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A friend has recently introduced me to a new form of advertising--the elite online sale. The basic concept is that a friend who is already a member has to invite you to join. Once you're been invited, you are able to sign up to be on a mailing list. You then receive daily or weekly email updates about exclusive sales of high-designer items. Name brands like Marc Jacobs, Waterford, Laundry, Kate Spade and Kay Unger are some of the names that are offered at steep discounts.

To up the hype, once you get into a sale (most of which only available for a set amount of time) you have to rush to beat the other buyers. As items are put in shopping carts or purchased, icons saying "on hold" or "sold out" pop up. The faster you are able to get to the sale, the more likely you are to fine something you want. And once you find it, you have to act quickly to buy it before someone else does. Rush!

Wow, they have really hit female shoppers hard. They are offering exclusive items that most people can't afford at prices that are much closer to their normal price range. Get it now before it's gone. You are forced to make an impulse buy. Return policies vary from site to site, many not offering them at all. Purses, clothing, watches, sunglasses, crystal, home items. You can get all these luxury items--if you act fast.

This is a great way to advertise without having to spend a lot of money. These websites are bringing the store to your local inbox. They don't have to carry the overhead of a storefront. They don't have to pay for advertising in magazines or on television. They have an ad that is builds a sense of urgency, makes the receiver feel special (for they are getting an email only a few people are allowed to get) and sell the product. And their only advertising cost is designing an email and a website. That's a good ROI.

Oh, gotta run, I just got an email about a hot sale...

Sample sites:
www.hautelook.com
www.ideeli.com
www.giltgroupe.com

Promoting a PR Firm

Very often, public relations firms are hired to promote a person, an organization, or product. These firms have to be creative, too. However, what about themselves? How should a PR firm promote themselves? Should they be strictly business and professional? Or should they show that they have a sense of humor?

If you visit the websites of one of the bigger PR firms such as Edelman or Ogilvy, they're more clean-cut and straight down to business. However, for boutique PR firms who aren't as well-known, their websites have to grab the potential client's attention while still portraying a professional look. Some firms like JS² Communications have catchy music and flashy graphics. They also include a "Team" page which shows the members of the firm, which allows the potential client to see who they will be working with.

Lots of boutique PR specialize in certain areas. For ID PR, their specialization in within the entertainment industry, mostly as publicists of our favorite actors and actresses. One of the interesting sections of their website is the "Giving Back" section. For most of us, we see celebrities as these wealthy individuals without really helping others; it's a negative image that ID PR wants to remove, thus the inclusion of the section in the website.

One PR firm website that I came across is Maloney & Fox. At their "Happy Place" section, you can download the firm's theme songs, one of which plays on the opening page. You can also sign-up to be on the mailing list to get free stuff. Lastly, the firm made self-promotional videos or “advermations," as they called them. One of them is below.



As a PR person, I find myself strangely drawn to these boutique firms. They have more shots of personality than the larger firms. I would like to work for a fun, hard-working group of people, even if it's based solely on their websites.

“YOUR MONDAY MORNING?” MC Hammers says, “CAN’T TOUCH THIS!”

If you’re one who gets up bright and early on a Monday eager to start your day, you’re one of few. However, ESPN’s new “Alarm” television commercial sure gives its audience a new incentive to starting their weekly routine on Monday. This commercial is part of a new ad campaign for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

The first line of this commercial may resonate with many viewers: “Monday, back to the grind for you and your alarm.” How many times do you find yourself hitting the snooze button on Monday? How many times do you find yourself frustrated with minor things in the office on Monday? Whether there’s a paper jam in the printer or a conference call you forgot to make, most of these happen on Monday. This commercial is right on target with its audience and has a strong way of emphasizing its message through the imagery and sound.

On Monday everyone wants to dream a little longer. Everyone hopes to wake up and realize that it’s Saturday and you still have a couple of days before going back to work. The first shot of the guy sleeping and the sound effect of the alarm clock beeping in the back perfectly open the scene for the commercial. The sound of an alarm beeping is probably one of the most annoying sounds. Though this may annoy the viewer, it also intrigues the viewer to keep watching to find out why that annoying sound is playing.

