What Would Donald Draper Do?

MiO Watering Hole - Cheetah

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:41:00 -0400

Cheetos meets Geico. Who’s the target? Who’s the demo? Who are they reaching to? Kids? Athletes? Everyone? I actually prefer open ads with no target demographics. Why limit your spectrum?

In this case they’ve gone broad enough to effectively exclude everyone. Your interest might be piqued, but that’s simply because it’s new and now in front of you. Literally an ad showing nothing but MiO in water would have had the same effect as this ad.

Subway 1812 Overture

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:56:12 -0400

It’s clever, well appropriated music, and it’s got humor. Convinces me it’s the healthy choice. It’s unfortunate their other ads are more childish, less clever and now create inconsistent messaging. One off ads like these work, but keeping a consistent message with as much impact is difficult. If you can’t keep it up, don’t do it.

Honda Pilot - "Road Trip"

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:01:01 -0400

Why aren’t they listening to the radio? What goes into a real road trip? Kids asleep in the back. Room to stretch. TVs. iPads. Nothing in this ad, or this product is different or unique from similar ads or vehicles. I’m not sold.

Captain Morgan Black

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:52:22 -0400

‘Escape boring.’ It’s a common theme for alcohol advertising. It’s escape, it’s exciting, and it’s about possibility. We identify with the escape artist, being able to provide excitement, joy. Most companies do an exceptional job replicating the common theme in unique ways. Unoriginal theme, but enjoyable story telling.

iPhone 4S 'Date Night'

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:24:00 -0400

I frown on endorsements by nature. It’s an easy out. An easy way to grab attention, and often lack the need for creativity.

These, on the other hand, express human elements around technology that still feels like the future. So I’m left wondering, if it is still an endorsement when the actual celebrity is the device itself?

Clorox Potty

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:01:12 -0400

Witty, entertaining, hard to argue you with. Showcases versatility in use and function. Not just for laundry but for cleaning. Chances are you own it, and now have another use for it. Might as well keep it restocked.

Nasdaq OMX

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:56:00 -0400

Deconstructed this ad is trying to target as broad a range of people as possible, without actually selling a product that appeals to the majority of us. Target one, technology and environment. Target two, finance. Target three, youth. Out of those targets, who’s most interested in what’s being sold? What actually is being sold? How clear is that message coming across?

HTC One, FreeFall

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:01:36 -0400

If this commercial wasn’t filmed using this phone, don’t advertise like it was. Why is there no emphasis on the actual photos taken from the photo shoot? Instead we’re duped into thinking the film we’re watching records video at the quality we’re witnessing. It’s pure deception.

Best Buy: Toshiba Ultrabook on an Airplane

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:02:23 -0400

This ad is an attempt at a use case. The better ad would have been less drama and more actual real life situation. A mother pulling out an iPad, handing it to her child, and her child plugging in. Soft textures in the background, close portrait shots of it in use. If you’re going to move away from a heavy piece of machinery into a thinner, more functional product, show the one kids are actually using. Don’t sell us on a product that fails your own use case.

Esurance, a Before & After

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:19:08 -0400

From gimmicky to honesty. It’s nice knowing the transition still exists. All-be-it ironic.

Before:

Childish. Comedy and cartoons rarely play well with professional services.

After:

A recognizable voice never hurts. Quite often the voice alone has a more positive affect than showing the personality. It provides familiarity without dispelling too much belief. It’s still ironic the ad dispels ads they’ve used before, as seen above. It’s easy attacking your competitors openly, but it is appreciative showcasing something that sets you apart in the end.

Shaq Buick vs. Lincoln MKZ

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:02:30 -0400

Can opulence be created? Ask the sponsored personality as he steps away from his mansion into a vehicle he neither owns nor drives. It’s a failure. It’s an ad the promotes false hope. It’s not a vehicle for the elite, nor does ownership of it make you elite.

