Even Santa has an iPhone!

Christmas is only two days away, so Santa is appearing in a lot of television commercials. Among others, Target has premiered the finale to their "Santa has elves, you have target campaign" and the Chevy campaign is still airing with their Santa look-a-like salesman.

But I saw a commercial for the iPhone 4S that I think is my favorite Santa commercial this year. Of course, I have a slightly biased opinion because the iPhone 4S is on MY Christmas list this year! Anyways, here is the commercial, have a Merry Christmas!

Stevia Please

If you watch TNT's hit show Rizzoli & Isles, you may have noticed a product placement for Stevia in the latest epsiode. Stevia is the new trend in sweetners, that claims to be healthier than other sweetners, especially sugar.

In the episode, a woman who was later revealed to be a yoga instructor claimed that she only used Stevia in her tea because "it is an all natural herbal sweeter". The placement was short and sweet - no pun intended - and fit within the script of the program.

There are several brands of Stevia sweeteners but overall this is an excellent way of gaining product awareness!

Christmas of Cars

Holiday ads are starting to air now, and two campaigns have already caught my eye. Ironically, the campaigns are for competing car brands - one is for Chevrolet, and the other is for Honda.

The Chevrolet campaigns feature a car salesman named Nick who acutely resembles Santa Claus. The shopper reactions are hilarious, of course,  and these commercials provide information about the models available this year as well.

The Honda commercials feature Patrick Warburton, giving information about the new Honda models with humor. His attitude and script are very funny, however he still manages to mention some of Honda's key selling points.

I really like both of these campaigns, and - so far - I can't get enough of them. They definitely have me wishing for a new car this Christmas!

Keeping An Eye On The Target

It's almost Thanksgiving, and you know what that means....time to start the holiday commercials. And as usual, the holiday shopping season starts this Friday!

There are TONS of black Friday commercials on television this week, but my favorite is the Target commercial. I have always loved the commercials showing the woman training for black Friday. You can see one of this years commercials below, and if your going shopping this Friday make sure your ready! Happy Thanksgiving!

Angels Love The iPad

I am so happy to see that Charlie's Angels is back on abc! I was afraid that it had been canceled, and I definitely missed those girls...and their cool gadgets.

They use only the very latest technology, even some that I'm not sure exists to the general public. So of course, each of the Angel's has to have her very own iPad to carry around, in case she needs to do some investigating while shes away. You'll also notice that they use iPhones as well, and even the iPhone that they confiscated from a suspect in this week's episode was prominently featured.

I think this is a great placement! Charlie's Angels has always been a program that shows the most modern and unconventional technology, Apple is a great, and obvious, matchup because they have a very modern and cutting edge brand personality. Overall I think it is great to see that this re-make is not stuck in the 70's.

What is a Chevy Volt doing at a gas station?

The new commercial for the Chevy Volt is great! It shows a man at a gas station with his Volt and a kid is questioning him as to why he is at a gas station if his car is electric.

Along with being funny, the script is also able to provide information about the Chevy Volt, like the fact that it can run on gas as well as electricity. This is a great selling point for consumers because the thought of being stuck somewhere when you need to charge your car is a little unnerving.

Also, some of the Volt's competitors do not have this ability, for example the Nissan Leaf is all electric, no-gas. Meaning that if you run out of power, you may be stuck on the side of the road with an extension cord plugged into a stranger's house!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/VicCaneverChevy

This picture was posted on the Vic Canever Chevrolet Facebook today, and shows just that. A Nissan Leaf, plugged into someone's home.

You can watch the commercial below, and learn more about the Chevy Volt at Chevrolet.com. And don't forget that the 100th Anniversary of Chevrolet is coming up on November 3rd!

Cereal or Chocolate Lava Cupcake?

I really like the new Kellog's Fiber Plus commercial. In the commercial they take the cereal to a cupcakery and challenge the customers to compare the cereal to their best selling cupcake. Obviously, given the choice between a cupcake or a fiber cereal, most customers will choose the cupcake!

However, the point of this commercial is that the cereal is not the best tasting cupcake, or dessert treat, but it IS the best tasting fiber cereal on the market. It is obvious that all of the current high fiber foods on the market are trying to change the reputation that fiber has as an ingredient in cereal, granola bars, etc. They are trying to show consumers that contrary to popular belief, fiber can taste good! This commercial is a good way to say that, with humor and a clear point.

