Tide & Downey: The Princess Dress

Tide and Downey's new television commercial The Princess Dress caught my eye because it offers a new spin on the notion of who does laundry. The ad features a dad and his daughter. The father is featured talking about his daughter's favorite dress and depicts her eating and playing. The commercial is targeted towards fathers and creates a positive connection between fathers and their relationship with their daughters.

The ad also features  both Tide and Downey clearly defining the brand benefits for both - Tide to get out "week-old stains" and Downey to "make clothes fresh and soft". At the end of the commercial, a great parallel is drawn. Just like dads and daughters are better together, "Tide + Downey: Great on Their Own. Better Together"

Crown Royal Billiards

The “Billiards” Crown Royal ad does a great job of connecting to a young segment while not alienating an older one.  This ad targets the male who is in his late 20’s or early 30’s, who is leaving the transitory 20’s stage on his life and is moving toward his mid-adult years with confidence.  This person knows what he likes and has tastes that are becoming more refined as he gets older.  This individual doesn’t forget his roots, though, and knows that where he came from made him who he is today.   

There are a couple of things that stand out most to me in this ad.  With the music and the smokey bar, and the way that the narration describes the young man knocking down shots at billiards there is an aura of classic cool.  Crown Royal is saying that it is a classy, and dignified drink.  It is not a party drink, or a college drink, but one that you enjoy if you have level of sophisticated taste.  This directly connects with the younger drinker who is starting to develop and look for more refined taste.

What also stands out in this ad is the way that the young man and his father bond over billiards and Crown Royal at the end of the ad.  This allows Crown Royal to refrain from alienating its older segment of customers while being able to promote to a younger one. 

Coors Light Cold Hard Refreshment

This ad seems so simple.  It is to point out to the target customers that Coors Light is the coldest light beer.

Coors Light Snowboarder

I did not know this, but the man that delivers the Coors Light to the waitress is considered the best adventure snowboarder in the world.

It targets your young male consumer - male - 21-35.

We laugh in the beer industry about Coors Light being the coldest beer and the mountains turning blue and stuff.  Coors light will be the same temperature as any other beer in the cooler.  But it is about perception.  And if you go to bars you'll see our consumers excited about the mountains being blue.

Coors basically followed the same campaign that MGD rolled with in the early 90's about COLD, refreshing beer.

But hey, it works.

Not all can be digital

Below is an advertisement for the French toilet paper company Le Trefle, which I thought was fantastic. It relies on the customer insight that many of our daily routines have changed with the advent of digital print and tablet computers. Toilet paper in this ad competes in the frame of reference of "daily routines" and differentiates on the fact that toilet paper can never be replaced with a digital alternative (at least let's hope not). I like how the ad chose such a unique frame or reference and that it differentiates not on softness or durability, but simply on its paper material. Sometimes advertisements don't need to find that "it" factor that makes their product better than every other product in the category, they can simply rely on clever consumer insight and a unique frame of reference to make their product appealing. The jury is still out on whether this ad actually drove new users to the brand.

For you non-French speakers out there, the tagline at the end translates to: "Paper has a great future". Love it.

Jameson Subway Ads

When I was thinking of ads that grabbed my attention recently, Jameson's new subway ads came to mind. I saw them in New York over break, and the subway car was lined with multiple Jameson ads, each with a different scenario. They all painted a picture of the type of man John Jameson was, along with touting the "Taste Above All Else" tagline. I was struck by the clever copy, and saw the brand was trying to create a picture of its founder, while insinuating a picture of its users. Below are two examples of what I saw on the subway:

Jameson - Friends
Jameson - Ben Franklin

Arrested Development Print Ads

I have recently seen print ads for the upcoming season of Arrested Development:

Mr. Manager

Dead Dove

Never say Never

The ads are very clean, simple, and minimal.  They all feature one object, with a plain background.  Some have a few words written at the top and then “AD2013” and the Netflix logo.

These ads are targeted at current fans.  They contain inside jokes; if you are familiar with the show and understand the significance of a pair of shorts or a banana, you are in on the show’s reoccurring joke and will get the ad.  If you are unfamiliar with the show, a picture of a banana won’t necessarily ignite curiosity.

The ad doesn’t give out any information.  The name of the show isn’t on the ad (it just says AD), and we are given the year (2013) but not the month or day.   The target audience, who will understand the ad, already know that it starts May 26, 2013 on Netflix.  

Lilt: Lobsters on South Beach

Following on from the Jamaican VW ad last week, I recalled this ad which was really prevalent within the UK for a while.  Lilt is a tropically flavored carbonated soft drink and has been marketed as a Jamaican experience since its creation.  When this ad was released many people could not figure out whether it was offensive or not.  Personally, I think it is pretty hilarious.  Please watch and decide for yourself:

Lilt: Lobsters on South Beach
Robbie

Ship My Pants

K-Mart Ship My Pants this is a great ad. I think it shows a benefit, and it says there is a reason to come into the store and use the shipping option, too. Important because retailers are struggling with linking stores and on-line, using the store for trial and touch, and the on-line option for managing inventory and costs. I like how the sales people have ipads, so it says that you don't have to have the internet and a computer at home and know how to use it, and a credit card, to do this. Maybe for current users, maybe for ex-users. Oh, and they have to find a positioning / frame of reference other than Not Target and Not Wal-Mart.

Budweiser 9/11 Tribute

This ad aired in January 2002, the first Super Bowl after 9/11. Budweiser is one of the few brands with enough brand equity/nostalgia to be able to produce something like this tastefully. The ad was meant for everyone and was not just about selling beer. The ad pulls at your heartstrings and gives you a moment to reflect.

Doritos Beer

This ad was part of Dorito's commercial contest campaign. It was produced for the Superbowl and aired in 2009. It targets the 21-24 year old male with humor and is a good example of a typical Doritos commercial.

Bud Light Commercials

Bud Light Commercials...Updated included with the hyperlink from my last post. Some interesting Bud Light commercials targeting the 21-24 male age group.  They relate to the younger generation through humor and use interesting situations. They relate to older males as well who think the commercials are funny and do not alienate them by mocking the younger generation.  

Old Spice FreshnessThe new old spice shower commercials, literally like their tag line "make you smile" and by creating humorous and ridiculous scenes, make a mark that the soap is all about freshness.

Miller Lite Ad, Dick

Miller Lite Ad, Dick

Bud Light Commercials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGySgH411A

Some interesting Bud Light commercials targeting the 21-24 male age group.  They relate to the younger generation through humor and use interesting situations. They relate to older males as well who think the commercials are funny and do not alienate them by mocking the younger generation.