In case you couldn't tell, I try to maintain a positive tone when writing this blog. Sometimes, however, you just have to call it like it is, and this week two advertisements caught my eye which screamed for someone to point them out.
The first was a billboard on the Mass Pike, just outside of Boston. Headline, 'FARM FRESH WIND', with a picture of a windmill. Oh yeah, you can bet that the font was green. Subtle...very subtle. Did the creative director whip this up in 10 minutes? I hope there wasn't a grand creative session to brainstorm this copy. On the other hand, if the agency who created this billed for ANY creative time, than God bless them. They've got some kind of racket going. Clearly agencies should start targeting more energy providers. (I'm not exactly sure which energy co. this was , so that's inherently something to consider. I think it was NSTAR.)
Ok, so you're an energy co. Do you now sell wind? Sort of....I guess.
Unfortunately, 'Sort of' is not a clear message.
You do 'provide' energy to the masses. So why not talk about that? Even if you did sell wind; is wind from a farm better than wind from the city? I thought wind was wind? It certainly does not discriminate against us city folk. (If you have ever walked across the BU bridge, or down the vortex that is Boylston St. in the winter, you know what I mean).
Now, if it was widely known that wind from some farm in NH or OK was 'better' than urban wind, which we individually could directly benefit from in some way I haven't yet learned, than by all means, sell me some of that. (perhaps it's a new organic way to dry your hair...??) Bottle it up and send some by my place like the milkmen from the 'good ole days'. If not, than why waste your time talking about wind?
I don't benefit from the wind, I benefit from the energy you provide me, which you mined from the wind. The earth can benefit from this 'green' energy, but that's a secondary benefit to the consumer. Essentially, you are hoping for the target audience to put it all together on their own.
Billboard advertising doesn't work this way. You have 2 seconds to relay a message and generate an impression that hopefully builds awareness of your product/brand. and/or, its benefits/brand personality/values. The message needs to be clear and concise. Sure, I am 'remarking' about this billboard, so I suppose you have done something right, or REALLY wrong. At the least your brand name needs to be recalled ! I'm writing about this billboard and I can't even remember the co !!! I do remember the name was smaller than the aforementioned message, and it was not prominent. How exactly has this message served their business needs? It hasn't.
A few quick options that might have been better. Take them or leave them.
Wind Energy. For the earth. For you. (BIG company logo).
Thank your Mother (Nature). Wind Energy from ____ (and Mother Earth).
Here's the second ad, this time a 30 second television spot.
Where I do I start !
First, Reebok hardly ever advertises on TV, therefore, when they do, they should really nail the creative to maximize their ROI. This is almost embarrassing, and is not a new idea.
Second, Reggie Wayne, while being a fine ballplayer, does not have much household recognition (he's probably the 10th wide receiver a 16 year old boy would recall, let alone football player, and let's be honest, if they aren't trying to sell these shoes to 16 year old boys, than they have bigger problems than we have time to talk about). Celebrity/athlete endorsers should be iconic figures that definitively elevate your brand. Sorry Reg, but you're not that guy. All this says to me is that Reebok couldn't afford someone with a higher profile. This might be the worst problem with the ad, as it just doesn't serve the inherent purpose of why you would use a pro athlete.
Ok, so Reggie's your guy. That doesn't mean the creative should be weak too !
Walking on water is an OLD cliche. We all know he can't do this. There's no mystery or intrigue here. Clearly you are telling me the shoes allow him to walk on water, I get it. It's the not the man himself, which brings us back to the fact you don't need a pro athlete when using this idea.
"Reggie can't walk on water, but with these "Hexride's" he can" !
Who hoo ! Go Reggie.
Pla - ease.....!
Then there is the tag line, "Superior Cushioning". Sweet, a benefit message ! Thanks for that. Too bad it makes no sense ! Why would 'cushioning' allow someone to walk on water? Doesn't cushioning in a shoe help reduce impact on hard surfaces? Last time I checked water was not a hard surface. Now, if this was an ad for a 'lightweight' shoe, they might be on to something, but it still has the problems I noted above. At the least, show the man running over some crazy boulders or something. It might not be related to football, but at least it will more closely match the product benefit!
To me, this commercial officially sums up Reebok's position in the marketplace. They are NOT a leading brand and hold no aspirational status. Think hard if anyone you know actively wears a pair of Reeboks? 1 in 15? 1 in 20? I don't know a single person who wears Reeboks.
Talk to anyone at the co. and they'll say, "we can't try to out Nike, Nike". We'll, if you mean, "come up with compelling creative", than clearly you can't. Heck, you'd be better off just showing the shoes with a simple message like, "Reggie Wayne wears them. You should too" ! Not creative in any way, but I bet just as effective, and a whole lot cheaper.
Here's a classic example of a brand that used the idea of superpowers, attributed them to the product and pulled off some good creative.
For a split second you have to wonder. Did he really do that???
(too bad we now know Mike's true colors).
Like never before, there is no room for mediocre work. In tough times, consumers need good marketing to help them make the tough choice of how to spend their limited funds.
Someone out there can do it better.
Don't waste our time with greenwashed messaging, or generally lame creative. The consumer can see through this.
You only make your competition look brilliant, and turn off those of us who know better.
