Super Bowl Ads: What did you like?

Hi all!

I have returned after a little vacation, just in time to bring you my thoughts on the Super Bowl spots. There are so many reviews of the ads, from the professional to basic public opinion. For what it’s worth, here is my take on what stood out as good and bad.

Many people did like the Audi “Kenny G” ad. I liked this too. I thought it was inventive, interesting and entertaining.

In contrast, I thought the Groupon ad was just insulting and bad. I have read they did it for a good cause, but the message did not come across. Since this is their first shot at advertising, I personally think it failed.

As a close second worst, the chatter.com was just horrible. It was confusing and offered no reason for anyone to visit the site or find out about their business. I would also throw the Eminem Brisk spot in the ‘bad’ category.

I did like both the Chrysler and BMW “Made in America” ads. I thought they had a strong message in both quality and branding.

Two other spots that got little attention, but that I thought were well done, were the Optima and thedaily.com – both had strong brand messages.

As I had commented in an earlier post, I didn’t think the Pepsi Max and Doritos spots were up to Super Bowl caliber. They were popular, and some a product of crowdsourcing, but I think they just served to entertain and not do anything for the brand overall.

I won’t post them here, ‘cause you can see them just about anywhere this week. As always, would love to hear some opinions.

This I Like!

Yesterday I pointed out the really bad. Today, thought I would bring you something I thought was really well done.

Men’s underwear. Hard to be creative, you mostly see crotch shots. You may have seen this ad, if you have I apologize, it has been on the air for about six months now. But you have to give Fruit of the Loom credit for their creativity. Maybe I am just a sucker for a nice piano riff, but I do think this is well executed, screams of brand recognition, and gives life to an otherwise boring product category. And take a look at the microsite – talk about continuity and getting the most out of a great concept.

Now I would say this is an example of a solid, attention-getting campaign. Of course, I guess they could lose the fruit, foam up and fly birds around – but thankfully they seem to have a clear marketing strategy and great creative. They have a few other spots and songs out there, but this one is just precious. Hats off to The Richards Group who created this ad!

Here are the lyrics so you can sing along!

Are you boxers, are you briefs,
Or something in between?
Do you dream in heather gray,
Or a place where trunks are mostly bluish green?
With a waistband softer than the rain.
Well, I don’t care what you want to wear down there
‘Cause I got everything you need.
I won’t leave you bare, in your search for underwear.
From country roads to mansions by the sea.
‘Cause if it ain’t Fruit, you’ll never live… Comfortably.

You’re Stupid

I am switching my focus to print ads today. Sometimes I point out what I think is good, sometimes I point out what I think is bad. This one falls into neither category. This falls into the ‘absurdly horrible’ category.

This is an ad for Old Spice. They have done some strange ads lately, but this one tops them all. Let me make my case for why it is ‘absurdly horrible.’

1. The image is bizarre.
2. The image has no relation to the product.
3. The copy points out zero attributes about what we seek out when buying deodorant or antiperspirant.
4. The copy insults you, telling you that ‘you are insane’ if you don’t think Old Spice is great smelling or that you can’t find this image on their site.
5. The tagline, “Greatest Smell in the NFL” is just bad. I don’t associate scents when I watch a football game. If my mind would even wander there (which it never once has), I wouldn’t think of a “great smell.”

What were they thinking? Let’s pick the weirdest visual we can think of, guy riding a black bird dressed in foam holding product out with lightning coming out of it and godlike silhouette of his face for the background image. The player (godlike silhouette) is staring into the sky, I guess the other god, thanking him with his eyes for such a great product. And the kicker, the last and largest bold line of copy, "YOU ARE INSANE." And what's with the foam? Does this product spray your armpits like "Scrubbing Bubbles?" Don’t you just love ads that insult you, especially those that insult you on an intelligence level – straight out calling you stupid!

Not one product attribute. Well, let me correct myself, it does say it is great-smelling.

I think of deodorant as keeping me dry, and sweat free. If I want to smell good, I use cologne. They paid a lot to get the NFL logo in there, and they used one of the most powerful and expensive sponsorships only to create an ad that simply sucks.

I am not sure where else this was placed, but I saw it in GQ. Now I guess I am just not manly enough to imagine my gentleman self dressed in foam, riding a bird through a lightning storm. If I was, I guess I would be using Old Spice like all gentlemen do?

