Tom Cruise is a former hero of American pop culture. Women fell in love with Tom Cruise when he was a young man dancing across the floor in underwear and socks in the film Risky Business. Currently Tom Cruise has not made many friends in the homes of Americans. Tom Cruise has publically degraded the use of post partum depression drugs, as well as any other drugs for those having mental problems or other ailments. Most of the public is terrified of the church of Scientology and views it as a cult. The public also blames Tom Cruise for the corruption of America's sweetheart Katie Holmes. As if this weren't bad enough Tom Cruise made a spectacle of himself on the Oprah Winfrey show by jumping up and down on her couch to proclaim his love for Katie Holmes. So how do we go about rectifying this in the eyes of the media? This is a tough predicament that I'm sure Tom Cruise's team have spent many hours contemplating. I have devised a solution to the best of my ability to make the public see Tom Cruise favorably again.
I believe that Tom Cruise must separate himself from the church of Scientology. Maybe Tom should be photographed in public going to a Catholic church with Katie Holmes family during the Christmas holiday. Tom and Katie should also make some normal friends and maybe been photographed with them so it does not appear that Tom is somehow keeping Katie caged. Tom should make amends with Brooke Shields and perhaps volunteer to help mothers suffering from post partum depression or make a financial donation to aid with their care. Tom Cruise should show the public that he is able to laugh at himself. Possibly Tom could go on a program like SNL or MadTV and parody his couch jumping incident on the Oprah show. Finally, I think that Tom would benefit from being less serious and potentially scarring people. I think Tom could benefit from taking a role in a romantic comedy and showing himself again as the heartthrob Americans fell in love with.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Messages in Ad Campaigns
Favorable Campaign Messages
Many messages the media sends to consumers are unfavorable and serve as desperate attempts to secure business by making the consumer feel unworthy. One campaign that I feel secures business by making the consumer feel that they are already beautiful is Dove. Dove has done a wonderful job of making ordinary women feel they are beautiful as they are and don't need an array of products to make them worthy of attention. Dove has used real women in their campaigns and the average female consumer identifies with these women. Because the consumer identifies with these everdya women and supports Dove and their message of "real beauty" they are more likely to support heir brand. Another brand that I feel does a great job of making women feel that they are already worthy is Loreal. Women are constantly doing for others whether it be their families, friends, or children's school organizations. Loreal sends the message to women to take time out for themselves using the popular slogan "because you're worth it."
Unfavorable Campaign Messages
The campaigns which I feel send an unfavorable message are those that objectify men and women. Examples of this include the Bud Light commercials which imply that women are brainless and will have a threesome with men simply because they are drinking a Bud Light. Another example of a message of objectification is the Axe body spray commercial featuring the chocolate man. This commercial sends a message that men are objects and women just want to use them for their own pleasure. These messages are a sharp contrast to the real beauty message conveyed by Dove.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Creative Brief Template- Joe Boxer Ad
The Ad....
One of my favorite commercials is from a store that could be described as a "loser" in the competitive market. This commercial was aired during the Christmas season about 2 years ago and featured Vaughn Lowery. The commercial is set in a modern looking living room, with a silver tree adorned with shiny blue ornaments. The commercial begins with a closeup of a shiny silver box, wrapped with a blue bow. The bow then begins to untie. An attractive, muscular black male is smiling and dancing wildly wearing nothing but the silver box around his waist. He then rips off the box to reveal red and white "Santa looking" boxers and continues to dance. The ad then reads "Get More Boxer Spread More Cheer" "Joe Boxer" "Only at KMart".
The following is a link to the Joe Boxer Ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6NDXYrzioA
Background...
The program was most likely to attract women and gay males shopping for their partners. The success of this program would be measured with an increase in sales of Joe Boxer.
Audience....
Young women (18-35) Young Gay Men (18-35) most likely unmarried, but in relationships. In talking to this audience the goal is to change the perception of KMart. This is probably why KMart is not mentioned until the end of the ad. The goal is to show that KMart can be sexy and fun. Preconceptions include a bad perception of KMart, a familiarity with Joe Boxer for quality merchandise, a familiarity with the model used. Things to avoid when talking to this audience would be family-oriented or nostalgic Christmas scenes. This cohort is looking to have a good time and give a fun present. The secondary audience is men, who are looking at the model and perhaps wishing they too could look like that in JoeBoxer underwear.
