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

Impure intentions paved the road

Have you caught the Hornitos Tequila television commercials? I’ve seen three and each are quite captivating and tantalizing. Euro RSCG Chicago launched the campaign a year ago with two 15 second spots (embedded at the end of this blog) that skirt the line of decency, right where libidinous young males reside.

The newest commercial titled “Brotherly Love”, plays on the fantasy of twins switching places. In this case, the brother doesn’t know, and neither does the girlfriend, apparently.

Whose intentions aren’t pure here?

Sassy. Sexy. Sinister. Sordid. Suggestive. Add your adjectives here: ____________________________________________________________.

Here’s another one: provocative! Her sweet, romantic giggle coupled with the opening line fires the imagination. Has Mike been a naughty boy? Is he being a bit frisky? Whatever it is, she appears to like it. The evening seems full of promise. You can see it in her eyes and her saucy little gate.

Next comes the twist. Mike’s cell phone rings and a dirty truth is revealed; Mike isn’t Mike, he’s Mike’s identical twin brother, Dave, and Dave has designs on his twin’s girl, April, who is none the wiser.

Yes, it’s irreverent and disrespectful to the intelligence of the woman, but acknowledging that spoils the fantasy, so we don’t go there. Why would we? We’re dealing with the gratification of young men’s libidos and egos here. That’s a higher cause! And Hornitos wants to take you there, guys.

Cougar feeds a more uncomfortable fantasy for many, chasing skirts old enough to be your mother, or your friend’s mother:

Hitting on your best friend’s mom. Wow.

Doris, the husky-voiced bartender, leaving a voicemail with Doug’s boss so he can play late into the night with a couple of young dames, is a rather tame fantasy. Doug takes a glimpse at his feminine quarry and considers himself lucky, but based on the girls’ behavior, it’s not apparent he has a shot at winning anything more than a few games of billiards. Or does he?

You sound like a husky, Doris, so sick as a dog is an apt description.

Sauza, a Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. brand, and the makers of Hornitos Tequila, pushes the envelope of good taste with these commercials, to be sure, but don’t most edgy and memorable ads? The beauty and brilliance is how they tease and titillate without going over the line. Hornitos merely suggests; we fill in the blanks with our own (impure?) notions of what happened or will come next. That’s inspired.

Purer than your intentions. Now that’s a tagline, and for many of us, probably closer to the truth than we’d care to admit.

Sidebar: Please drink responsibly (but understand that Hornitos Tequila is not responsible for your impure intentions).

BuzzNet Tags: TV commercial,television advertising,advertising commercial,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,tagline,tequila,100% agave,Hornitos tequila,purer than your intentions,Sauza tequila,Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc.,Euro RSCG Chicago,twin,cougars,fantasy

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Sorry, Dodge, but you don’t know what I’m thinking.

I’m thinking you’ve made a mistake attempting to position the Grand Caravan as the real man’s van. Sure, it’s a Dodge, a member of the most macho of vehicle lines, but it’s still a minivan, and minivans have the stigma of being a soccer mom’s vehicle, i.e. a momma van. You can’t cross that chasm.

Men can’t escape the stigma of driving a minivan.

I’m thinking it takes more than a leather trim command center to get a male to hoo-ah over a vehicle. Especially a minivan.

I’m thinking a 506 watt Infinity surround sound is overkill for singing along to “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, “A Peanut Sat on the Railroad Track” and “You Are My Sunshine”.

I’m thinking almost 300 horsepower will give mom the giddy-up she needs to race across town in 12 minutes to get the kids to Chuck E. Cheese’s on time for the birthday party.

I’m thinking the “sudden'” realization that he’s sitting in a minivan isn’t going to inspire him in the least to have children. Not even almost.

I’m thinking this has been tried before: Pontiac attempted to lasso guys into believing the Montana was for men of the wild, wild west.

The quality of the Montana was akin to the quality of this video…pretty crappy.

They failed miserably. What makes you so smart, so certain your creative and messaging will keep the Grand Caravan from suffering the same fate? Learn from the lessons of the past.

In the final analysis, Dodge, I can’t help but wonder what you’re thinking.

IceRocket Tags: TV commercial,television advertising,advertising commercial,advertising,radio commercial,publicity,brand affinity,brand loyalty,brand experience,Dodge,Dodge Grand Caravan,minivan,momma van,soccer mom,Chuck E. Cheese's