With the same beeping sound in the background, the commercial then takes the viewer into the character’s high-fetched dreams. The character is dreaming he’s in a recording studio with MC Hammer and he’s wearing 80s parachute pants. Then Hammer complains about the beeping and the character is woken up by the reality of his alarm interrupting his sleep. The narrator then says, “You realize its Monday and you’ve got to go to work, but with Monday, comes Monday Night Football.” The commercial then takes a different mood by showing the character smiling as he’s getting ready for work. In the next shot, he’s smiling and then he’s watching the game and the Monday Night Football tune plays. The announcer then says, “Your Monday morning can’t touch this.”

The commercial is not only humorous and entertaining, but also informative. It effectively reaches its 80’s babies audience while appealing to wider spectrum through its humor. As annoying as the beeping sound is it proves the point and leads the viewer to every shot. Mondays won’t ever be the same.

Cesar's blue disaster

There are commercials that work. They may not be funny or cute or amazing, but they work. And then there are commercials that are overdone, not very appealing, and don't work that well. Cesar dog food commercial belongs to the second category.



First thing that hit me, was that incredible amount of blue color. Why blue? And why so much of blue? Blue sky, blue car, blue sea, blue scarf on that woman's head and even her tank top is blue. What's up with that blue color? I appreciate that her sunglasses are not blue, but maybe her eyes are, who knows. Obviously, the point of the blue was that Filet Mignon Cesar is packed in blue but other Cesars are packed in yellow, pink, green, dark blue, red, so why blue only? One of their other commercials is all pink. For some reason it isn't as disturbing as all the blue in this one.

It's not only the color. Everything about this commercial seems so fake. Who would be so irresponsible to let his dog sticking out of the car when driving in a convertible? And what is that weird green thing covering the plate on which the food is being served to the poor by blue color surrounded doggie? I think it's supposed to be salad, but why does it look so plastic?
I don't understand another thing. Westie (West Highland White Terrier) has been a Cesar dog ever since I can remember. It is great because Westies are adorable dogs and very photogenic compared to for example Chihuahuas. I know, because i have both. But they are also known for being very stubborn, wild and very hard to tame dogs. So why would they make this beautiful dog look so unnatural and fake and so very lovey-dovey? Have him run around fields and play outside where you feed him Cesar, don't make him part of this ugly Barbie-like commercial.

There are only two things that are likable here. I like the "Cesar, Love Them Back" slogan. It goes straight to the point, and it isn't fooling anyone. Your dog loves you, you love him back, you give them good quality food like Cesar is offering. I like the music, too. I think it is playful and fits for a dog commercial, if only that commercial was better.

I love dog commercials and my dogs love Cesar. If I wasn't a long time buyer of Cesar this commercial would no way convince me to give it a try. If Cesar wants to have their commercials be like this, they should change their mascot dog to Yorkie. They will still have their terrier, but a little more fitting for their blue, lovely format. I'm sure Westies would appreciate this decision.

A Snapshot of Phnom Penh (Cambodian Capital)

It is more like a documentary rather than a commercial advertising. Interestingly enough, It provides a snapshot of Cambodian Capital City, Phnom Penh. This short documentary shows some interesting cultural, and historical places in Phnom Penh, including Royal Palace, Independence Monument, Killing Field and Wat Phnom, which is the only biggest sacred site in the city. Generally recognized as the pearl of Asia, Phnom Penh has boosted great development in the past 5 years.It is to accommodate three satellite towns in the next five years.

The documentary is informally produced, so its quality is not very good. The tour guide is good but there should be a better one as there are a number of well-trained guides who speak standard English and have in-depth knowledge about the city and its history. Also, the camera man is not very professonal. Many shots are not good enough. Their angles are poorly selected. More importantly, the documentary does not well represent the beauty of the capital itself because it fails to show other elegant structures of the capital such as satellite towns. In short, it is not appealing enough to foreign tourists.

Office clerk gone mad or gone ad?

