Pick of the ads- July 2015!

Thought I'd return with one of my favourite blog posts to write- my pick of the newest adverts on TV!

Southern Comfort- 'Tan your lemonade'

This is so silly that I actually love it! The Southern Comfort brand show their cheeky side and the ad is just a fine example of creativity in my opinion! Everything just works, the music, the actors and the brand message. The ad reflects pushing boundaries and accepting yourself and fits in to a number of Southern Comfort ads within the same campaign. The Southern Comfort brand is really struggling so it will be interesting to see if their repositioning away from 'Californian drink' to fun and cheeky brand pays off. L'Oreal 'The Waterproof Experience'
Not going to lie- I think this ad is a bit crap. There's a lot of emotional build up without transferring this on to the audience. The ads creative is very fitting with ad trends of real life/ PR stunts being filmed- typical of Dove etc. but without any beautiful filmography, or without getting to know the characters in the story, as other brands have done well. Yes, it gets the functional benefit of the product across just fine, but you'd have been better tipping buckets of water over the women's heads to prove that point! This is supposed to be 'product testing' but I'd say being waterproof is a fairly standard trait held by most waterproof mascaras...wouldn't you? FIAT 'Parking Billboard' Now this is the way to get across your product benefits whilst being creative! Fiat have done an awesome PR stunt here and they've really shown their technology capability- an impressive thing through advertising, whilst keeping it entertaining. Everyone finds parking stressful and this is a great function that Fiat really should be pushing! However, it doesn't really demonstrate the car or showcase it much. Would be interesting to see how well showing the car/ not showing it works in automobile advertising as there tends to be a 50/50 split in car advertising as I've seen. One thing I did pick up on though, despite the idea being really strong- not sure how well I like the stereotypes of the bunny girl being 'sexy' and the young black guy being 'cool' and not sure how well this will go down with a varied audience too. Although, their target audience may be less receptive.  Dove 'Love Life in Full Colour'

And they've done it again! I'm a huge fan of Dove's advertising already- however it was really nice to see a British version of the type of ads! I think it's a really nice idea and adds an element of corporate social responsibility without spending a huge budget or making a really outlandish statement or move. It's simple but really, really effective and will put a smile on the face of any lady who watches it! 
Now I know I have always said how much I love the Dove ads and how much they make me respect Dove as a brand, but I'm not sure how many products these types of ads actually help them to sell. At the end of the day that should be key to any marketing campaign. Yet, potentially Dove are a big enough brand that their products are so heavily integrated in the public domain, they don't actually need to push them to the target audience and can instead focus on painting their brand in a positive light, which they ultimately succeed at.
All in all, a lovely advert and nice to see real women associated with a beauty brand for a change!

Stephanie

Protein World's Controversy and Positive Body Image Advertising

'Sex sells' and objectified women is nothing new in advertising- and as a young marketer and a self-proclaimed feminist I am constantly viewing how gender stereotypes affect advertising and the way brands place a certain expectation on how people should behave based on their gender. However I have to say this type of advert doesn't just affect women, I've seen numerous protein shake-type companies flogging their products based on false-idealisms of the perfect man i.e. big muscles, abs etc. and it is really something I feel passionate about that marketers should look at ethically.

Protein World's London Underground adverts have been causing controversy and topical debate across the internet this month. If you haven't seen them here's their 'Beach Body' advert:

There was a huge backlash from angry tweeters and the ads were vandalised:

We love London. Fuck patriarchy. pic.twitter.com/bDeET7pzdO
— The Vagenda Team (@VagendaMagazine) April 22, 2015

A petition was started to remove the ads and the ASA received hundreds of complaints. All in all though, the backlash has caused an awesome body positivity message spreaded on the back of putting the Protein World brand in a bad light...

I am SO for the #eachbodysready hashtag!!! <3 http://t.co/RcL72FzAt7 pic.twitter.com/U2HLRjR2zm
— Tara Costello (@Catstello) April 23, 2015

Making people feel bad about their own bodies is not the way to sell products, despite the fact it may have done so 40 years ago, brands have moved on to empowering women, making them feel good about themselves and being accepting. I feel as though the Protein World is so archaic, not adapted to 21st century advertising nor does it consider the affect it may have on the public and the message they are portraying. The media has been shamed for putting unrealistic expectations in the minds of women and men with regard to body image and perceptions, so why hasn't Protein World learnt from other's mistakes? 

If you know me or my tastes in advertising you'll know I often speak about how much I love Dove as an advertiser- their positive body image portraying both women and men gives them such a great brand image and ultimately sell great products! I was so happy to see this piece of newsjacking advertising from Dove:

Nice topical ad RT: @DoveUK Yes, @ProteinWorld. We are #BeachBodyReady. #CampaignForRealBeauty pic.twitter.com/PcXczqnP9v
— Matt Weatherall (@MTWTHRL) April 16, 2015

Hijacking the negative PR which Protein World were receiving was an amazing opportunity for Dove to reinforce their brand values and show themselves completely opposing Protein World's messages. It also helped align Dove with campaigners on social media and showed the brand's support for what they were trying to achieve.