Kutcher Sneaks Placements on Two and a half Men

By now you have probably seen (or at least heard about) Charlie Sheen's replacement on the new season of Two and a Half Men. (If you haven't then you obviously live under a rock) So did you notice the sneaky placement in this weeks episode?

It appears in the episode while Ashton Kutcher's character 'Walden' is sitting on the couch with his lap top. The computer is plastered with stickers for various companies that Kutcher is invested in. The companies include Foursquare, Chegg and Hipmunk, among others.

Of course, by now we all know that seeing this type of product placement is not unusual....however the sneaky part is that the placements were not paid for! That's right, Kutcher managed to sneak them past the directors, gaining tons of free and very valuable publicity for the companies.

If you are interested in seeing the placements, you will have to look online, though. CBS is unhappy with the placements, because they were not paid for - and placements on that program are sold for a pretty penny. So the brands will be blurred in any future episodes where they are present. I think its great that he got those brands in there, even it it was just once, he obviously knows the value of product placement, way to go Ashton!

Running With Product Placement

One new show that I have had my eye on this season is Take The Money And Run. Its a new reality show on ABC where two people hide a briefcase of money and try to keep it a secret while they are in a holding cell for 48 hours.

After a few shows, I noticed that more product placement was seeping into it. One that was very blunt was OnStar. In the beginning of the show they have one hour to hide the money and then they must pull their vehicle over and get arrested. In the last episode, all of a sudden OnStar came on in the vehicle and stated that the same technology that they use to stop stolen vehicles was being engaged to slow their vehicle to a stop as well.

Overall the product placement fits, but in a new show it was a little blunt. This combined with the sudden arrival of the placement could be a little unsettling to viewers. However, as a viewer, I learned a little more about what OnStar can do, and it is definitely impressive!

The First Search Engine For The Real World

When I saw the new Dodge Journey campaign, I instantly liked it! There is a movement in car advertising lately, many campaigns are now trying to inspire a lifestyle. And instead of just showing the car driving on different terrains, the commercials now include people, places and activities. (Other examples of this can be seen in my previous posts about Toyota and Chrysler)

Check out one of the new commercials below, I love the script, especially how it comapres the real world to the internet. I think this comparison will really click with a lot of people, myself included, who operate their entire lives based on the internet these days.

The last thing that I love about this campaign is that they actually left three Dodge Journey's out in the real world somewhere and the first people who actually get out there and find them, get to keep them. So get out there and start looking, even if you don't find the car, the Journey will be one to remember!

Fooled by Febreze

The new Febreze 'experiment' commercials are GREAT! They are not only funny and memorable - which I consider to be the best two qualities in a commercial - but they also do a great job at portraying what Febreze is for and the quality of the product.

The new commercials (see them below) show a few 'random people off the street' who are blindfolded and taken into a room that looks dirty and smelly. The room has been treated with Febreze products and the subjects are asked to describe what they smell. You see the people smelling and touching things that look disgusting, but because the odors have been eliminated and replaced with a clean smell, they are unaware that they are in the presence of garbage.

I look forward to seeing more of these commercials, the new Febreze campaign smells fresh and clean to me!

Bud Light Real Men of Genius

I was looking at some of the older AdFreak posts, and found one for the 10 funniest commercials of all time. You can view all of the commercials here: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/10-funniest-commercials-all-time-132666?page=2

My favorite is the Bud Light Real Men of Genius campaign. I had forgotten how much I LOVE this campaign. Every time I heard one of these commercials on the radio or saw one on television I would laugh. The campaign was consistently humorous, and captured the essence of the brand personality. You can view/hear a couple of the commercials below, including the 'Mr. Really, Really, Really Bad Dancer' commercial that made it into the AdFreak top 10 funniest commercials of all time.

Mercedes Stars on Two and a Half Men

A new season of Two and a Half Men is starting soon, featuring Ashton Kutcher as a new star, but in the excitement of the new season, I wanted to point out another star of the show. That star is Mercedes-Bendz.