First I want you to watch this video.

http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=0xOdpD_noi4

What would you think about if you saw it? Would you think it's real record of how office clerk is tired of his routine work. May be his boss asked him to type 500 pages of PDF text in MS Word. Who knows.
This video was one of the most popular in CIS (former USSR area) Internet for about month last year. People were feeling sympathy to this guy because they seemed to share his feelings. Office workers tend to be in depression sometimes, particulary when it's annual reports' deadlines. Yes, they even tend to have psychosis. But is it possible to be so mad to fight with your colleagues without any reason? I couldn't believe it. That is why I was waiting for the continuation of the story. It happened.
Month later after the video beated the downloading record the promo campaign of new movie started. The movie's name is WANTED with Angelina Jolie. The main character is office clerk who is in a moment appears to be a killer. Why? Because he hates his job's routine.
What I think is that this video was a pre-promo for the movie. We all heard about product or brand placements in movie. But there is also movie placement as the PR-approach. According to movie's box office, this approach seems to be very successful one.




vs.

Celebrity Perfumes Is it Overkill yet?

Chanel No. 5 is one of the most famous perfumes in history and sells around one bottle every 30 seconds. This famous fragrance was created for Coco Chanel in 1921 by a perfume creator named Ernest Beaux. Something which may seem surprising in a 21st century obsessed with getting back to nature is that Coco's inspiration behind the scent was to create something very artificial. She is quoted on the official Chanel website as saying “I want to give the world something artificial.... like a dress. Something that has been made.... I want a perfume that is a composition”.
Although Chanel No. 5’s advertisements are very subtle these days, the perfume has maintained its spot at the top of the perfume market. Let’s face it, it’s a classic and has been on the market for over 80 years.
Various celebrities are creating their own fragrances. I can’t say I blame them, they have the money, the looks, and the celebrity status-but is this a market for them or should they stick to the big screen? Amongst the celebrities with a perfume lines are:

Mariah Carey, M
Love by Hilary Duff
Kate by Kate Moss
Sean John-Unforgivable Eau de Toilette 75 ml;
Britney Spears-Curious
Christina Aguilera, Christina Aguilera
Naomi Campbell-Mystery
Covet, Sarah Jessica Parker
Jennifer Lopez, GLOW and Still
Paris Hilton, PARIS HILTON
Celine Dion-The Fragrance
David Beckham-Instinct and Intimately Beckham, for Her

The market is becoming saturated with celebrity scents. I often wonder is this a trend, tax write-off or business as usual? And is there a place in the $2.9 billion perfume industry for celebrity’s scents? Does anybody take them serious?
I posed this question to a few friends and got the following responses:

- They cannot connect with star-status perfumes, in fact; they refuse to buy them
for no other reason than the celebrity name attached.
- They would purchase the scent if it was created by their favorite celebrity,
regardless of the smell.
- They only do classic scents and consider celebrity colognes “bubblegum-ish.”

Are celeb’s swaying the perfume market? And who is their target market, personal fans or the average consumer. I must admit the ads are the best, but is that enough?

Women of the world, raise your right hand

Women, stop waiting for a man to buy you a diamond for your left hand. You're successful and deserve good things. Good things that you can buy yourself. Why do you need a man to buy you a ring?

This is the basis for the "Right Hand Ring" ad campaign--it was launched by DeBeers in 2003 and is still running today. Is this ad empowering or insulting? Is DeBeers targeting their intended audience, or alienating them? Did they appeal to the side of a woman that says, "You should buy something nice for yourself" or an alternative side that thinks, "Why don't I have one of these by now?"

Based on the continuation of the campaign, I would venture to say sales of non-traditional diamond rings has gone up over the last five years. So does it matter what emotions the diamond company hit? Can increased sales alone justify a successful campaign?

As I talked about in my "100% truth" posting, where do advertisers need to consider ethics? In this case, how much does DeBeers need to consider the possible impact they are having on society's view of women, and of the view the have of themselves? Did they believe that they were creating a campaign that would boost a woman's status/self esteem?

As a marketer, there is a lot to keep in mind when you're creating an ad. As much as you need to say what your product is/does/promises, you need to always remember your audience. How will they react? Not knowing the history of how an ad was created, will they understand it? Will they appreciate it, or will it turn them away? When you're asking a woman to raise her hand, be sure she won't be raising it in protest.

Improve your English. Seriously.

At least basic knowledge of English is a must in today’s world. Language schools are everywhere and people spend thousands and thousands to learn or improve their skills. One of the oldest language schools in the world, Berlitz, similarly to Travelers, is using the same technique in its advertising. Fun is what people want to see and Berlitz gives it to them, at least in TV commercials.

