The news is out: Gatorade is busting a move. They're either going to take it to the next level or confuse the hell out of us.
This is big. More to come.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Hey Pepsi: You forgot something
Yay, Pepsi! They’re full of happy, joy and love! Despite the economic woes, the renewed fighting in the Middle East, and the moon-crater-size potholes springing up across our fair land, Pepsi is debuting their happy-or-bust act in Times Square to bring their new marketing platform of no-holds-barred optimism to the world.
Seems right, right? Obama is coming, and it’s the perfect time to change to the good side. They just forgot one thing:
They forgot the humanity. The part where we’re human beings and we don’t like being TOLD to feel a certain way. Especially being SCREAMED at to embrace the optimistic side of life.
We far prefer to be told a story that makes us feel something. The Coke Macy’s day parade commercial immediately springs to mind.
Not humans, but endless humanity. Makes you feel good.
Yesterday, I went to see a restored 70 MM print of West Side Story at the Music Box Theatre, a slightly run down but still wonderfully gemlike anachronism of a movie palace in the times of 18-theatre megaplexes.
For all of you showtune dissers, I will acknowledge that a bunch of pirouetting, knife wielding gang members is a bit silly, especially in our times of special effects violence. But c’mon, this is West Side Story. Best Picture, 1961. A ridiculous number of smile-inducing showstoppers. How could you not beam for 5 minutes watching this:
With the new print, the sound was massive, and the colors were spectacular. But most important: the movie was huge! It’s over forty years old, so I’ve never seen it in a theatre. On the big screen, the story was so much more powerful. You couldn’t help but feel the love and frustration and grief from these trapped kids. Powerful stuff.
Everyone in the Music Box yesterday felt it.
So when you go on Pepsi’s related site and are told to be happy, you probably just move on. Because you can’t tell someone how to feel. You can tell them a story that might make them feel something. You can appeal to their human being-ness. Pepsi's new campaign is admirably eager to make us feel the happy, but in their eagerness, they forgot to tell us why.
Seems right, right? Obama is coming, and it’s the perfect time to change to the good side. They just forgot one thing:
They forgot the humanity. The part where we’re human beings and we don’t like being TOLD to feel a certain way. Especially being SCREAMED at to embrace the optimistic side of life.
We far prefer to be told a story that makes us feel something. The Coke Macy’s day parade commercial immediately springs to mind.
Not humans, but endless humanity. Makes you feel good.
Yesterday, I went to see a restored 70 MM print of West Side Story at the Music Box Theatre, a slightly run down but still wonderfully gemlike anachronism of a movie palace in the times of 18-theatre megaplexes.
For all of you showtune dissers, I will acknowledge that a bunch of pirouetting, knife wielding gang members is a bit silly, especially in our times of special effects violence. But c’mon, this is West Side Story. Best Picture, 1961. A ridiculous number of smile-inducing showstoppers. How could you not beam for 5 minutes watching this:
With the new print, the sound was massive, and the colors were spectacular. But most important: the movie was huge! It’s over forty years old, so I’ve never seen it in a theatre. On the big screen, the story was so much more powerful. You couldn’t help but feel the love and frustration and grief from these trapped kids. Powerful stuff.
Everyone in the Music Box yesterday felt it.
So when you go on Pepsi’s related site and are told to be happy, you probably just move on. Because you can’t tell someone how to feel. You can tell them a story that might make them feel something. You can appeal to their human being-ness. Pepsi's new campaign is admirably eager to make us feel the happy, but in their eagerness, they forgot to tell us why.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A brilliant holiday message
You may have seen this already—891,706 people saw it before me on Youtube, and it was in Adage.com, and countless other sites and blogs—but it’s a wonderful piece from an agency called AKQA, a global shop that’s kicking serious ass as we hurtle toward the new age of communication.
If creativity will rule the future of marketing regardless of what media is employed, these guys will be the Kings and Queens. Although I’m hoping next year they go old school and haul out the egg timers for a rousing version “I have a little Dreidel.”
Thursday, December 25, 2008
MJ and Nike (cont)
I’m starting to look back on sports advertising and marketing from 2008, and I have to start at what has been the epicenter of great sports ads for eons: Nike and Michael Jordan.
Early in the year they ran a series of “Become Legendary” ads featuring MJ for the Jumpman brand. A couple of them just had his voiceover, one had a bit of him on camera, one highlight-filled spot didn’t have him at all. This one was my favorite.
They were beautifully filmed and nicely written. But for the most part, they weren’t as surprisingly fresh as the ads they did together when he was playing. And that’s primarily because he just doesn’t provide the same raw material.
He was the lead actor in a spectacular drama, night in and night out, for a decade. Win or lose, he was brilliant, and the fodder he created was so rich and full of possibilities. It enabled Weiden & Kennedy and Nike to make ridiculously great commercials like this:
It’s just not the same now.
