Company: Head On
Aired: N/A
Channel: TBS,TNT & more
Appeal: Repetition, Testimonial
I can confidently say not many of you have ever seen this commercial, and for those of you who have… I feel your pain. It is without a doubt the most obnoxious, annoying and irritating thirty seconds you will EVER have to sit through. I had no clue what Head on actually was for the past past seven to ten years until five minutes ago when I finally decided to look it up online. It is a topical product that claims to relieve headaches (headaches probably caused by watching their idiotic commercials). Their slogan “Head On, apply directly to the forehead” is stated three times, one after the other. Although it sticks in your head long after the commercial, you will inevitably despise the commercial for the mere fact that without doing the necessary research… you don’t even know what the product actually does! For once, I side with the Tivoists.
“ART & COPY is a film about advertising. Not all advertising. It’s about the greatest advertising?”
- Doug Pray, Director of “ART & COPY”
This documentary reveals the work and inspiration that fueled some of the most influential advertisers of our time. These people strongly impacted modern culture and for one reason or another, are virtually unheard of outside of the marketing industry. These people were able to not only grab but also hold the attention of millions of viewers, which in anyone in the business will tell you is no easy task.
“What's different and perhaps surprising about this movie, is that it isn't about bad advertising, that 98% which so often annoys and disrespects its audience. I didn’t want to make a doc that just trashes trashy advertising. Too easy, too obvious, and why bother? Instead, granted access to a handful of the greatest advertising minds of the last fifty years, I felt it could be a more powerful statement to focus the film only on those rare few who actually moved and inspired our culture with their work.” – Doug Pray
Ever wonder where the phrase “Got Milk?” actually came from? Well “Got Milk?” is an advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of cow’s milk. It was created by ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners in 1993. In the documentary they show the original commercial with interview clips from the people who came up with the phrase and other expert’s feelings towards the ad. “Got Milk?” is one of America’s most popular catchphrases in advertising and has been ever since this commercial first aired back in October of 1993.
Another groundbreaking commercial is one by fast food restaurant chain Wendy’s. They came up with the catchphrase, “Where’s the beef?” in a television ad in 1984. During the commercial three elderly women stand around an exaggeratedly large hamburger bun topped with a minuscule sized hamburger patty. This prompts one of the ladies to angrily question, “Where’s the beef?” Entertaining commercial which became popular at the time but never truly took off like ‘Got Milk?” had.
The last commercial I want to talk about from this documentary is an ad by Apple, which is considered to be the most influential and successful commercial in the history of television. “1984” is an American TV commercial which introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer for the first time. The ad initially aired on January 22, 1984 during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. The commercial depicts a woman running with a sledgehammer being chased by masked guards. As countless people march single file into an theater, all dressed the same, and being brain washed the “hero” hurls her hammer towards the screen shattering it. The message of this ad is that this woman (or Macintosh) is saving humanity from conformity and conventionality. As the commercial is ending the words, “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’”
The film is great for college students aspiring to eventually work in the marketing/advertising industry. Doug Pray dove right into some of the greatest advertisements in the past half-century, most of which were well before my days. I highly recommend this documentary to anyone who enjoys commercials as I do. There is going to be screenings in New York from May 12 - May 16 2010 at The Paley Center for Media. For screening times please visit the ART & COPY website.
Eldrick “Tiger” Woods was once on top of the world. He had endless endorsements, adoring fans, and was possibly the most dominant athlete in a sport since Michael Jordan. So how did this highly acclaimed superstar and household name become the punch line for late night television hosts nation wide? How did one of the world’s most recognizable name and face become a nightly skit on SNL? My father used to tell me when I was younger, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Nothing could be truer than in Tiger Wood’s case.
Tiger Woods began his professional golf career in August 1996. He started off with a splash, signing endorsement deals worth $40 million from Nike and $20 million from Titleist. By April, Tiger won his first major, The Masters, setting an all time record of 18 strokes under par. He was also the youngest Masters winner ever and the first African American to do so. That year he set countless records and he skyrocketed to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking.
We all know about Tiger’s phenomenal success not just on the golf course but also in the advertising world. In 2008 he was the highest paid professional athlete having earned about $110 million from winnings and endorsements. If you named a company, I’d feel pretty safe betting my life that Woods had a contract with them. Besides the afore mentioned Nike and Titleist, he has inked deals with General Motors, American Express, General Mills, Accenture, Buick, TAG, Electronic Arts, Gatorade, Gillette and AT&T. (I’m sure there are more I could have missed)
Unfortunately, Tiger Wood’s flawless public image was about to go up in flames. On November 25th 2009, tabloid magazine The National Enquirer published a story claiming Woods had an affair with a nightclub manager. A couple dozen mistresses later and Tiger has virtually no sponsors left. Nike is the only company that has stuck with him through the heavy fire he has had to endure. Maybe they see something we don’t but Nike has always been a company to give second chances. They believe in rebuilding a person’s image to the point where they can once again be an important asset to their marketing strategy and campaign. Look at Kobe Bryant for example.
