Save the Polar Bears & the Cans

Those loveable polar bears are a staple in Coca-Cola's holiday ad campaigns.  This year, in addition to portraying the cuddly polar bear, the company is raising awareness of the threatened species.  Although ratings have lowered in the past presenting the polar bear, the company made a pledge to return the image for the holidays.

Coca-Cola thought they were being festive when it announced a snow white can for black Friday.  Unfortunately, consumers were not to jolly of the idea.  In fact, the company recently withdrew their holiday 'white can' sooner than originally planned because of consumer’s confusion with diet Coke. 

In an effort to raise money for the conservation of polar bears, the remaining $3 million funds for the Coca-Cola campaign will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund if the company does not redesign the holiday can by next week. 

Though it was a risky advertisement scheme, I hope other industries join Coca-Cola in helping protect the wildlife.

Wild Shopping

Black Friday commercials are all sort of annoying that have a tendency to get on my nerves.  Though for the 2011 shopping season, the crazy Target lady provided some comic relief from the overplayed ‘huge sale’ commercials. 

In the commercial, the crazy Target lady trains in various environments ‒ at home, inside and outside of target ‒ to prepare for the wild black Friday.  Counting down the days on her calendar, she physically and emotionally prepares herself to receive the ultimate sales Target has for the holidays.

I think the commercial perfectly personifies some of the outrageous shoppers the black Friday festivities have to offer. 

A father, a family, a Chevy

Marketers have long understood that emotion can play a critical role in branding. To achieve brand persistence, the consumer must buy your brand and feel an emotional connection to it.  People become emotionally attached to a brand for a number of reasons; the brand stands for something important to them, the brand never disappoints them or the brand just makes them feel good.

Chevy’s recent campaign slogan, ‘Chevy Runs Deep,’ does a great job maintaining the emotional connection their consumers feel when using their product.  Although the campaign has received lots of criticism, the promotion has done exactly what General Motors and its agency, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, intended: It’s a campaign that is “anchored on heritage.”

On the new campaign, the one advertisement that excited my senses was the commercial Chevy True Stories, “My Dad’s Car.”  It begins with a grandfather playing with his grandson on the swing set in the yard, when suddenly he hears the sound of his old Chevy.  As he turns around, he witnesses his son getting out of his old 1965 Chevy Impala.  The father nearly breaks out in tears when he realizes it’s the exact car he sold to pay for his son’s college education. 

It’s not the high-tech engine or the specificities that makes the Chevy an emotional brand, it’s the memories and basis for what binds families together.

It’s not crazy, it’s sports

While watching the Green Bay Packers take down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday, one commercial lingered in my head throughout the game.  Although I typically don’t pay much attention to sports commercials – since they're basically all the same – this advertisement caught my eye.  Want to know why? Check it out:

Alhough I am not a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I loved the creativity ESPN portrayed through die-hard Steelers fans’ and their insistence on bringing The Terrible Towel with them all over the world.  In an effort to show that NFL fans are some of the most rabid fans in the world, Terrible Towels are being waved at Big Ben, Mount Rushmore, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Stonehenge, Macchu Picchu, Times Square, Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. 

Personally, I would prefer to see people wearing cheese heads across the globe, but I must admit this is an impressive advertisement to reach out to sports fans.

Endorsements Never Stop

While the NBA is in the midst of a lockout, sports apparel brands are left in an extremely complex situation.  How do you advertise a sport that is currently not in commission?

In late September, Nike released an advertisement utilizing several NBA stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant in an exhibition game, having them wear t-shirts with the slogan, “Basketball never Stops.”  Recently, Nike followed up this campaign with a commercial of LeBron James, ‘the chosen one,’ in a spotlight independently practicing basketball on an outside court.  Even after the city closes business for the day, James dedicates his time to improve his physical strength and conditioning while perfecting his basketball skills.  The advertisement implies that the NBA is not the prime wellspring for basketball, and, contrary to popular belief, the sport will continue to exist in several forms.

