Sprint’s Simply Unlimited Plan + iPhone 6 Ad: Brilliant or Bogus?

Is it bad that the first time I saw this ad I wasn’t sure if it was for or against Apple’s latest?

Maybe it’s the over-characterization of a stereotypical gaggle of clueless girlfriends screaming that put the authenticity of the ad in question.

Me, mouth hanging open: “There’s NO WAY Apple would approve this – the characters are over the top and precisely the type of demo iPhone does NOT want to be associated with.”

Halfway through and I was still scanning the deck for some super-sophisticated, ultra-annoyed female archetype friend, aggravated and eye-rolling as she thumbs her Samsung Galaxy Note Edge – punchline, PLEASE! (Don’t you know the next big thing is already here?!)

Even after the rounds of shattering glass I held out hope that maybe, just MAYBE we’d be treated to the silky-smooth vocal styling’s of Cortana of Windows phone fame ( I’m using the term ‘fame’ as lightly as humanly possible here, you’ve got to EARN fame, baby).

“So should we eat?”

That’s a wrap and my plate’s stacked full with crow.

It WAS a pro-iPhone ad!

….why?!

Is it that the standard go-to format of feature-heavy demonstrations delivering intimate moments with the ones we love has completely played out or is it that selling on price always boils creativity down to the lowest form of brain-dead entertainment?

No woman thinks she’s like these women (even those women who are TOTALLY like these women) and I’m pretty sure no straight man would ever want to be within earshot of this boisterous BB-Q so who the heck is the ad trying to attract?

I’m out.

And speaking of being out...sorry for the long (unintended) sabbatical! 

I've been off solving all the world's biggest problems, or something like that.

Now that it is once again the most WONDERFUL time of the year, let's see if I can't be more diligent in spreading (read: sparing) the marketing holiday cheer! -DS :)

Nothing new at this year’s Super Bowl

Building hype for commercials – what an age we live in!

For the last few years, advertisers have used social media teasers in hopes of cultivating additional interest and intrigue for impeding Game Day ads.

From obscure behind-the-scenes photos or video to full-blown commercial-length preview spots, advertisers who committed to the Big Game made sure you stayed glued to the screen for their 30-seconds of fame.

But this year, previewing the WHOLE commercial spot!?

Tebow for T-Mobile, a Full House reunion over spilled Oikos, a Cheerios first, Clydesdale puppy-love, and Audi’s Doberhuahua. (Just to name a few)

I was browsing YouTube last Friday and the Volkswagen ‘Wings’ spot even popped up as a rollover.

At $4 million per 30-seconds, you’d think advertisers would want to keep things under wraps as long as possible. You know, really get their monies worth!

There is plenty of time to “go viral” POST game day! Seriously, why spend so much cash on a creative repeat?

Why advertise during the Super Bowl at all?!

Enter the brilliance of Newcastle Brown Ale.

So the promotion of Super Bowl advertising is evolving…fast.

If everyone’s Game Day ad is going to run BEFORE Game Day, there’s gotta be a way to capture similar hype and just skip the placement (and GYNORMOUS cost) all together.

And that’s precisely what Newcastle did.

First of all, ever heard of ‘em? I hadn’t, but again, NOT a beer drinker.

Their “If We Made It” campaign is pure genius.

The whole premise was built around the notion that Newcastle had every intention of producing a spot for the Super Bowl, but then didn’t. It was too expensive, the story concepting process was mismanaged, (never mind that Budweiser basically owns the Super Bowl).

Popping up nearly a week in advance, the campaign’s hub, www.ifwemadeit.com, is self-deprecating humor at its best.

Video testimonials by:

• Actress Anna Kendrick, sitting in hair and makeup, going off on the brewer while doing a little self-diagnosis in the process. “I’m hot. But, like, ‘Beer Commercial’ Hot?”
• Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson takes us through a story board of how he was to provide voice over for a skateboarding cat. “Bad decisions. Bad management. Bad Newcastle.”    
• A series on a focus group session where Newcastle gauges REAL audience reaction to the ‘concept.’ “It’s just all the worst trends. Feels a little desperate.”

But they didn’t stop there.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Newcastle watched the actual ads along with us, ‘recreating’ a selection of them via storyboard animation. Selected ads that Newcastle made more ‘MEGA HUGE’ included Wonderful Pistachio, Chobani and GoDaddy (twice), just to name a few.

Brilliant.

Seriously, when you consider it costs $4 million for 30 seconds. And that’s just placement, never mind all the costs associated with the spot’s production…

Newcastle spent less, built MORE and, by most estimates, stole a huge handful of exposure and acclaim at this year’s Super Bowl.

