Archive for the ‘article’ Category

A post-game analysis (of the ads).

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 - by MEA

The confetti may have settled, but the web is still buzzing over the Big Game. Of course, around here we’re talking more about the action off the field that kept viewers glued to the screen during TV timeouts, forgoing bathroom breaks. Betty White playing receiver. A house made of beer cans. Letterman, Leno, and Oprah on the couch. Guys without pants. A violin-playing beaver. Talking babies offering investment advice. The list of big brands that hoped to make a big impact is a long one.

Similar to Super Bowls past, some ads delivered the goods. Take Google’s subtle, sophisticated, and relatively inexpensive reaffirmation of its dominance in the search industry. Others fell short of the pre-game hype, like Taco Bell, while the remaining few were just downright odd. Congrats to Dockers for topping that list.

But that’s just us. You can check out how all of TV’s most expensive commercials scored with Ad Meter focus groups on USAToday.com. Or, read how the Twittersphere ranks the “super” brands that appeared during the Big Game. In the meantime, tell us what you think! Which ad was your favorite? Did any disappoint?

View USA Today’s Rankings

Check Out What the Twittersphere Thinks

(more…)

by MEA

The Super Bowl: More Than Just a Game for Brands

Friday, February 5th, 2010 - by MEA

For decades, advertising during the Super Bowl has meant garnering the attention of millions of game-time viewers. Then there’s the inevitable wave of PR, consumer chatter, and cachet that follows, which helps generate a strong ROI despite the associated costs.

The life expectancy of Super Bowl ads has increased over the past few years, thanks to complementary online advertising, galleries, and social networks. The smartest brands even launch sneak peeks of their ads on YouTube to generate pre-game buzz.

In 2010, advertisers will work even harder to maximize exposure and participation via organic search, online videos, Twitter, Facebook, and beyond. Regardless of the final score, it should make for an interesting game. Be sure to visit Stir-Fry early next week to check out our favorites, as well as a few other websites that track the top ads based on public reaction.

Hulu Ad Gallery

Determine what ads are doing best by the number of Tweets:

YouTube Ad Blitz

In the meantime, post your all-time favorites in the comments section.

by MEA

Big ‘Boom De Ah Dah’

Friday, December 4th, 2009 - by Colin Ayres

Shortly after Discovery Networks premiered The World is Just Awesome in 2008 to promote the Discovery Channel, the spot garnered major media attention and won several industry awards. In fact, it was so popular and well received by audiences that a second version was recently released. Same catchy melody. New faces and lyrics.

In today’s participatory culture, where consumers engage with and influence brands constantly, perhaps the most interesting aspect of the campaign is the budding viral component. Rather than just the love of a product (reference: A Positive “Spin” on Viral), the pass-along effect in this case is growing out of consumers’ love of an advertisement.

This isn’t the first time that’s happened, but it’s rare. So, what’s the magic formula? There isn’t one. Discovery Networks struck brand awareness gold by genuinely connecting with its audience. Obviously, it’s easier said than done. But by allowing people around the world to put their own spin on ‘Boom De Ah Dah’, the brand found a unique way to engage its audience and gain exposure. Now, Discovery Networks is asking for even more submissions from all of their “talented friends out there.” That’s what I like to call striking while the iron is hot.

What Are Your Favorite Commercials of the Decade?

Monday, November 23rd, 2009 - by MEA

Adweek has compiled what they believe are the top commercials of the decade (non-Super Bowl edition). We’ve combed through the nomination list and chosen our favorites.

Our choices for best TV spots: It’s a tie between Adidas’ “Hello Tomorrow” and Dove’ “Evolution.”

Our choice for best viral advertisement: “Tea Partay.”

We also noticed a few omissions from the list. Like the hilarious big German promoting wind energy and a reunited Survivor following around Glen as he chugs Starbucks. Another favorite is the human dominoes line that ends with a man and his Miller Lite. Take a look at Adweek’s list to watch the videos and vote.

What are your favorite ads of the decade?

Our other favorite ads.

by MEA

Hasbro Out to Answer the Age-Old Question

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 - by MEA

Are men or women smarter? The answer might finally be revealed in the Trivial Pursuit Experiment, an online battle of the sexes for IQ supremacy.

