Sorry Charlie, your sheen is actually a blemish on these brands

So this is how it is in showbiz. Bad boys aren’t shunned by their peers for obnoxious, indulgent, abusive and self-destructive behavior. No. They circle the wagons. They bring the prodigal son back into the fold. They begin a careful rehabilitation of their misguided one’s image.

Hollywood never abandons its own, does it? And the advertising industry is apparently in collusion, for how coincidental is it that two ad campaigns featuring Charlie Sheen launch in close succession?

It will take a platoon of media hypes to rationalize hiring Charlie Sheen.

Why? Why? Why?

I ask DirecTV three times because I’m confident the first two explanations will be laughable. A wonderful campaign just lost some credibility and DirecTV earned itself a black eye with so many consumers, starting with women, who used to admire the brand.

Someone ought to arrest the brains behind the decision to hire Charlie Sheen

Fiat ought to be ashamed. They make Mr. “Party Boy” Sheen out to be some kind of god to be adored by women and revered by men. At the same time, Fiat seems to sneer at his recklessness figuratively and literally. Driving the car through his mansion in a furiously aggressive manner with great disregard is an apt metaphor for how he has conducted his life of late. It’s shocking.

Ad Age asks “Should Madison Avenue Be Rehabbing Charlie Sheen?”

Simple answer: No.

I ask Fiat and DirecTV: how does attaching your name to Charlie Sheen and his drug-infused and domestic violence (allegedly) bad boy image enhance your brand?

Not-so-simple answer: _______________________________________

del.icio.us Tags: DirecTV,Fiat,Charlie Sheen,winning,domestic violence,drug abuse,television commecial,television advertising,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,tagline,writing assignment,copywriter,blogger

Super Bowl adstravaganza™ 2012

Once again, I parked myself on the sofa with my laptop on my lap and recorded my initial impressions on most every commercial as it aired during the Super Bowl game.

What a day! Advertisers ought to be thanking the New York Giants and the New England Patriots for keeping everyone’s eyes on the television from the opening kickoff until the final incompletion in the end zone. The game certainly lived up to its hype.

Did the commercials? Let’s see.

The Voice – Vocal Kombat, with Betty White

One of the most audacious commercials actually was a promotion for the premiere of the NBC program, The Voice. You have four big music personalities in Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton; now mix in the youthful nonagenarian Betty White, and the outcome is as expected: wildly entertaining and funny.

It was always about your voice, and not your body, Betty.

Beverages

Where there’s Pepsi, there’s Sir Elton John? Of course! Delivering the star power, Pepsi served up Mr. John as a king holding court awaiting to be entertained. Difficult to please, he joylessly dismisses a jester to the dungeons via a trap door. A female peasant, played by X Factor winner Melanie Amaro, approaches the throne. “And what do you do?” the king inquires. “I sing,” she replies. “Huh.” The king clearly has his doubts. The lady belts out Respect and brings down the house, err castle, along with a stained glass window. The king approaches the singer in his gold platform shoes (Pinball Wizard anyone?) and reluctantly says “All right, Pepsi for you.”  She ignores the Pepsi can he offers and grabs his chalice.  “No,” she begins and throws the chalice at the trap door release, thus banishing the king to the dungeons, “Pepsi for all.”  And the crowd goes wild!

Sir Elton John was the X factor in Pepsi’s King’s Court.

Did it seem to you that Budweiser or Bud Light and Coca-Cola were in every commercial break? Budweiser’s “Return of the King”  (prohibition is over!) commercial was artistically wonderful. Bud Light’s “Rescue Dog” ad, with a scraggly little guy named Weego, undoubtedly was a fan favorite, PETA fans probably excluded…even with the “Support the American Rescue Dog message.  The Coca-Cola polar bear commercials just didn’t sparkle.

Automobiles

Like the 13,928,737 others who have watched the long-form commercial on YouTube in just 14 days, I love Matthew Broderick’s Day Off ad for Honda CR-V. It clearly was a stroke of brilliance by Honda and their creative team.  It resonates most with the middle aged adult crowd, and didn’t we enjoy the nostalgia?

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Classic!

How is it that Matthew has aged so well?

Hyundai Veloster Turbo: The Veloster turbo from Hyundai is very powerful. V/O: “Trust us, it’s fast.” And to prove it, a man releases a cheetah to chase the Hyundai. The cat instantly realizes the vehicle is way too fast. He turns his eye on another prize - the man who released him from the cage. Uh-oh.

Volkswagen's “The Dog Strikes Back” commercial was very entertaining, but what an overweight dog embarking on its own fitness plan has to do with the new VW Beetle is beyond me.