Objectives...
KMart is trying to generate awareness that they carry the well known JoeBoxer brand and increase sales revenue with a younger demographic.
The Message....
KMart is young, sexy, and fun, with a bit of a wild side! This commercial proves this because it is a little more risque than traditional Christmas commercials featuring ties and underwear for your Dad.
The Medium...
TV is a great way to reach this audience. This audience probably would respond well to Internet ads or print ads in bars or clubs. This audience probably does not read a daily newspaper but most likely reads style magazines, so that would be another great way to advertise.
Anything Else...
A special circumstance is the barrier of having to destroy preconceived negative connotations associated with KMart.
The Deadline....
This commercial is encouraging people to shop for Christmas so for maximum effectiveness it would need to begin to air no later than Thanksgiving.
One of my favorite commercials is from a store that could be described as a "loser" in the competitive market. This commercial was aired during the Christmas season about 2 years ago and featured Vaughn Lowery. The commercial is set in a modern looking living room, with a silver tree adorned with shiny blue ornaments. The commercial begins with a closeup of a shiny silver box, wrapped with a blue bow. The bow then begins to untie. An attractive, muscular black male is smiling and dancing wildly wearing nothing but the silver box around his waist. He then rips off the box to reveal red and white "Santa looking" boxers and continues to dance. The ad then reads "Get More Boxer Spread More Cheer" "Joe Boxer" "Only at KMart".
The following is a link to the Joe Boxer Ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6NDXYrzioA
Background...
The program was most likely to attract women and gay males shopping for their partners. The success of this program would be measured with an increase in sales of Joe Boxer.
Audience....
Young women (18-35) Young Gay Men (18-35) most likely unmarried, but in relationships. In talking to this audience the goal is to change the perception of KMart. This is probably why KMart is not mentioned until the end of the ad. The goal is to show that KMart can be sexy and fun. Preconceptions include a bad perception of KMart, a familiarity with Joe Boxer for quality merchandise, a familiarity with the model used. Things to avoid when talking to this audience would be family-oriented or nostalgic Christmas scenes. This cohort is looking to have a good time and give a fun present. The secondary audience is men, who are looking at the model and perhaps wishing they too could look like that in JoeBoxer underwear.
Objectives...
KMart is trying to generate awareness that they carry the well known JoeBoxer brand and increase sales revenue with a younger demographic.
The Message....
KMart is young, sexy, and fun, with a bit of a wild side! This commercial proves this because it is a little more risque than traditional Christmas commercials featuring ties and underwear for your Dad.
The Medium...
TV is a great way to reach this audience. This audience probably would respond well to Internet ads or print ads in bars or clubs. This audience probably does not read a daily newspaper but most likely reads style magazines, so that would be another great way to advertise.
Anything Else...
A special circumstance is the barrier of having to destroy preconceived negative connotations associated with KMart.
The Deadline....
This commercial is encouraging people to shop for Christmas so for maximum effectiveness it would need to begin to air no later than Thanksgiving.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Effective Outdoor Advertising
Many Americans, including myself, hold the belief that advertising does not affect them. Many will argue that they do not even notice the billions of dollars companies spend to secure them as consumers. It is for this reason that I found a billboard advertising billboard space effective and appealing. This particular outdoor advertising campaign featured a white billboard with large black lettering. The billboard read "Think you don't read billboards?-You just did". This was effective because the company is telling the consumer that everyone reads billboards, even if they may think otherwise. Someone might be more apt to consider advertising on a billboard because this campaign has essentially proven billboards as an effective technique to reach consumers. I think irony is a very successful billboard tool. I enjoyed the campaigns for housing that read "If you lived here you'd be home". This campaign identifies with consumers who are commuting and wishing that they were home, which encompasses pretty much everyone!
Another tool that I find effective in outdoor advertising is repetition. A great example of repetition is the campaign that South of The Border "theme park" does from Raleigh to Myrtle Beach. The South of The Border campaign begins maybe an hour outside of Raleigh and continues for about 3 hours toward Myrtle Beach. The Billboards for South of The Border are colorful, intriguing, and appear seemingly every quarter mile. The billboards are so obnoxious that you cannot help but notice them. By the time you reach South of The Border, the billboards have established a feeling that it has somehow become your destination and you MUST go. South of The Border is run-down and hardly the destination it claims to be, but it still manages to attract thousands all through a crafty billboard campaign.
