Category: Advertising & Marketing

Lonely heart-shaped pizzas club

Posted on by Brian Lee

There is no way I am not going to come off bitter right now.  But Valentine’s Day is the worst.  I know; a single girl hating Valentine’s is so original.  But even if I was currently attached to another person I’d stand firm with my assessment. It’s the worst, breeding nothing but disappointment.

I won’t say something cliched like Valentine’s is a made-up holiday meant to encourage consumers to spend.  I don’t think that is such a bad thing?  First of all, aren’t all holidays inherently “made-up?” We have to choose to observe something as a holiday; so we have to make it up. And secondly, as far as I am concerned, the only interesting thing left about Valentine’s is the commercialism.

Unlike other holidays, nothing seems to be off limits with Valentine’s Day.  Advertisers can tie any product into the season by shaping it like heart, painting it red, and slipping in the word love.  Valentine’s advertising is a fantastic train wreck of sentimental and tacky.  Everyone seems to try out a V-Day special, ranging from the obvious jewelry stores and chocolatiers to the absurd fast food chains and credit unions. Because nothing says I love you like heart-shaped pizzas or interest rates.

Now that I think about it, I’m not bitter about not having a Valentine at all!  I am actually a little relieved. At least I know I won’t be surprised like with this Pizza Hut proposal.  If my hypothetical boyfriend ever thought having Pizza Hut furnish our engagement, I’d have to seriously reevaluate my life decisions. Instead, the only decisions I have to think about are what I am going do for the next holiday, St. Patty’s Day! And unlike Valentine’s Day, it never disappoints!

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.

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.