Audi vanquished vampires with their ultra-bright LED headlights. Did anyone ever foresee an automobile company dedicating an entire 60-second spot to headlights during the Super Bowl?

The contest to get the first 2012 Acura NSX was very entertaining. You can’t miss with Jerry Seinfeld. The race boat and the zip line were epic bits, and Jay Leno swooping in on a jet pack at the last second to scoop up the keys was killer. Funny. I don’t recall what the car looks like, though.

I guess the Chevy Sonic “Stunt Anthem” commercial was supposed to convince us that the little vehicle is rugged, safe and fun to drive. Didn’t work for me, but at least the song “We Are Young” by Fun is catchy.

Chevrolet Silverado, man and his dog survive the apocalypse foreseen by the Mayans. I have two questions: 1.) Did Hostess pay a fee to have its Twinkies brand in the commercial?  2.) Do any of these men look like Barry Manilow fans?

The Chevy “Happy Grad” ad was the winning entry in Chevrolet’s Chevrolet's Route66 competition. Mom: “Should we tell him now.”  Dad: “Not yet, he’s losing steam.” Girl: “John, marry me right now!”  Son: “I will so marry you right now.” Girl: “Mom, we’re getting married.” Son: “This is the best day of my life.” Son & Friends repeatedly chant: “Best gift ever!” Hilarious.

Go here to see the other Chevrolet commercials that aired on Super Bowl Sunday.

Let’s see, what other car commercials were there? Oh yes, Kia Optima showed us your dream car includes your dream girl. Fiat Seduction, however, took dreaming to another level with their fantasy fueled commercial. Change cannot be contained, according to Lexus, who already has a 2013 Lexus GS model in the market with only 340 left in calendar year 2012. Toyota gave themselves a pat on the back for reinventing the Camry, along with a few other of “life’s pleasures?”.

And then there’s Chrysler’s “Halftime” Commercial with Clint Eastwood as spokesperson (a brilliant choice!):

America and Chrysler wishes it were only halftime for Clint Eastwood

Wow. The tingling goose bumps didn’t abate for several minutes. Let’s get on with the second half America!

Selected Others

Who among you remembers the brand in the dog race commercial? Mr. Quiggly break dances across the finish line and finds himself in the loving arms of his owner, Mark Cuban, who surmises that the champion canine will want a raise. Did you remember the ad was for a brand of shoes?

Bridgestone boasted about their polymer performance technology in a pigskin spot with Troy Aikman and Deion Sanders and their serenity sound absorption technology in a hoops spot with Tim Duncan and Steve Nash. A lot of money was spent for what were a couple of forgettable vignettes.

Perhaps one of the steamiest commercials was turned in by none other than Teleflora. A sexy woman (Adriana Lima) is in her bedroom getting dressed for a night out. A black dress, red heels, and red lipstick, she is dressed to the nines! On her makeup table, red & white flowers in a bright red vase. She looks to the camera and with a sultry voice, says: “Guys, Valentine’s day is not that complicated ...” brief dramatic pause as she leans into the camera, “…give and you shall receive.” Oh yea.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention eTrade and GoDaddy. Both delivered superb spots that stayed true to their brands. Entertaining and memorable. And let’s not leave out CareerBuilders and their pranking monkeys. Sleepless nights abound with those jokers.

Final Observations

As I wrap this long post up, I must ask: What was up with all of the extraterrestrial life forms? It seemed like at least half a dozen companies made a conscious effort to reach out to that other-worldly demographic, including one of Texas’ very own:

Something strange is always happening in Texas.

Are aliens becoming a high profitably market segment? The evidence from this year’s installment of commercials would suggest so.

So, did the 2012 Super Bowl adstravaganza™ live up to the hype? Many were highly entertaining. Most were smartly conceived, written and produced. The social media channels were deluged with strong positive reactions to so many of the ads. In terms of exposure and awareness, the answer is yes. Will they result in sales? That’s the true measuring stick. Does anyone use it?

To view all of the Super Bowl commercials in one convenient location, go here.

del.icio.us Tags: Super Bowl commercials,YouTube,NBC,The Voice,Betty White,Christina Aguilera,Cee Lo Green,Adam Levin,Blake Shelton,Pepsi,Sir Elton John,Budweiser,Bud Light,Coca-Cola,Honda CRV,Matthew Broderick,Audi,Volkswagen,Hyundai,Acura,Chevrolet,Chevy Sonic,Chevy Silverado,Chevrolet Camaro,Kia,Fiat,Lexus,Toyota Camry,Clint Eastwood,Chrysler,Detroit,Motor City,Skechers,CareerBuilder,monkeys,Griffin Creech,Pepsi Max,Bridgestone,Teleflora,Adriana Lima,GoDaddy,Danica Patrick,Jillian Michaels,Natalia Velez,E*TRADE,H-E-B,NFL,New York Giants,New England Patriots

“You’re still here? Don’t you have anything better to do? Go on, get going. Go!”