You'd think after receiving such heavy negative publicity and tweets like these:

No I am fucking well not and I don't think milk powder will help. Poisonous advert from @ProteinWorld pic.twitter.com/WRBIZOU8Su
— Alex Martin (@AlexFGMartin) April 15, 2015

'Protein World' posting massive adverts about being 'beach body ready' whilst promoting skipping meals. Wow.
— Rach Warrenger (@RachWarrenger) April 12, 2015

@ProteinWorld I think your tube advert is really irresponsible. You can see the girls ribs!! Is that what is meant by beach body ready?!!!
— Jo Marshall (@jomarshall2) April 15, 2015

This advert pretty much sums up everything that I despise about how we treat and value women's bodies. pic.twitter.com/PBZNyn8qop
— Hannah Atkinson (@hatkinson_) April 12, 2015

To be #beachbodyready you have to be slim? F*CK OFF! I dont care about your size, you wana wear a bikini then do it pic.twitter.com/vieVVQIKhv
— Tony Mitsinga (@TonyMitsinga) April 16, 2015

You'd think the first thing they'd do would be to employ a fantastic PR firm and do some serious crisis management right?

Wrong. 

They handled their social media reaction terribly.

Protein World deleted negative comments from their Facebook page, send horrible automated responses like these:

@ceciliadom Don't worry! Lose 2-4lbs per week- http://t.co/NKkl81UOsZ
— Protein World (@ProteinWorld) April 16, 2015

@rabbitinahat It's not too late to get your beach body! Lose 2-4lbs per week with our Weight Loss Collection :-)
— Protein World (@ProteinWorld) April 16, 2015

When they finally decided to respond to criticisms, their responses were rude, inappropriate and all in all made the situation much worse!

This one is significantly disgusting and displays a need to have clear brand guidelines and values to stick by in ALL forms of communication.

Jesus @ProteinWorld, do you want that hole to be any deeper? (via @willpscott) pic.twitter.com/hvzYQ9s7gl
— Laurence Hebberd (@LaurenceHebberd) April 24, 2015

This tweet was made by the company CEO who then started blocking all negative tweeters.

@daniellenewnham @JulietteBurton @ProteinWorld it sounds like Juliette had a lot of issues well before she saw the PW ad
— Arjun Seth (@arjun_seth) April 24, 2015

Both @ProteinWorld and their CEO @arjun_seth have blocked me. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/MvWrk4Majx
— Jack Ashman (@Jack_Ashman) April 18, 2015

Fighting fire with fire is never a good idea- and actually makes the company look guilty- despite no signs of any admittance of such, nor an apology. The brand were retweeting any tweets which shunned campaigners...then the CEO posted this tweet:

And I can't even comment on how greedy, selfish, ignorant and lack of customer focus this brand/ spokesperson is displaying.

And that ladies and gentleman is how not to run an advertising campaign.

However, with the continual push from brands and the media to gain their perception of the 'perfect body', it's unfortunate that people will still buy these crappy products!

Let me know your thoughts over on my twitter account @stefclarkx I would absolutely love to hear your opinions!

Stephy 

My Pick of the Ads!

I have been totally inspired by some amazing adverts this week, some totally beautiful, some interesting, some shocking and some a little bit weird! Here are a few of my favourites at the moment:

AARP

This beautiful ad captures the irreplaceable relationship between Mother and Daughter in a simplistic, yet heartwarming way. The ad is aimed at carers in the U.S. and offers them support, whilst directing them to visit their site at the end of the ad. Although the brand have a specific target audience in mind- this ad appeals to everyone and really made me think about all your mother does for you and eventually that you will have to return the favour. It isn't a flashy ad, nor does it reflect a large budget or sell benefits to a consumer. It just shows appreciation for what must be a really tough role and makes the carer feel appreciated, supported and ultimately admired- it's a beautiful piece of work.
Warburtons How could I not choose this ad! As a Northerner- I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia seeing Sylvester Stallone running through Bolton! This is totally out of Warburtons' comfort zone but I really think the risk has paid off as this ad puts the Warburtons brand in the spotlight and adds a bit of glamour! This ad was first shown in the Britain's Got Talent ad break and I really think it is a family-friendly ad that appeals to all families- it's brill! The concept of 'freshness' of the bread is communicated well and they could have done this in a really boring, samey bread selling way- but they thought outside the box and I like it! Kingsmill has been delisted from Tesco which is a real shame- although this Kingsmill ad couldn't have been placed at a better time considering their peak on-top of their main competitor! Good, strategic move- even if by coincidence!
Hyundai Phenomenal advert from Hyundai, shot beautifully and a jaw-dropping, heartwarming story without being too cheesy/ looking like they were trying to make everyone shed a tear as to sell their products... which I have to say a lot of brands do nowadays! But I really believe this demonstrates Hyundai's capability for innovation. No doubt they will have received a phenomenal amount of PR for this campaign. The ad really can appeal to a diverse audience- who isn't fascinated by space?! I know it's a lot more people than those fascinated by cars! Of course this ad will have had a HUGE budget- which makes me consider what the ROI was. So much for beauty and awe... but will it really help them to sell cars? I'm not sure. However, it was a great watch! Smart Car
Again, simplicity is key here. A little bit of humour mixed with a rational appeal is a great combination and I think Smart have nailed that balance here. The direct stab at competitors is interesting, it's lighthearted yet conveys Smart's key benefit or 'point-of-difference' through a central message. Smart aren't competing on beauty or innovation or technology- just size- and that's all they try to be. They know exactly who they are and what there brand is and I think that works so well in this ad! And my not so favourite....
Victoria's Secret Tacky, boring, awkward to watch, cringey and that hashtag!

