I’m a big fan of Garrison Keillor and his radio show “Prairie Home Companion.” What is it that makes his listeners so loyal? Ask any of his 19,370 fans on Facebook and I bet they will agree it’s his mastery of story telling.
Some of the smartest ad campaigns have learned this lesson well. What dad can’t relate to Subaru’s “Baby Driver,” a story about the moment their “baby” drives the first time. Another favorite is an ad where Mark asks his girlfriend for a second chance using Google Chrome. Talk about viral marketing, this ad has gotten over 408,000 hits on YouTube since it first ran on TV. (if you haven’t seen it take a look...
Do Bad Ads Have Anything In Common?
To quote Leo Tolstoy, "All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy it its own way." To prove my point, consider some very recent ads.
First up is what I like to call “Gutless Guys and The Women Who Berate Them.” Last night while my husband and I were watching TV a commercial for AT&T came on. You know the one where a timid looking guy pops his head into what appears to be a greenhouse (hey, who doesn’t have one of those in their backyard). As his wife is watering a plant he shares that he signed the family up for some sort of unlimited texting plan. The wife then goes crazy, seething disgust for the poor guy.
What's with those ad agencies; why do they make men look like idiots? This is a subject my husband and I often talk about. Imagine how happy we were to learn that the ad was voted one of the worst in 2011.
Another ad that makes me crazy is what I call “Just Boys Being Boys.” Dr. Pepper's Diet Soda “Ten” takes the prize on this one! Ok I get that it’s supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. Heavy on the machismo there's even a Dr. Pepper Ten Facebook page for men only (I'm sure they did their research, but they missed the boat on this one!). Using my husband as a barometer he just thought it was plain silly and has no problem drinking any diet soda.
So who took the top honors this year for the Worst Ad In America? Drum roll please... Luvs Diapers. The ad, shows an animated baby talent show where the only talent being judged is how much poop each of the three cuties can fit into their diapers. Really! Hey I love babies as much as the next person and I've got three little grandkids with plenty of dirty diapers but who would this appeal to? [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/luv-diapers-poop-there-it_n_1016322.html]
Hey ad guys, please stop the madness. Do you have an ad that makes your hair stand on end??