Charlie Harper, played by Charlie Sheen, has been driving a Mercedes on the show for a long time. Occasionally the plot line of the episode even highlights the vehicle. For example in one episode Alan takes Charlie's car to the Mercedes-Bendz dealership for an oil change, where he picks up a woman who later ends up stealing the car. In another episode, Charlie is worried about parking his Mercedes on the street at his girlfriends house because of the sap that drips from trees. And one episode even shows Jake, Charlie's nephew, bugging Charlie to let him practice his driving on his Mercedes, and of course he eventually gets his way through trickery.

I like this product placement because it really matches the character. Charlie Harper is a character with money, but he does not buy anything that is overly flashy. He lives in a nice Malibu beach house, has a nice but average wardrobe, and always complains that his brother is too cheap. I think a character like this would drive a Mercedes, instead of an Aston Martin, Ferrari, etc. Overall I think the placement is great, and realistic.

Product Runway

I have my DVR record Project Runway every week. I love the crazy challenges and watching the designers go through their creative processes. Of course, I also like to spot the product placements, and in Project Runway they are not hard to find.

The show has been around for a few seasons now, and has changed its product placements a few times. This season the main placements include Loreal Paris, Garnier Fructis, Piperlime, Marie Claire and HP. And, of course, each episode grants opportunity for product placements of its own.

Each of the main brands is mentioned throughout the show and shown in detail. For example, you can see the designers using hp computers throughout the entire show, and one week a designer even stated in elimination "you can see it on my hp computer!".

The Piperlime wall is the go-to for accessories that finish the deisngers'  outfits, while Loreal Paris is the makeup used and Garnier Fructis products style the hair.

Overall, I think that the product placements could be a little more subtle, however I do think that they are fitting for the program. Each product has a place and is not forced into the show for the sake of the brand. I can also say that I find hp computers a little more appealing thanks to their product placements in this and other programs.

Targeting Back To School Shoppers

Summer is coming to an end, and that means its time to start advertising back to school stuff. Usually you see so many back to school commercials this time of year that its hard to remember which one belongs to which store.

This year, I really like the Target back to school commercials. The commercials speak to parents, but are also fun to watch for kids and even young adults, like me, who have no need for back to school sales. Of course, the commercials are funny and creative, which is my main reason for liking them.

You can view a couple of the recent commercials below, and as you can see they showcase the bizarre teachers and unique classes that are the students favorite part of school, ending the commercial with a list of back to school necessities that are all available at Target of course!

 

 

 

Sex And The City Gets New Computers

Since the hit television show Sex and the City first aired, the computers in the show were Macs. The main character, a writer, was constantly seen typing away on her Mac laptop which contributed to the brand recognition that Apple has today.

However, when the first movie came out in 2008 all of the Mac computers were replaced with HP computers, except for Carrie's. This was a smart move for HP product placements because the recognition of Carrie's computer is so highly known.

Unfortunately, by leaving Carrie with a Mac, I am not sure it is entirely successful. If you happen to notice Samantha's computer, or another HP in the movie you may remember it later on or be impressed with the new style. The likeliness of you even noticing the new computer is slim though. And since everyone knows that Carrie has a Mac, the Apple brand will remain more strongly attached to the hit television show and movie than HP will.

Toyota Urges Adults To Be Cool

I have noticed a few car commercials lately that urge adults, more specifically parents, to be cool. The commercials are for two Toyota models, one being the Toyota Highlander and the other the Toyota Venza.

The Highlander is marketed toward parents with young kids, featuring the rear seat entertainment system, the stylish design that does NOT resemble a minivan or station wagon, and a tag line that says "just because your a parent doesn't mean you have to be lame."

The Venza on the other hand is marketed toward parents with older kids, urging them to get out of the house and have fun. It shows young adults commenting on how their parents are getting old, while showing the parents driving the Venza to a biking trail or concert all while featuring the Venza's cargo room, passenger room and bike rack.

I like both of these campaigns, they have the same concept but portrayed in different ways to fit the target market of each model. Overall I think the campaigns are funny and memorable, meaning they are probably successful with brand recognition in their market areas.