…without actually producing a spot FOR the Super Bowl.

Hats off, Newcastle! Can we expect a Part 2 in 2015?

Happy Monday,
-Daniel :)

Afterthought: What’s next in the Super Bowl Advertising Evolution?

If everything is previewed in advance, how will marketers in the next 3-5 to 10 years REALLY secure (actual) Game Day impact?

Answer: Total Shock and Awe

Think mega-huge giveaways, a total change in brand or positioning – no previews or warnings, no hints whatsoever we’re talking Beyoncé surprise-album-dropping-at-midnight hysteria here.

Brands have dabbled with it already. Denny’s Free Grand Slam breakfast in 2012. Really two this year: U2’s “Invisible”, given for free in support of (RED) and eSurance’s $1.5M post-game spot savings giveaway.

Every brand, each more shocking then the last (all, no doubt, with paths into social-share). But wouldn’t that make for a thrilling night of TV? Almost like watching a high-stakes sporting event, or something!

Can’t wait. :)

29 hopefuls and one new Yahoo!

When former Google Exec Marissa Mayer took the helm as CEO at Yahoo! last July, a skeptic Silicon Valley was put on high alert.

13 months of moderate alterations to both corporate and site services structure are now behind us.  On the highlight reel we have a cease-and-desist on telecommuting, an emboldened maternity program, and now, the first major brand refresh since (basically) the search engine’s founding nearly two decades ago (19 years already, can you believe it?!).

A logo reveal THIS BIG deserves a PARADE!

…Right!?
Wrong.

Still, Yahoo! insisted on building a (purple) mountain out of a mole hill, ‘floating’ 29 different looks by us.  One per day, the march of violet wore on so long that even I (the most logo-obsessed marketer you’ll ever know) grew tired of waiting.

Seriously, though – a month-long build up FOR THIS?

Some Parade! Macy’s Santa knows, if you’re the last one, you have to really SELL IT! Yahoo’s new logo may as well be one of the clowns that go by at the end collecting horse poo.

Ok, no need to get so dramatic, Dan.
It’s just if you’re going to build hype – you gotta be prepared to deliver the goods!

Look – the new logo isn’t bad as far as logo evolutions go. The former was starting to feel a bit campy.  It recalled the days just before the (first) internet bubble burst, when goofy nerds dreamt up things the rest of us didn’t even know we needed.  

This new mark respects the company’s heritage while following the widespread trend towards simple, clean, mobile-friendly lines.  And, to connect with my previous points on the former, it better aligns with the state of the web today:

From nerdy, social pariah to hipster-cool intellectual, the tech industry has transformed.

Today’s brand is mature, smart and sophisticated; bold and cutting edge (at least by comparison). And it possesses some well thought-out subtleties (i.e. no straight lines) and nuances (the varied sizing of the ‘o’s pay tribute to the brands signature ‘yodel’).

Changing of the royal (purple) guard.

Perhaps the biggest change is the new variety of violet. While it feels more grown up, I can’t shake the notion its better suited behind the makeup counter at Sephora or in the feminine hygiene aisle at Target. It’s just too dainty to represent a juggernaut internet company.

Evolution not a Revolution

I reiterate, new Yahoo! did NOT deserve a parade.

Seriously, if you take a look at the 29 teasers that came before it, we pretty much had it day one (OK, and maybe a little day 10).

Ah well.  Who really sees it anyways? What, with such a hectic page design?...

Can de-cluttering be next on the agenda, guys?

Banimation Domination!

All the ad revenue in the world isn’t worth the shame of subjecting viewers to distracting ads. Come on, Yahoo! -- you're better than this. (Banimation: banner ad + animation – thanks to Jeremy for the ever-so-perfect name!).

If Kraft wants us to "Get Zesty," they'll have to do better than this.

Have you met this guy?

@TheZestyGuy

Kraft is just one of the latest to join the already crowded bandwagon of companies looking to reinvigorate stale brands with nonsensical characters that toe a line between creepy and cute.

The Evolution of the Always Silly (Sometimes Sexy) Front Man; 3 Simple Examples.

Sample One – Fabio for “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter”

Fabio made us (read: primarily the female population) believe ‘it’s not butter’ during his mid-nineties stint as the butter substitute’s front man. Acquired by Unilever in the late 1980s, “I can’t believe” rose to fame and an eventual lead in the category on the broad, bronze shoulders of the Italian supermodel.

