Philips, 1951

Philips, 1951

BeGolden - The Creepy Feel-Good Campaign

What's this make you think of?

Maybe a Star Trek visualization of a disease that spreads by touch and turns people into something weird and leaves their world in a state of grim post-apocalypse?

A perfume ad? A fashion ad?

This is part of the same campaign. Maybe a new version of Goldfinger?

I'm leaning even more into the Star Trek disease that morphs you into another creature.

Wrong!

It's a new Dallas campaign to be nice to immigrants! Didn't you get that from the pictures?

I feel as if it might be a Catholic initiative (Pope Francis is mentioned), but to be fair, no one's claiming that.

They don't tell us what to do, though there is a hat we can buy (not yet, coming soon).

But we should definitely be nice. Probably a hug for our immigrants, right? Or maybe a handshake? Definitely some sort of touching based on those pictures, so I'm going with a hug.

That way we can all feel good about ourselves.

Though this strange Star Trek disease makes me really want to lean away instead of lean into the hugging.

Really super creepy. A weird campaign.

Toyota: One Team Ad

Yes. This is how America does religion. Or should, at any rate.

He can speak French ... in Russian

After yesterday's spirited conversation about the Old Spice Man, I turn to a fully clothed and also charming fellow ... The Most Interesting Man in the World.



Dos Equis is not as good at using all social media as Old Spice. For one thing they are missing the boat on having a YouTube channel (at least that I could fine). However, they definitely are as good at knowing an excellent ad campaign when they see it. This also makes me think of some of the great campaigns from the 1960's and 70's.

Well, What Do You Know ... the Old Spice Man is Just as Interesting When Clothed.

For the poor fellow who thinks that I would not find the Old Spice Man just as amusing if he were clothed, here is the evidence that, indeed I do. (Wish I could find that photo to post, but can't so just click through on the link.) Of course, I've always been partial to suspenders.

Look at the background for his Twitter page ... and do note the sense of whimsy in the geese flying across the tile.

Much thanks to Tom for this link. He finds the Old Spice Man just as amusing and clever as I do. Of course, he's been in advertising a long time ... and has a sense of perspective.

Can We Get Enough of the Old Spice Man? I Think Not.

Though coming late to the party, I must thank Joi and Rose for pushing me to view more of this brilliant campaign that should stand as a lesson for those who want to fully take advantage of viral marketing.

Having the Old Spice man respond to internet comments about him is thoroughly enjoyable. Especially in this series, begun here, which carried on for several more responses to Alyssa.



See further responses to Alyssa: #2, #3,and #4.

Celebrities are not immune either as we can see from this response to Demi Moore.

Should your man smell like an Old Spice man?

Lord, have mercy, yes!

We saw this commercial in the theater before Inception. Rarely have I laughed so hard or been so appreciative of an ad.

I haven't watched all of them yet, but was reminded of this one when at Scripture study our priest mentioned advertisements that make you want to be one of the beautiful people. Gee, I wonder why this one came to mind? :-D

I will be perusing more at their "awesome smelling website." Yes, they suddenly got a sense of humor.

"I don't want to miss a thing" ... Are These People Serious?

Did anyone else see the television ad marketing Essure, a permanent birth control procedure, at the average American mother? (Tom remembered the name.)

The scenario is the family at the park with two or three children, the father, and the mother all having a great time. In a moment alone, the mother furrows her brow and wonders, "What if I'm pregnant? Can we afford it?" and some other more generic worries. As she continues to think worriedly about the changes that a child would make to their lives, it was chilling to see adorable children come up to their mother. As she lovingly caressed them or bent over to speak to them, I kept thinking, "Right, who would want another adorable child like that one right in front of you?"

Speaking purely as an advertising professional, what were these people thinking? These are some of the feeblest, most selfish excuses I've ever heard for not having children. This family was clearly not suffering financially, the father was right there, the children were all those we would consider the American ideal ... and as the ad finishes, the woman turns around and smilingly calls to the camera, "Because I don't want to miss a thing!"

Except any more children. Because it's all about her of course.

Hope those children the advertisement mom already has don't get drift of it. Because clearly their worth is in enhancing this woman's life, as is her husband.

I know several mothers who have five or six children and their pregnancies didn't stop them from going to the park, school plays, or their book club (depending on what this woman is dreading missing, of course).

Probably the worst logic I've ever seen, however, it probably will appeal to anyone who is clutching at the slightest excuse to overcome any moral objections.

That is my advertising take.

The reason I don't remember more details is that we were both stunned at the subject matter showing up in an ad on the evening news and at the fatuousness of the approach. The only thing that one can hope is that those more serious-minded folks who are mulling over the issue will see the weakness of this logic.

If our society would stop looking at children as an item on our financial reports or that would make us stop focusing on ourselves we'd be so much better off in so many ways. There's a reason that Tom and I look at our friends who chose to remain childless with pity. They will never know the riches that they are passing by for the sake of comforts that are much less precious and ultimately will fail them in the end. This is just as true for those who are choosing family size. Who knows what unique joy could be theirs but that they will never know because it would be given by the very person that they refuse to bring into the world?

UPDATE
This article by someone who works in women's health care shows that not only the advertising is weak.

"I'm a PC." Brilliant.

Why Microsoft let the "Mac vs. PC" ads run so long without any answer is a puzzlement. This is the perfect answer in a lot of ways. It pushes back at the PC user stereotype and the sheer variety of people and occupations points out the PC's versatility.

Not to mention, it's entertaining. The geek blogs are already playing "pick out the celebrity." As Tom observed, "The beautiful thing about competition is that we can all sit back and be entertained for a long time." By the way, the person at the beginning is a Microsoft engineer who is a dead ringer for the PC in the Mac ads. That's funny in itself.

Here's a short but different version.



Yes, if you're an ad junky, just one ad is never enough!

By the way, I am a Mac and a PC. We had one lying around work that wasn't being used and it is now my podcasting machine, thanks to Tom. Speaking of Tom, he's a Mac and a PC and a Lennox user and depends on his Palm to help him keep them all straight. No wonder every single person we know (and I mean everyone) calls him whenever they have a computer question.

Tom reminds us, "While it's all good fun, it's not a religion." Some computer fanboys out there need to cool down a little.

Not that I think the people 'round here need reminding about that!