Archive for Caring
Liberty Mutual: Responsible Advertising
Posted by: | CommentsInsurance is a bland product that usually competes by showing lower insurance rates and a wide variety of discount packages. Geckos and Cavemen are one thing, but Liberty Mutual takes a better more virtuous stance that really gives insight into what the company is all about. The two ads below are two of the best insurance ads that I have seen. The idea of seeing people doing good things and passing it on is virtuous and responsible. I think they do an excellent job.
Recipe for Joy
Posted by: | Commentshttp://www.americangreetings.com/channel/kraft/
Kraft Foods and American Greetings have teamed up to help provide meals for the hungry by donating 10 meals for every free e-card that is sent by users. Donations benefit Feeding America, the largest hunger relief charity in the US.The company had originally committed to donating at least one million meals, but the program has been so successful they are increasing their commitment by offering 3 million meals.
The e-cards include recipes, and entertaining tips for the holiday season. Users can create online recipe boxes, and share their favorites with other users or friends. Users who had shown interest in giving back to their communities inspired the program.Kraft has been a longtime supporter of Feeding America, donating $770 million over the past 25 years.Promotion for this program has been on online social networking sites twitter and facebook, as well as the kraftfoods.com site. The company has also sponsored a holiday movie on the hallmark channel.
I think the fact that Kraft and American Greetings have kept a relatively low profile on this promotion is great. Kraft is trying the help their site users feel like they are making an impact and giving food to the hungry this holiday season!
Go ahead, blame advertising. You know you want to!
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The photos above were taken by a Korean named JeongMee Yoon for her Pink & Blue Project.
JeongMee Yoon’s current work, “The Pink and Blue Projects” explores the trends in cultural preferences and the differences in the tastes of children (and their parents) from diverse cultures, ethnic groups as well as gender socialization and identity. The work also raises other issues, such as the relationship between gender and consumerism, urbanization, the globalization of consumerism and the new capitalism. The topic seems to be well treading territory already but it’s still crazy to visualize. Some of the poses that these kids strike are interesting too.
I found those pretty photos just by accident. I actually love them from the visual point. But to be honest when putting on my “advertiser” hat, I do feel a little bit guilty when facing those colorfully photos though I know if I saw those photos just from a normal public viewpoint, I wouldn’t feel any weird. Apparently, Children & Consumerism issue is portrayed vividly in those photos. So I wonder, as advertisers, should we blame ourselves for worsening the children consumerism problem?
Also, the photos seem to me that things have changed a lot since I was a kid. There is just more fancy stuff for kids than their used to be. While starting to “envy” those lucky kids who born in such a plenty commodity market nowadays, I “admire” the overwhelming advertising power on leading the public especially our kids into an over-consumption era.
I know some may still argue that there is not anything wrong with marketers and advertisers trying to make sales and profit. However, the effects of things like mass consumption, the intense advertising, and targeting to children and its impacts over so many aspects of daily lives is of concern. Children are not only customers, but also consumers, influencers and users in the family Decision-Making Unit. From my personally opinions, I do think children’s identities shouldn’t be defined by their consumer habits; yet that is the main way they see themselves reflected in the media—as consumers, and advertisers are targeting younger and younger children with this message.
Obama, NFL players encourage kids to exercise for 60 min every day
Posted by: | Commentshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXsoDx9s0j0&feature=player_embedded
There is a series of great NFL commercials running on TV advocating for more active children. I think that this is a great initiative given the rising problem of obesity among young children and the common concern that children spend too much time at home infront of the TV and the computer. This is a great example of how advertising is good for society. I especially like President Obama’s involvement in the campaign as a role model to many Americans.
The campaign advocates not only active and exercising children, but it also encourages personal relationships among children. If kids spend too much time online while their parents are at work, their only friends will be the virtual ones and the ones on the online games. However, such kids are missing the personal touch and emotions they can have if they are playing outside with other kids.
