Attention Allergy Victims!

I love the new Zyrtec commercial! They do a great job of speaking right to their target customers, and I should know. I am the target customer, and I am guilty of most of these things. Anyone with bad allergies knows that you just have to laugh at it, you can't help that you sneeze 150 times a day or buy tissue in bulk when the seasons change....or can you? Zyrtec is my allergy medicine of choice, it really is the best on the market.

Does your business need more customers?

Graphic from: http://seo-zoom.blogspot.com/

I've been asked to blog about search engine optimization (SEO). Now, if you're like most people, the mere words send you into a fit of anxiety, or maybe you have never even heard of it. SEO seems confusing and practically impossible to anyone who does not understand the way that search engines work, so I'd like to use this post to clear up a few things.

First, what is SEO? Put very simply, it involves using different methods and keywords to boost the rank of a website in results from a search engine. SEO is necessary for businesses to get more views to their website, but also to make sure that the people viewing are actually looking for their product or service and then eventually converting them into customers.

So how is ultimate SEO achieved? That can seem really confusing, but once you have an understanding of how the search engine algorithms work to find websites, you can use that knowledge - with keywords about your web content - to place your website at the top of relevant search results. Unfortunately, those algorithms are constantly changing and it can be a full time job just keeping up with them.

Luckily there are experts out there who do just that. You can hire a digital advertising company like 3Sixty Interactive and they will make sure that your website has great rankings in relevant searches. They are experts on SEO, e-mail marketing, social media and all things web. Let them take care of all of your digital advertising so that you have more time to build your business.

If you're still confused, or if you just have a little extra time on your hands, you should check out this video from 3Sixty Interactive.

JCPenney...new and improved?

You may have seen some strange JCPenney advertisements lately. (I have included one of the confusing videos below) Apparently, JCPenney executives have chosen to re-brand the department store, and will be launching the full campaign later this month.

The teaser videos, hint that JCPenney is changing and state that "enough is enough". But what exactly is JCPenney going to change? Well, to begin with, they have already launched a new logo, and they also plan to launch a full campaign including direct mail and an exclusive Oscars sponsorship that targets younger, more fashionable consumers. They will be particularly highlighting brands like MNG by Mango and People Stylewatch.

Keep an eye out for the new and improved JCPenney brand, and let me know what you think!

Old Logo

New Logo

2012 Superbowl Favorites

Yesterday the Giants beat the Patriots...again. And again, I was left with a long list of Superbowl commercials that I wanted to blog about! My favorites included both of the Doritos commercials, along with E-trade, VW, Best Buy, Chrysler, Fiat, Toyota-reinvented, Honda CR-V and Chase quick-pay. You can watch all of those and the rest of the commercials from yesterdays game here.

However, I did manage to choose my top three favorite commercials, they include M&Ms, Acura NSX, and Chevy. I chose these three because I do not get tired of watching them, and I am laughing every time. Have a look....and let me know which one was your favorite!

Chevy Superbowl Commercial

The Superbowl is tomorrow, and that is one day during the year when I know I will not be the only one watching TV for the commercials! Here is a preview of what we have in store for us this year. It is the new Chevrolet commercial...take a look.

Lola wants a Diet Pepsi

I just love these new Diet Pepsi commercials with Sofia Vergara. She is definiley at the top of her game right now, with her role on Modern Family, and endorsements with makeup and clothing companies. This Diet Pepsi endorsement puts her over the edge though, and makes her a household name.

I think the commercials are great, obviously because they're funny, but also because her acting and facial expressions are priceless. Take a look for yourself...

Before you take the leap.....

I was watching The Bachelor yesterday and noticed  that the Honda CRV was strategically placed in the show during one of the dates. It was a group date, where the girls were all invited to "cross something off of our leap list", and ended up skiing in the streets of San Fransisco.

The cars were easy to spot, but I also noticed that the placement tied right in with the current Honda CRV campaign. The current campaign features couples that are discussing taking the next 'leap' in their lives - for example getting married or having a baby. They mention all of the things that they want to do first, and of course the Honda CRV can get them going.

Check out one of the Honda commercials below, and the group date footage from The Bachelor (you only need to watch about a minute to see the product placement). And go make a leap list of your own! If you need help visit leaplist.honda.com

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.