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January 2005
December 30, 2004
A look back at the year in advertising, from BBC News Magazine:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Yes, it’s all British ads that we haven’t seen here in the U.S.
But, you get the gist. And the creative trends are, sadly, the same on both
sides of the Atlantic: cool celebrities, hip obscurity, and ham-handed attempts
to reach new target markets.
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December 29, 2004
I’ve had this website bookmarked for years, and yesterday’s entry with
its archive of advertising reminded me to share it. It’s a
small, personal collection of British print ads and brochures related to
household appliances and select cars from the 1960s and 1970s, from Simon’s
Skip (UK):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
This collection is clearly a labor of love. Elsewhere in Simon’s Skip, you’ll find
a brief photo-study of 1930s Moderne architecture, photos and descriptions of
his growing collection of vintage electrical appliances, Scottish
railway timetables from 1964, and a vigorous defense of the Austin Allegro. And,
a personal blog following the life of a gay, vegetarian, recent graduate in
design history who works in a bingo hall in Brighton. The blog contains some of
the most-absorbing (and occasionally oddball) long-lunchbreak links I’ve
come across; recent treasures include Pathetic Motorways, abandoned railway
stations, urban exploration,
and probably others that I’m forgetting at the moment. Well worth a look around for the cultural
artifacts!
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December 28, 2004
Oh, this is so cool. The John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History at Duke University has a
searchable digital archive of vintage advertisements. I spent hours here,
reading the studies, viewing the ads, and savoring the rhythm of ad copy from
various eras. It was time well-spent, a whole education in advertising and
copywriting.
Three collections are especially
worth bookmarking. The first is called Ad*Access, and contains some 7,000
print ads from the U.S. and Canada, dating from 1911 through about 1957. Product
categories covered are radios, televisions, mass transportation, beauty and hygiene,
and World War II. Ads are also broken out chronologically, and the historical
analysis in each category is well worth reading too:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
The third and final collection is a specialized one: Medicine and Madison Avenue, a study of
medicine advertising from 1910 through the 1950s. Some 600 ads are searchable
and viewable in categories including household products, over-the-counter drugs,
personal and oral hygiene, vitamins and nutritional supplements, and
pharmaceutical corporations. These categories are further broken down into
sub-categories (e.g.: over-the-counter drugs > cough & cold) for easy
browsing:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
All perfect reading for the holiday break, if you have one. If not, bookmark
them and browse them with every spare minute. They’re not just museum
pieces, they’re great educational pieces demonstrating deep insight into
human nature and the sales process, neither of which has changed significantly
in 150 years.
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December 27, 2004
As 2004 comes to a close, it’s time for a look back at some of the year’s
advertising trends. This article, from the New York Times via the San Francisco Chronicle,
looks at the rise of virally promoted, non-branded websites for major corporate advertisers:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Key quote, from a creative director involved in making these under-the-radar marketing efforts: “I do consider them kind of like pirate radio stations. You’re kind of borrowing some bandwidth from the brand, but it allows you to do things the brand may not be comfortable with on its own corporate site.”
I
disagree a bit with that quote, although it has the sound of something pulled
slightly out of context in terms of marketing. I don’t think much mental or emotional bandwidth
is really “borrowed” from the brand. To me, these things work,
not by borrowing interest, but by generating fresh, new interest among new
audiences. My prediction for 2005: As bandwidth becomes cheaper and more people
gain high-speed internet connections, look for these off-the-wall websites to
become increasingly sophisticated, increasingly subversive, and increasingly
targeted.
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December 23, 2004
Has Christmas been taken over by advertising, replacing the spirit of goodwill
with a spirit of commercialism? Well, nothing new there. The question itself is
a lift from a piece in the New York Times from December 23
... 1899. Here’s more, from today’s USA Today:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Key circular quote: “Americans have made a tradition out of insisting that the
Christmas spirit is lost.” So, as you protest the excesses of the season,
or take your holiday spirit with a twist of post-modern irony, know that you’re
engaging in a custom nearly as old as Christmas itself. Merry Christmas!