In the summer of 2003, a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle, Colorado accused Kobe Bryant, NBA future Hall of Famer, of rape. He had just signed a five year, $40 million contract with Nike before the incident. Like Tiger, they remained loyal to Bryant understanding that eventually the allegations would go away and his performance would overshadow the bad times. Bryant has regained his elite status as will Tiger in his upcoming years. I truly believe once Woods passes Jack Nicklaus for the most Major Championships, he will be viewed as a “hero” and all will be forgotten.
Nike’s most recent commercial was released on April 8th 2010. The ad was created by Wieden + Kennedy ad agency and contains thirty seconds of a somber Tiger Woods. The entire ad is in black and white and in the background there is an actual soundtrack from Earl Woods, Tiger’s dead father. The audio was taken from a 2004 interview of Earl for a documentary about his son. This is the first commercial to feature Eldrick since the scandal first breached public scrutiny. Enjoy!
I’ve never been so torn on how I feel with a commercial! When I first watched it I thought it was the worst thing I had ever seen. But the more I watch it the more I understand and love the angle Nike is trying to play. The concept of Tiger’s dead father scolding him for his recent actions gives me the chills. Nike left just enough time for some of the smoke to clear before they began the extremely long process of rebuilding Tiger Woods as a brand. To put it in persepctive just how far Woods plummeted, on December 18, 2009 he appeared on the front cover of the New York Post for the 20th straight day. This passing the record previously held by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on the World Trade Center. I'm glad this country has it's priorities in order. Anyway, the timing for the premiere was impeccable; being on the same day Tiger made his highly anticipated return to golf at the Masters Tournament.
Final Verdict: Risky play but I think they nailed it!
Here is an article from the Washington Post and their feelings about the ad.
Company: Old Spice
Aired: February 8, 2010
Channel: ESPN, TBS, TNT, Spike TV
Appeal: Humor, Exaggerated Statement
Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products. The company has been well known for years for their catchy whistling jingle during their television ads. In February 2010 Old Spice released their new campaign and slogan, “The man your man could smell like.” The very first ad featuring actor Isaiah Mustafa has been incredibly well received by the media. The commercial was created by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy for Old Spice to market their brand of shower gel. Their marketing message is how “anything is possible” if a man uses the product. They should consider using Kevin Garnett in their next commercial.
Thirty seconds of perfection if you ask me. The ad is one continuous shot of a man as he stands in a bath towel and orders you to “look at your man, now back at me.” Then the backdrop of a shower is raised and you discover he is actually on a boat. After an oyster full of tickets turns into diamonds the camera zooms out again as the man explains, “I’m on a horse.” Simply hilarious.
Old Spice has recently released another series of commercials for their Odor Blocker Body Wash. I’m not as thrilled with these because they have a very “in your face” type of humor, while the other ad is subtle and witty.
Mascots. Who needs them? I mean, who wants some teenage guy full of acne working up a sweat inside a giant furry head? But mascots seem to be a permanent part of our society. From birth we grow up used to them. At our first few birthday parties Barney and Mickey Mouse always seem to show up. We hug them. We kiss them. We high-five them. But then something changes.
My favorite is that three to four year stretch when little boys think its fun to attack the mascot. Chuck E Cheese was the best punching bag. This oversized, mutated mouse practically knows its coming. After his first day he wises up and actually invests in shin guards and a cup (that is all these 7-10 year olds can reach anyway). He comes out of the backroom slowly looking to his left and right as if he were about to break out of mice prison. But then once one kid spots him it turns into scene from Braveheart. Chuck E Cheese traumatized me as a child. One second my tiny fists of fury were raining blows upon his upper thigh, the next I’m on my ass. All I could think was, “Is he allowed to do that?” And then ten minutes later all I could think was, “Why the hell are these slices of pizza so small?” But that’s for another day…
But mascots aren’t just for children apparently because it continues on the college and professional sports levels too! I feel bad for any priest who is a hockey fan and has the New Jersey Devil parading up and down the aisle next to him. Or how about the teams that completely force the mascot issue? The Phoenix Suns are a perfect example of this. What the hell does a gorilla have to do with the suns? Or the Phillie Phanatic? Come on, he’s just an obese Oscar the Grouch sporting Phillies memorabilia. Mascots have become a big part of advertising and a way to appeal better to a company’s target audience. Trix has the rabbit, Burger King has The King and Toys “R” Us has Geoffrey the Giraffe. Companies are always trying to figure out ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The easiest and most effective ways to do this is through easily recognizable logos or mascots. None could be more true than for GEICO.