My takeaway from this ad is that I am just stupid for not using this product or realizing that I might be able to see their ads on their site. I think the insanity lies solely with the creative director that approved this ad. Or, as I sometimes know happens, the misguided client that directed it.

What You Can’t Live Without!

You might not have everything you need, but this is certainly something that is so important, so monumental that you should skip your mortgage or car payment and get this today!

For a mere $130 to $150 bucks (I did the Euro conversion for you), get this, you could get a ring from a company in Amsterdam (no it doesn’t come with your favorite illegal drug) that has your favorite tweet engraved on it! Oh I know you are thinking that it is ridiculous, but hear me out.

You tweet that you just went to the store because you ran out of Vitamin Water. Your tweet is so clever like, “Gotta go get some more Vitamin Water.”

I mean, who would not want to wear that around on their finger? I would buy a few to give to my friends. Or maybe you are a bit political and want, “Global warming sucks. But it is freezing in Maine, where’s my sweater?”

Or perhaps you have a little one and he/she just threw up. You want to tell the world. “Baby just threw up, got some on my laptop. KKKKKEEYS R STTTTIICKKINGGG.”

Maybe you are lovesick. “Jimmy-Joe broke up with my ass, gonna kill him.”

Tweets are so special, who wouldn’t want one to wear one around their finger? And for just a little over a hundred bucks (international shipping and handling not included) you could be one of the first to set the sure-to-be-the-next-trend in jewelry.

Of course, if you are cheap, you could just print your tweet and put it on your inspiration board. But hey, think of the attention you will get when people see your mundane thoughts printed right there on your finger. The wiser of my readers will just give them the finger.

If you want to see the next corporation that will have a 10 billion dollar evaluation…be sure not to look here.

But what do I know? Fred Smith (creator of FedEx) proposed his company for an MBA thesis. He got a C and was told the idea was impossible and made little logistical sense.

I’m thinking wallpaper my living room with pictures of Facebook friends. Although, if they unfriend me, would I have to move? Would the new buyers be required to adopt all my old friends?

Can’t Seem to Find Anything Good Out There

I study and write advertising for a living. My company has a variety of areas we focus in. I am always looking around for advertising that is good and different to show you, something that sets a new bar. Yet, I can’t seem to find anything of merit these days. Maybe it is the economy and the advertisers are being safe? Nobody taking chances to stand out?

If you read my last post, you saw the pathetic Pepsi Max and Doritos ads for the Super Bowl. A friend of mine pointed out these ads for Allstate which I do think are fairly decent for an insurance company. But other than that, I haven’t seen anything on TV or found anything in my searches worth posting. Take a look at these and tell me what you think. And if you have any suggestions for others, would love to hear them.

Anything you think breaks through the clutter and gets your attention. I did get a lot of feedback on the Pantene ad I posted a week ago, that was truly original and moving. But does anyone have any suggestions for me? If not, I will have to rely on my sarcasm and only focus on the stupid ads! In the meantime, you can watch these. Entertaining.

What an Odd (and Stupid) Strategy

The Super Bowl of not just football, but of advertising, is just a few weeks away. And PepsiCo, owner of both Pepsi and Doritos, has adopted a strategy that just doesn’t make sense to me.

You can go to a site and vote on the ad you want to see during the Super Bowl. Think about that. You can watch all the ads or ‘contenders’ online right now, then they will spend over $6 Million (minimum, estimated) so you can watch them again on Super Bowl Sunday.

I’m scratching my head over this one. Of course the only reason for having the site is to drive traffic and have as many people as possible visit that site. So they probably will get millions of people to go and see the ads. Now I ask, what is the point?

Super Bowl estimated viewing is in the 150 million range (U.S.). And as most of us know, depending on the game, placement at strategic times during the game is critical. If it is a blowout, people drop off dramatically during 4th quarter. If it is a close game, 4th quarter is the absolute best time slot.

Now as a media buyer, you have to make the choice before the game, kinda like betting Las Vegas style.

But as a consumer, if I have already watched the 10 spots on this site, they will have absolutely no impact on me during the estimated $3 million dollar buy that takes up :30 of my life. Unless of course, you are such a loser that your life is based around going to this site, voting and having the satisfaction of seeing the spot you voted for, aired. Now that puts you into a pretty pathetic category. It would qualify you for America’s biggest loser.