Thanks for reading!
Stephanie

Cough drops advertised in Finland- a little different!

Check out this epic ad from a Finnish cough drops brand by ACTIVEARK JWT agency.

A great example- I doubt anyone could have guess what was being advertised before the cough drops appeared! 

I love this ad as it brings a story to life, thinks outside the box and creates something shareable, memorable and funny! It breaks all boundaries of standard 'pharmaceutical' advertising- we should take a leaf out of Finland's books when it comes to advertising! 

Prankvertising

NEW FAVE MARKETING STRATEGY GUYS!!!

Prankvertising is absolute genius!

Have a watch of this:

This was a stunt performed by the team behind a new release film 'Carrie' in order to promote their movie. The video has over a million hits on youtube- not bad at all!

LG also used prankvertising-  this is the best example I've seen so far!

It's also been used in social marketing too- which personally I think it can make a BIG impact!
Check out this prankvertising video by THINK- a drink driving campaign charity.



Companies are always looking for ways to make their brand go viral- this is a perfect way to do it, so easy for these clips to be shared and reshared!

If companies want to join on the prankvertising bandwagon and stand out they best had do fast!!!

Internet Explorer come back and my grazing addiction

Hey!
Just wanted to share this amazing advert with you!
Think I've finally learned how to embed youtube videos properly!!!

I love it! Brings back so many 90's memories and is so well put together! I've noticed how many people are using chrome or safari recently, especially noticable on my blog stats. I love the way internet explorer play on the fact they were the original browser and are targeting their initial market- us 90's kids, who grew up using internet explorer. They are using their history (however short) as marketing and I think it's very clever and reinforces the idea that internet explorer have "grown up" and aren't the same old boring, slow browser you used to use back in the day which also demonstrates that the 90's kids who have also grown up can use the rebranded, fresher browser to suit their needs now!
Such a cool video!

Ok, now I'm sure if you live in the UK you will have seen some sort of marketing for graze boxes, if not you must have been living in a hole as it is one of the most heavily advertised products at the moment! Well as I see their free/discounted box offers everywhere, I wanted to see what all the hype was about, so I decided to order one. I spend so much money on snacks in the uni shop which is ridiculously over priced (why it is placed in a university I do not know) and wanted to see if a graze box would be a healthier option and cheaper!
I found the first free box a bit scary as I was entering my card details for a free sample, something that I actually now thinks makes sense- graze ask for your credit card details in order to ensure you are a geniunely interested potential customer, or else they would have thousands of free boxes to send! Then you can rate your favourite foods based on sooo many different options.
This was quite an exciting process and I found the rating exciting as I could have a nosey at everything they have! Clearly captivating as an interaction with the customer means they can gain their attention and the rating process is quite time consuming meaning the customer has to spend extra time on the website!
Then once I had rated my products I chose my date to have the box delivered and I got an email the night before to tell me my box was on the way! My box was late because it was snowing so heavily but I emailed them and they discounted my next box immediately! Amazing customer service I was so impressed!
Then when my box arrived I took it to uni and everyone wanted to try!! Clearly a talking point and I think as the box looks different, especially when people take them to work/uni etc. their peers are going to be interested and want to try the boxes themselves.
I was very impressed and am going to be continuing my subscription!
I think the concept of "graze" is successful because;

• They deliver exceptional customer service.
• There is a high level of interaction between organisation and consumer. It's fun!
• The product is customisable and part of the experience is this element.
• They play on the desire to be healthy and a quick pick up snack.
• Everyone likes getting things through the post!
• It's a talking point and you get a token with each box where a friend can try a free box!
• Very responsible and ethical brand

Just my reccomendation anyway! think they will go far!!!
Steph