A clear-cut case of cause-and-effect

Who needs a championship football game to see super television commercials?

DirecTV recently launched a clever new campaign with a series of 30-second ads that demonstrate beyond a shadow of doubt that subscribing to cable TV will lead to bizarre life altering behavior.

Exhibit A:

Did I see a “Squirrel!” ?? That’s nuts.

So here’s the cause-and-effect logic, magnificently simplified…

Overpay = Anger
Anger = Alone
Alone = Shaggy
Shaggy = Rescuer
Rescuer = Zoo

A house full of stray animals couldn’t possibly end well. Did you see the opossum and raccoon?

Exhibit B:

He’s a pinball wizard, there has to be a twist.

It’s difficult to fathom that a father’s frustration with cable sends a daughter’s life spiraling out of control, but the video is pretty compelling. Let’s break it down:

Cable out = Dad frustrated
Dad frustrated = Daughter imitates
Daughter imitates = Principal expels
Principal expels = Goth boyfriend
Goth boyfriend = Undesirable wedding
Undesirable wedding = Dog-collared grandson

A child with a dog collar? Subscribing to cable leads to multi-generation dysfunctional families. Cable exacts a severe price on the innocent.

Exhibit C:

Cable is the Scourge that drove his life into a ditch.

I’m confident after walking your through the cause-and-effect logic in the first two commercials that you can now connect the dots on your own.

Need you see more?

That’s it. I’m convinced. The correlation is unassailable. Subscribe to cable (cause) and your life goes inexplicably and unexpectedly awry (effect). The only commonsensical course of action is to cut the cable and switch to DirecTV (logic).

You can’t argue with the reasoning. Even Aristotle would be compelled to make the switch.

BuzzNet Tags: Cable TV,DirecTV,cause-and-effect,logic,stop taking in stray animals,don't have a grandson with a dog collar,don't end up in a roadside ditch,TV commercial,television advertising,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,tagline,writing assignment,copywriter,blogger

TV commercials that get better with age

I’ve said many times that I love television commercials. I heard my wife giggling at one of my favorite television commercials last evening. What’s remarkable is the commercial has been airing quite regularly since the beginning of the year and we’ve seen it dozens of times.
She likes it because she said it seems so believable, so real. I agree, and that’s what gives it such staying power. The commercial:

I also like tacos, and Eric gives me the creeps, too.
I heard you giggle.
This situation is so believable, especially in an office setting. Professional relationships are often difficult to define. Secrets are shared and sometimes they come back to haunt you. Johnny-come-lately ultimately looks like an ass after he chides and attempts to embarrass his co-workers after feeling left out only to discover a slow cell phone network is to blame. To complicate matters, a confidence is divulged, and it might haunt both men in the end. Now who has egg on his face?
Immediately following this commercial an E*TRADE baby advertisement ran that been airing since September 2010. It, too, still makes me laugh.

Does Max give you a warning bark when it’s time to sell?
Or do you like this special edition version better?

Nobody knows…how long this commercial will air.

What can you say? Babies are cute and the notion that building and managing a stock portfolio is so easy an infant can master it seems preposterous, yet utterly believable after hearing the little boy explain it. Oh wait, babies can’t talk or think like an adult, or own a tablet or cell phone or eTrade account, or …
As I said, preposterous, yet brilliant, as evidenced by the many other eTrade baby commercials that preceded and followed these two.
Outstanding creative work on all counts. I dare predict the technology displayed will be outdated, and possibly the actors, too, before these commercials grow tiresome.
Did I say I love television commercials?

BuzzNet Tags: AT&T mobile broadband network,4G,E*TRADE financial,E*TRADE baby solitary,E*TRADE baby time out,TV commercial,television advertising,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,tagline,writing assignment,copywriting

It’s how you write it

Is it me, or are some television commercials a copywriter’s nightmare? If you aren’t focused on the message, and let’s face it, most of us aren’t, you might miss how poorly a number of commercials are written.

The Insperity television commercials with Jim Nantz are a prime example. Give the “Ahead of the Competition” commercial a listen:

The Insperity copy left it on the lip of the cup in this commercial.

Did you catch the opening sentence: "Arnold Palmer's story is an inspiring golf and business performance." Say what? Taken literally, it sounds like a review of Mr. Palmer’s acting in a live theatre production. As delivered by Jim Nantz, it just sounds clumsy. I find myself mentally rearranging the sentence so it makes sense: “Arnold Palmer's golf and business success is an inspiring story."

