ESPN Cognitive Dissonance

ESPN is known for having great commercials. One website even compiled a list of the Top 50 ESPN commercials of all time.

However, an ESPN commercial I recently saw may be the best example of cognitive dissonance I have ever seen in advertising. The commercial essentially raises the question of how NASCAR drivers use the restroom during a race without resolving the issue.

I believe the power of the commercial lies in successfully walking two fine lines. The commercial is general enough that the audience understands the issue but specific enough that it feels like an inside joke. In addition, it is uncomfortable enough to grab a viewer's attention ("I have to know!") but not discomfortable to the point that it turns the audience off. It simply gets the viewer to further engage with the sport and ESPN even if, like me, the persuadee is not a NASCAR fan!

Click here for the answer!

Video for ODF Case (in case Concourse post of video fails to work)

In case the file on Concourse doesn't work on your computer, here are the ODF case videos / ads; they are mentioned in the case 

"Testimonial"

"Haircut"

"Current Campaign"

"Compare Itself"

Bad Ad Good Ad

Here's an interesting blog with some creative examples of good advertising and bad advertising: http://badadgoodad.com/

Viral Ads and ROI

The company that I interned with was in the midst of putting together a product launch this past summer. They made three videos for Youtube and were able to get over a million hits for one. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv9GDp0G3oE All things being equal, do you think that the views of TV ads and Youtube ads have the same value? If not, which is better?

Google Chrome Ad: Dear Sophie

Watch this wonderful ad for Google Chrome / Google. This is their second television ad ("Paris" was the first). Here, we see Google continue to use Chrome to change its position from search engine to platform for the web.  "The web is what you make of it."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk


For AdAge discussion of the ad, click here

Absolut Vodka

Level Vodka, a brand of vodka from the makers of Absolut was launched in 2004. Made in Åhus, Sweden, the vodka is made from winter wheat and is marketed as "perfectly balanced" due to the use of two distinct distillation methods - a continuous distillation process to remove congeners, creating the vodka's smoothness, and a batch distillation process to add character.

Level was launched as a direct competitor to Grey Goose.

Internet Ads

It seems to me that internet ads tend to run on the more provocative/controversial side of things. Take this following ad by Red Bull (though abosolutely hilarious):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b3OPo9wHuk.

I have not seen this ad on television, so I am assuming this is an internet only ad. Nevertheless, do you all think internet ads are more provocative/controversial than cable television? If so, whats the reasoning behind it? I think it might have something to do with the FCC having less regulatory power in policing internet ads.
If this proposition is true, then it begs the question: If people accept provocative/controversial ads on the internet, why are they not acceptable on cable television? At first one might think it is because cable reaches a larger and wider audience, but I believe this theory to be false. Even the elderly and young have access to and use the internet now on a regular basis. Thoughts?
-Ricky

Guest Speaker for Nov 8

The guest speaker tomorrow in class is Scott Griffith, VP, Planning Director, Energy BBDO, Chicago Scott.Griffith@energybbdo.com - check out his work at his company's web site here

External Advertising Speaker

Tomorrow November 11th Phillip Raskin the Vice Chairman of Leo Burnett and previous CMO of Morgan Stanley will be speaking to the MBA Marketing Club on how to evaluate advertisements in Room 160. This is a great opportunity for all of us to increase our marketing knowledge and learn more about advertising. Everyone is welcome to attend. Lunch will be provided.