This is a great example of a cause marketing campaign which proves one more time that advertising, if used right, is good for society. By recognizing the current problem in society of children obesity and addressing it in the campaign through providing a solution to it - exercising at least 60 min a day in a fun way (by playing with peers), advertisers can change behavior in a way beneficial to society. Here is when the persuasive character of advertising comes into play. Furthermore, by using of influential figures such as Obama and NFL players, the advertisers not only facilitate higher attention among consumers, but I also believe that consumers will elaborate on the message in the ad and hopefully change their behavior in the long run.
“Today’s the Day” at JCPenney
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This is an example of using advertising as an effective sales tool while not being too in your face. JCPenney shows their wide range of products without reverting to the cliche “car salesman” technique.
The simple concept of having an item for every room in your house is combined with promoting family values and reminding consumers to stop and appreciate the little things in life. The simplicity of the spot is beautiful and the lack of a voiceover is a welcome change from the usual commercial.
It also uses vignettes from everyday life that the target market can relate to and see themselves in. Using this technique of self-referencing creates an affective involvement with the consumer and helps them to remember the brand.
The virtuous aspect of this ad comes into play with the potential impact it could have on society and family “norms.” This is a great example of how advertising can “mold” society in a positive way. By promoting family togetherness and a general sense of love, this commercial projects a slice of reality that should be more celebrated.
Since it’s the holiday season, maybe this spot will convince you to consider JCPenney’s for your holiday needs. And don’t forget, “Today’s the day” to start living your life, because “Everyday matters.”
City Harvest: Bushels Beat Hunger in the Big Apple
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City Harvest, whose mission is to fight hunger in New York City, NY, is the only food rescue organization in the world. It links agencies, individuals, corporations, and foundations to unite in fighting NYC’s hunger. City Harvest provides free deliveries of food to nearly 600 emergency food agencies, and feeds 260,000 people suffering from hunger on a weekly basis. Its “Food Council,” made up of top chefs, restaurateurs, and food industry professionals, donate some of the city’s best food and raise funds for the organization.
The PSA City Harvest released raises awareness and interest in helping feed New York City’s hungry. The advertisement is well done in that it attracts the viewer’s attention (which is limited, selective, and divided), by making the issue personally relevant, surprising, concrete, and easy to process. The ad is framed by a realistic interaction by what seems to be a couple, with the man filming the woman with his iPhone (the PSA was actually filmed on the iPhone). They start to board the subway train, but as the doors open, thousands of green apples burst out. A voice informs us that “every day, 470,000 pounds of food is wasted in this city…Help City Harvest rescue food for New York’s hungry.” City Harvest used 500,000 CGI apples in the PSA to illustrate New York City’s daily food waste. By using the framework of a realistic couple in the NYC subway, the PSA is made personally relevant; moreover, it is surprising and unexpected, as the viewer does not expect hundreds of thousands of apples to come pouring out of the train. The green apples are a contrasting stimuli against the gray subway station. The abstract notion of the hunger and of food waste is made concrete with the sheer number of apples and the booming voice, making the message easy to process as well. Finally, the use of apples is fitting due to the association of apples with “The Big Apple,” i.e. New York. This could perhaps prevent the sleeper effect, as well as support the match-up hypothesis, as viewers will readily remember City Harvest, whose symbol is also the apple, and that its mission is to feed the hungry in The Big Apple.
Coke Recycles
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In the recent years, Coca Cola has been pushing its recycling program. As one of the biggest beverage companies in the world, Coke sells millions of plastic bottles every year. Coke has recently released this ad where they highlight their recycling efforts. As many people may remember from the Sustainability Fair in the fall, Coke is going to great lengths to inform consumers of the company’s recycling efforts.