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December 22, 2004
I have two entries today. The first sort of validates yesterday’s entry,
about the value of regional differentiation in building a global brand. The
story concerns the rising international backlash against brands perceived as
“American,” and it comes from the Toledo Blade (OH):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
There are three distinct strategies here. One can buy local favor by acquiring local brands: the Coke strategy. One can work one’s way into local favor slowly but inexorably, submerging the brand nationality beneath a culturally relevant brand identity: the Heinz strategy. Finally, one can trumpet the brand nationality and take the cyclical lows – and highs – that will come from it: the DaimerChrysler strategy.
Each of these strategies can work, albeit in different ways at different times. For instance, according to the article, Coke makes 90% of its profit outside the U.S. And the first awareness in the UK that Heinz was actually an American brand came during the recent presidential election.
Next is an article about marketing to kids. It makes a compelling
case that the current generation of children and youths are not nearly as marketing-savvy as we
in the ad industry like to think. Here’s the article, from the Sydney
Morning Herald (AUS):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Key quote:
Today’s youth consumer is less - not more - marketing savvy than ever, Ferrier [a marketing agency partner] says. “They are suckers for marketing, and they love it.”
Branding is branding, advertising is advertising, and kids are kids. I’ve said it over and over (December 16 2004, November 13 and 21, 2003, May 6, 2003, April 16, 2003): the way to manage the problem (and it is a problem) is through active parenting. And, for crying out loud, turn off the TV.
I have two children, ages 2-1/2 and 4-1/2. My wife and I expected more of a brand-awareness explosion with pre-school, but awareness didn’t equate with desire, at least not yet. We’ll see what happens when the older one starts Kindergarten and the peer pressure really ramps up.
As a parent, you can’t eliminate branding entirely, or you could end up raising a social outcast. But you can manage the issue by managing expectations and maintaining a constant dialog about all marketing messages, not just the ones aimed at kids.
On a related note, I recently showed my 4-1/2-year-old a few rough storyboard concepts for some
television commercials I was working on. The product itself had no relevance to
a child, but one concept clearly communicated the product benefit in a way that
engaged him and tickled his fancy. I found it interesting that his pick of the
litter was also mine. Hmmm.
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December 21, 2004
When it comes to strong international brands, it’s hard to beat Santa
Claus. A key part of that universal success, however, is the use of unique
regional branding. Here’s the story, from Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki, Finland):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
There’s a lot to like about that original Finnish pagan goat-horned
Santa frightening the children and taking liberties with the ladies of the
house. Anyway, what this shows is that you can build a universal brand without
necessarily using the same brand image or brand mythology. Leveraging the brand
isn’t the same thing as cloning it. Regional variations allow closer
cultural relationships with the brand, increasing brand ownership among
consumers outside of the brand’s original market area. That’s
something to remember as more brands go global. And, a great lesson in marketing
from the jolly old elf himself.
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December 20, 2004
A re-branding that isn’t: replacing the word “diet” with
something hipper in low-
or no-calorie soft drink names. Here’s the story, from the New York Times:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
In the strictest sense, this ain’t re-branding: the brand (Coke, Sprite, Pepsi) remains the same. What’s being changed here is something of a brand modifier. But it is a neat example of re-positioning through product naming. Is it smart? I think so, for all the reasons the article states. First, it eliminates a word that, in addition to feeling very 1971, always looked like a bolted-on description. Second, it expands the category appeal to include people who aren’t on a diet, or don’t think of themselves as being on a diet. (You know them: “I’m not on Atkins/WeightWatchers/South Beach. I’m just eating right.”)
No matter what you call it, though, the stuff in the can is still a man-made
concoction offering better taste through chemical engineering. Eventually, it’s
going to make refined sugar look like health food.
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December 17, 2004
This year’s holiday ad-fest includes perhaps the first advertising campaign
from the Hells Angels. The Hells Angels? Here’s the story, from the Toronto
Star (Ontario, Canada):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Of course, there’s an ulterior motive to their public relations effort,
just as with any other advertiser. The thing is, this is the kind of edgy, wild
account with which creative ad agencies aspire to build their reputations and
their portfolios. What’s notable isn’t that the Hell’s Angels are
advertising. It’s that they don’t seem to have an agency.
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to the top of the page
December 16, 2004
I have two entries today, the first being a quickie from CNETNews.com via Tech
Republic, about the Google v. Geico trademark suit:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
A federal judge ruled that trademarks can be used or bought as search keywords by anyone, not just the owners of the trademarks. This is both a huge win for Google and a significant reduction in trademark protection. Hey, remember when the musical artist Prince changed his name to that weird symbol? Maybe he had the right idea, at least as far as protecting his brand from trademark dilution on-line. Way ahead of his times, he was.
