I can't believe they're STILL showing that "Colour Catcher" advert with "the proof's on the sheet!" stupidity. I complained about it on my blog MONTHS ago! And they still haven't taken it off the air!
And now there's an advert for some company or other that's changing its name, in which a number of actors and musicians observe that their stage names are better than their real names. Ringo Starr interacts with footage of screaming Beatle fans and asks "Would any of this have happened to me if I was still Richard Starkey?"
Well, yes, Ringo, it would. If you remember, you adopted the stage-name in order to become the drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, who all had silly names, and then your mates in another band asked you to start playing with them instead, and it all got quite big from there. I'm almost certain that the exact same amount of fame and adulation would have come your way if you were still Richard Starkey.
Incidentally, I can't remember what company this advert's for. Like many adverts, it has no idea about how to make something memorable. The new and old names of the company are just flashed up on screen right at the end, entirely disconnected from the preceding celebrity-fest. They must have spent a fortune on the advert, and it doesn't do its job at all. I ask you.
Also, what's with those Renault adverts that operate from the starting point that nobody wants to buy a Renault, and then tries to convince you that the new one is actually quite cool, so maybe you should reconsider your prejudices. I thought Renaults were cool all along! Weren't they? What was wrong with Nicole and Papa? Now that was a good advertising campaign.
Also, and this isn't an advert I'm complaining about, I have a strange urge to go and see Derby play Man Utd in the league cup semi-final first leg tomorrow night. I don't know why, I never once went to see Derby play, even when I was living there and they were in the premier league and playing Man Utd all the time (well, twice in a year, anyway). Still, I feel like going to see this one now. Anyone want to come with me?
Hi Ben.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the company you are referring to is Aviva which is a very big company that is listed on the stock market.
Well spotted Ben. It takes a memory man to spot such marketing techniquies.
The company may in fact want you to forget the name of the company.
Imagine this scenario for a moment.
Let's assume you are walking home and remember that you need dog food. You pop in the store, go home and feed your dog.
Two days later the dog is dead and the vet tells you it was food poisoning having already asked you to provide samples from your bin.
Angry at Pedigree Chum and concerned about other people's pets you rush to inform Watchdog and every other consumer related program and legal body.
As you are typing the letters you happily munch away on your Mars bar with food poisoning not being associated with the food which you are currently consuming.
Fast forward to the next day and News at Ten with Trevor McDonald reports that all the stores have removed the Pedigree Chum which came from the identified batch.
With your mind at ease and the knowledge that you have saved the pets of thousands of children, you treat yourself to another Mars Bar and put your feet up to watch the Pocket Dragons.
At this point, due to the death of your dog you have probably decided to never buy Pedigree Chum ever again and advise all your friends at The Kennel Club to do the same.
Sales at Pedigree Chum hit a new low due to the bad publicity whereas, sales at Mars remain unchanged.
Why would they ? A respectable company like Mars wouldn't give anyone food poisining would it ? Especiall when so many children eat tons of the stuff ! What's the chance of two massive and reputable companies doing the same thing in this short time anyway ?
Well, even though this is a made up story Mars is in fact, owned by a massive company called Masterfoods which, also happens to own ? You've guessed it; Pedigree Chum.
Knowing this means that there is a much greater chance of you not buying the product due to ASSOCIATION.
Therefore, the marketing gurus aren't as foolish as we may at first give them cretit.
The point is that many major companies know that if the name is damaged it will hit all lines of production if the publiv know when things go wrong and they haven't had a chance to fix them.
With major supermarkets it is slightly different as, we all know that when it says Tesco or Asda on the label we can be sure that it was made by another company as these companies are now, no more than financial institutions controlling the flow of capital.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterfoods
Renault had a reputation for being easy to steal incidentally.
Dai