The off-shoot of having cord cut my cable, studied advertising and watching social media sweep up and encompass just about all existing models of ‘traditional’ media makes one, well me, hyper aware of what might be going on. During a recent online discussion with someone I know mostly through online discussions, we discussed that by and large, the traditional television advertising model hadn’t changed in over 70 years – although, in my opinion, we have two more generations to get through before the demand for change will eventually have to be met. Although in a weird twist, the modern product placement within TV shows reminds me of the early days of show sponsorship, so are we coming full circle?
However, off on a side bar, I’m all up to date with what my options for step-in bathtubs, stair hoists and reverse mortgages (for the house I was never able to afford) are! But, back on point, our discussion turned to how to determine the efficacy of popular social campaigns. Citing the Dear Kitten campaign by Purina, which I think is rather entertaining and did share on social media, but did it compel me to switch my cat to their food, well no. So how do we determine if this campaign was successful? I don’t actually know. The time tested success factor would come down to cold hard cash but is product recognition and a sense of community now more important? Again, I don’t actually know.
Any woman who wears make up knows there’s a new mascara
introduced every week of a calendar year. One common thread through all mascara
advertising - which is basically lifestyle advertising, because, really, it’s
dirt to put on your lashes – is that the ideal achievement is a smooth, plump,
lengthening clean lash, which if you want to look like the girl in the ad,
means time consuming and expensive lash extensions. Maybelline’s new Chaos
mascara eschews all that and suggests that theirs is the only mascara that will
give you that clumpy, smudgy, mussed up look you didn’t know you were supposed
to want. My current theory is that they have a warehouse full of the stuff and
found it didn’t do so well in the test market tests - and if that’s the case,
kudos to their marketing team. Also works on your boyfriend.
Swiss Chalet has, over the years, and mostly unsuccessfully,
tried to expand their menu and thereby their customer base. In my personal
opinion this has been a failing prospect. Why not embrace and do the thing
you’re good at; consistently prepared rotisserie chicken with a potato product
side, and that salty, addictive ‘industrial gravy’ that we call dipping sauce.
The latest campaign centres around chicken wings, which oddly, Swiss Chalet is
not very good at, and trying to make ‘the Chalet’ as cool as your local pub.
And whenever I see the product shot of two men digging into their plate of
wings, branded beer glasses in clear sight, I think those guys look whipped
(and then I giggle.) Let’s face it, dudes are gonna go get wings and beers and
they’re gonna do it at the local pub, or some chain that specializes in keeping
sports on multiple screens, all the time. Not at Swiss Chalet.
Insert-car-manufacturer-here ad for getting Millennial’s
into cars. Millennial’s are not getting
their driver’s license in record numbers, and don’t buy cars, or so do way less
than previous generations. Also Millennial’s don’t watch TV!
Want to know where to get an overpriced payday loan? No
amount of fuzzy mascot or purposely homemade looking ad will stop that fact
that these people are charging you about 60% interest, and apparently not
spending any more than they have to on the advertising budget.
The Fonz selling reverse mortgages. Just writing that makes
me feel old. And I’m not even in the target demographic.
And finally, you heard it from the horse’s mouth. They may
have cleaned up the Trivago guy, but he’s still sorta creepy. Even clean shaven
and in a suit, but it might be the poor taste joke about getting ‘Lucky’ in a
room.