Silly: Yes, in ways that would make a soccer mom blush. | Sexy: Absolutely; but in a corny fantasy sort of way.

Sample Two – The King for “Burger King”

A decade later, and Burger King’s King was an omnipresent, (omnisilent) front man hired to woo a different demographic; men. Lingering and lost without a voice somewhere between McDonald’s and Wendy’s, it was the King’s aloof, almost stalking nature that hooked audiences…provided one could shake the fear of finding him back home waiting with a knife.

Silly: Yes, in a creepy, lock your doors sort of way | Sexy: Not quite (unless you’re into clowns).

Sample Three – Isaiah Mustafa for “Old Spice”

And in the last few years, we’ve got to know Isaiah Mustafa; “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” Seriously, Old Spice owes its second chance at life to Isaiah; the product was on life support at P&G. The spots’ are a living, breathing game of advertising Mousetrap and Isaiah’s the marble. Scene by scene, he soars through a non-sequential maze of slapstick comedy that leaves your eyes satisfied and wanting another go-round.

Silly: Yes, product attributes and benefits are laced with hyperbole but no one seems to care. | Sexy: Yes; but subtle and not over-reaching.

It’s time to Get Zesty.

And now, Kraft’s attempt to make salad dressing sexy again (or would it be for the first time)?

Either way, something’s missing. It just doesn’t feel right.

Too sexy? – Maybe it’s that the actor is too good looking to play a light hearted goof?

Sexy doesn’t pair well with corny. While Isaiah is certainly attractive, he’s got rounded edges that make him more realistic and humble. That’s the kind of build we’re comfortable receiving slap-stick comedy from. It’s like Kraft’s Zesty Guy wants to twist us a balloon animal after just stepping off a swimsuit runway walk.  We can’t shift gears that quickly.

Weak setup? – Slicing a pepper with the simple draw of a knife; the dissolve of a shirt with the quick stoking of a sauté fire. Maybe the nonsensical elements are just too boring?

Seriously, if you’re going to employ non-realistic story-lines, why stay so tame? Conjure up some elaborate exposé of how the Zesty Dressing’s ingredients were found/harvested/brought together. Have our Zesty hero walk/run/crawl/climb us through some visually stimulating, faster-paced story board.

Poor Delivery? – The flat effect of Zesty’s voice sucks any life out of the lines.

With Fabio, you had a distinct accent; with Isaiah, you have a highly articulate, booming voice. Kraft’s Zesty Guy couldn’t have a more indistinct method of speech. It’s kinda innocent and bashful, kinda muffled and weak.

Maybe it’s a mixture of all three.   

Am I the only one not feeling it?

Maybe I’m in the minority of those finding the character/sequence impossible to connect with. After all, he’s pretty popular on social media (facebook, YouTube, twitter + virtual postcard sharing).

What do you think of Kraft’s Zesty Guy?

PS: (a bonus that surfaced only after I had assembled this post) One demo he’s not resonating with is One Million Moms. The ultra-conservative group is outraged at the blatant sexuality in the dressing's latest creative:

Seriously though, there's some creative photoshopping on that table cloth...

Kmart will make you SHI* your pants…

Seriously, where did this ad come from?

Kudos to the K!

Ship my pants, ship my drawers and, my personal favorite, ship my nightie.

30-seconds of slight variations on the same double-entendre delivered in rapid succession.

Bathroom humor at its finest; the spot is a silly play on words delivered with a flat affect for added giggles.

Could Kmart have FINALLY found a personality all its own?

In a (retail) world where Target and Walmart have so eloquently carved separate personas, incumbent and former discount juggernaut Kmart was all but ousted.

Seriously. Who is Kmart for? We must have asked the question a thousand times.

With Target taking care of upper-income and design-conscious shoppers and Walmart on call to offer everything to everyone else, Kmart can’t get a single customer to take notice.

But with this spot – we notice.

Like the often neglected, attention-starved little brother, they’re outspoken and they’re spunky. It’s a counter-culture approach to marketing that can be oh-so effective.

The attitude reminds me of when Burger King first introduced us to the King. Or when Carl’s Jr. started opting to sell fast food with raw SEX (latest ad even banned from certain TV play).

You’re saying “OK, Daniel – how is a poop joke like that creepy king or girls in bikinis that fling pulled pork on each other?”

It’s rage against the machine. The spots are a breath of fresh air in a room filled with the stench of the often overplayed, safe, homogenous advertising provided by category leaders.

They’re saying let the leaders cater to the masses (a.k.a. women/mom, and kids). We’ll cater to all the niche markets less concerned with brand (also design, quality, and, when it comes to food, health).