The microsite is a unique promotional effort by Hasbro to promote the board game’s newest edition – “Team”. As players answer questions to help boost their team’s score, they’ll also see real-time scoring and team updates, as well as viral videos they can pass along to friends. It’s an impressive use of social media to say the least, particularly when the popularity of traditional board games is losing to online gaming.

Check it out and join the battle here.

by MEA

Say Anything to Get the Word Out

Monday, November 9th, 2009 - by MEA

It’s one of the most classic scenes in cinematic history – oddball Lloyd Dobler, sporting a beige trench coat and a rundown pair of tennis shoes, hoists a boom box over his head and blasts Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” in hopes of winning the heart of Diane Court. If you haven’t seen Say Anything, it’s worth adding to your Netflix queue.

It’s this unforgettable clip that inspired a recent publicity stunt in New York City to promote the movie’s 20th Anniversary Edition. On November 3rd, a mob of Lloyd Dobler impersonators stormed the Big Apple. Borrowing from the character’s wardrobe, they paraded through Penn Station, NYU, and Union Square in an effort to generate buzz for the upcoming release. The special promotion culminated with a free concert, headlined by The Lloyd Dobler Effect.

Read More & View Photos

by MEA

Healthcare reform ads making you sick yet?

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 - by Nicole Hickman

Brand advertisers are often accused of stretching the truth. Except that the claims they make have to be substantiated, they are subject to FTC rules and truth-in-advertising laws. There does, however, exist a dark corner of the communications world where advertisers claim just about anything they want, without fear of being shut down by regulations or disclosure rules. That would be the realm of political and legislative issue ads.

The First Amendment protects these ads as non-commercial speech, so they’re not subject to the same restrictions. As such, they all too often make outrageous claims in order to sway viewers and listeners to their side, employing straw men, hyperbole, half-truths, and outright lies, with little or no regard for the facts.

A case in point is an ad sponsored by a conservative group called the Independent Women’s Forum which claims healthcare reform legislation could result in 300,000 deaths from breast cancer, while another, put out by Americans United For Change flips the script on the death panel controversy by claiming that we already have death panels, masquerading as health insurance companies. And that’s just the tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to this type of advertising.

Imagine a world where advertising was completely unregulated, where advertisers were able to make as outrageous a claim as they wanted, truth be damned. Apparently, that world is already here – NPR reports there’s currently over $100 million being spent on various political and legislative issue ads.

Conservatives for Patients’ Rights: Squeeze

MoveOn.org: Shark Week

Patients United Now: Survivor

MoveOn.org: Caught Red Handed

Family Research Council: Life and Death

Americans United for Change: GOP Rx for Health Insurance Reform

A Positive “Spin” on Viral

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 - by MEA

It’s rare to find a positive review of a brand in a viral video (check out United Breaks Guitars for something a little more typical) – especially one that’s garnering a substantial number of hits. But that didn’t stop Fatty Spins from professing his love for Apple in a low-budget, single-take rap video. And clearly it’s resonating; the video already has over a half a million views on YouTube.

Move over Mac vs. PC. Apple fans, perhaps more than other consumers, have been creating effective advertising for the behemoth brand all by themselves.

by MEA

Moments by Will Hoffman

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 - by MEA

A short, yet inspirational film that reminds us to enjoy all of life’s fleeting moments. We thought it was worth sharing. Enjoy.

by MEA

Cash 4 Gullible

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 - by Mark Albertazzi

If you watch TV, there’s a good chance you’ve seen those cheeky commercials for Cash4Gold. For a refresher, see below.

Cash4Gold Ad

Normally, I would never ship away my gold possessions and rely on someone’s assessment of their value without being present. But being curious about how the process works, and what people had to say about it, I decided to at least Google Cash4Gold. One of the top links redirected me to complaintsboard.com, where I found a number of reviews posted by both customers and purported former employees.

What I found most entertaining, however, was a banner ad for Cash4Gold on the same page filled with complaints about the company. Whether you believe in the Cash4Gold offer, or the viability of their assessment process, you have to tip your hat to their media buying service. Apparently, they’ve identified a core target market and they know where they are – retirees, or down-on-their-luck folks, watching daytime TV, who in turn surf the web to see if the company’s offerings are viable.

Bottom line, after reading several other “exposes” on Cash4Gold’s practices, I was reminded of that familiar buyer beware adage: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.