This message portrays many instances of consumer acquisition, use, and disposition of Coke products. It is able to appeal to consumers’ environmental values of preserving resources. By showing how every person that drinks a Coke product contributes to the company’s recycling efforts, Coke is able to address the perceived consumer effectiveness. This is also a very relevant message to consumers with the big cultural push of sustainability. With Coke showing how individual consumers can have a virtually effortless effect on sustainability through how they choose to dispose of Coke products, the company is able to portray a favorable brand image and company reputation to its thousands of consumers.
Go World
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Many of you may remember this Visa commercial that aired in the United States during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It was a part of a campaign to support the 2008 Olympics through television, radio, print, and more. From May through the end of the Olympic games in 2008 Visa was given exclusivity in their category for advertising and sponsorship of the Olympics on NBC.
What is striking about this ad is that it not only appeals to Americans to unite in support of the United States athlete representatives, but it also reminds people that everyone on the planet comes together to celebrate these events and there is more reason to celebrate our similarities than our differences. It uses this point of view to show how diverse the world and American culture is. The television spots show a variety of American athletes as well as memorable athletes from years past from different countries.
Several Americans watched the Summer Olympics at some point in 2008, so Visa had the ability and opportunity to reach a wide variety of Olympic consumers who would find the ads relevant and moving. Visa uses several different tactics to appeal to consumers through these ads. They use the appeal of aesthetics and pleasant pictures throughout the commercial by portraying significant moments in a sepia hue. They also use emotional appeals through these memorable events in Olympic history. In television spots other than this one, Visa invokes nostalgia and memory retrieval through images of past Olympians.
This kind of support and sponsorship of world athletes during arguably the most significant athletic moments of their lives, shows consumers that Visa cares for America and the world. It builds Visa’s credibility, brand image, and company reputation through these messages, placing the brand in a favorable light in consumers’ eyes. These uplifting emotional messages serve to benefit not only the Visa brand and its marketers, but also consumers and athletes in the process.
Daddy Dearest
Posted by: | CommentsThis is one of a series of media ads that encourages fathers to be a part of their children’s’ lives. Sponsored by the Advertising Council, the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Family Assistance, and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, these ads were launched coinciding with Father’s Day. The reason this campaign was launched is because millions of children live without their biological fathers and are more likely to be poor, use drugs, experience educational, heath, emotional, and behavioral problems, among other things.
The series of television spots created through this campaign applies to people through humor and depicting a diverse range of family types. I found this ad to be my favorite because the ad depicts a father helping his daughter in ways not many fathers would. The other spots can be seen at http://www.fatherhood.gov/media/tv/index.cfm.
The series shows a diverse range of relationships between father and daughter or father and son. With the popular belief that money equals happiness, this campaign serves to portray the value that family is happiness. The variety of the roles depicted through these television spots also serves to reverse gender stereotypes where the father practices cheerleading with his daughter (commonly believed to strictly be a girls’ activity) or the father makes lunch for his son (believed to be the mother’s job).
One of the main reasons I believe this campaign to be socially responsible is because it wants to fight community evils like theft, drug abuse, educational issues, and much more by showing how father child relationships can make people happier. Yes this campaign mainly endorses father children relationships, but it also serves to encourage healthy marriages. Culture, background, and life experiences all influence consumer behavior and buying decisions. The campaign for responsible fatherhood serves to promote the health and happiness of consumers and their life experiences.
“I’ll Be There” – State Farm
Posted by: | CommentsState Farm launched a great campaign this month in reflection of the season of thankfulness. Why not spend time thanking others for being there – State Farm offered a great way for consumers to do this, and it plays along really well with their tag line of “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” They really play well with relating their tag line to the consumers.
I believe this ad really adds relevance to the consumer, and the song choice is really important (especially in this particular video) – I’ll Be There by Jackson Five.
I think there are very few companies who can do this well – and I applaud State Farm for their efforts. They are giving consumers the opportunity to send a thank you note to others thanking them to be there. The commercial doesn’t focus on anything about State Farm, just on others doing good deeds, and then at the end it offers their tag line. What is your input on companies utilizing holidays to help with their brand image?
Way to go, State Farm!