Geico; The Gecko, The Caveman and The Crazy Eyes

At one point Geico had three separate television campaigns all airing at once. There was the gecko campaign, the caveman campaign and the campaign with the stack of money that had eyes. Although it was strange to have all three of these running at the same time, the each had different messages. The gecko commercials originated to help people remember the company name and their business. The caveman commercials portrayed the simpleness of getting an insurance quote from Geico and the money campaign showed the savings that Geico customers could receive.

All of the commercials were funny, and successful in portraying their message. However, my favorite is the gecko, and I am glad that Geico is still using that character in some of their advertising. I am also glad that they have dropped the other campaigns because having so many different characters can be confusing and can weaken the brand personality and recognition.

Kim Kardashian Sues Over Look-A-Like Commercial

When I first saw the Old Navy "Super C-U-T-E" commercial, I thought the actress was Kim Kardashian. Turns out I am not the only one, the web was buzzing with comments about the celebrity's look-a-like, Melissa Molinaro,  who is seen singing and dancing in the commercial.

Now Kardashian is suing Old Navy for using the look-a-like actress, stating that her fans might get confused. You can read the Yahoo article here: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/kim-kardashian-sues-old-navy-over-lookalike-in-ads/67685

This is the Old Navy commercial:

Amazon Kindle Friends Commercial Mocks Mac

Earlier this month I posted about the new T-Mobile commercials and how they are too similar to the Mac vs. PC commercials of the past. You can view that post here: http://maureenglassonadgirl.blogspot.com/2011/07/t-mobile-copy-cat-ads.html I have recently spotted another Mac commercial copycat. This time it is a commercial for the Amazon Kindle. The commercial style is very similar to the Mac vs PC campaign and the T-Mobile campaign, with the same white background, two opposing characters and light background music.

I am guessing that at this point there is some strong research showing the effectiveness of this advertising style, and assuming that is the reason for so many similar commercials. However, I have to say, I would like a little more creativity in these commercials. The companies are certainly big enough to command a creative agency, so why follow the template designed by Mac?

Either way, the advertisements are effective in portraying the positive attributes of the highlighted product, in this case the Kindle.

If you are not sure what the Mac vs. PC campaign that I am referring to is, here is an example:

Magazine Ads To Remeber

I came across an article on the AdFreak blog that showed 10 very out of the box magazine ads. I love these ads because they prove that print advertising has the ability to still be out of the box and attention-grabbing. To see the AdFreak article go here: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/10-great-magazine-ads-dont-just-sit-there-looking-pretty-132401

These are two of my favorites from the article. First there is an ad for Wonderbra, this ad is so simple, but so creative as well. It represents the brand well and gives readers something to do. Second is an ad for tanning lotion, it is a very simple ad as well, but is useful as a reflector to tan your face. I love the creativity of these ads and I hope that one day I will be able to work with accounts that encourage this style of advertising.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Drive a Dodge Caravan

I recently watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I haven't seen this movie in years, and this time I noticed a lot of product placements. In one scene they are blowing holes through the walls of their house while attacking each other, however their Sub Zero refrigerator works well as a shield for Brad Pitt's character. My favorite product placement in this movie though was the Dodge Caravan.

While trying to escape from the assassins that are hunting them, Mr. & Mrs. Smith 'borrow' their neighbors Dodge Caravan minivan and end up in a high speed shoot out on the highway. It is amazing that even while they are being attacked by three cars of assassins, they manage to feature the Caravan's easy seat removal, as well as the amount of cargo that can be held in the trunk. They also show the automatic trunk and side door open/close buttons on the roof between the front seats.

My favorite part, though, is when the feature the dual sliding side doors and Mr. Smith catches an enemy jumping into the van through one of the side doors and smoothly pushes him out the other side. And get this. . .he says "the doors are handy". . .haha I LOVE IT!

Sexy Shoes in the City

Sex and the City is a show known for is glamorous fashion and exciting portrayal of the city life. Naturally, the show is full of product placements. Especially fashion brand product placements, including shoes. And anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE shoes!

High end brands such as Louboutins and Manolo Blahniks are shown quite often. One episode is even centered around Carrie having her Manolos stolen at a party and the hostess lecturing Carrie on buying shoes that cost around $500.