The powerful advertisement personifies that while the NBA season may be on hold, Nike will expand their relationships with high-profile endorsers like Lebron James.  This brilliant advertisement has sparked player and fan interest in the game of basketball – and consequently the athletic attire used to play the sport.

Well done Nike, well done.

“Could I get a number two and a medium coke please?”

Over the years, this expression has become a popular custom in nearly every society around the world.  In fact, McDonald’s investment of billions of dollars per year in advertising has led to the Golden Arches being more recognizable than the Christian Cross! 

Although McDonalds has been a fascination across the globe and continues to produce quality hamburgers at an extremely low rate, they have acquired several enemies along the way.  The McSpotlight is a website consisting of a group of volunteers who are anti-McDonalds and debate why the company is harmful to the society.

Though it is clear the website has a strong bias against the franchise, I was astonished to find this print advertisement that McDonalds released in Sweden. 

It was hard to accept as true, but after reading it again, there it stands in bold yellow print: “We don’t hire Turks, Greeks, Poles, Indians, Ethiopians, Vietnamese, Chinese or Peruvians.”  Excuse me, are you serious? 

Only in the fine small yellow print on the bottom of the advertisement does the franchise express the meaning for the outrageous claim above.  It reads, “Nor Swedes, South Koreans or Norwegians. We hire individuals.”  Technically speaking, the advertisement accomplished its primary objective of getting people to talk about McDonalds, except it lacked the unique brand identity that McDonalds has constructed for itself over the years. 

Was this ad worth the potential racist tag as a franchise? Why did McDonalds in Sweden agree to such a campaign? What do you think?

America's Pastime

Baseball has one attribute that sets it apart from the other popular team sports such as football, basketball, hockey, and soccer. It has no clock.

In clock-limited sports, games often end with a team that holds the lead by killing the clock rather than competing aggressively against the opposing team. In contrast, baseball is a slow and relaxing game which is not constrained by time. 
 

Budweiser exploited this concept in a recent commercial promoting the Major League Baseball World Series.  From the beginning of the day when workers are watering the grass, raking the dirt and chalking the foul lines, the commercial has a relaxed feeling in preparation for the big game. 

As fans start showing up to the game while batting practice is going on, vender's begin grilling up rows of sausages, peppers, and onions.  Meanwhile, Budweiser displays how their product leaves the factory, carried onto the trucks and finally delivered out to the drinkers.

Just before the game begins, we see fighter jets flying over the stadium with the St. Louis Arch accurately displayed in the background.  Though I am still bitter that my Milwaukee Brewers fell to the St Louis Cardinals this postseason, it was an enlightening commercial to express the endless fun that Budweiser and baseball can offer.

Blind Spot Mayhem

Over the past couple of years, it has been interesting to see Allstate completely transforming their advertising campaigns.   Since 2003, Allstate utilized actor Dennis Haysbert to promote an emotional connection with their target audience usually in a slow, serious and direct manner.  Though in the summer of 2010, Allstate shifted gears in taking an entirely different route in their campaign by signing actor Dean Winters.  

Winters, who plays dark characters in series like “30 Rock,” “Rescue Me” and “Oz,” appears in the Allstate campaigns as the character ‘Mayhem,’ comically personifying the pitfalls like collisions and storm damage that can befall drivers.

In this commercial, Winters illustrates the area around the vehicle that cannot be directly observed by the driver, also known as the blind spot.  As the woman cautiously checks her side view mirror to ensure she can change lanes, Winters offers deceptive advice, “Your Good.”  As she merges into the next lane, she is suddenly t-boned by the truck that was approaching her from the left side.  As the women is frantically sent flying across the road, Winters grins with the upmost pleasure in successfully misleading the innocent women.

Although Allstate has added new life with the advertising campaign, Dennis Haysbert still delivers their ultimate message — dollar for dollar, nobody protects you from mayhem like Allstate agents.