Another tool that I find effective in outdoor advertising is repetition. A great example of repetition is the campaign that South of The Border "theme park" does from Raleigh to Myrtle Beach. The South of The Border campaign begins maybe an hour outside of Raleigh and continues for about 3 hours toward Myrtle Beach. The Billboards for South of The Border are colorful, intriguing, and appear seemingly every quarter mile. The billboards are so obnoxious that you cannot help but notice them. By the time you reach South of The Border, the billboards have established a feeling that it has somehow become your destination and you MUST go. South of The Border is run-down and hardly the destination it claims to be, but it still manages to attract thousands all through a crafty billboard campaign.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Postioning-Flat Earth
I really like the positioning for Flat Earth chips. I think that the company is doing a great job of telling the public that this is something different that they've never seen before. Women are an untapped market in the snack world. When people think of chips they tend to think of junk food. Flat Earth is attempting to reprogram the consumer's mind.
They are telling the consumers who never thought they'd see pigs fly or a healthy chip, that the future has arrived. The commercial is cute, but seems that it is being marketed to an older generation. For a younger market I think that Flat Earth might benefit from using young celebrities and appeal to the body conscious nature of women.
I think that Flat Earth could benefit from a similar commercial to the Viagra commercial viewed in class, where the men are dancing in the street. The commercial could benefit from showcasing a more upbeat and "free" woman.
They are telling the consumers who never thought they'd see pigs fly or a healthy chip, that the future has arrived. The commercial is cute, but seems that it is being marketed to an older generation. For a younger market I think that Flat Earth might benefit from using young celebrities and appeal to the body conscious nature of women.
I think that Flat Earth could benefit from a similar commercial to the Viagra commercial viewed in class, where the men are dancing in the street. The commercial could benefit from showcasing a more upbeat and "free" woman.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Positioning
A brand's positioning can either make or break them. We've all been a victim of advertising. We've all just "had to have" the knife that could cut through a brick on television, or an equally misleading product. When a brand is named a word that is not even in existence, we associate that word with the product. Examples of this include Kleenex, Google, Tropicana, Pringles, Ruffles, Lays, Doritos, Cheerios...the list goes on. This tactic is important because it is culturally universal. In countries outside the US people may not know what "a chip" is, but they've heard of "Cheerios". Although signs may change from country to country, for example the thumbs up sign being perceived as derogatory in Iraq, words remain constant.
A brand's positioning represents how people think and feel about the brand. We all have brands that remind us of childhood, or give us a "warm cozy feeling". Those brands for me include the Christmas commercials for Puffs and Coca-Cola. I love Christmas commercials in general, but the Coca-Cola Santa commercials have a way of making me feel like a kid again. I just can't wait to get to the store and buy "Holiday Coke". I also enjoy the puffs commercials with the little cartoon people sniffling and sneezing about, that say "a nose in need deserves Puffs indeed". I simply would not know it was winter (i.e cold and flu season) without these Puffs commercials!
Although some brands are effective in their positioning, of course others fall short. The main company that comes to mind when I think of falling short is Kmart. Kmart has consistently fallen short in promotion of their brands. Target has done a fabulous job of brand positioning, particularly in the past several years. Target, which was formally thought of as a discount store, is now making it's way into the department store world, and even showcasing up and coming designers. Target stores have a way of making you feel excited about their new merchandise. Kmart has had opportunities to push great brands, for example Martha Stuart. The Martha Stuart collection at Kmart was comprable to things you might see at Target. However, when the customer went to Kmart to view the Martha Stuart collection it was disorganized and poorly displaced. This is why Kmart is fighting an uphill battle, unless it dramatically changes the public perception.
If a luxury brand is positioned effectively it will undoubtedly achieve success. When we attribute brands with status they become highly sought after and their unattainably makes them even more attractive to the consumer. Effective examples of this include Louis Vuitton, Coach, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. This "luxury concept" can also be destroyed. A debatable example of this would be Vera Wang. Vera Wang was (is) an extraordinary designer, whose wedding dresses were highly sought after. Vera Wang recently became available in Kohls stores. Some might say that this has diminished her brand positioning as a "luxury" brand.