Next up, is an article about automobile branding programs aimed at toddlers.
Here’s the story about co-branded toys, a surprisingly balanced one
considering it’s coming from the American International Automobile Dealers
Association (Alexandria, VA):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
As an advertising copywriter who is also a parent (two boys, 4 and 2), I vehemently oppose brand marketing and brand advertising aimed at children. What does it mean when a child’s self-esteem is linked, at such an early age, to brand names? Instead of being good at hitting a ball, or spelling, or digging holes in the mud. What lesson does that teach our kids about defining who they are?
You can be successful and drive a cool car. In fact, in California, that’s almost mandatory. But the cool car doesn’t make you successful.
I think my issue is somewhat related to size and price. As a kid, I had a
vast, car-geek collection of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. In fact, in true
car-geek fashion, I preferred the ones that were based on real cars. (And, in
true collector-geek fashion, I still have every one, neatly stored in cases and
cataloged on lined notebook paper.) Anyway, at a certain price point (and
children know when something is extravagant), these toys teach that you can buy
success. That is not a good message, and is even bad for consumerism,
when you think about all the adults who can’t afford to buy things because
they’re making payments on a Lexus they can’t afford. At some point, this
stuff has to stop. But, I don’t think the answer is stronger legislation; I
think the answer is stronger parenting.
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December 15, 2004
Some perennial holiday television favorites just happen to be ads. Here’s an
overview of some popular holiday TV commercials, along with a brief history of
the modern image of Santa Claus, from Newsday (NY):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
There are also links to view three holiday ads online, in RealVideo format.
Next to the politically incorrect but over-the-top funny Virgin Mobile
commercial and the classic, restrained Budweiser commercial, the Heineken ad
just looks like the ad agency indulging a clever idea. Note, too, that the only
commercial here that delivers a sales message beyond pure holiday feel-good, is
also the only 60-second spot here.
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to the top of the page
December 14, 2004
After nearly 20 years, the Texas State Department of Transportation has finally
launched its own, authorized, line of “Don’t Mess With Texas”
merchandise. Here’s
the story, from the Associated Press via the Dallas-Ft. Worth (TX) Star-Telegram:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
The slogan has been around for so long, that many people have probably forgotten that it was created in 1986 as part of an anti-littering ad campaign, which was itself highly effective. Almost immediately, the ad slogan was adopted as an expression of all-around Texas pride, and bootleg merchandise sprung up. No one at the transportation department took action because, as a state agency, it was a positive outcome to see people taking the message to heart in so many ways. However, over the years the slogan became too valuable an asset to leave untapped.
You just know a government bureaucracy is involved, though, when a sure-fire
hit product line gets rolled out just a few weeks too late to capture
holiday shoppers. Well, with a slogan as embedded as this one, there’s
always next year.
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December 13, 2004
This is a great example of viral marketing – when a user of a product, on his own time, creates an ad extolling the joys of
ownership. That’s what one high school teacher did, then he posted his
creation on his website. So far, just the usual fan stuff, right? But this
particular home-made 60-second TV commercial for the Apple iPod Mini has become
the hot ad of the month and the darling of the ad industry. Here’s
the story, from Wired:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
I’ve seen it. And it’s excellent, very professionally done, creatively better than 95% of the television commercials out there. The actions shown are both graphically stylish and relevant to product benefits. The creative execution is fresh and fun to watch, and the choice of song is spot on. If an ad agency team had presented it, it might have been criticized internally for being off brand strategy, but even on that point it’s (a) good enough and close enough to be defended or adapted and (b) the brainchild of someone who didn’t have access to the corporate communications guidelines. I have just two comments about the work.
First, it’s a :60. See how the 60-second format allows a fuller (and more-fulfilling) experience? I’ve said all along that 30 seconds isn’t enough time to sell, and this shows how powerful even an attitude-driven ad can be, given enough content and time.
Second, and this is the only criticism I have, I’d have liked to see a graphical representation showing size. After all, it’s the iPod Mini; tiny size is a key product attribute. Yeah, that point is intrinsic to the song choice, which is punched a couple times through the spot, but requiring someone to read copy or pay attention to lyrics on a TV commercial is a reach. That point could have been delivered just one more way, through one of the wonderfully watchable visual vignettes.