Compare the Buick ad with the same companies luxury ad. We see compliments between persona, architecture and style. They each play well, each support the theme and vision. Regardless of how you feel about the product, each element stands on its own. Together they work cohesively as a unifying force to adjust your eye to their scale, not the other way around.

Charles Schwab - Chair

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:54:48 -0400

Clean, simple, to the point. It’s a clever play on two dimensionality and great use of white space to break the barrier. It feels honest and authentic. All hard qualities to argue with.

Geico Gecko Dollar

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:01:04 -0400

Mascots have been in advertising for ages. Through repetition, a quick glance is all you need for recognition. How does a lizard correlate with insurance? It doesn’t have to. It’s about being memorable. In world of exactly the same company, how do you differentiate?

Question is, can you trust a lizard? Better, is it easier having a contrived character convince you to trust its brand? I’d question why they can’t have a person filling this role.

DIRECTV - "Don't Sell Your Hair to a Wig Shop"

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:13:56 -0400

Don’t mention your product. Don’t relate the messaging back to it. Go on a tangent. Great advertising.

BOBS from SKECHERS

Sun, 06 May 2012 01:13:43 -0400

Ads are nothing more than reflections of the products they serve. It’s unfortunate to see another ad emphasizing that a competitor exists and that the ‘larger’ brand cannot compete.

Breaking down the ad, there are two incongruent elements at play- environment and social awareness. The product reflects one while the ad displays the other. If a company is trying to be socially aware, showcase it. Don’t show three young girls traversing through the springs and woods. Ideally begin by showing me who is directly benefitting from my purchase.

It would better serve Skechers to deliver a more authentic product with a more authentic advertisement. If they want to make a difference, make a difference. Start by offering free pairs of shoes with any purchase, not just one specific line of shoe.

Tweet ad suggestions

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:00:57 -0400

If you come across an ad you question, enjoy, hate, or love- tweet me @DraperAds.

Halftime in America

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:45:56 -0400

It overlooks the fact that Detroit is hurting because of the very people the ad is supporting.

If that’s the intention, then it’s a great ad. It side-skirts the real issues. It plays to our weak spots. Our willingness and hope to be survivors, to be strong, to be connected. How many of us have a say in the way these companies are run?

I will say it was an extremely well placed ad and an extremely intelligent one. It is fervor, drive, passion, and nature in one.

Question its motives. Is it for us to rethink the Chrysler brand? To reconsider their past decisions? To put the company and brand on par with our struggles? Or is it genuine in some grander way?

There is one element that intrigues me:

“The world will hear the roar of our engines.”

Suit Up: University of Farmers vs."Re-Re-Routed" Acura Commercial

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:30:07 -0400

It started with product placement and now it’s simply co-op ad placement. Conjunction doesn’t work. Advertising two clearly distinct entities in a single ad ruins both the product and the sale.

Farmers Insurance above is atrocious. It doesn’t sell the movie, it doesn’t sell the insurance. It’s blatantly stupid, contrived, and forcefully funny.

Acura has done a much better job. It’s not clear it’s a dual promotion until the end. It’s a clever way of showcasing the actual technical elements of the vehicle, granted overboard.

A More Beautiful Web vs. Coffee

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:42:24 -0400

When it comes to something as esoteric to majority of PC users as browsers, advertising on television doesn’t work. Chances are your marketing dollars are being spent on customers who a) already use your product and b) didn’t know there was even a choice to begin with. It’s a tough decision convincing your company to spend cash to help notify your customers that competition exists.

Then you see your competitors ads. They have emotion. They tell a story. And not just any story. A story that’s so frequently told. One of regret and heartbreak. And they tie it in well with the technology.

The debate here is catchy verse real. What lasts longer? Being cool, or being authentic?

Heineken Light The Handlebar Mustache

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:54:00 -0400

If at the last scene he holds a Budweiser below his mustache, how would you feel? It’s unique when an ad that discusses no merits of their actual product, only offering the culture and atmosphere surrounding it, works. It’s a testament to any product that can accomplish this. Does it make me want to drink their beer? Not really. But I don’t hate it.