His words in the Become Legendary series ring true. They speak to young athletes craving greatness, and he still inspires. I’d bet these spots work hard against those win-at-all-costs hard core competitive athletes. And that may be where the biggest difference may be: he doesn’t have the broad impact he once had over a wider swath of people. That was what made him so valuable in his days of stardom on the court. MJ as an athlete was both a charmer and a winner, which made him universally loved and invaluable as a spokesman.
The next time you see that again will probably be…well…never.
Should Nike continue to use MJ in their ads? Is he still effective? You tell me. I'm happy watching him do his thing for as long as he chooses.
Although I do wish he'd stop doing those Hanes ads. Cuba Gooding was bad enough. Kevin Bacon and Charlie Sheen? Yikes. Who's next, Ashton Kutcher?
Early in the year they ran a series of “Become Legendary” ads featuring MJ for the Jumpman brand. A couple of them just had his voiceover, one had a bit of him on camera, one highlight-filled spot didn’t have him at all. This one was my favorite.
They were beautifully filmed and nicely written. But for the most part, they weren’t as surprisingly fresh as the ads they did together when he was playing. And that’s primarily because he just doesn’t provide the same raw material.
He was the lead actor in a spectacular drama, night in and night out, for a decade. Win or lose, he was brilliant, and the fodder he created was so rich and full of possibilities. It enabled Weiden & Kennedy and Nike to make ridiculously great commercials like this:
It’s just not the same now.
His words in the Become Legendary series ring true. They speak to young athletes craving greatness, and he still inspires. I’d bet these spots work hard against those win-at-all-costs hard core competitive athletes. And that may be where the biggest difference may be: he doesn’t have the broad impact he once had over a wider swath of people. That was what made him so valuable in his days of stardom on the court. MJ as an athlete was both a charmer and a winner, which made him universally loved and invaluable as a spokesman.
The next time you see that again will probably be…well…never.
Should Nike continue to use MJ in their ads? Is he still effective? You tell me. I'm happy watching him do his thing for as long as he chooses.
Although I do wish he'd stop doing those Hanes ads. Cuba Gooding was bad enough. Kevin Bacon and Charlie Sheen? Yikes. Who's next, Ashton Kutcher?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Real stories are the best stories
Get ready for the hype...!!!!
The NFL playoffs start soon. So after weeks and weeks of preparation, and in some cases, last minute scrambles to be ready for the Big Game, all eyes and ears will hone in on the most important event of the year: the Super Bowl commercials.
Sure, they’ll play a game, too. But except in rare instances, the lion’s share of the post-game debates is around the ads.
The regulars will almost all be there, even at a starting price tag of $3 million, the highest ever. FedEx, who consistently ranks in the Top Ten in USA Today’s Admeter and hit #2 last year, is taking a pass. The logic is logical, but it’s too bad. They make great ads.
Speaking of which, this was just about my favorite from last year.
It’s so smart for the Super Bowl. A human story to break through the clutter of beer humor and animal jokes. An ode to friendship and teammates. And it’s all true, which made it even better.
The NFL is hoping lightning will strike twice this year. Their site is split in half, with players stories’ on one side and fans’ stories on the other. Again, real stories, and they hope they turn up another diamond. We get to vote for the best ones, with the winner appearing on the Super Bowl. Fun promo. Check it out.
I'll tell you what: some of those fans are awesome. They should get them into a broader audience, whether it's pre or post game, or at the stadium, or in movie theatres...wherever they can get a lot of people to see it. It's what football fandom is all about.
Ironic, how real people are way more interesting than the professional athletes they idolize.
The NFL playoffs start soon. So after weeks and weeks of preparation, and in some cases, last minute scrambles to be ready for the Big Game, all eyes and ears will hone in on the most important event of the year: the Super Bowl commercials.
Sure, they’ll play a game, too. But except in rare instances, the lion’s share of the post-game debates is around the ads.
The regulars will almost all be there, even at a starting price tag of $3 million, the highest ever. FedEx, who consistently ranks in the Top Ten in USA Today’s Admeter and hit #2 last year, is taking a pass. The logic is logical, but it’s too bad. They make great ads.
Speaking of which, this was just about my favorite from last year.
It’s so smart for the Super Bowl. A human story to break through the clutter of beer humor and animal jokes. An ode to friendship and teammates. And it’s all true, which made it even better.
The NFL is hoping lightning will strike twice this year. Their site is split in half, with players stories’ on one side and fans’ stories on the other. Again, real stories, and they hope they turn up another diamond. We get to vote for the best ones, with the winner appearing on the Super Bowl. Fun promo. Check it out.
I'll tell you what: some of those fans are awesome. They should get them into a broader audience, whether it's pre or post game, or at the stadium, or in movie theatres...wherever they can get a lot of people to see it. It's what football fandom is all about.
Ironic, how real people are way more interesting than the professional athletes they idolize.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Nike's lovely luke warm thoughts on the BCS
A few posts ago, I talked about the importance of topicality in creating ads that stand out. And how Nike is so good at taking advantage of current topics in sports.
Their latest effort has been running quite a bit; I saw it tonight during the Bears’ improbable come-from-behind OT victory. It’s a play on all of the controversy surrounding the BCS system of determining a college football champion.