If you have never heard of GEICO I strongly suggest you move into the 21st century and purchase a television. GEICO is an American auto insurance company and easily has the most identifiable commercials on TV. The most famous tagline used in all GEICO commercials is, “Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.” That phrase is permanently embroidered into my memory. GEICO does the best job at reminder advertising and "hitting” the viewer over and over with the same message. That is why GEICO is one of the few companies that continuously purchases two fifteen second commercial timeslots back-to-back rather than one thirty second spot. The viewer barely realizes it's only fifteen seconds and before they know it, the next ad starts; different ad with the exact same message. Because GEICO auto insurance appeals to anyone who owns a car and likes to save money, their commercials aren't restricted to which channels they could advertise on. I've noticed them on every main network channel (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC) and also many other popular stations such as ESPN, TBS, and TNT. GEICO’s commercials always star one of their several mascots they have introduced to us.
So the question is… which GEICO mascot is the best? This calls for an old fashioned “Mascot Olympics.” That’s right, the GEICO Gecko going toe to toe with the likes of the Caveman and stack of Money.
So these are the rules. First I will post a commercial starring each of the mascots and then write a little something about it. The next part is up to you. You all have the chance to vote on which GEICO mascot is your favorite! Your votes will decide which mascot goes home with the gold medal!
Gecko
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I love this little guy. He is actually named Martin the Gecko because he was created by The Martin Agency- an American advertising agency based in Richmond, Virginia. The gecko speaks with an English accent and the voice is that of Paul Morgan- a British actor and comedian. The gecko first appeared in GEICO commercials in 1999 during the Screen Actors Guild Strike, which prevented the use of live actors. In the original commercial, the gecko begs people to stop calling him, mistaking gecko for GEICO. I like Martin the Gecko the best not just for his witty lines and engaging accent… but his voice is so recognizable that it makes for great radio advertisements as well.
Cavemen
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The GEICO Cavemen commercials first started back in 2004 and have been well received by the public. The Cavemen campaign was created by Joe Lawson from The Martin Agency. The premise of these commercials is that GEICO’s website is, “So easy, a caveman could do it.” This slogan continues to insult cavemen who are not only still in existence but are intelligent and live in modern society. ABC even rolled the dice with an attempted spin off idea for a sitcom. It premiered on October 2, 2007 but shortly after was cancelled due to extremely low ratings. Don’t let the failed sitcom taint your opinion on these ads because the GEICO Cavemen are still some of the most popular commercials on television today.
Kash
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GEICO began airing this series of commercials in 2008 embroidering yet another catchy slogan into our minds. This time it was, “The money you could be saving with GEICO.” GEICO’s newest mascot is quite simply a stack of banded U.S. bills with a pair of Googly eyes on top named Kash. Clever wording, changing the “C” in cash to a “K.” I wonder what brain surgeon came up with that one? Never the less, the concept is funny with someone always noticing this character sitting and staring at them but his name is never revealed in the actual ads. Kash just sits there and then his theme song, which is a remix by Mysto & Pizzi of the 1980s hit “Somebody’s Watching Me,” begins to play in the background. Every commercial Kash has ever appeared in, this song follows which is a great marketing technique because not only is it free advertising when the song plays on the radio but the five second jingle to end each commercial is memorable. Also, unlike the Cavemen, it’s easier to advertise on the radio because even though Kash never speaks, people can identify the commercial as GEICO once his theme begins to play.
Animated Characters
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I have only seen one of these commercials on TV so far and it was the GEICO pothole. I have to say I was not all that impressed. These ads first began in 2009 and after doing some research I found these other two commercials. After ten solid years of strong advertising I hope the creative team at GEICO ditches the talking tree branch, car bumper and pothole and creates yet another classic mascot.
So now it’s up to you! Either vote on the poll to the right of the blog or just vote by commenting on this post. And the winner is….
A full time student by day, and self-appointed TV commercial critic by night, I run http://tivosworstenemy.blogspot.com/. While just a sophmore at The College of Staten Island, I am NOT an industry expert but merely a guy who loves advertising (especially TV commercials) and has a blog to talk about them. Currently a Business Marketing major with a minor in Journalism, this blog should bring out the best in me. The point of this blog is to show and discuss, commercials we love, commercials we hate and commercials no one should ever Tivo over.