Here’s the entire script:

Nantz: "Arnold Palmer's story is an inspiring golf and business performance. While rising to the pinnacle of the golf world, he had a vision of becoming an esteemed entrepreneur, golf course designer, TV pioneer, philanthropist, and an inspiration to his army of fans.”

Palmer: “I achieved success beyond golf, but business owners today need help. Fortunately, there’s Insperity.”

Nantz: “An Insperity business performance advisor can help your company overcome the hazards of today’s economy, allowing you to stay on course and ahead of the competition.

Learn more about Insperity’s HR and Business Performance solutions today.

Helping businesses run better, grow faster and make more money.

It’s what we do.

Insperity. Inspiring Business Performance.”

Arnold Palmer’s business success is an inspiring story. And while the spirit of the message is admirable, the way it is conveyed is awkward. I don’t question that Mr. Palmer had aspirations beyond golf, but to state that he had a vision of becoming an esteemed entrepreneur and TV pioneer is grandiose. His assertion that today’s business owners need help begs for an explanation that is notably absent. And, “Helping businesses run better” begs for a different adverb, like “more efficiently”.

The other business success stories in the Insperity television advertising campaign open with the same line: “NAME’s story is an inspiring business performance.” Each time I hear it, I cringe.

For Insperity, the problems are more pronounced in their radio ads. Listen to how Jim struggles with the script in the Radio: Ahead of the Competition :60 spot. It sounds like he's reading a list of bullet points. There's no rhythm in his delivery because there's no rhythm in the message.

Ad agency professionals might argue that you get what you pay for since the campaign was developed by the company's marketing communications department. Yet, with Jim Nantz and Arnold Palmer as corporate spokespersons, this clearly isn’t a case of a meager budget.

Whatever the reasons, copywriting rife with grammar and sentence structure issues and inelegant word choices can dilute a stellar concept and turn the resulting creative into something rather, well, uninspired.

SIDEBAR: I do like the Insperity customer testimonial videos a lot, especially, thelab and JibJab. They are very well conceived, brilliantly edited and produced, and delivered in a relaxed, honest and genuine fashion by the clients. Powerful.

BuzzNet Tags: Insperity,Jim Nantz,Arnold Palmer,inspiring business performance,TV commercial,television advertising,advertising commercial,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,tagline,writing assignment,copywriting

sO intense!

Did you notice the big O?

Of course you did if you invited K-Y® Brand INTENSE® into the action. That’s the product claim that has females panting with anticipation. Or at least that’s what the folks at K-Y so brazenly want the gentler sex to believe.

Emma surprises Alex during an uninhibited discussion on their relationship

I’m not sure who gets more excited here: females desiring that big moment, or males seeing their fantasy openly discussed in a commercial.

Either way, I’m guessing the market response to the advertisement has been, well, INTENSE.

The big moment in this advertisement isn’t the fireworks (ladies, you are welcome to argue with me), which is dazzling, it’s the words immediately preceding the skyrockets in flight:

It’s scientifically proven to
Female on female fireworks. Pretty provocative K-Y.

Scientifically proven? It has to be legitimate then. You can’t argue with science. But it does get one thinking: how many females were in the trial and how were the fireworks measured?

Uh, where was I? Oh, never mind.

By the way, the fireworks image isn’t blurry; this is what happens to your vision when that big moment is so ___________ (you fill in the blank).

BuzzNet Tags: TV commercial,television advertising,advertising commercial,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,tagline,writing assignment,copywriting,K-Y Brand INTENSE,the big O,the big moment

Rekindle your love of reading

Print media doesn’t typically lend itself to a strong product demonstration. Especially when the product is digital. But in the case of the Amazon Kindle, feast your eyes.
The product boasts a new high contrast screen that blunts the argument that you can’t take your digital books outdoors for a pleasant read under the summer sun.
Check it out:

The headline and subhead are superbly crafted. I was compelled to read the text on the screen and found myself wanting to turn the virtual page (it didn’t work…it’s the back cover of the magazine). Many may recognize the story on the screen; I didn’t, which continues an unbroken string of wrong answers to trivia questions.
Anyhoo, if I were to level any criticism toward the creative peeps, it would be with regard to the copy points under the Kindle. They read like bullets in a PowerPoint presentation.
There is a bit of irony when print media serves as the canvas for an eReader product demonstration.
Sidebar:The Amazon Kindle gives a whole new meaning to curling up with a good book. Maybe the idiom will take on a digital age derivation:
“I’m going to go scroll down with a good book.”
Then again, maybe not.

BuzzNet Tags: print advertising,magazine advertising,amazon,amazon kindle,kindle,e-reader,Laura Hildebrand,Unbroken,affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience