Stella Artois “Chalice Factory” Fails to Clear the Bar

April 30th, 2012 by admin No comments »

  • Rating: 3rd floor
  • Who: Stella Artois
  • What: promotion

I consider Stella Artois to be one of the better and more flavorful lagers, as well as one of the best-marketed beers in the world.  But its “Chalice Factory” online promotion fell flat for me.

I love it when a brand leverages a distinctive asset, which is exactly what Stella has done with the chalice-shaped glass in its print and TV advertising for years.  So the idea of taking consumers to an online “Chalice Factory” and giving them a chance to win their own chalice is an intriguing one.  The problem is that as I went through the interactive video, I became increasingly confident that I was going to win a chalice.  Why the high expectations?  Perhaps because the video was more time-consuming than I’d expected, leading me to think, “There’s no way they’re going to make me endure this whole experience and then not reward me for my time!”  So when I was told, “Sorry, but we’re out of chalices,” I felt both disappointed and betrayed.

Don’t get me wrong; the interactive video wasn’t bad; it’s just that it wasn’t great, and great is what I’ve come to expect from the marketing folks at Stella Artois.  But this time, they let me down on two counts:  they failed to meet my expectations from an entertainment standpoint, and they didn’t give me the prize they’d convinced me–intentionally or not–that I was about to win.

Just as with great athletes, the bar is higher for great marketers.  And when they fail to clear the bar, it’s a bigger deal than it is for lesser players.  This “Chalice Factory” promotion was a fairly bold gamble on Stella’s part–the marketing equivalent of stepping up to take the game-winning shot.  In this case, however, Stella Artois missed the shot at the buzzer, and in the process missed a shot at some great marketing buzz.

advertising, beer

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Mondelez? Gesundheit!!

March 24th, 2012 by admin No comments »

  • Who: Kraft Foods
  • What: Branding
  • Rating: Basement

If you had “Mondelez” in the office pool for the new name of Kraft Foods’ global snacking company, you’re a winner!

As reported in an article in the New York Times, “the name is a combination of ‘monde,’ the Latin word for ‘world,’ and ‘delez,’ a made-up word meant to suggest ‘delicious.’ Hence, ‘delicious world.’”  Good to know!

According to Kraft’s chief marketing officer, “It’s quite a job for a single word to capture everything about what we want the new global snacks company to stand for.”  So…you went with a word that captures absolutely nothing about what your company stands for?  Actually, you didn’t go with a word; you went with “Mondelez,” which requires an instruction manual to explain how it’s pronounced and what it means.  She goes on,  “I’m thrilled with the name Mondelez International. It’s interesting, unique and captures a big idea.”  Well, you have to give her credit for hewing to the company line.

What I want to know is how much they paid for this name?  Some people have speculated it might have been in the range of $50,000 to $100,000.  If that’s true, then I’d say they overpaid by…oh… $50,000 to $100,000.

As any marketer worth her or his salt well knows, a brand name is one of a business’s most important assets. Most business managers inherit a brand name and have to make the best of it.  But when you have the luxury of starting from scratch and creating your own brand name, there’s no excuse for going with one that’s hard to pronounce and has to have its meaning explained. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the person selecting this name wasn’t a professional marketer.

Now that I think about it, I’d like to know the name of the agency that came up with “Mondelez.”  Whatever it is, I’m guessing it’s hard to pronounce and completely devoid of any obvious meaning.

On the other hand, I named my company “14th Floor Solutions,” so what the hell do I know?

brand, brand name, branding

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Brooks Brothers’ President’s Day Promotion Dressed to the Nines

February 20th, 2012 by admin No comments »

  • Who: Brooks Brothers
  • What: Promotion
  • Rating: 12th floor

Two criteria of a great promotion are that it be (a)  timely and (b) something that none of your competitors could pull off.  It’s hard to think of a much better example of that than this ad from Brooks Brothers, which was emailed to me on President’s Day.

