bowl Commercial - Richard Simmons
Description: Bridgestone Tire Super Bowl Commercial shows a deer in the headlights of a speeding car on a dark, rainy, curvy road. But the driver easily steers around it as the tires hold the road. The next hazard is musician Alice Cooper in stage make-up picking up something that looks like a snake from the road and again the drive steers around with ease. Finally Richard Simmons performing calisthentics on the roadway causes the driver to accelerate and appears to intend to hit him, but again steers around the road hazard without problem. The announcer intones, “For drivers who want to get the most out of their car, it’s Bridgestone or nothing.
Careerbuilder.com Super Bowl Commercial - Firefly
Description: This Career Builder Super Bowl Commercial shows a man looking out the window, wishing for a new job. The firefly at the window starts to hum with him and point to a star to wish upon. Song stops abruptly when a spider catches and traps the bug. Copy reads, “Wishing won’t get you a better job. Start building. CareerBuilder . com.”
Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial - Genesis Luxary
Description: Hyundai’s new Genesis 2008 car model is introduced in this Super Bowl Commercial ad. Voice over says, “Ahh yes, the Genesis. A brand new luxury car as spacious as the Mercedes S Class, yet priced like a C class. Making its debut during the big game…” This copy reads, “Hyundai. Think about it. Introducing the 375 horsepower Hyundai Genesis. Summer 2008.”
Here are the Second Quarter 2008 Super Bowl Commercials
Gatorade Super Bowl Commercial - G2 Derek Jeter
Description: Derek Jeter Brings a Baseball Field to the Streets of SoHo in New York. The grass sprouts just ahead of him as he walks the sidewalk and streets and forms a field under his feet. He crosses the road from a sidewalk and says, “Hmm, Nice Field!” as he looks at it appear in front of him. The final seconds has a football field forming under the feet of Peyton Manning as he watches Jeter’s commercial on a bar TV.
GoDaddy.com Super Bowl Commercial - Danica Patrick
Description: This GoDaddy Super Bowl commercial takes advantage of their difficulty getting risqué ads approved for airing on the Super Bowl by inviting viewers to visit their web site to see the banned ads which were turned down by the network as being in poor taste. A Super Bowl game viewing party has a group of people leaping to the computer to see the banned GoDaddy “Beaver” ad on their site. GoDaddy domain name seller uses beautiful spokesperson and celebrity Nascar driver Danica Patrick as a draw by showing her starting to unzip her top.
Dell Computer Super Bowl Commercial - Red XPS Laptop
Description: In This Dell Super Bowl Commercial, a guy walks down the street carrying a Dell laptop (in special edition red for the Global Fund to Fight Aids in Africa) and seems to attract a crowd who all cheer and applaud him for owning the “Product Red” version of the XPS line of high-end Windows based Dell computers.
FedEx Super Bowl Commercial - Pigeons
Description: This Superbowl Ad shows an employee telling his boss that he’s solved their shipping problems with carrier pigeons making those deliveries for the company. The boss asks, “What about the big stuff?” and the man proudly claims, “We’ve solved that problem” as the camera pans to the roof of the building, where giant pigeons are taking off with packages, but dropping them in the street below. The boss says, “Let’s switch to Fedex. The ad ends as a giant pigeon picks up a compact car from the street below and it crashes through the office window when the bird drops it on the way upward. The car crashes down after teetering on two wheels and the car alarm is going strong. The embarrassed employee pulls his remote from his pocket and turns off his car alarm sheepishly.
Cars.com Super Bowl Commercial - Fire Ring Warrior - Plan B
Description: A car buyer talks with a car salesman about how he was prepared by cars . com for his auto purchase by getting information using his cell phone on the pricing information, “Otherwise I was going to have to go to Plan B.” The salesman asks “What was plan B?” Car buyer points to an extreme tattooed fighter and says, “I was going to have you fight Klondor in a stone circle death match.” Klondor screams and car buyer suggests that the salesman step out of the flaming stone circle, “Just so there’s no confusion.” The salesman jumps out quickly and the buyer says, “Klondor, let’s pack it up.”
Tide to Go Super Bowl Commercial - Yelling Stain Interview
Description: This Super Bowl commercial shows a man job interviewing with a stain beside his tie on his white shirt. Every time he speaks, the stain talks loudly over him, so the interviewer is distracted. Commercial ends featuring the Tide-to-Go pen, to remove stains before they out talk you. Voice over says, “Get famous at mytalkingstain . com”.
Budweiser Clydesdale Training
Description: Budweiser Beer Commercial in which Hank the Clydesdale horse is not chosen for the beer wagon team one year. He is befriended by a Dalmation, who then becomes his trainer for a year working him in the rain, having him lift loads and pull train cars to get in shape. One year later, Hank is chosen quickly as the coach tells him “Welcome aboard Hank.” The ad ends with a high five, er, hoof to paw congratulatory gesture between Clydesdale horse and dalmation dog.