Finally, two comments about Apple. First, it’s huge testimony to the
strength and consistency of their branding that this fan-made creation is
recognized immediately as both a wonderful TV spot for Apple and also as not
a TV spot from Apple. Second, the silence so far from Apple’s legal
department shows, for the time being, considerable savvy there as well.
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December 11, 2004
Celebrities aren’t the only ones on the payroll of corporations with a
position to promote or an axe to grind. Increasingly, professors are used as
paid media mouthpieces (or, “consultants”), usually with no disclosure
of their business relationship with those outside employers. Here’s
the story, from the Wall Street Journal via my hometown San Diego (CA) Union-Tribune:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Now, this is a low-down dirty PR trick, far lower than celebrity
endorsement deals associated with advertising. That’s partly because the
truth expectations of a typical reader, viewer, or listener are higher for
supposedly non-promotional communications from acknowledged topical experts. And
it’s partly because the business relationship is deliberately concealed. I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s a sorry state of affairs
when advertising is the last reasonably truthful example of mass
communication.
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December 10, 2004
Celebrity-laden holiday advertising may be more of an issue across the pond than
it is
here. Here’s an article from BBC News Magazine, about the risks and
rewards of celebrity endorsements:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Consumers are cynical enough to know that it’s all about the
money. However, an appealing celebrity is, well, appealing. The trick,
creatively, is to use the celebrity in a story that leverages his or her unique
and brand-relevant strengths. The straight endorsement ad is out; the story ad
(featuring, almost incidentally, recognized stars) is in. And, whether to use a
celebrity becomes almost just another casting decision.
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December 9, 2004
A case involving mandatory contributions to advertising campaigns promoting
agricultural categories, discussed
here on July 14, 2003, finally reaches the U.S. Supreme Court. The specific case
concerns the Beef Council’s “Beef: It’s what’s for
dinner” ad campaign, but also applies to other category-building ad
campaigns like “Got Milk,” and could be extended into categories such
as local and regional tourism campaigns. Here are two
articles, the first from the Legal Times via Law.com, and the second from the Associated Press via my hometown San Diego Union-Tribune:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Funny thing is, no one’s arguing that the ads don’t work; that is,
that they don’t increase market share and profitable sales. No one’s
questioning the ROI. The key issues are (a) the identification of the government as the ad sponsor and (b) the distribution of profits
resulting from increased sales. Now, I’m no attorney, just a plain ol’
freelance advertising copywriter. But, it seems to be
that (a) the sponsor of an ad ought to be identified simply as a matter of clear
communication and (b) market distribution ought to be factored into the
marketing contribution.
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December 8, 2004
In its drive to produce more goods, more-cheaply and more-profitably –
and, let’s not kid ourselves, most of this stuff is headed to the U.S. –
China is fueling its factories with a catastrophically brutal energy policy. One
that has killed 15 coal miners a day this year, one that kills (by official
estimate, mind you)
400,000 people a year through diseases caused by severe air pollution, one that
continues unabated as you read this. Here’s the story, from BBC News (and
be sure to read some of the jump stories too):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Many low-priced goods carry a real cost in human blood. Something to think
about as you shop for $69 DVD players, $19 doll/action figure sets, $12 sweaters, and $5
knickknacks at your neighborhood conglomerated discount store. Happy holidays!
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December 7, 2004
Blogging goes big-time commercial as more webizens and advertisers discover
their mutual desire to make a buck. Here’s the story, from The Globe and
Mail (UK):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
That seems to be the trend now. The first question people have about starting
a blog isn’t “do I have something to say?” It’s “can I
get someone to pay?” And the irony is that in less than two years, my own
Ad Blog, written by an advertising copywriter about advertising, has become one
of the few remaining ad-free blogs left.
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December 6, 2004
Continuing from Sunday’s entry, Reuters heads in the opposite
direction from Forbes, choosing to increase its links to sponsors
and advertisers. Not only that, but Reuters is attempting to maximize profits by
getting into the creative end of the ad business too. Here’s a short blurb, from Media Week:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
One is inclined to wonder if this marks the beginning for the end for the Reuters brand. After all, it can hardly be viewed as an impartial information resource if it not only carries ads, but also creates them. Or can it?
