Yours is here! December 3, 2007

It is that time of year again– Christmas.

Companies start advertising more and more because it is the season for giving. While there are many other gift-giving holidays throughout the year, Christmas is the BIG one. The largest and most expensive gifts are given this month.

Dell Computers is using celebrity endorsements in order to market their product this season. An average man is asking for a dell laptop for Christmas. Unfortunately, he is just that..an “average” person and therefore cannot be “heard.” They use 3 celebrities to endorse their product. At the same time they are making fun of the fact that they are using celebrities. The new tactic in advertising seems to be making fun of the fact that they are advertising.

Dell is using the slogan “Yours is here” at yoursishere.com. You are supposed to send one of the celebrity endorsements to a family member or friend so they know what you want for Christmas.

 I’m sure there are going to be many many more good advertising techniques this holiday season!

A little variety, please? October 29, 2007

Have you ever noticed that every single car commercial is exactly the same? Each commercial consists of flashy pictures of the car racing around some empty curved road in the middle of nowhere or a deserted city street. A catchy song plays in the background and there’s some catch line like Madza’s “Zoom Zoom.” And then finally at the end of the commercial some man reads the basic facts about the car in a matter of 10 seconds. A screen comes up that tells the leasing and purchase pricing along with financing options. And most importantly for today’s world- mpg is stressed. How is it that such a simple basic layout of a car commercial seems to work?

As I’ve said before, commercials anymore are not to get a person interested in the specific good but to remember a name. Flashy pictures and a catchy song/catchline will stick in the materialistic and visual brain of today’s average American. The facts are not nearly as important as the look.

Personally however, I like creativity. If a car commercial is new, I’d feel like the model itself was more innovative as well. Give me a little variety in what I’m watching. After a while I won’t be able to remember a name no matter how flashy the commercial, just because they’re all the same. I want the facts and something creative.

Geico October 16, 2007

Another GREAT company to use as an advertising example would be Geico. Geico car insurance has used multiple characters and scennarios in their commercials. The Geico gecko, the first character, is still being used. The Geico caveman, popular the past year, now have their own television sitcom! The newest sccenario presented however is like a private investigator show. Geico credits Geico savings for the riches of Jedd Clampett.

The best technique Geico has utlized however is that they present the scenarios and quick clips like movies and you don’t find out what the commercial is for until afterwards. The commercials never have to do with car insurance itself. The commercials catch the attention of the viewer and then reveal the name in order to have it imprinted better in the viewers mind.

 I hear my friends all the time say, “I’m going to get Geico insurance just because they’re commercials are so awesome!” I’m not sure if any of them will ever go through with it, since they all seem to still be on their parents’ plan. But what they say proves to me that Geico is being successful. They know that good commercials lead to good word of mouth. If people bring up a commercial in everyday conversation, then that’s advertising in itself. So is it a better technique to portray your product or to catch the attention of the viewer?

I believe that just catching attention is good enough. If the viewer is truly interested in the product, they’ll do their own research. Commercials anymore are just to get a name out there, not advertise the actual product.

IDK. MY BFF? September 12, 2007

 As far as college students go, I barely watch television. I’ve always found it difficult to get into a routine to catch the same shows every week. But just because I don’t watch alot of TV doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate a GOOD commercial.

“Good” advertising is hard to come by on television anymore. Personally, I think an ad isn’t good unless it makes me laugh, think, or motivate me to do something. For me, the most memorable commercial is one that makes me laugh; I think that most people would agree.

 AT& T Wireless seems to have adapted a new theme to promote their text messaging plans. In April, Verizon released a commercial of a conversation between a mother and a daughter, Beth Ann, arguing over the text message bill. Beth Ann speaks entirely in text message lingo. Subtitles run across the bottom of the screen. Sayings such as WU? (What’s up?) and NBD (No big deal) are used. When the mother asks the child who she has been texting excessively, Beth Ann answers, “IDK My BFF Jill.” This phrase has been used as the commercials title.

This memorable commercial encouraged AT& Tto make a “sequel.” To promote family texting, the mother argues with her son, daughter, and her mother (grandma). In this new commercial, released about a week ago, Grandma is the one to utter the famous IDK, my BFF line. Grandma is asked who she is texting and says, “IDK my BFF Rose.” AT&T was hoping to get a laugh or two out of the old woman’s words and attitude and I think they have been quite successful. I know it made me giggle. When I asked my two best friends if they had seen any good commercials lately, they both replied with the MY BFF Rose commercial.

How many commercials under this theme should we expect to see from AT&T in the future? Who knows. There are plenty of BFFs out there.

View the commercials —->IDK my BFF Jill      IDK my BFF Rose