Toyota Corolla Super Bowl Commercial - Quiet Interior
Description: In this Toyota Corolla Superbowl Commercial Ad, a typical guy is locked inside a Corolla with a group of “Ferocious sleeping badgers … who will gnaw his face off if awakened.” The newborn badger babies nursing on their mother are not awakened by the cannon fired outside the car, but react badly when his cell phone rings in his pocket. The clear message is that the car is well insulated for noise as a benefit not usual to economy cars.
Garmin Super Bowl Commercial - Napolean
Description: Napoleon Drives to the battlefield with the help of a Garmin Nuvi GPS. His trademark gesture of the hand inside his coat comes while he attempts to hide the GPS from the troops gathered waiting for him.
Career Builder.com Super Bowl Commercial - Heart Quits
Description: This Career Builder Super Bowl Commercial features a woman miserable in her job, with boss laughing at her. She stares down as her heart shoots out of her chest onto her keyboard. The heart grows legs, and marches to the boss’ office, holding a sign, “I Quit.” Copy reads, “Follow your heart. Start building. CareerBuilder . com.”
Sobe Life Super Bowl Commercial - Naomi Campbell
Description: Sobe Life Water Super Bowl Commercial thirty naked lizards dance with Naomi Campbell to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” after drinking Sobe LifeWater, which charges the lizards with rhythm.
ONDCP Super Bowl Commercial - Drug Dealer
Description: This Office of National Drug Control Policy Super Bowl Commercial has a drug dealer saying “Next Time something goes south with your kids, don’t look at me man, ain’t my problem. I didn’t do it – wish I did!” says a drug dealer as he hangs in a convenience store parking lot looking for kids to sell drugs to. “Business is slow.” He says as he paces the empty parking lot. “They’re gettin’ high for free man, outa the medicine cabinet – How am I supposed to compete with that?” The ad from the White House Office of Drug Control Policy ad encourages parents to safeguard their medicine cabinets to stop kids from taking prescription drugs. The spot ends with a link to www . theantidrug . com and the 1-800-788-2800 number to call for Partnership for a drug free America.
GMC Yukon Hybrid Super Bowl Commercial
Description: This Super Bowl Ad features animated line drawing struggling to push a giant rock up a hill and eventually succeeds in reaching the top, exhausted. The scene cuts to a studio shot of a white GMC Yukon full size SUV and a screen graphic displays the line, “50% Better Mileage in a full size SUV is now a reality.
Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial Carlos ManciaTeaches English
Description: Bud Light Super Bowl Ad with Carlos Mencia teaching immigrants how “American Chicks love the Foreign Accent – Go!” which produces several unlikely pick-up lines from the foreign and diverse cultures. One Rrussion immigrant says to two women, “We make sandwich, I am da meat!” as he stands between them. Another tells a woman “You have the thighs of a Sherpa!” and another turns down Mencia as he attempts to demonstrate a better approach, but is turned down by a woman when she says, “Sorry, I’m with someone” – another of his students, who lifts a bottle and says in his heavy accent, “Bood Light!”
Planters Nuts Super Bowl Commercial: Woman Attracts Men w/ Nuts
Description: In this Super Bowl Ad, an unattractive, badly dressed woman with a unibrow, big mole, bad smile and poor figure attracts the attention of men everywhere she goes by using the scent of Planters Cashew Nuts. Her secret is rubbing the cashews on her skin each time she gets ready to go out. The commercial is full of physical comedy with men crashing through windows, into cars and each other as she passes by. The soundtrack is Frankie Valli singing “Too Good To be True” as men stare longingly after her as she passes.
T-Mobile Super Bowl Commercial - Barkley Adds Dwayne Wade to MyFaves
Description: Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade gets an offer from Charles Barkley to be in Barkley’s T-Mobile MyFaves and is so happy, he says, “Call me anytime!” He regrets the offer after he gets calls at all hours and always when he is busy doing something else like showering, sleeping, eating, practicing on the basketball court or “I’m driving through a tunnel!” Fave 5 turns out to be more than Wade expects as he gets calls on his T-Mobile cell phone from Barkley giving advice on his last game, questions about his diet and trivia when he wants to hear it least.
Pepsi Stuff Super bowl Commercial Justin Timberlake
Description: The Pepsi Stuff promo shows Justin Timberlake being drawn toward a woman and somehow pulled through space, off the ground, by some magnetic force. He crashes and gets beat up by his strange experience being pulled through space and having close and sometimes painful encounters with immovable objects and experiencing near misses with death. The campaign is to promote free stuff from Pepsi, like free MP3 downloads or even giant flat screen TV’s. Justin Timberlake music is one of the free MP3 downloads.
Doritos Super Bowl Commercial - Mouse Trap, BIG Mouse
Description: This Doritos Super Bowl Commercial shows the owner of a mansion trying to trap a mouse. He cuts a cheesy Doritos cracker with an exact-o knife and sets it in a mousetrap right outside the mouse hole. Just as he sits down to watch and eat some Doritos, a giant mouse costume tackles him, and proceeds to beat him for eating all the Doritos.
