Hot List: Ad Angles
Monday, March 30th, 2009After writing and discussing last week’s blog - especially its format - I’ve decided to commit to contributing more list submissions. It’s really a win-win situation. I’ll be more inclined to write more often, and you won’t have to read any more of my rambling, babbling submissions that usually lose their way about half-way through the post.
Enough dialogue, on to this week’s list - Hot Ad Angles. Campaign strategies, taglines and brand philosophies all contribute to the success of a product/service. These are some Ad Angles I currently dig.
Ballin’
(Ad Angles that have been successful or pleasing to me - in no particular order)
1. PC < Apple
-'Maybe I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person'. Lauren is a sweetheart. A youthful chick who's just out to buy a new laptop that's hip and affordable. Sure, everyone knows Macs are so much cooler, and allegedly better, than PCs. Unfortunately, the price point reflects this belief. I like the fact that Microsoft is making a point that you can buy a PC that does everything majority of us need our computers to accomplish at a fraction of the Mac price. In the end - and especially in today's economy - this is arguably Microsoft's #1 selling point - I'm glad they've put out a spot that highlights this.
2. AXE
-The spots don’t hold anything back. They target us M16-29 and pretty much say to our faces, “We know you”. Every ad and campaign for the past few years has screamed, “We know all you guys want to do is impress the ladies”. Spots with Boom-Chicka-Wah-Wahs, Nick Lachey tallying looks from girls and the new, college montage have defined the AXE user over and over. Sure, they are a little over the top and kinda crude, but something about how shameless the campaigns are makes the brand more fun in my eyes. Besides, they’re key demo likes that stuff in a brand. Bring on the shamelessness.
(I included this video which is what I meant when I referred to ‘college montage’ above. This spot just kinda takes me back to that old lifestyle and mindset. Crazy nights that you need to clean up the next morning….or afternoon. This is an uncut version that’s actually pretty awesome.)
3. The April Cover of ESPN The Magazine by Gatorade
-Pretty cool concept if you haven’t seen it. It’s the usual ESPN mag, well, half of it is anyways. The front cover is split down the middle. The left side is half of a picture of Manny Ramirez making some weird ‘Manny’ face. The right side is white with bold lettering that reads, “Your wouldn’t settle for an incomplete cover”. You realize this white side is actually a flap that unfolds to show a Gatorade ad suggesting that it is the complete sports drink. I thought it was pretty clever and much more impressionable than a static ad lost somewhere on page 43 (no offense to whoever owns page 43 of this issue). Leave it to Gatorade to provide a refreshing use of an allegedly dying medium.
4. Apple > PC
-How can he write about how the PC campaign is so good and then go and write about how awesome Apple’s ad angle has become? It’s actually really easy, Apple rocks. Their ads are clean and crisp. They’re so simple, and yet, they feel sooo good! That coupled with well-designed products that even look superior to their competitor’s products make the Apple brand one of the strongest in the marketplace. According to Interbrand, Apple’s brand value has grown by 24% since 2007 - second only to the Goliath Google. Sure, PCs are cheaper and capable, but Apple portrays that added value that PC has lost over the years.
5. Old Spice has Swagger
-Swagger has become quite the buzz word in current pop culture. It’s referenced in several rap songs and has a unique and appealing feel to it. Old Spice has recently introduced the Swagger brand to its line of products. The commercials that have carried the product to market are great. In fact, I like all Old Spice spots. ‘Two things in one’ is a pretty good spot, and I enjoy the classy middle-aged man who sings, whistles and plays piano. They take on a different approach than the aforementioned AXE. More guy humor oriented than sexually suggestive. Here’s the ever popular Sword of Urlacher commercial.
6. Spaghetti Jimmy
-I’m sorry, but a little kid covered in spaghetti asking what’s in my wallet in one of those cute kid voices makes me smirk every time. I say smirk because I’ll automatically be docked several man points if I slip up and call it cute.
7. Domino Effect: Bailouts
-Domino’s is running a spot now where the CEO claims to be giving a bailout to the hard working man rather than the wall street scammers. The bailout…$5 pizzas. I’m pretty sure they’ve been running the $5 pizza deal for a while now, but I like the idea of Domino’s playing Robin Hood here. Somebody needed to give Joe The Plumber a bailout, looks like Domino’s beat everyone to it. Unfortunately, this bailout isn’t millions or billions of anything being given away….maybe they should have done a Domino’s Pizza Bailout day where they gave out millions of pizzas. sounds like the perfect campaign for 4th of July…now that’s a bailout I’d be interested in…even if it is Domino’s.
8. You Can’t Say Nobody Makes Money From Twitter
-I read a short but great article today that cited Twitter as the source for Mark Cuban’s latest NBA fine. Cuban was fined after complaining via Twitter about the referees in a recent game. After he was slapped with a $25,000 fine, Cuban posted another tweet reading, “can’t say no one makes money from twitter now. the nba does.” Regardless of his constant fines, Cuban is a good thing for the NBA…and social networking.
9. Agency TV
-Mad Men and now Trust Me are two recent sitcoms about life in ad agencies. Mad Men was an instant classic with me, but I was much more skeptical with Trust Me. After watching several episodes and really bombarding myself with the question, Do I really like it - or do I just like the fact it’s about an agency?, I think I actually like it. It’s kinda fun seeing a show about people who are supposed to be like me. Sure, the agency portrayed in the show is much larger and much different than Affari - but the concepts and challenges are similar. Maybe they should put out a new sitcom about smaller agencies….something I could really get into.
10. I Told You So?
-Last week I said Tiger Woods’ return to golf was a great thing, especially for advertisers and sponsors. After his great comeback win yesterday, NBC posted it’s highest numbers for ‘overnight golf TV’ since last year’s US Open - a major tournament. Just had to boast about that one a little bit.
Not Ballin’
(A quick rundown of Ad Angles that aren’t quite cutting it for me)
-1800DUIGUYS. They have a big budget here in town. Billboards, radio. Probably a pretty good company. If I hear the radio spot 1 more time, I may lose complete control of my car…
-I’m not lovin’ it. I just want McDonalds to change up their creative once in a while. Turn the old Big Mac song into a rap or something.
-Why do blimp ads still exist?
-I’m not sure there is anything more toxic to a brand than spam. Not only do your continuous messages get blocked, but the recipient also blocks your brand from contention - thus, never allowing you on his/her Ballin’ list.
More lists to come…send me suggestions for future Hot Lists.