Most news media have long had advertising departments and even creative departments, ostensibly separate from their editorial departments. Because of that separation, ads for any given advertiser have always run the risk of appearing near a news feature that negates it. And, editors have long proven themselves averse to advertiser influence.
All of which makes the Forbes argument seem a bit precious in retrospect. After all, Forbes magazine carries advertising in print.
What’s interesting here, is that, in two days and with two opposite
approaches, advertising policies are being touted as differentiators.
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December 5, 2004
A quick Sunday entry to point out an article from the Associated Press via my hometown
San Diego (CA) Union Tribune reporting that the Forbes magazine
website will not longer carry sponsored links on its article pages:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
Forbes editors and staff “felt that the links might blur the lines between paid advertisements and
staff-written copy.” See, that’s why I don’t have ad links on my
blog, and why I don’t risk having ads served up via a news feed. I just don’t
feel comfortable creating ads for one client, while potentially running
ads for a competitor. As a copywriter, that’s a conflict of interest. Also,
like
I say in my Ad Blog FAQ, I get paid to write ads, not write about ads.
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December 3, 2004
The Aflac duck has been around for four years and already has been labeled “iconic.” The duck has made it into a
recent movie (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events),
is being worked into the corporate logo, and will (gasp) have a reduced role in the
new ad campaign. Here’s the story, from the Wall Street Journal, via
The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, SC):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
The Michelin Man is iconic. The Aflac duck is successful, but hardly iconic, yet. And, this next step – defining the benefits of the service more clearly – is both essential and utterly unsurprising. This is how this ad campaign was supposed to work: get consumer attention (and, with it, brand recognition and category awareness), then move on to delivering a specific marketing message. The only people who would be surprised, or call this a “muzzling” of a popular mascot, are those who don’t understand sustained advertising. It’s not muzzling; it’s leveraging.
What is interesting, for students of advertising strategy, is that it
took four years to build up enough momentum in the marketplace that people might
pay attention to an ad about supplemental workplace insurance. Four years.
That puts the damper of realism on arguments that nowadays you can build a brand
overnight.
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December 2, 2004
Here’s a story about a television commercial for a beer named Bud,
featuring exotic foreigners and a fantasy sequence involving beer and beautiful
women, with sports and patriotism thrown in for good measure. The ad is raising
the hackles of competitors and various conservative interest groups. No, wait,
it’s not that Bud. Here’s the article about Czech beer brand Budvar and
its new ad creative, from the Prague Post (CZ):
Advertising
copywriter blog link
I think the whole story is sort of interesting, but take issue with one
quote: “Traditional advertising school of thought requires producers to show the target
audience in an ad.” That is not true. Traditional advertising
school of thought requires advertisers to show something that appeals to
the target group. Research and ongoing experience tells us that that something is
often the target group itself. And why not? Customers get to see an idealized
version of themselves in an idealized situation. But, the rule isn’t showing
the target group; it’s attracting the target group. Which is
exactly what the Budvar beer ad appears to be doing. It’s not breaking
rules; it’s following them.
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December 1, 2004
A look at the business headlines today shows confusion over the prospects of a
strong holiday for retailers. Consumer confidence is up. No, it’s down. The
market is up. No, it’s down. Consumer spending projections are up. No, they’re
down. Pick your sector, pick your source, and pick your poison. Early numbers,
though, are not encouraging. Here’s the story, from the Associated Press
via my hometown San Diego (CA) Union-Tribune:
Advertising
copywriter blog link
The big post-Thanksgiving drive fizzled, as consumers apparently await deeper discounts. And the one trend that everyone seems to agree on, is that ecommerce is going to take a bigger and bigger chunk of holiday spending from brick-and-mortar retailers.
But what’s to become of the social part of the holiday shopping
experience? You know: city sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday
style, while the shoppers rush home with their treasures? Will that go the way of
yule logs, carolers a-wassailing, and the one-horse open sleigh? See, not every
evolution of consumer power is good for people. (Then again, regardless
of your personal beliefs, the holidays were never meant to be about consumerism.)
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Backwards in time to November 2004
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Phone and fax: (619) 465-6100
John Kuraoka, freelance advertising copywriter
6877 Barker Way
San Diego, California
92119-1301