Blog

Super Bowl ads 2012: staff opinions

Posted on by Brian Lee

BRIAN:

I was really underwhelmed by this year’s Super Bowl commercials. Even without the annual build-up, the commercials by themselves were pretty dull. The Chrysler commercial with Clint Eastwood was entertaining, but all it did for me was invoke memories of GM’s “Imported from Detroit” commercial with Eminem. I did notice many spots add a hashtag at the end, which makes me wonder how many conversations they spawned.

STEPH:

In my opinion, a combination of animals and humor make some of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials that are also able to appeal to a wide audience. This year was no exception. One of my favorite ads was the Sketchers dog racing commercial featuring a French Bulldog named Mr. Quiggly. Not only was the commercial creative and funny, but I think people that saw the ad will actually remember what product it was advertising. Good call on Sketchers’ part deciding to ditch the Kim Kardashian commercial for this one instead.

WHITNEY:

Usually the Super Bowl commercials that keep people talking are the ads that no one can remember what the ad was for! This year, my favorite ad fell into that category–the boy peeing in the pool. Call me immature, but it was really cute (especially the look on the boy’s face as the girl jumps into the pee pool). Unfortunately for TaxAct, I had to look up who did the commercial. I’m sure many others will also remember the boy peeing in the pool ad, but what is the point of a great commercial if we can’t remember what was being sold? Second favorite ad–David Beckman for H&M … yum.

EMILIE:

Thoroughly underwhelmed, that’s my feelings on both yesterday’s game and commercials. While I anticipated a boring game, I was taken aback by the lackluster ads. But it wasn’t all bad and if I had to pick a favorite it would be the M&M’s commercial. It had everything I think makes a great Super Bowl ad without trying too hard. Plus, the idea of candy being naked is just silly, and who doesn’t love silly fun? I even like the use of the overplayed “Sexy and I Know It” song, which I have secretly come to enjoy. I think the only thing that put a bigger smile on my face was Bradshaw’s stylishly awkward touchdown.

It’s complicated with Facebook

Posted on by Emilie Buckman

With going public and another mandatory change looming in form of Timeline, it’s been a big week for Facebook.  After reading a week’s worth of news, I found this this article, about five problems it faces, that seems to reinforce my strained relationship with Facebook. (It’s important to note; my personal and professional feelings towards Facebook, and most other social media outlets, are drastically different.  Everything that makes social media an amazing tool for business and marketing I find asinine in my private use.  Having the ability to talk directly to customers and fans is fantastic for building brand loyalty but detrimental to causal online friendships.)

It would be easy to latch onto number two, “Facebook users hate change,” but I’ve been on the site so long I’ve come to understand change is inevitable.  Consider these fun facts about when I joined in the summer of 2005: to join you had to belong to specific universities, your only picture was your profile pic, you literally had one page and your wall resembled a dry erase board, and it was still called The Facebook.  So yeah, if I was still complaining about changes I’d seriously need to reevaluate my life!

Instead, I am drawn to number one, “Facebook actually makes us miserable.” I have to agree; most days Facebook makes me miserable.  Unlike most of my generation, I don’t subscribe to the world of over-sharing.  I use to the site primarily to share pictures and music ; post self-deprecating anecdotes about myself or unwarranted pet peeves, like pajama pants in public; and, most importantly, to have easy way to communicate with friends, family, and casual acquaintances. Unfortunately, it feels like a majority of users see Facebook as a chance to post rants about politics or personal squabbles and over share about every detail of their lives, no matter how mundane or even icky.  (I’m sorry but there is never a reason to post running commentary on potty training your toddler. Gross.)

But I have to point out; my feelings are irrelevant because, clearly, I am in this relationship for the long haul.  Whether it’s me or Facebook complicating our relationship status, it doesn’t matter.  I have no plans of deactivating.  I just wish people would take few seconds to think, “Should I really post this?” or more importantly, “Does anyone really care about this?”  It’s not the most realistic wish; but hey, a girl can dream.

Marketing through Pinterest

Posted on by Brian Lee

I’ll admit it. I am a Pinterest addict. Over my winter break, I spent countless hours on the site, “pinning” recipes, clothes, photos from blogs, etc. to my “pinboards.”

If you haven’t heard of Pinterest yet, you will soon. The site already has a reported 3.3 million users and is growing quickly. Many companies like Gap, Whole Foods, and the Travel Channel have already created their own profiles in order to interact with their fans through the site.

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board. It works in this way: users can “pin,” or post, original photos or content from their computers or from around the web. You then pin this content on one of your pinboards (which are like bulletin boards) that are separated into categories like Travel, Recipes, Clothing or Dream Home. You can also “re-pin” other users’ posts.

Pinterest provides an interesting opportunity for marketers. It gives companies the opportunity to promote their brands to their customers in an engaging and visually stimulating way.

At the same time, too much self promotion is a big no-no for brands on the site. For example, a clothing company might have a “Vintage” or “Street Style” pinboard that serve as inspiration for their line, but should avoid posting photos of all the clothing items they sell onto their pinboards. The point is to capture the essence of the brand without just posting content that is directly related to it.

Interacting with customers through Pinterest is a new concept for many marketers. I’m very excited to see how we can integrate the site into our clients’ marketing plans in the future.