McCann Erickson-Mastercard "Priceless" campaign

Mastercard's "priceless" campaign has to be the most well known slogan for any credit card company. No matter who we are, no matter if we are target customers for Mastercard or not, the phrase priceless has become embedded in American culture. Just the other day, one of my friend's facebook status ended in "... priceless". Surely McCann Erickson and Mastercard knew when they were launching the campaign that not everyone would switch to Mastercard purely because of these ads, yet, as a brand, Mastercard has positioned itself above competitors Visa, American Express, Discover Card and any other credit service companies I am missing, simply because of customer AWARENESS. Based on competitive advertising I have seen, it seems as though Mastercard has created not only an image for itself, but for the entire product category ( which is relatively dull and definitely not 'sexy'). Finally, Mastercard has lead the way in its product category not because it has made any bold or false claims. In fact, it admits there are somethings money CANNOT buy, but for everything else: there's Mastercard! :)

The Martin Agency-Geico spots

Hate the lizard, love the caveman. Hate the song, love the tagline. These are just my personal opinions. And to me, this is what is so unique about what the Martin Agency has created for Geico. There is a wide spectrum of various icons and scenarios through which they reach the consumer. Based on what we have learned about the Martin Agency, they are not overly concerned with focus groups and pre-testing, but will evaluate the advertising once it has already aired. With this mentality, it explains the caveman, the lizard, the talking money, and the several other silly (yet effective) icons they have. When comparing Geico advertising to competitors, it is important to realize how well Geico positions itself: easy, national, and obviously... 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance, now who can refuse that?

Grey-E*Trade babies

Although Grey is not known for its sexy work, mainly due do the scope of its clients' work, yet, in my opinion (many people would shoot me for saying this), the E*Trade babies are some of the best images in current TV advertising. While they may be annoying to some, or while some people might find them irrelevant to the product, if you think about it, the message from Grey is clear: E*trade is so easy a baby can use it. Similar to the Martin Agency's work for Geico, I think these babies are becoming an American icon. More importantly, for this particular campaign, I think Grey does a great job adding a new and unique twist to the world of investing. Obviously, the target audience is adults, who have the money to invest. What do most adults have? Children! I know it sounds silly, because I am not in the target for these ads, however, if, as a parent, I saw a cute baby discussing my investing options, I wouldn't only find it funny, but if I listen to what is being said, it would be useful as well. So no matter what people may say about Grey and about the E*Trade babies, my support is certainly there!

JWT-Kit Kat commercial

This awarding winning campaign is definitely worthy of any positive recognition it gets. Funny and light-hearted, yet the product is never forgotten. In my opinion, most chocolate or snack food advertising IS pretty good, because the agency and the client realize it is a fun product, geared towards a relatively young and hip target market. However, what JWT does so well with this commercial, is the tagline: "If he deserves a break, you do", almost saying he does NOT deserve a Kit Kat, but hey, if he is eating one, why shouldn't you? Also, it is a universal spot, which most consumers, young, old, male, female can relate to. Well done JWT, I certainly am craving a Kit Kat after that ad.

Young & Rubicam-Band-Aid campaign

A classic campaign, for a classic brand, done by a classic agency. Y&R's work for Band-aid truly encapsulates the consumer's image of the brand: reliable, and puts a smile back on people's face. This campaign, especially this particular spot, show consumers that advertising for products as simple and basic as bandages can indeed be heartwarming, entertaining and of course, explain the product well. Another aspect of the campaign Y&R does so well, is understanding that for such a well known brand, in a low-involvement product category, there is no need to go into detail about the science behind the bandage. After all, they are targeting moms, dads and even young adults who might get a cut once in a while. All they need to know is that they can be "stuck on band-aid, and band-aids stuck on them!" Even the song is catchy! :)

Ogilvy & Mather-Motorola spot

This particular ad for Motorola, created by Ogilvy, although potentially controversial, is excellent. Perhaps I have a male bias, but from a strategic point of view, this is executed really well. Definitely targeted towards men, probably young adults, it shows features of the phone, highlighting some 'bonuses' that the phone can provide. Of course, this ad has an element of controversy which could make some viewers uncomfortable, yet I reiterate my position that Ogilvy does a great job in this campaign understanding the consumer and his or her (probably his) needs. This may not win an award for most ethical advertising, but hey, it'll probably get the job done, which is selling more Motorola phones.