Not only is it cool to be able to say that you’ve dressed 39 of 44 US presidents, it’s something that presumably only Brooks Brothers could say.  No matter what your political affiliation, there are bound to be at least a few names on the list that you admire.  In my case, I’m somewhat intrigued by the notion of wearing clothing from the same company that clothed Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

And their headline got me not only to write this blog post, but to check out Brooks Brothers website.

BTW, the 5 they didn’t dress are George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (who were president before Brooks Brothers’ 1818 founding), and Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

I didn’t take my rating all the way up to the 14th floor only because they should have sent their e-blast a few days before President’s Day (a work day for me and many others).

Also, as smart as this promotion was,  I would like to have seen Brooks Brothers run more aggressively with it.  For example, I would have expected someone like the Wall Street Journal, Today or Good Morning America to have run a feature story on the “39 of 44 presidents” claim, but that wasn’t the case as far as I know.

Still, a tip of the top hat to a unique and clever idea.

clothing

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Google’s Actions Betray Its Users and Its Brand

February 17th, 2012 by admin No comments »

  • Who: Google
  • What: Corporate ethics
  • Rating: basement

“Google Inc. and other advertising companies have been bypassing the privacy settings of millions of people using Apple Inc.’s Web browser on their iPhones and computers—tracking the Web-browsing habits of people who intended for that kind of monitoring to be blocked.”

If you read that opening sentence from this Wall Street Journal article and had never heard of Google Inc. before, what would your impression of the company be?  Probably that it must be a sleazy, unethical, untrustworthy company with which you you never want to do business.

It’s been said that your brand isn’t defined by what you say but what you do.  If that’s true–and I think it is–then Google’s actions have put a significant dent in its brand equity.

This isn’t the first time Google has compromised its users’ privacy, and Facebook and others have been guilty of similar violations.  Perhaps the phenomenal success experienced by Google and Facebook has left their leaders feeling that they are someone immune from the ethical standards by which the rest of us play.  And, for the most part, their users do seem to have looked the other way rather taking these companies to task for their behavior.  I have to believe, however, that  sooner or later these serious ethical lapses are going to take a serious toll on the loyalty of their users and hence on the sky-high stock prices that Google and others command.

One of the many things Google does well is to creatively modify their logo to celebrate holidays and other special occasions.  I suggest that until they regain their ethical bearings, they modify their iconic “I feel lucky” tag to read “I feel violated.”

brand, brand equity

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Target’s Grammy Ad Rates “21″ on a 10-Scale

February 14th, 2012 by admin No comments »

  • Who: Target
  • What: TV commercial
  • Rating: 14th floor

There was a lot of class and creativity on display on the recent Grammy Awards broadcast.  I was blown away by the performances of LL Cool J (who could not have set a more perfect tone as host), Jennifer Hudson, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and of course, the night’s biggest winner, the lovely and immensely talented Adele.  But the musicians weren’t the only ones whose creative brilliance was on display this night.  Equally impressive to me was this ad run by Target.

I find this ad to be brilliant on several levels:

  1. It was extremely entertaining to first hear the young bus-rider beautifully singing Adele’s powerful “Rolling in the Deep”, with her fellow bus-riders handling background vocals, and then to have her voice seamlessly segue into Adele’s.
  2. It very effectively sells the spectacular product being advertised–Adele’s “21″ CD.  (Anyone hearing this song who didn’t already own it and didn’t immediately plan to buy it needs to have his or her taste examined.)
  3. The placement of the ad couldn’t have smarter.  Adele had already won a few Grammys on the show, and she would go on to win all 6 awards for which she was nominated.  On top of that, only a few months after vocal chord surgery, she gave a powerful live performance of the already-iconic “Rolling in the Deep” that brought the house down.
  4. Target wasn’t just advertising a “commodity” product; its version of “21″ contains several songs that cannot be found on any other version.  Clearly, if you don’t already own “21″, this is the one to buy.

