How to Miss Out on Advertising Opportunities

The MTA, New York’s transportation authority, is facing another shortfall in its budget. For the second time in a year fares will be raised.

I find it hard to believe that the largest subway system in the world with some of the best real estate (yes, I know most of it is subterranean) has not taken the path many other transport systems in the world have taken – Advertise like there’s no tomorrow!

Yes, the subway cars and the stations do have advertising in the form of easily-vandalized posters and poorly-lit and maintained ad displays. However, is this all we can manage in a city saturated with the biggest, best, most famous and fabulous symbols of the 20th Century?

While living in Japan (for 3 long years) I became accustomed to everything imaginable being plastered with advertising, most noticeably the subway/train networks. At first it seemed a bit invasive holding onto strap handles with autumn leaves tickling my hand (campaign for a popular bottled tea brand) and ads on digital panels flickering to catch my attention.


But when I moved to New York I quickly learned these so-called saturation methods of advertising benefited everyone. The straphangers, subway company, local government, advertising firm, and of course the company/brand being advertised all got their own kind of win fall. Was it really a sacrifice to have this kind of advertising in my face when I had a stable fare, clean seats and not to mention some innovative advertising to look at? Simply put, no.


All photos are courtesy of Adzilla.blogspot.com

Domino's Getting in on the Taste Test

First there was Dunkin’ and Starbucks, then there was BK and McDonalds, now there is Domino’s putting the taste test to Pizza Hut Subway?

As part of their foray into the sub market Dominos has taken up the idea (very original one at that) of doing taste tests and advertising the “positive” results (how convenient).

Have the other two recent campaigns proven a success in this consumer confidence-lacking society or are the advertisers just running out of original ideas and have decided to stoop down to the old-school ways of the mid-20th Century?

In this example you have another “underdog” in the market putting it to the stable mate in a, dare I say it, confusing commercial involving a person being propelled into a pool to symbolize the taste superiority of Domino’s subs.

This is an aggressive move by Domino’s, the same company who chipped away at Pizza Hut’s stranglehold on chain pizzerias. Likewise there were aggressive moves by Dunkin’ and BK but the charm that these underdogs (Dunkin’ slightly excluded) once had and once led them to becoming symbols of knocking over the top dogs is eroding with unoriginal, yet ballsy, advertising.

Why is it that within 3 months we have had 3 campaigns of this nature? Do people really fall for these surveys with intangible facts and figures?

When will it end?

Mac vs Mac?

As I sat back bored by my girlfriend’s irrational obsession with Heroes and related crap Monday night tv, the sudden sight of a rotund, balding clay figure lightened up my otherwise, mind-numbing night of heroes vs. villains. It wasn’t Santa, who widened my eyes with delirious holiday joy – but, Mr PC dressed in his snowflake sweater.

His endearing character, brown insurance salesman-like clothing, lack of reasoning, and look of incompetence has made him the unlikely hero of the Mac ads. “Mac” on the other hand, played by the smug Justin Long, doesn’t have any endearing qualities.

So I find it strange that Apple pays money for these ads to be produced – and not Microsoft. Sure, “Mac” is a great representation of the classic Mac consumer – white, mid-20s, and deliberately dorky. But is Apple trying to market Macs to already-bought-into-the-unstoppable-machine Mac fans or is it trying to sell to non-Mac users to grow market share?

TBWA/Chiat/Day – the architect of the campaign – has created a character to represent a rival company that has a deeper, more complex, more loveable character than the client’s representative character. So if you can’t feel attached to “Mac,” why would you buy a Mac? Perhaps, Apple should rethink “Mac” when their growth has flat-lined, the economic recession is haunting the country, and PCs – which have maintained 7% growth – continue to be the cheaper option.

A 'Whopper' of a Mistake?

Burger King has gone all out on a path that was recently taken by Dunkin’. This time however Burger King has decided to take its taste test (Whopper vs. Big Mac) to the “Whopper Virgins” of the world: Transylvanian farmers, Thai Hmong tribesman and Greenland Inuit. What an idea!!!

Various world food groups and human rights groups have denounced the ads , created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, calling them ignorant and offensive, amongst other things. The word "colonialism" and "orientalism" have also popped up a few times.

Some industry people believe the ad campaign is merely to create controversy. Clearly, BK underestimated the level of negative reaction that would be generated. Like Dunkin’ BK already has a strong brand. A controversy about its ads exploiting ethnic groups could never be thought as being in line with its brand strategy.

I am thinking more about Whoppers today than I normally do but I’m also thinking of Burger King in a completely different light – one that is neither positive nor appetizing.

In a world of ever-growing political correctness is it safe for powerful brands to go out and push the boundaries or is this solely for the ‘new brands on the block’ that have less to lose? Will you always be upsetting somebody no matter how you advertise, or are there just certain boundaries that you don’t cross?

It's Great Coffee (statistically speaking)

How many times do companies need to tell us what tastes good, or in this case, 16% better?

TV, radio, print and the Internet have been bombarded recently by the "Dunkin' tastes better than Starbucks" ads. But the fact that Dunkin' took this oft-traveled road has surprised me. People inherently are connected to a brand through emotion, not statistics. This has been proven with many a failed brand-building attempt especially in the cosmetic and household cleaning markets.

So what is different this time? First of all Dunkin' is a very strong brand. A new entrant into the "Morning Cup of Joe" market advertising this way would get little positive results. Secondly, Dunkin' has gone all out. Their website Dunkinbeatstarbucks supports the other media well with anti-Starbucks propaganda and the ability to send an ecard to your friends convincing them to stop drinking Starbucks(I hope my friends have less time on their hands).

So perhaps the campaign isn't as clear cut as showing statistics and trashing the other brand. Dunkin' have intelligently created an emotional connection by 'rallying up the fans' and declaring war on overpriced coffee(a few cents more than Dunkin') , comfortable seats and ambient lighting. With the way the economy is going more people may be turning to the cheaper, less flashy alternative for their morning cup of coffee.