In the first movie, there is another small plot line surrounding a different pair of Manolos. When Carrie leaves her new shoes at the apartment that she and Mr. Big are selling after their breakup she has to go back before she loses them. She runs into Mr. Big there, who then proposes to her using one of the shoes. With a character like Carrie who is very fashion oriented, the shoe placements add a reality to the show. Of course in real life, I am not sure that a writer could afford so many pairs of $500 shoes. . .but that is why this isn't a reality show.

Jello Tempts Adults

Jell-O recently came out with a new product called Temptations, which is a ready-made dessert line with flavors like cheesecake, lemon meringue, french silk and more. The new line is targeted at adults, although kids would like the product as well. The packaging is clearly aimed toward adults, however for a brand that is mostly known for quick and easy gelatin snacks that are perfect for kids lunches, it could be very difficult to attract adults to their new line of dessert products.

Their solution? Funny commercials that make both adults and kids laugh. Surprisingly, I think the commercials really portray what Jell-O is going for here, it may have been a kids brand before but Temptations are for adults only! Check out the commercials below.

Staples and The Office

One of my favorite television shows is The Office. I'm sure everyone has at least heard of this show, and it as a huge fan base. The show is about an office of employees that work for a paper company, and their daily struggle with their crazy boss.

While the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company is a fictional business, their main competition is a company that we see quite often; Staples. This is a great product placement, because they are always shown competing with Staples for business. In one episode a salesman, Dwight, even goes to work at Staples, eventually coming back to Dunder-Mifflin though. The picture above shows a scene from this episode, other product placements that you can see are EPSON, Kodak, and Canon.

This is a great example of how product placement can make a program seem more realistic to the viewers. By adding a real life competitor, viewers can better understand the type and size of the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company.

Mayhem

http://www.facebook.com/#!/mayhemhere

I absolutely love the Allstate campaign with the 'Mayhem' guy. The commercials are very funny, while still getting a point across to the consumer; Mayhem can strike at any moment. If you haven't seen the commercials, they consist of an actor playing the part of 'Mayhem'. He acts out different scenarios that all end with major damage to an automobile. There are a couple examples below.

It's not just the commercials that I love about this campaign though. 'Mayhem' has a strong Facebook presence as well, with almost one million people that 'like' the page. Followers like to post their own experiences with mayhem, like "I am the pack of gum you forgot to take out of your pocket when you started the wash" and "I am the in ground pool at the house you just bought... you are opening it up for the summer and I'm 3/4 full of water when the liner falls off". You can check out the Mayhem Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/mayhemhere

This kind of two way social communication makes consumers feel connected to the campaign and therefore they feel closer to the brand. Eventually they may chose to change their car insurance to Allstate, and be protected from Mayhem, in the meantime we can all watch the commercials and have a good laugh!

 

Hillshire Farms. . .Go Meat?

I was reading the AdFreak blog today and saw that they had a post on the new Hillshire Farms commercial. I saw this commercial yesterday and was thinking the same thing that many people were. . .where is the tag line? Hillshire Farms had made their tag line, "Go Meat!", very popular with their previous campaigns. However they attempted something different with this new commercial, trying to target women, but I have to say that I prefer the old commercials. You can read the AdFreak comments here: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/hillshire-farm-tries-and-fails-move-beyond-go-meat-133184


Go Meat Commercial:

New Commercial:

Ford Product Placements Target Young Market

I noticed some product placements for Ford on my favorite fall and winter television shows. First I saw the Ford Fiesta appear on Vampire Diaries, driven by Caroline. They also integrated television commercials, digital and print advertising in the campaign, using the show's name and characters. Next I saw the Ford Focus given away as a prize on America's Next Top Model.

With these new placements it appears that Ford is targeting a younger market for these two models. By choosing these two shows to showcase their cars, they are targeting a teen to young adult market, instead of the mature adult market that many cars are marketed toward.

Pure Michigan

http://ref.michigan.org/mtr/marketing/ads.asp#2010

Today is the 4th of July, and it reminds me that when it comes to spending time outdoors and enjoying your environment, there is no better place to do it than Michigan.

http://ref.michigan.org/mtr/marketing/ads.asp#2010

The Pure Michigan ads make Michiganders proud of our state and its wonderful opportunities for adventure. The voice for this campaign is Michigan's own Tim Allen, who claims that this is some of his best work, and all of the footage is filmed on site in Michigan. In 2009 Forbes named the campaign #6 in its 10 best travel campaigns of all time.