All in all, it’s hard to imagine a more intelligent piece of marketing.  I just regret that my ratings elevator only goes up to the 14th floor.

advertising

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Golf Channel Knocks It 320 Yards Down the Middle

December 16th, 2011 by admin 4 comments »

  • Who: Golf Channel
  • What: TV Ad
  • Rating: 14th floor

I love golf.  I love golfers.  I love Golf Channel.  And that’s probably why I love Golf Channel’s new commercial so much.

I love golf in large part because it’s so damned difficult.  It frustrates me like nothing else I’ve ever attempted, as my on-the-course language all-too-often sadly attests.  Yet when I manage to hit the occasional great shot, it literally gives me an incredible thrill.   And I mean it when I say “literally”; even though I’m a decent golfer, I’m so aware of the thousands of things that can go wrong with a golf swing that I have a hard time believing it when I’m actually able to execute a great shot.  It might only happen a few times per round, but it’s definitely worth the wait.

I love golfers in general because I respect anyone who is willing to tackle and embrace a stiff challenge.  I particularly love pro golfers because I think they exude much more character  and integrity than any other class of professional athlete.  PGA and LPGA golfers aren’t guaranteed a paycheck; they don’t sign contracts ensuring them millions of dollars for hitting .159 (I’m talkin’ to you, Adam Dunn), repeatedly dropping touchdown passes (hello, Roy Williams) or disappearing in the league championship series (how you doin’, Lebron?).  And even though they’re playing for a paycheck, they’ll call penalties on themselves that can cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars (such as Webb Simpson did this year, ultimately causing him to miss out on what would have been his first career victory).

When you see pro golfers interviewed, they are invariably modest about themselves and highly complimentary of their opponents.  And when they celebrate a sunk putt–if they celebrate at all–it’s usually a simple fist pump.  Contrast that with the NFL players who, after sacking a quarterback or catching a touchdown pass, engage in an elaborate series of obnoxious gestures that simultaneously celebrate their personal greatness and insult their momentarily vanquished opponent.

I love Golf Channel because it so consistently and poignantly captures all facets of the drama of this uniquely challenging and rewarding sport.  I love their reporters and announcers–such as ex-PGA players like David Feherty, Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo and Charlie Rymer and golden-throated Scottish announcers Renton Laidlaw and Dougie Donnelly–all of whom clearly revere the game and come across as be the kind of people you’d love to play a round with and then have a beer with.

Finally, I love this  new commercial because I think it captures everything I’ve just described–and more–so beautifully.   I even love the background song “Nothing for Granted” (by Brendan James), which provides not only a great melody but a wonderful sense of emotion.

Mark Twain famously described golf as “a good walk spoiled.”  I can only assume that Mr. Twain’s cable operator didn’t offer Golf Channel.

golf

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Kia and Michelle Wie Both Have Soul

December 13th, 2011 by admin No comments »

  • Who: Kia Soul
  • What: TV ad
  • Rating: 12th floor

One of the keys to success in professional golf is having a caddy you can trust to recommend the right club.  I think Kia’s ad agency could not have recommended a better celebrity than 22-year-old golfer Michelle Wie for this TV commercial for its new Soul sub-contact car.

This ad does a wonderful job of targeting the Soul at young people contemplating their first new car purchase.  If you want a car that would never be driven by your parents–not to mention the stuffy country club set–this is it.  And a big part of the credit for that perception goes to the infectious song (“Pro Nails” by Kid Sister) that plays throughout the spot.

On a more subtle note, one other thing that makes this commercial work so well is the fact that both Kia and Michelle Wie are of Korean descent.  (She was born in Hawaii to South Korean immigrants.)  Kia, like its sister Korean company Hyundai, has made great strides in building its brand equity over the past few years through high quality ratings and appealing product design. Aligning the Soul brand with a popular, attractive young Korean-American will surely make “Korean”–and Kia–even cooler.

But then again, what would you expect from a company based in Seoul?

advertising, automobiles, golf

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British Airways: To Fly. To Serve. To Sell.