Holy Beetlejuice

During Super Bowl XLV in which the Green Bay Packers shocked the world, Volkswagen promoted their new 21^st century black beetle during a commercial in the second half.  As Packer fans (myself included) nervously watched their teams lead disappear midway through the fourth quarter, it was enlightening to see a unique car commercial stand out from its competitors.  Since car advertisements can become excessively repetitive, it was interesting to see Volkswagen’s clever approach of literally filming a black beetle in the wild for their commercial.  As the small black creature travels through the endless forest, you realize it’s elusiveness as it dodges an enormous centipede and various objects in its path. 

The creative approach reflects strong similarities to William Bernbach’s famous ‘People’s Car’ advertisement in the late 1930’s in which it brilliantly displays the positive aspects in the small and plain Volkswagen beetle. 

As the Black Beetle rules, navigates and out performs all other creatures, the beetle also displays impressive speed as it flies off a log and lands gently on a rocky surface.  Volkswagen’s unusual yet innovative tactic to display their 21^st century Turbo Charged Beetle worked terrifically.   Although the Beetle is miniscule and ugly, Volkswagen continues to exhibit ingenious advertising schemes.

Here is the link for the full video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBk8kstoDss&feature=related

Move over Captain Jack Sparrow, there's a new Captain in town

Captain Morgan recently launched a new commercial that departs from the usual rowdy college guy approach the rum brand has been showing for years.  In a little more of high concept, the commercial was surprisingly directed by Tom Cooper, a recent Oscar winner for The King’s Speech.  By targeting a new calm, and perhaps mature audience, the commercial displays the Captain of the ship awoken by battle.  In the heat of the naval warfare between an enemy ship, the Captain calmly strips down and walks to the plank of the dock. 

In a brave and nonviolent stand, the Captain proceeds to summersault in for a swim instead of partaking in the shootout.  After a jaw dropping silence, both sides applaud and collaborate for drinks as an alternative to continuing the war.  The new commercial still portrays the Captain has always preferred fun to fighting but seems to take a more calm and collective approach rather than an immature ‘frat-boy’ method.

Here is the full commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCRBb-wwIxo

The Web is What You Make It

In a society driven by technology, universities across the country are beginning to require their students to own a laptop.  Being a college student myself, it is very rare to find another student unable to type on a keyboard without looking, or understand how to operate a computer.  Although computers are well known among students and young adults, the technology device is a foreign concept to middle aged and elderly individuals.  In fact, it is exceedingly common for individuals in my age group to have one or both parents who are unfamiliar on how to use the internet.  Taking this into account, Google has recently targeted middle aged individuals with their commercial, “Dear Sophie.” 

In the inspiring advertisement, Google Chrome not only demonstrations how simple the internet can be to use, but also the possibilities the internet can possess.  Through a heart-warming advertisement, Google Chrome shows how you can use their website and various features to create a 21^st century baby book that your kids can read when they’re older. 

I am a die-hard of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers, and even I have to fight back tears while watching this commercial. 

It is a touching experience to find this father writing to his new born baby Sophie since the day she was born.  In the development of the 21^st century baby book, the father organizes videos, pictures and messages through Google’s numerous accessories—Chrome, Picasa and Gmail.  The adorable advertisement exhibits parents can avoid the hassle of gathering decades of pictures, along with the struggle of stuffing them into a bulky binder. 

Google owns everything, even my emotions.

Don’t Lose a Step

Cell phone features are expanding at an exceptional rate over the past couple years.  It’s astonishing to think that just a few years ago, having the internet on your phone was a foreign concept to society.  Recently, the main problem with cell phones is that users are unable to talk on their phone and search the web simultaneously.  Well thanks to AT&T, the problem has been solved.

In a humorous advertisement, AT&T attempts to shatter the stereotype that men who start a family detach from their ‘guy friends.’  While the father is changing his newborn baby, a close friend of his calls to discuss the football game last night that he has not seen.  Not wanting to sound like he’s out of the loop, he utilizes his iPhone to pull up a recap of the game.  It only takes him a couple of seconds to pull up video highlights from the game and comment to his buddy about the great play that was made. 

Just after watching the highlight reel, his wife walks in at the worst possible time to catch him on his phone instead of attending their baby.  As the guy tries to cover for his mistake, the wife delivers a textbook “my-husband’s-an-idiot” glare at the end.