The campaign began in 2009 and is funded by the state and private investors. Last month private investors contributed another $3 million to expand the Pure Michigan campaign to other states, the state government matches every dollar that the private contributors make. If you haven't seen the ads yet, you can see them all here: http://www.youtube.com/user/puremichigan?nrc=blog. Also check out michigan.org for ways to discover Pure Michigan!

State & Main

This is a scene from the 2000 movie State and Main. The scene shows the director (William H. Macy) and his partner (David Paymer) considering adding a product placement to their movie because they need the money. The particularly funny part of this is that the brand is a .com and the movie takes place in the 1800's. Eventually they include the brand and get their money.

My dad gets a real kick out of this plot in the movie. He is very aware of product placements, with a daughter like me he has to be! However, with all of his product placement knowledge, I can still guarantee that if you mention product placement to him, this movie will be among the first examples that he brings up.

I like this example as well because it shows that product placement is not as easy as some might assume. It is not simply throwing products into movies and television shows. Product placement is a carefully thought out process of matching the products with the target markets of the programs and integrating them in a realistic and subtle way. Adding Bazoomer.com to an 1800's movie is not what I would call a carefully considered product placement, but it does make for a funny plot line!

Subaru

I have noticed a few Subaru commercials recently that I really like. The commercials are funny in a cute way. They have each grabbed my attention at different times, however I could only remember the brand in two of them.

I still think the commercials are great though. They each show different aspects of the car, the first one shows the adventurous purpose, while the second shows the safety and family oriented side of Subaru, the last one shows the brand loyalty that Subaru consumers have. From what I have heard from Subaru owners, it is a brand cult that has a very loyal following. I am a Jeep girl myself, but in the end the commercials are cute and funny while getting the brand personality across, which makes them successful I think.

T-Mobile Copy Cat Ads

When I first saw the T-Mobile commercials with the all white background, cool T-Mobile girl and clueless guy, I was very confused. They were almost an exact copy of the Mac vs. PC commercials. The obvious difference that caught my eye was that the commercial was comparing the T-Mobile My Touch 4G to the Apple iPhone.

The ads are, indeed, a blatant copy of the Mac advertisements that preceded them on television. I am not sure what the research behind this campaign was, its possible that T-Mobile might be piggybacking on the success of the Mac commercials and the positive brand image that Apple maintains. The web is buzzing with consumers who are calling T-Mobile a "copycat" and Mac fans upset with the company.

However. . . the ad was successful in grabbing attention. Can you remember the T-Mobile campaign before this one? I can't.

 

Bud Light Tries Product Placement

 

This commercial made its premier during the Superbowl this year. I think it is a funny and creative parody of product placements. It also shows how aware our culture is becoming of product placements. This form of advertising has been around for decades, yet it seems that more attention is being drawn to it recently. This may be due to what consumers perceive as excessive product placements. For example, in 2008 The Biggest Loser took the spot for most product placements on television with 6, 804 brands.

The increase in television product placement is most likely due to the increase in television technology. With the invention of DVR and the creation of online television, consumers are seeing less advertisements during programing and therefore advertisers are pushing more product placements. It will be interesting to see how the product placement industry develops in the next few years, and how television advertising handles new technology. . . in the mean time check out the clip above and have a good laugh!

Product Placement on Chilean Miners

http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/chilean-miners-get-sunglasses

It is a beautiful day today here in Flint. All of this sun reminded me of one of my favorite product placements. You probably remember last year when a group of miners in Chile got trapped inside their mine.

Did anyone notice what they were wearing when they were rescued? Oakley sunglasses!

Because they were in the mine for so long, their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and needed protection as they adjusted to the light again.

I loved this product placement / pr effort! The reason that I think I love it so much is because I really don't know if I would have thought of this opportunity on my own.