December 11th, 2011 by admin No comments »

  • Who: British Airways
  • What: Advert
  • Rating: 14th floor

I often criticize ads that don’t give enough prominence to the brand name.  I’ve even gone so far as to suggest that their ad agencies perhaps would rather be making movies than “mere commercials.”  These ads are often entertaining–some via humor, others via cool music or striking visuals–but they rarely do their intended job, which is to sell.

In this new “advert” from British Airways, you won’t hear the brand name a single time, and half of the logos you see are for prior generations of the company’s name (like “Imperial Airways” and “BOAC”). Yet I think this ad is one of the best ads I’ve seen this year.

So why–if I’m right–does this “advert” succeed despite breaking the rules of brand registration?  One reason is the British narrator; it’s clearly an airline ad, so once you hear that elegant British accent, you know it must be a British Airways ad. (Who else could it be?)  Another reason is that the combination of the cinematography and the background music is so engrossing that you want to pay close attention–to soak up every detail–and in the process you can’t help but notice the occasional British Airways logo on one of the many eye-catching aircraft featured later in the spot.

Yet another reason for this ad’s impact is that the beautifully written and delivered narration and the exceptional production values scream quality.  My subconscious brain can only conclude, “This airline obviously has great planes, great mechanics and great pilots.”

And finally, there’s the tagline:  “To fly.  To serve.” And this is much more than a tagline; as the narrator informs us, it’s “the same four words stitched into every uniform of every captain who takes their command.”  The message:  these people love to fly, and they love to take exquisite care of their passengers.

And they clearly love to make great advertising.

advertising, airlines

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McDonald’s French Fries Commercial Is a Keeper

November 29th, 2011 by admin No comments »

  • Who: McDonald's
  • What: TV ad
  • Rating: 14th floor

When I was first starting out in the wonderful world of marketing, McDonald’s was one of the most creative and effective advertisers in the world.  For years their ads simultaneously tantalized your taste buds and tugged at your heartstrings, and they played a huge role in clearly elevating the brand far above all fast food competitors.  Sadly, it’s been at least 10 or 15 years since McDonald’s so consistently worked its marketing magic.

Recently, however, I’ve been seeing some signs that the old magic might be returning.  Perhaps the most encouraging example is their current  french fries commercial. This warmly-shot spot is charming in its simplicity, and the surprise ending makes me smile no matter how many times I see it.

This could have featured a customer saying “I love McDonald’s fries” or an announcer citing statistics documenting how McDonald’s fries are preferred over the competition’s at a statistically significant level of confidence.  Obviously, however, such flat-footed approaches couldn’t come close to the impact of having three kids running and riding full-speed off a dock in pursuit of a McDonald’s  french fry on the end of a fishing hook.

To me, this spot both reminds me of how delicious McDonald’s fries are and makes me like McDonald’s just a little bit more.  It’s highly entertaining yet almost believable. In short, it’s the ultimate fish story.

advertising, food, restaurants

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Subway Takes the Low Road by Entertaining Rather Than Selling

November 28th, 2011 by admin No comments »

  • Who: Subway
  • What: TV Campaign
  • Rating: 2nd floor, 2nd floor

I’ve never been a fan of Subway’s advertising )such as their cloying and annoying “5 Dollar Footlong” campaign).   Their latest  TV campaign, however, is a particular puzzler.  A lot of my friends and readers who’ve seen this campaign have asked me why the ads feature adults talking like kids, and my honest answer is that I have no idea.

The device of giving children’s voices to adult actors is arguably entertaining the first few times you see it. but it does nothing to make the viewer want to hop in the car and drive to the nearest Subway.  The ad doesn’t feature fascinating footage of the sandwich, or describe its tantalizing taste in drool-inducing detail, or give you compelling facts about its nutritional advantages.  In short, it doesn’t sell; it simply entertains…sort of.

If Subway was trying to make the point that its sandwiches “bring out the kid in you” or “remind you of when you were a kid”, using kids’ voices would at least have some degree of underlying logic.  But that’s hardly the case here.

So what’s Subway thinking?  I don’t have a clue.  And neither, it appears, do they.

advertising, restaurants

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