So why make all these spots (production costs for TV spots are enormous), only to air a few? This is their idea of a great promotional tactic? Why not say, have a simple sweepstakes and give 5 people a million each. It would be cheaper in the long run, and have more impact. Or say, give a 12 pack away free to a bunch of people, by my math, they could give away 5 million of them for what they are spending on this effort.

Now answer me this, what would be more impactful for you to purchase Pepsi Max in the future? A juvenile bathroom humor Super Bowl spot you see at a Super Bowl party where you might just catch part of the spot (could be your bathroom or beer break), or free 12 pack?

And in reality, it isn’t the Pepsi’s of the world where we see memorable, permanent branding spots. They usually come from the companies that are trying to break through, and they usually take some chances. Quick, other than the Cindy Crawford spot, think of one Pepsi or Doritos spot that you remember from a Super Bowl. Yeah, as I suspected, probably not a one.

After watching the new spots, not one of them even made me smile. They are so ordinary, so formulaic, so bland, so just…boring.

Some advice to PepsiCo. Take the money and lower your product cost. Or just give away thousands and thousands of little rewards to a multitude of consumers throughout the year.

But that isn’t going to happen. This is all ego driven. Nice box seats for the CEO and few key buyers. I reluctantly give you the website where you can vote. Tell me if you agree.

Here it is, or as I call it, as lame as you possibly could get.

What marketing genius is behind this colossal waste of money? These could easy be put in the record book as some of the worst spots created. Really sad, disappointing and painful to watch.

Celebrity Scents – Sweet Jewd

It has been said that “Our greatest weakness can be turned into our biggest strength.” Which got me thinking about the plethora of celebrities coming out with new lines of perfumes, colognes, and apparel.

We know both Mel Gibson and Jude Law have some anger issues. So what if they teamed up to create a new cologne, you know, for that studly, kinda sweet but angry guy demographic. Jude Law threw oranges at college girls, Mel threw a bunch of racial and radical comments, and, allegedly a few punches. So why not pack that power in to one new wallop.

Their cologne could be called - Sweet Jewd – that orangey scent that drives women mad.

And if that was successful, their clothing line could be – Orangies – yoga wear with a built in microchip that randomly spurts out things like, “You’re so fat. You’re so ugly. Stop looking at me, look at your nasty self. You’re just a f#%ing ________.” You know, as an incentive for self-improvement.

It could solve both of their PR problems and make them some cash in the meantime – I don’t think anyone will be rushing to the theatres to see either of them very soon.

What's Next?

With the inevitable death of MySpace (laying off 50% of the company), Facebook trying to be all things to all people (we know how that works out), the complete confusion of what Twitter is (unless it’s just me), Jaiku?, Foursquare?, and a host of other ‘social’ outlet wannabes, what’s next? Remember AOL and chat rooms?

We do have Augmented Reality (AR), which is really cool and being applied in special cases around the world. If you haven’t seen it, you should. Total Immersion is a pioneering company in the technology. It’s not really social media, but could have some nice apps associated with it.

But when you break it all down, isn’t it all really about two simple things? Getting/keeping in touch with other humans. Obtaining information.

Google really started the whole ball rolling, putting most of the information in the world at our fingertips. Then of course came the ‘smart phone.’

And now as we all jumped into this new tech world, our own security and identity has become sort of an open book. I saw a story where they reported that in another ten years the big thing will be people changing their names and identities, because the youth of today has naively opened their lives up to the world.

So again I ask, what’s next? What is the 2011 headline grabber? Wikileaks certainly became a household word almost overnight in 2010. Facebook is strong and still on the radar, for now. The Kindle and iPad have opened up new worlds for us.

I don’t really know what it will be, but I know what I would like to see.

I would like holographic TV integrated with social media. I mean, I don’t want to get up and get dressed and go to a party. I want all my friends and ‘followers’ to be in the same room with me virtually, just partying. I wouldn’t have to leave my couch. Imagine holographs of your friends and even the creepy people that follow you sitting around your house, doing all those things you do at a bar, party, etc.

I could have my holograph Mom come over and sit next to me watching ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (and I could mute her commentary), play Wii Tennis with three people I don’t know, have a jam session with U2, have Joe Rogan and Eddie Izzard telling me jokes, get totally drunk, and before passing out, just click them all out of the room. All in one night.