As it turns out...Oakley didn't think of it either. They were approached by a journalist who suggested that they help out the rescue team. Of course they jumped on the chance for this type of publicity and donated 35 pairs of specially designed sunglasses. There were two different models of sunglasses and each one retails for $180. In the end, Oakley was able to take advantage of a great product placement opportunity and also help a few people in need.

http://brandsandfilms.com/2010/10/chilean-miners-wear-oakley-sunglasses/

Chrysler: Bringing Detroit Together

      I heard a radio ad today for Chrysler, which reminded me of how much I really like the new Chrysler campaign. You have probably seen the commercial featuring Eminem and the Chrysler 200 during the Super Bowl earlier this year.
     Everyone that I have heard from in the Detroit / Flint area really likes these commercials as well. I think it is because we feel that it really captures the best parts of the City of Detroit and its people. While not all of the commercials in this campaign depict Detroit, they all have an American feel, they show the pride of owning and American car and mention cleverly that Chrysler cars are "imported from Detroit".
     However my point here is that while I was listening to the radio commercial I realized that it is the speaker in the commercials that makes me like them so much. The voice is of a man who sounds strong and powerful. I can picture him sitting at the top of a tall building in Detroit, inspiring the people on the streets below.
   So obviously, an advertisement that captures Detroit this well must be created by a Detroit advertising agency right? Not quite. The campaign was created by Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, Oregon (see more of their work here: http://www.wk.com/). I have to say, I am impressed with their insight. At a time when many people come to Detroit and see a dying city, they were able to evoke a sense of camaraderie, strength and hope in the local viewers.

I ❤ Chicago!

      I absolutely LOVE Chicago! After going to school in LA, living in Orange County and also living in the Detroit area, I have to say that Chicago is really my favorite city so far. Of course I love the California weather, but the energy of the city is so exhilarating and yet so comfortable that I think I would rather trade my days in the sun for subways and skyscrapers.

     I recently returned from a trip to Chicago with a group of students from my school, The University of Michigan - Flint. These are a few pictures from my trip.

     This was not my first time in Chicago, but it was my first time visiting a lot of the places that were scheduled. We had an amazing time and went to a few different businesses to get an idea of what industries and jobs are out there for communications or graphics design majors. My favorite two places to visit were advertising agencies (of course!). One was Cramer-Krasselt (http://www.c-k.com/), who has clients like Crocs, Porsche and Corona. I really enjoyed the culture and creativity at CK, the employees had great things to say about the company, I really hope that I can work there someday! The other agency that I liked a lot was called C:Change Inc. (http://www.cchangeinc.com/) Many of their clients are business to business advertisers, however some of their consumer advertising clients include Flowerpetal.com, MSU and Crummy Brothers. C:Change Inc. was a lot smaller than CK in terms of employees, their culture was very close and I liked that a lot as well. I would also love to work at that agency.

     While on this trip, I learned that my skills would be more useful in an account executive position, than in the copy writing positions that I had been looking for. I am so excited to be finishing school and I cannot wait to enter the advertising industry full time!

With any luck, I will someday call the wonderful city of Chicago home.

Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

    "Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" is directed by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me). The movie is about advertising and product placement, and is paid for completely by advertising and product placement. I think everyone in the advertising or pr industry has to have a sense of humor about things like this documentary. I hope to be in that industry someday very very soon and I find this concept hilarious.
     We've all heard someone say "everything in moderation". This documentary is proof that whoever told you that was right! Product placement in movies and television, when done right, should be subtle and add to the reality of the program. It should not distract from the plot line, or in this case hijack the plot line and run with it. Anyways, the documentary is available now on dvd, so rent it or add it to your netflix queue!

A Funny Dealership Commercial??

     For those of you who don't know, I am currently on my second internship at The Spencer Agency in downtown Flint. The agency is very creative and I am so lucky to be able to participate in all of the amazing things that they do. If you want to check out more of their work go here: http://thespenceragency.com/

     Below are two commercials for one of our clients. I was able to work on set for these commercials which was an entirely new experience for me. More importantly, these are on my blog because I really like them. The commercials are funny, which is usually not seen in a car dealership commercial, and I think people remember funny commercials better than others. Also these commercials do a good job of pointing out that the staff at Vic Canever Chevrolet will go out of their way for their customers. Of course it doesn't hurt that they are all great dancers!

Vic Canever Crazy Kids:

Vic Canever Dancing Salesman: