We all saw the ad: Tiger Woods stares stoically and misty eyed into the camera in his usual Nike apparel.  The voice of Earl Woods, Tiger’s late father, questions him about his infamous adulterous escapades.  “Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion,” Earl Woods says. “I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. Did you learn anything?”

Talk about powerful advertising.  Nike is a company that sells sports gear, but this commercial is proof of just how far advertisers in our culture have come from simply selling products.  For years, Tiger Woods has been the face of Nike, establishing a fiscally beneficial situation for both parties, who grew into a kind of comfortable codependence.  Tiger was able to finance his yacht (or whatever it is celebrity billionaires do with the cash from their endorsements) and Nike was able to capitalize on an athlete whose talent on the golf course was matched only by his squeaky clean image.  Tiger was a marketer’s dream, and Nike amassed the revenue to prove it.

Nike sold Tiger’s image just as much as his short game and swoosh-embossed polos; he was a family man to be revered for his unwavering morals.  In the face of the past and present multitude of adulterous athletes who still received millions in product endorsements after their transgressions (think Kobe Bryant), Tiger Woods was a wholesome breath of fresh air.  As a company, endorsing Tiger Woods meant representing his personal life, which at the time, was all about the values of our country.  Or so it appeared.

Did consumers buy Nike products partially because they believed that Nike was a company with a similar set of values to their own?  I’m guessing the marketers at Nike have heard of value segmentation, and targeting consumers who placed high value on family or who admired Tiger Woods for both his professional career and admirable personal life wasn’t a coincidence.  Tiger Woods was a figure whose life was consistent with Nike consumers’ values, or so it seemed.  When the Tiger scandal hit the media, the endorsers who had made him the most highly paid athlete in the world were faced with the big decision: damage control or exit stage right.

Several of Tiger’s endorsers did in fact choose to bow out, deeming his reputation irreparably damaged.  But not Nike.  Nike’s response to the scandal was this commercial, which in one thirty second spot repositioned Tiger as a living commentary on our society’s changing values.  Instead of marking him with a letter “A” and writing him off as another professional athlete turned modern day Hester Prynn, Nike did what they do best: emblazoned their famous logo on their fallen spokesman and used the media to cleverly redefine him as a man who needed his father to help him through a difficult time in his life.  Nike battled the public’s critique of Tiger’s tainted family values with the ultimate trump card- more family values.  The only way Nike could continue to endorse Tiger, who at that point was so ingrained in the culture of their brand image and company that dropping him would mean redirecting efforts towards an enormous and risky counter-campaign, was to fight fire with fire.

The question remains: did Nike make the right choice?  Was this commercial just about the money, and saving face?  Or does it speak to our culture’s values at large?  In spite of his egregious transgressions, Nike supports Tiger Woods.  Advertising as an industry now carries a lot of social responsibility that it never did before, possibly because agencies now brand their image with meaning beyond simply functions of the product they’re selling.  No matter what, Nike’s decision was going to make a statement, and the impact of the decision and the ad are unmistakable.  Instead of changing their spokesman to an athlete who was a better representation of their values, Nike changed their values, and attempted to change ours as well.  Did we fall for it?  Like I said: talk about powerful advertising.

This ad has been out for a year or so, but they have started showing it on TV again and I really like it. I’m a Wells Fargo customer, but this ad is inspiring and shares the right message at the right time by a bank. I think its inspirational and just makes the character of BoA seem virtuous.

Maria Sharapova Nike ad

I have always really loved this ad with Maria Sharapova.  Personally, when I think of working out I think of pushing myself to my limits and getting sweaty and just plain nasty looking.  When I think of getting pretty I think of anything but myself at the gym.  Basically, me at the gym is just a nasty sight.  Maria Sharapova is not only infamous for her skills at tennis but for her great looks as well.  This ad reflects the routine before Sharapova gets out there and plays.  As the song “I Feel Pretty” plays in the background Maria keeps a very composed, confident and focused expression as she makes her way to the tournament.  The lyrics “such a pretty dress, such a pretty face, such a pretty smile, such a pretty me” contrast greatly with her no b.s. expression.  The song is cut off upon her winning the play.  Although the song reflects women as having an identity through image, the ad emphasizes the identity as the courage and confidence to get out there and “just do it” and shut everybody up.  I thought this was a great example of virtuous advertising from Nike.

In the world of aviation travel, commercials are all about the cheapest prices and the most benefits for its frequent flyers. However, Southwest Airlines have concentrated on the most important thing over the past couple of years: customer service. This concentration has made them one of the most successful airlines in recent history. As someone who rarely flys Southwest (they don’t fly to Atlanta), this ad really makes the potential customer feel empowered. I think its very unique in that it says very little about the airline, no mention of prices or benefits, only the sheer excitement of traveling. It emphasizes one of the most negative parts of flying (the anxiety before deplaning) and turns that negativity into excitement and joy. I think it is an innovative ad that continues to set itself apart from the competition with honesty and a clear concentration on the customers experience.

This 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 liked that this commercial not only made me want to go to an aquarium, but that it promoted family “bonding” and family values. In the commercial they make the statement, “when is the last time you went to the aquarium with your daughter on a Tuesday?” The images it shows first of the aquarium combined with this statement present viewers with an interesting call to action here. Instead of promoting the benefits of a Visa check card, this commercial taps into the consumer’s emotional side. It encourages them to think maybe they should take an afternoon off and bond with their children, or maybe their parents.

Visa Commercial

Liberty Mutual launched a commercial back in 2006 promoting responsibility – stranger to stranger.  Their commercial received so much attention that they decided to form “The Responsibilty Project” which according to their website “[they] thought, if one TV spot can get people thinking and talking about responsibility, imagine what could happen if [they] went a step further? So [they] created a series of short films, and this website, as an exploration of what it means to do the right thing.”

The video below is the first commercial they aired in 2006.

The website features over a dozen short films showcasing different ways that strangers are responsible to one another.  The videos are great short movies, and really eye catching.  They leave the individual really questioning his or her own actions.  This is a GREAT method to really engage the audience and encourage some type of action.  Though it’s not about the product it’s action to join the movement of responsibility.

I think it’s absolutely fantastic that Liberty Mutual saw a need for this movement and what a great way to bring recognition to their brand.  Furthermore, they are weaving the value of these movies (responsibility) with the value of their brand (responsibility).  I say way to go Liberty Mutual for really relating to the consumer.

This is a follow-up ad that ran on TV as well.

You can go to The Responsibility Project website and check out the the short films that were made.  What is really interesting is that NBC now has their additions to The Responsibilty Project and have added their own short clips with some if their starring actors are featured in the video.  Is NBC tagging along to this cause hoping to gain as much respect as Liberty Mutual has through their efforts?  I definitely applaud Liberty Mutual’s mission with this project, but I wonder if NBC is doing this because they see the opportunity for growth or if they truly are passionate about this subject.

Kudos to Liberty Mutual!

Also, for your viewing pleasure check out another Liberty Mutual website – What’s Your Policy.  It features tons more commercials focusing on The Responsibility Project.

Cheers to AT&T for providing its audience with socially responsible, feel good ads that warm the heart while avoiding sex, negative stereotypes and raunchy humor. I saw this ad for the first time tonight and was touched by not only its message but also its sense of community and friendliness. In a world where we have learned to shy away from certain situations whether it be from time constraints or lack of motivation, it is amazing to see an ad that depicts such a random act of kindness.

We are introduced to a little girl who is pinning up lost dog signs in hopes of one day finding Sarah, her adorable young pup. As the ad progresses, a student on campus sees the sign, snaps a pic with his AT&T phone and forwards the text, “Can you help find this dog?” to Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough, obviously on North Carolina’s campus sends the message to his MANY friends. Eventually the little girl and her companion are reunited.

As human beings, we are swayed with many appeals and that’s alright. However, as aspiring professional advertisers, we must keep responsible limitations on how far we take certain appeals. Yes, sex sells. Yes, raunchy humor sells. However, changing advertising in a way that can inspire should also be present in our everyday work. Looking at the positive feedback this ad received is just amazing. I know a lot has to do with Hansbrough’s cameo, but the ad itself is effective in grabbing the attention of the audience and pulling at its heartstrings. We’re not seeing rookie NBA Hansbrough as a sex symbol or sports icon. We are introduced to him as a person.

I loved this message! It embodies the very qualities we celebrate on this site. However, I was considerably reluctant to post it because it is promoting alcohol. On the one hand, spirits are legal and companies that produce them have a right to market them. On the other hand, liquor does belong in the “vice” category because its abuse is a major contributor to many of society’s ills. So now the question becomes: can an ad be virtuous even though its purpose is to sell a not-so-virtuous product?

This is one of my favorite commercials. I love how coca cola took a notoriously violent video game like grand theft auto and turned it into something positive. I think its clever, and the words of the song send a really great message to the public. They took a video game about violence and destruction and changed it to promote kindness and giving back. I think associating your product with such an uplifting, and funny, message is definitely beneficial. I kind of want a coke now.