Martin/Williams-Staples spot

What could have been a cheesy, tacky and frankly ineffective ad, is instead funny, light-hearted, but most importantly: effective. In what can be considered by most as a pretty boring category, stationery and school supplies, Martin Williams agency does a great job positioning Staples as a place where parents can get excited about low prices, an array of supplies, and most importantly: sending their kids BACK to school! Rather than having kids running around a store excited about buying pens and pencils, or having parents exaggerating about their love for school supply shopping, the message is refreshingly honest. Surprising how honesty can sometimes works, isn't it?

Latin Works-Bud Light spot

My third blog on beer advertising: either I just love the product, or I have made a few observations. I'd like to think it's a combination of both. First of all, I've noticed that just for the Anheuser Busch company, there are three different agencies with various messages. Obviously a company as large as Anheuser Busch, with a large and diverse target audience, will hire various agencies to strategize accordingly, however, the Bud Light spot but Latin Works stands out for me as the most 'stereotypical beer ad'. As millions of Americans see through bad advertising, beer is credited as a 'dude's drink'. This spot is no different. There are stereotypes across the board (one of the most negative/least creative aspects of advertising in my opinion), there is the exaggerated love of the product, and the spot reeks of tacky beer advertising. However, this is just my personal opinion. Advertising is all about the target audience, and since this ad was created by a Spanish agency, perhaps I am not in the target market. It is for this reason that I think advertising towards your intended audience is so key, because I am a big fan of the other Bud Light spot (Swear Jar), yet this commercial almost makes me want to STOP drinking Bud Light. Again, this is just my opinion, but it really emphasizes the importance of understanding the target audience.

Dieste Harmel & Parnters-Budweiser FFDD campaign

When considering any mainstream beer advertisement, there is always an element of humor, no escaping that. However, as I mentioned earlier in my blog when discussing DDB's work for Anheuser Busch, almost all beer ads are geared towards men, and if not, they are female specific; never are they gender neutral. Yet, just like the Bud Light swear jar, the FFDD campaign by Dieste, can relate to both men and women.  Also, though it is not as extravagant as some work done by DDB, there is a unique message to it that no other beer commercial has: drinking beer is better than drinking other alcohol. In every other beer campaign, it is always about the friendship or the emotional bond with the brew, however, in the FFDD spots, the message is simple: pick beer over a 'fufu' drink that will either give you a tiny pinky or small mouth. While most consumers know (or should know anyways) that this is pure puffery, it really is a unique twist to beer advertising, which as a consumer, I have never seen before. So the next time I go to a bar and order a drink, in the back of my mind, I'll know that a 'fufu drink' just won't cut it. 

GSD&M/Idea City-Southwest campaign

Being from a city with a huge United and American Airlines presence (Chicago), these were the only two airlines I would ever consider flying on. However, it was these hilarious, yet informative, commercials from GSD&M that made me even consider flying Southwest. Through various spots, GSM&M does a great job highlighting various features showing how the product can directly help the consumer: business travel, affordable flights, direct flights, and most importantly, no hidden fees. Commercial airline travel is often a cluttered category, where advertising can often be dull and lack a serious message, yet Southwest shifts its brand to a fun-loving, easy going flight. Most importantly, however, the message remains consistent, that by flying Southwest you are getting an honest and affordable airline. And of course, the tagline reflects that, "fees don't fly with us". 

Goodby Silverstein & Partners- Got Milk??

The Got Milk campaign isn't only an advertising campaign intended to promote the consumption of milk on a national scale, but it has become an American icon. Through parodies and spoofs the campaign has received an enormous amount of free PR. Yet, to me, the most interesting part of this campaign is that there was no particular brand or company that this was advertised for. It was the idea of the California Milk Advisory Board to launch a campaign in order to make more Californians drink milk, a moral and socially responsible thing to do. Also, with the target audience virtually being anyone and everyone, the concepts behind this campaign was executed really well, with a universal appeal.

180-Adidas Impossible is Nothing

One of the few campaigns I have seen so far this semester that has actually given me goosebumps. "The Impossible is Nothing" campaign had a daunting task of coming up with an idea similar to Nike's "Just Do it". No matter the client or the agency, this is no easy task. However, the work done by 180 Amsterdam to create an emotional response to Adidas was tremendous. With athletes like Muhammad Ali, David Beckham, Mia Hamm and numerous other world known superstars as endorsers for the brand, Adidas and 180 really showed their intent on giving Nike a run for its money. Yet the most impressive part of this campaign is the realistic nature of it. They are not showing athletes doing ridiculous stunts, there are no amazing special effects; all the commercial is saying is 'be who you are, dare to dream, and nothing is out of your reach... impossible is NOTHING'. Maybe it is the just the sports fanatic in me, but the message sent out in this campaign is one of the most admirable in sports advertising.