The fitness of the BCS to be the final say on college football’s best team has been discussed in ways humorous and rancorous (won’t you please buy our bumper stickers and hoodies?). And who isn’t aware of President-elect Obama’s stance on the subject? When it’s a prime topic on 60 Minutes, it’s not just a prime sports topic. It is, in the words of ZZ Top, Nationwide.
So of course, Nike’s going to tackle the subject. And they do it with their usual sense of style, complete mastery of authenticity, and clever juxtaposition of words and images.
In the end, they tell us, hard work is all that matters. So it may be that they were taking a stand by not taking a side, merely expressing the inner thoughts of a true athlete, which is, of course, that the only thing you can do is go all out on every play, in every practice, in every game, and let the pollsters, computer experts, and voters do what they feel is right. State your case on the field. There is no guaranteed equation.
Makes total sense. But for me, something was missing. A fresh point of view, perhaps?
Their latest effort has been running quite a bit; I saw it tonight during the Bears’ improbable come-from-behind OT victory. It’s a play on all of the controversy surrounding the BCS system of determining a college football champion.
The fitness of the BCS to be the final say on college football’s best team has been discussed in ways humorous and rancorous (won’t you please buy our bumper stickers and hoodies?). And who isn’t aware of President-elect Obama’s stance on the subject? When it’s a prime topic on 60 Minutes, it’s not just a prime sports topic. It is, in the words of ZZ Top, Nationwide.
So of course, Nike’s going to tackle the subject. And they do it with their usual sense of style, complete mastery of authenticity, and clever juxtaposition of words and images.
In the end, they tell us, hard work is all that matters. So it may be that they were taking a stand by not taking a side, merely expressing the inner thoughts of a true athlete, which is, of course, that the only thing you can do is go all out on every play, in every practice, in every game, and let the pollsters, computer experts, and voters do what they feel is right. State your case on the field. There is no guaranteed equation.
Makes total sense. But for me, something was missing. A fresh point of view, perhaps?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
How much Thrilliciousness can we handle?
Overheard on Madison Avenue sometime in mid to late 2007...
"Hey! What should we do for the new Sobe LifeWater TV commercial? We have time on the Super Bowl. Let's make a big splash!"
"Hmm...what if we got a supermodel who isn't all that super any more and has no dancing ability to dance with some animated lizards with blinged out teeth?"
"Cool! But we'd need a famous piece of music that would be prohibitively expensive for any other ad at any other time, but we could justify buying it for 5 or 10 million because waters are the new sodas and this is Pepsi's big bet."
"Awesome! As long as the commercial has no real strategic foundation whatsoever."
"Wouldn't have it any other way! Let's do it."
And the rest is history.
Regularly chastised, sure. Lacking a strategic backbone, absolutely.
BUT...it was a cultural phenomenon. Over 5 million viewings on Youtube, youbetcha. The most viewed Super Bowl spot of '08. Inspired a series of wonderfully goofy claymated thrilliciousness. Like this.
Times Square video billboard blizzards, plush toys, the list goes on.
I hated the spots. But while I can present a pretty decent argument about Ms. Campbell's lack of talent on the dance floor, I can't argue with the spot's infectiousness.
So what do you do for an encore?
Early reports have NFL players Justin Tuck, Matt Light, and Ray Lewis taking Naomi Campbell's place as the lizards' new dance partners for this year's super bowl. I'm sure it'll be even less strategic and even more expensive. What moves will those krazy lizards pull off this year?
I lay awake just thinking about what funny gag they'll do with their teeth!
"Hey! What should we do for the new Sobe LifeWater TV commercial? We have time on the Super Bowl. Let's make a big splash!"
"Hmm...what if we got a supermodel who isn't all that super any more and has no dancing ability to dance with some animated lizards with blinged out teeth?"
"Cool! But we'd need a famous piece of music that would be prohibitively expensive for any other ad at any other time, but we could justify buying it for 5 or 10 million because waters are the new sodas and this is Pepsi's big bet."
"Awesome! As long as the commercial has no real strategic foundation whatsoever."
"Wouldn't have it any other way! Let's do it."
And the rest is history.
Regularly chastised, sure. Lacking a strategic backbone, absolutely.
BUT...it was a cultural phenomenon. Over 5 million viewings on Youtube, youbetcha. The most viewed Super Bowl spot of '08. Inspired a series of wonderfully goofy claymated thrilliciousness. Like this.
Times Square video billboard blizzards, plush toys, the list goes on.
I hated the spots. But while I can present a pretty decent argument about Ms. Campbell's lack of talent on the dance floor, I can't argue with the spot's infectiousness.
So what do you do for an encore?
Early reports have NFL players Justin Tuck, Matt Light, and Ray Lewis taking Naomi Campbell's place as the lizards' new dance partners for this year's super bowl. I'm sure it'll be even less strategic and even more expensive. What moves will those krazy lizards pull off this year?
I lay awake just thinking about what funny gag they'll do with their teeth!
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