Only the Best

In the beginning, the commercial appears to be a relaxed nature documentary about bears fishing for salmon when the animal is abruptly interrupted by a John West fisherman.  Running into the scene like a chicken with his head cut off, the fisherman is determined to challenge the bear for the best fish available.  The fearless fisherman then starts sparring with the grizzly bear to fight over the giant salmon. 

The grizzly bear demonstrates fancy footwork in a Muhammad Ali-like shuffle before delivering a roundhouse kick to the fisherman. 

Right when it looks as if the fisherman has no chance to win the fight, he sends a brutal kick to the private of the grizzly bear which knocks him unconscious.

The John West fisherman walks away with a victory and the grand prize of the best salmon in the wild.

"Hey, City That Never Sleeps. Wake up.”

Since steam power can be used for everything from heating and cooling to sterilizing and food processing, cities such as Manhattan utilize this source of energy on a daily basis.  In a busy community with constantly working individuals, there is little downtown throughout the work week. 

Brilliantly, one company thought of an advertising scheme to grasp the attention of these restless Manhattan citizens.  While visiting a family member this summer in Manhattan, I was appalled by a Folgers coffee advertisement.  

As I made my way towards the subway station, I noticed steam coming from across the street one morning.  The closer I came towards the steam, it looked as if something was accidentally spilled all over the ground and steaming everywhere.  To my surprise, when I walked near the steam it was an advertisement for Folgers coffee that covered a Manhattan manhole.  Holes on the print allowed for the steam to come out while the wordings around the cup read, “Hey, City That Never Sleeps. Wake Up.” from Folgers. 

I must admit, because of the dazzling advertisement that was lingering in my mind the rest of the afternoon, I went out of my way to purchase a cup of Folgers coffee the next morning.





What Brand Am I

After examining various types of brands, I found that Adidas is the brand that most closely resembles my ideals.  I was lured by their simple yet intriguing marketing strategy: to lead the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle.  The German founder of Adidas, Adi Dassler, was trained as a cobbler and fought in World War I at the age of eighteen.  After returning from the war, the 20 year old Dassler made his foray into the shoe making business out of his mother’s laundry room.  Shortly after, Adi Dassler his older brother Rudolf Dassler started their own business called the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.  His relentless work ethic and desire to achieve greatness correlate to how I live my life.  In short, the brand Adidas mirrors my ideals because it provides various sporting goods, operates in ultimate passion, and has a facile yet complex brand logo.

                First off, sports give people something to aspire to, something to dream about.  Sports not only offer individuals with physical benefits, but sports typically help students academically and socially as well.  Since I live a very active lifestyle, sports have always been my favorite activity of mine growing up.  Adidas is a brand that promotes teamwork and building relationships with teammates in numerous sports.  Especially in team sports, working together and making a united effort to accomplish the goals and objectives of the collective whole is beneficial to everyone involved.  Valuable lessons taught in sports such as practice, patience and persistence can translate into important life instructions.

Secondly, the passion of Adidas to develop a quality product to give athletes a competitive edge sets them apart from their competitors.  Adidas’s love and desire to continuously strengthen their brands and products show a true passion in their product development.  Unlike their main competitor Nike, Adidas is consumer focused and strides to continuously improve the quality, look, feel and image of their products in order to match and exceed consumer expectations and provide them with the highest value.    Finally, the simple yet intriguing Adidas logo relates to my life story.  Although I may seem like a typical Marquette scholar who is a child of a college graduate, I am the first individual in my family to attend college.  Similar to the Adidas logo, though it may seem like a simple design on the first glance, it is actually a unique and meaningful logo.  The shape of the 3 stripes on the Adidas logo represents a mountain, pointing out towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. 

Overall, Adidas is a company that closely resembles my ideals because it promotes sporting activities, puts love and desire into their work and has a simple yet unique logo.

Links and Information:
Adidas Logo Design and Identity

Adidas Information and Designer History

Adidas Homepage