A brand's positioning represents how people think and feel about the brand. We all have brands that remind us of childhood, or give us a "warm cozy feeling". Those brands for me include the Christmas commercials for Puffs and Coca-Cola. I love Christmas commercials in general, but the Coca-Cola Santa commercials have a way of making me feel like a kid again. I just can't wait to get to the store and buy "Holiday Coke". I also enjoy the puffs commercials with the little cartoon people sniffling and sneezing about, that say "a nose in need deserves Puffs indeed". I simply would not know it was winter (i.e cold and flu season) without these Puffs commercials!
Although some brands are effective in their positioning, of course others fall short. The main company that comes to mind when I think of falling short is Kmart. Kmart has consistently fallen short in promotion of their brands. Target has done a fabulous job of brand positioning, particularly in the past several years. Target, which was formally thought of as a discount store, is now making it's way into the department store world, and even showcasing up and coming designers. Target stores have a way of making you feel excited about their new merchandise. Kmart has had opportunities to push great brands, for example Martha Stuart. The Martha Stuart collection at Kmart was comprable to things you might see at Target. However, when the customer went to Kmart to view the Martha Stuart collection it was disorganized and poorly displaced. This is why Kmart is fighting an uphill battle, unless it dramatically changes the public perception.
If a luxury brand is positioned effectively it will undoubtedly achieve success. When we attribute brands with status they become highly sought after and their unattainably makes them even more attractive to the consumer. Effective examples of this include Louis Vuitton, Coach, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. This "luxury concept" can also be destroyed. A debatable example of this would be Vera Wang. Vera Wang was (is) an extraordinary designer, whose wedding dresses were highly sought after. Vera Wang recently became available in Kohls stores. Some might say that this has diminished her brand positioning as a "luxury" brand.
Ethics in Advertising
I am sympathetic to the beliefs of the public that advertising's persuasive capabilities are unfair to some young or under educated portions of the population. I also feel that from the perspective of the advertiser these people are not being "forced" to buy a product that they didn't already have some need for.
Advertising to children is going to happen whether or not it comes directly from advertising agencies. Children have impressionable, malleable minds. Children's minds are influenced not only by advertisers but instead largely through peer groups. Children are more likely to want something to fit in with friends, in their quest for acceptance, than to form their own opinion based on something they saw on television.
I believe that alcohol and cigarettes have a "whatever it takes" philosophy to marketing. Beer companies such as Bud Lite and Miller Lite employ young, 20 something, attractive girls to push free beer and a glamorous lifestyle primarily to young people and those easily influenced. I believe that the most cut throat in the cigarette industry is Camel. Camel is consistently trying to attract new smokers and young smokers. The first example of the cut-throat attitude of the Camel corporation came with the onset of Camel Cash in the 80s. This was promoted to youth, even in the school setting and told kids that if they smoked "x" packs of Camels they could have a Joe Cool T-shirt. The Joe Cool Camel was also a dirty advertising ploy, causing kids to identify with a cartoon character, much like those they had seen in their youth, except now it was pushing cancer causing chemicals on them. Camel has recently come out with flavor changing cigarettes, and i recently received a very expensive looking ad in the mail which changed the cigarette's flavors with movement. The ad looked too nice to throw away. This is where I believe advertising may have gone too far.
Advertising to children is going to happen whether or not it comes directly from advertising agencies. Children have impressionable, malleable minds. Children's minds are influenced not only by advertisers but instead largely through peer groups. Children are more likely to want something to fit in with friends, in their quest for acceptance, than to form their own opinion based on something they saw on television.
I believe that alcohol and cigarettes have a "whatever it takes" philosophy to marketing. Beer companies such as Bud Lite and Miller Lite employ young, 20 something, attractive girls to push free beer and a glamorous lifestyle primarily to young people and those easily influenced. I believe that the most cut throat in the cigarette industry is Camel. Camel is consistently trying to attract new smokers and young smokers. The first example of the cut-throat attitude of the Camel corporation came with the onset of Camel Cash in the 80s. This was promoted to youth, even in the school setting and told kids that if they smoked "x" packs of Camels they could have a Joe Cool T-shirt. The Joe Cool Camel was also a dirty advertising ploy, causing kids to identify with a cartoon character, much like those they had seen in their youth, except now it was pushing cancer causing chemicals on them. Camel has recently come out with flavor changing cigarettes, and i recently received a very expensive looking ad in the mail which changed the cigarette's flavors with movement. The ad looked too nice to throw away. This is where I believe advertising may have gone too far.
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