Of course my AHMAS (Automated Holographic Memory Archive System) would record the whole thing for later entertainment and my BITCH (Beauty Intensified Tweaking Callous-removing Hydroxylation) System would make me look flawless, muscle-bound and godlike in appearance throughout.

Can someone come up with that technology for me? I would pay $9.99/mo for it!

It’s Hard to Be Different

In advertising, as I’ve said before, it is really hard to create something that shines, no pun intended here. You don’t have to slap your logo all over the place, you don’t have to be outrageous, you don’t have to do a lot of things, but there is one thing that works, one thing you have to do.

And that one thing is to capture the heart, emotion and attention of your consumer. If you can accomplish that, you will have created a great ad. A memorable ad. An ad that will live well beyond its playtime and will link you in a magical way with your customer. This is one of the best examples that I have seen doing just that.

Are the Fast Food Restaurants Responsible for Our Obesity?

This time of year, the ‘resolution time,’ we are inundated with weight loss ads. I don’t know the exact dollars spent, but I assume about 25% of the ads we see in January are about weight loss. (Another big chunk in spring, ‘bikini season’). That is just based on my experience, I don’t have the numbers to back it up. I did do my own research based on prime time shows and that is how I came up with the 1 in 4 formula.

Fast Food restaurants get the blame for our obesity, always. Seducing us with tantalizing food shots and TV spots that advertise incredible deals that are impossible to pass up.

But what is the real truth? An excellent show, Penn and Teller’s: Bullshit, did an episode on this topic (entitled, "Fast Food").

Most fanatics love to blame it on genetics, or some other less scientific excuses. But really, what we put in our bodies, that is totally our choice, right? Do we actually believe that a number 10 special, big size meal (take your choice of Fast Food restaurants here) are actually low fat, healthy and harmless to our bodies? According to Penn and Teller’s show, we aren’t that stupid. We know what we are doing. And I couldn’t agree more. The show is on Showtime, see if you can find the episode on Fast Food.

Is there anyone out there (with an IQ above 75) that believes a plate of broccoli, beans, a lean fish – is actually worse for you than anything we can get at a fast food drive through? And don’t be fooled by the salad phenomenon, most of us smother it with fattening dressing and think we are doing right by our bodies. And it is also a myth that healthy food is tasteless, you just have to know what you are doing, hundreds of books on the subject to read.

Likewise, if I put before you a plate of fresh cut veggies – red peppers, celery, carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, some spinach leaves – next to a plate with a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake – could you possibly be fooled into thinking the first plate is worse for you? I would hope not.

Diets don’t work. Permanent life food changes do work. And you don’t have to be extreme about it and become a tree hugger, eat fruit and nuts for a living. You just have to make smarter choices. Still give the small, excessive food indulgences to yourself once or twice a week. You don’t have to feel guilty about that. You don't have to go crazy.

So my message here is don’t fall for the lose 600lbs in three days ads that entice you into thinking someone has found a miracle cure for weight loss. The miracle cure is you – and what food decisions you make each day. I’m not saying to pass up the occasional trip to a delicious fried chicken dinner at KFC or that utterly fulfilling Taco Bell Salad w/Salsa (that packs a whopping 850 calories and 52 grams of fat). Just don’t make it a habit.

Try this tip. Start slow. Replace one meal (you can switch it up every day) with a much healthier choice. You will find over time, you feel better, you look better and most likely, your health will improve greatly. Then up it to two meals a day. Give it a shot for a month. Will cost you less in the long run (simple out of pocket costs) and it will make you much more conscious of your food choices. Eventually when you do feel better, you might just try to make it all three meals.

And in the wisdom of The Who, “Don’t Get Fooled Again.”

Some excellent information on obesity can be read about here.

And for the record (from the site listed above)…

Some rare illnesses can cause obesity. These include hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, depression, and certain neurologic problems that can lead to overeating. Certain drugs, such as steroids and some antidepressants, may cause excessive weight gain. A doctor can determine if a patient has any of these conditions, which are believed to be responsible for only about 1 percent of all cases of obesity. 

And yes, that said 1%.

And as to my disclaimer, I am not a doctor. This is simply advice to not be fooled by guaranteed weight loss programs or mouth-watering food imagery (that never looks like the food product that ends up in the bag). And also, as we all know, we don't need that fancy new ab machine that is going to transform our body in 30 days or less, but we do need to exercise every day.