I know from personal experience that learning English at Berlitz isn't as much fun as their commercial. But the commercial is great. New member of German coast guard, with not very good knowledge of English doesn't realize that sinking and thinking are two radically different words. Berlitz's slogan Language for Life gets a new meaning in connection with this commercial. Music is only supporting the fun and drama at the same time. The commercial is very realistic and it only ads up to the fun effect of it. The message that English is important is clear, but not boring, but still goes thru and reaches its audience. German coastguard commercial is easy to remember and can be watched numerous times and still is funny. Actors simply did an incredible job.

Berlitz may not be the best language school in the world, but its fun commercials make up for whatever they are lacking.

NYC Tourism Ad

This is a tourism advertising of New York City. The ad shows very busy streets, shopping malls, various brands including Starbucks Coffee, at & t, Applebee's...etc.

This ad is reasonably interesting because it gives viewers a snapshot of the busy city in the world. It may sound appealing to some viewers when the presenter said New York people are tolerant and open minded. If getting lost, visitors can ask a local. However, there is much room for improvement. In fact, New York City is much more fascanating than what the ad illustrates.

This ad should include many more amazing places that are unique to the city, including United Nation headquarter, The Statue of Liberty,just to name two. Also, the ad uses the same background (Time Squares), which does not reflect diversity of the city. In stead, there should be different quick showing of the interesting places there. Moreover, the camera man takes the shots with low angle. Therefore, the presenters look down on the viewers, while they are speaking. It makes the viewers feel inferior or uncomfortable. Finally, I am doubtful why the second presenter said there are at least 16 people visiting NYC every single year.

I do not think this advertising is effective enough due to the above weak points though it may be attractive to some people.

Heh... that was quite funny...

First off, watch this commercial.



Secondly, what is the first thing that popped in your head after watching it? Was it "wait... is that little boy playing with a... oh my God"? Or was it "that was freaking hilarious"?

Either way, the commercial got your attention. IKEA used the tactic of humor to grab a hold of you. There isn't necessarily a lot of the actual items from IKEA in the ad but they give you a reason to buy storage, even if it was a reason that's completely out there.

IKEA's main audience is college-age adult to young professionals. I don't think that 12 year old school children or 72 year old grandparents are going to get the humor of the ad. But for those in their late teens to late thirties, it's going to get to them. When they decide that they need storage of some kind, this commercial is going to stick in their minds because of the humor and not really the products.

Advertisers want their advertisements to be memorable. As long as the brand name stands out, the recall is better later on. This IKEA commercial combines perfectly a humorous, memorable situation with the brand name of the IKEA. If the two don't tie together, it's going to be harder for people to connect in recall, thus losing the point of a memorable commercial.

Apple takes over the Ny TImes

Apparently I’m obsessed with Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads. I have to admit, I think they are brilliant. What particularly makes me think they have a genius in the marketing department has been the way they have maintained a simple brand and taken to so many advertising outlets. Today, I’m going to talk about their on-line advertising.

When I go to the New York Times homepage, there is always some kind of banner ad across the top and another block along the right side. Apple decided to use these ad spaces in tandem to create ads that not only were interactive with the audience, but also were interactive with each other.

The two locations on the site work as one, taking the viewer’s eye away from what they were reading to follow the Mac Cool Guy and the PC Nerd. The two boxes have graphics that move between the spaces and talk to each other, much as I imagine the paintings at Harry Potter’s school do.

For example, when the NY Times said that Leopard was faster and better than Vista, Mac responded with a clever ad where the PC guy tries to change what appears to be a headline from the paper (but is really one of the banner ads that Apple purchased). He climbs a ladder, taking him from the side box to the top. PC guy tries to change the headline so it doesn’t read so negatively for Vista. Apple guy just sits back and watches calmly.

With the “Refresh” ad, Apple knows their audience familier with working online. This ad plays up the ever changing stream of banner ads that the NY Times (and other websites) frequently have at the top of the page. The “ads” are quotes from reputable sources that state inefficiencies in Vista. PC guy, from the side box, keeps hitting the refresh button, much as a standard user could do. Unfortunately for him, all the ads that day seem to be anti-Vista.

In this campaign, Apple has jumped full force into online advertising. They carefully examined options for placement, and developed well planned campaigns that take the medium to a new level. They were the first to make interactive ads interact.