We’d be remiss not to mention the crux of the ad. Can’t find the right size/color/quantity of item in-store? Kmart clerks will research inventory online (via super-sleek tablets, no less) and find, sell, and ship merchandise right to your doorstep…for free.

Now, if only we knew where we could (still) find a Kmart…

Thanks for the laugh guys! Hope it’s just the start of a long run of lewd, crude, and rude commercials. We’re all ears. :P #ShipMyPants

April 1 “Ads” – Foolish or Foolproof?

Move over, Black Friday and Super Bowl Sunday. There’s a new favorite in advertising, and it isn’t just about low-low prices, door busters, or the most creative (and expensive) 30-second spot.

April Fool’s is the day advertisers can really lie.

No foolin’.

It’s when we can put marketing of the normal product mix on hold to have a little fun and advertise things that don’t exist at all.

Brought to you by the internet and Social media.

Ten years ago April Fool’s Day ads weren’t even possible (or at least very economical). Traditional channels would prove too narrow and lack spontaneity. Use one of your über-expensive TV slots and hope people are tuned in? Post your joke on billboards and wait out a 30-day commitment? No thanks.

The web makes voice amplification easy. If Scope wants to “announce” a new bacon flavored mouth wash, all they have to do is post a video to their YouTube channel, push it to Facebook and Twitter, and wait for brand advocates to spread the word (see their awesome spot below).

But just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.

To Fool or not to Fool…

…THAT is the question. Seriously, what value does it serve?

When done correctly, you’d be a fool NOT to do it.

April Fool’s Day ads enhance brand personality and consumer affinity.

It comes in many flavors (including new flavors). But also, changes in policy, new product launches, and product line extensions.

And as a joke, we’re not bound to deliver on the message, so it affords marketers the opportunity to REALLY let loose and get creative.

When to do it: 30k Feet’s Guideline to Foolproof April Fooling

To mock yourself

Google produced several spots, all touting new features or technologies.

Google Nose, Treasure Maps, the Levity Algorithm, and our favorite, Gmail Blue (just like Gmail, only bluer)

All are produced in Google’s signature style. You know, multiple camera angles that deliver heartfelt testimonials by tech designers, all brought to life on a bed of soft, compassionate elevator music that crescendos to a BIG reveal…

“What does a ghost smell like!? Google NOSE!”

Google KNOWS how to poke fun of itself (and we applaud the humility).

Need to see some more self-deprecating ad-humor? Check out Groupon’s GrMail – electronic madlibs, it's the iDEAL way to use email! :)

To mess with your competitors

Don’t want to get tagged, caught ‘gramming, or hashtagged? Jump in the suit.

Microsoft’s “Do Not Tracksuit” is supposed to make the wearer completely invisible. It’s also a nod to the software developer’s latest pitch of differentiation against Google when it comes to “respecting” user privacy.

A video would have been a nice way to really get the message out there – but it is Microsoft’s first April Fool’s. Have to learn to walk before you can run.

To soft-pitch legit features

Honda used April Fool’s Day to “launch” HondaHAIR – the first in-car flowbee hair trimming tool. Conveniently enough, the bogus attachment pairs with the totally legit new HondaVAC, available in the upcoming 2014 Odyssey. 

In its final moments, the commercial bounces back to a shot of the vacuum in action on spilled cereal – now isn’t that brilliant? “It sure is!” –kid in the commercial.

When it matches your personality

If you’re a zany, unconventional brand, it fits the bill. That’s Scope; at least that’s who scope wants to be. They’ve gone through a brand revamp in the last year or so – and this spot should be right up their new target demo’s alley.

5 days, nearly 4 million views. How else would Scope get young people talking about mouthwash? And the ad is produced well and feels authentic. Our fave April Fool’s for sure!

When it’s the exact opposite of your personality

The other side of the coin.

Seriously; tired, stuffy brands that are looking to grab attention might find an April Fool’s prank to be just the trick. Let’s say the Quaker Oats man got retooled as a hipster? You’d pay attention, right? You’d respect the company’s attempt at humor and maybe, if they paired the mock-announcement with a soft product launch, you just might pay the brand a visit next time you’re at the grocery.

Snickers Snickettes, Seamless' Deluxe Delivery, Conan State University, and American Eagle’s Skinny-Skinny (spray on) jeans.

AdWeek did a great job at gathering all the major 2013 April Fool’s ad spots.

Which are your favorites? Which miss the mark? Let us know! >