Here are the 2008 Super Bowl First Quarter Commercials
Bud Light Breath Fire Super Bowl Commercial:
Description: Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial shows a romantic dinner where a woman starts to light candles on the dinner table until the man says, “Allow me” and gracefully breathes fire to light them instead. She sits back, dumb-founded and says, “Wowwww” but then the guy asks, “do you have a cat?” because he is apparently allergic. He begins to sneeze, shooting fireballs across the room, singeing the tablecloth, the cat, and much of the room before he gets it under control. The last cut shows an angry woman, holding a charred cat and the guy saying, “I’m Really Sorry!” and a voice-over says, “No longer available with the ability to breathe fire.
Audi Super Bowl Commercial - God Father R8
Description: This Audi R8 Super Bowl Commercial recalls the Godfather movie when it shows a rich man awaking in his bed to find himself covered in oil and grease (rather than blood), with his old car bumper and grill at the foot of the bed under the covers (instead of a horse head). “Old luxury has been put on notice” Camera pans out to see the mansion front with the new Audi R8 luxury sports car revving its engine to leave the scene of the crime. “TruthinEngineering . com”
Diet Pepsi Max Super Bowl Commercial - Nodding Off
Description: This Super Bowl Ad for Diet Pepsi Max with more caffeine and Ginseng extract appears to help everyone in this commercial stop nodding off on the job. It starts with a Super Bowl Sportscaster nodding off into his microphone, then proceeds through people in several jobs falling asleep while working. Those who drink it start nodding their heads to the beat of the music instead.
You may recognize this as a parody of Saturday Night Live’s popular skit “A Night at the Roxbury” featuring Chris Kattan, who also makes a cameo appearance at the end of the commercial. A voice-over yells “Wake Up People!”
Sales Genie Super Bowl COmmercial - Boss Threatens to Fire Salesman
Description: Super Bowl commercial for SalesGenie . com opens with cranky boss, Hank Bullymonger threatening to fire a salesman named Ramesh, who he claims is the worst sales person in the company, unless he improves his sales. Ramesh panics an searches at “Genie” search engine to find SalesGenie . com where they offer to provide 100 free sales leads for every salesperson in a company
Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial - Wine and Cheese Party
Description: Bud Light Super Bowl Ad brings together four friends with interesting ways to disguise their beer in fake bread, cheese and hide a portable TV inside a wine box in the kitchen while their wives sip wine in the living room. The guy who brought the six-pack under a fake cheese wheel leaves the party telling his wife, “I’m going on a cheese run!”
Under Armor Super Bowl Commercial
Description: Epic Super Bowl commercial for Under Armor cross trainer shoes athletes in multiple events and settings training for their sporting events. The dramatic final scene shows 25 famous athletes and dozens more in a crowd scene listening to an announcement to the competition, “You are the prototypes, the future is ours!”
Bridgestone Super Bowl Commercial - Squirrel vs Car - Screaming
Description: A Squirrel in pursuit of an acorn hops into the highway to face a speeding car approaching, The squirrel screams as he sees the car fast approaching, then other forest animals, including a raccoon, a deer, a turtle, an owl, a bunny and other squirrels all scream with him, the driver of the car looks puzzled as wife screams, then easily steers around the screaming squirrel with a close-up of the bridgestone tires performing this maneuver without protest.
Have you ever tried to portray to your customers, through advertising, what their life would be like without your product?
Not that we’re taking sides on this animal rights issues, but recently PETA launched a new advertising campaign targeted at associating those who abuse animals by cropping their ears and using other mortal and genetic manipulation to ensure a pure blood line, to the Ku Klux Klan, who also tried to ensure a “pure bloodline”. If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look.
Check out the video:
As the ad progressed we felt the shock of comparing a lot of animal owners to the Klu Klux Klan. This creative advertising technique, with this shocking comparison, consumers may begin to question their purchase of a purebred pet, which supports PETA’s mission.
Adding to our list of creative advertising techniques is the tactic to compare a consumer not using your product or following your cause to the plague.
For Verizon Wireless was it the white guy with the dark glasses and the rest of the “network”? For AllState Insurance was it the black guy explaining the ad and their offers and always asking “are you in good hands”? For Michelin Tires was it the marshmallow/Michelin tires guy? For Career Builder, the monkeys? For Wendys, was it Wendy or Dave Thomas? Who came to mind when it came to Apple Computers, Steve Jobs, or another guy?
An important element in your advertising, whether you realize it or not, or whether you are intentional about executing it is the persona you give your brand by the talent and spokesperson you use for your ads.
The word “persona” is defined on Wikipedia as: “A persona, in the word’s everyday usage, is a social role, or a character played by an actor.”
This creative advertising technique is always important to consider when creating your advertising. The examples we’ve mentioned communicate a strong persona that they want mentioned with their brand.
The AdBeef community is discussing the Apple vs PC commercials and of the elements mentioned is the persona Apple Computers is portraying with their acting talent.
You will also note the persona created by competitors. Apple does a favor for Microsoft and creates for them the persona of a the statistical nerd. You can empower and add to the favor-ability of your brand by portraying your competitors in a way that is less favorable to the target audience.
THE LAST PIXEL:
Advertisers have the opportunity to communicate an attitude, lifestyle, level of creativity, and among other things, a status for their brand and product. The same strategy exists to communicate a message and persona about your competitors. Take a note about the talent you use, and what they inherently communicate.
