Stereotyping is bad behavior in the real world, but in a comedy sketch stereotyping can turn to pure gold, as it does here in this new spot for Taco Bell.
The writing, casting and acting are all top notch here. This is a great commercial.
The thing I like most about it is how the storyline ladders right to the unique product benefit–that the burrito is smothered. You know how creatives say “I wish I’d made that spot?” This is one of those spots (made my Deutsch LA) many of us wish we’d made.
Fishing is something I associate with my childhood and my grandfather, Eldon Burn, in particular. We used to fish for bluegill, crappie, bass and catfish on Nebraska’s man-made lakes. We also fished for salmon and trout on Lake Michigan and walleyed-pike in Minnesota. So, when I see this throwback illustration style used to motivate me, I am in fact moved to fish.
User experience is front-and-center in this new anthem from Apple and TBWA\Chiat\Day.
I like that Apple is asking the fundamental questions. “Will it make life better? Does it deserve to exist?” Imagine where the ad business would be today if we applied that filter in our work.
But before I get caught up in Apple rapture, lets wrestle with this “Designed by Apple in California” signature to its knees. “This is our signature and it means everything,” the actor cries out. Sadly, this ruins the spot by reminding us what is left unsaid. Designed by Apple in California, assembled by impoverished laborers in China.
Vonage isn’t your father’s mobile phone carrier. To prove it, the brand has enlisted a new Chief Generosity Officer, and taken a page from Geico’s caveman in the process.
This is JWT’s first work for the brand. What do you think? Will the above philosopher of the people help educate mobile phone users about the “archaic ways” of other carriers?
Brand Channel spoke to Barbara Goodstein, Vonage’s CMO, about the spot. Goodstein calls the character “campaignable and relatable” and “combining the mind of a professor and the tech-savvy look of an engineer. He’s exactly what we were hoping he would be in terms of attracting attention and being interesting and someone people would want to talk about.”
Okay, so he’s not a caveman wannabe or a street person. Vonage’s Chief Generosity Officer “has the mind of a professor and the look of an engineer.” And look, he’s wearing a tie!
It’s hard to say for sure if Vonage is making fun of the Chief Generosity Officer idea here, or embracing it. I am inclined to think it’s all a joke — the production lends itself to this argument. However, the concept of a more generous mobile provider is no laughing matter.
Overstock.com is a price play, and we all know how enticing low prices can be. It’s nectar to the price-conscious shopper.
Even so, I find the following commercial off-putting. Take a look:
Momma’s gotta shop. Really?
Well sure, if the family is to be housed, clothed, fed, transported to and fro and so on, then yes, Momma’s gotta shop.
This customer insight — or observation as the case may be — does nothing for the brand. Momma’s gotta shop, and hey ladies check it out, Overstock.com is an online store. Wow, get your credit card out.
To make matters worse (or better, depending on your POV), the Momma in this commercial is a cougar. It seems low prices excite her in more ways than one.
Oreo ran a 90-second animated spot during the airing of Mad Men on Sunday night.
The new anti-vampire/pro-cookie spot was created by the Martin Agency. It features music from the band Owl City.
According to The New York Times, Jorge Calleja, the group creative director at the Martin Agency who serves as the global creative director on the Oreo account, said he believed that the concept of wonder is “something the brand could own.”
“Other brands like to wake up the athlete in you,” Mr. Calleja said. “We want to wake up the inner child in you.”
But of course. Wake up the inner child, the inner child won’t bother about things like fat or calories. The inner child wants to dream, and eat cookies while doing so. It’s a smart strategy. But what I really enjoy here is the animation. A commercial needs to be something you want to look at, and this one is.
Dog videos are really freaking popular online, but not as popular as cat videos. Which is good, because the new marketing guru at Old Spice isn’t a cat, he’s a Wolfdog. If he was a Tigercat, that would be too obvious, pandering even. But a Wolfdog, a Wolfdog has legs. Oh, and like ETrade’s talking baby, words stream from Wolfdog’s mouth, clever words that show disdain for marketing, because that makes it funny, or funnier.
“Sometimes, you gotta eat people America, that’s how business works,” says the brand character. And there’s a lot more Mr. Wolfdog to be had. Wieden+Kennedy is sending a steady bark of Mr. Wolfdog Tweets, and working to spread Mr. Wolfdog’s message across the various social platforms.
Done playing Call of Duty. I lost two games which is pretty good considering the controller was specifically made to not work with wolf paws
On top of the many formulas followed above (use of talking dogs and anti-advertising inside humor), there’s also the fact that Kenny Powers already took over a brand — K-Swiss — and 72andsunny’s version of a hostile takeover is jarringly refreshing. Shoe wearers are also inclined to believe that Kenny Powers might actually be running K-Swiss. None of that is true here.
There are funny lines sprinkled here and there, but no big idea to drive this campaign forward. This isn’t Man on a Horse, strategically or creatively. It fails to ladder back to under arm protection like Man on a Horse, and that’s a missed opportunity. This is a decent attempt at Internet-friendly humor, and it is funny in places, but mostly it feels like random “Hey, will this work?” posturing.
Iconic brands with money to burn ought not to miss the ball completely. But sometimes they do. What’re you gonna do?
Take McDonald’s recent effort to introduce the public to Fish McBites, a new menu offering.
Fish McBites are made of Marine Stewardship Council-certified sustainable Alaska pollock. That’s news that needs some ‘splainin’. Wouldn’t you agree?
Yet the brand chose to say, “The catch that’s caught here.” I’m underwhelmed. When launching a new product from the wilds of the ocean, you need taste appeal.
Here, let me help:
Line-Caught in Alaska!
The Other Other White Meat
Small Bites of Big Fish
Let’s also work the sustainability idea in:
Millions and Millions Will Not Be Served
Sustainably Harvested And Deep Fried
Hire a copywriter next time. Bad advertising is bad enough, but bad outdoor advertising is a public nuisance.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
