Evolution

In 2006 Unilever teamed up with Ogilvy & Mather and launched its Dove Campaign for Real Beauty to promote its newly created Dove Self-Esteem Fund.  The first stage of the campaign was based around a series of billboard advertisements put up in the United Kingdom, and later worldwide.  These billboards featured real women as the models, instead of the usual flawless models, taken by Annie Leibovitz.  The ads invited its viewers to votes whether a particular model was “Fat or Fab” or “Wrinkled of Wonderful”, displaying real-time results on the billboard itself.  Along with the billboard advertisements was publication of the “Dove Report”.  This report is a study, which Unilever intended to create a new definition of beauty, which will free women from self-doubt and encourage them to embrace their real beauty.

The heart of this campaign was the Evolution video, shown above.  The video starts with Stephanie Betts, an ordinary girl, sitting down in a studio.  Two harsh studio lights are turned on and the camera is then switched to time-lapse sequence.  You then see a team of people putting make-up on and fixing Betts’ hair.  At the end of this sequence, Betts looks beautiful.  Then all hair and make-up team members move off screen as the photographer takes shots of the model.  Once a single shot is selected, it begins to get edited.  Adjustments such as:

·    lengthening the neck

·    adjusting the curve of the shoulder

·    altering the hair and skin

·    enlarging the eyes and mouth

are made.  This final image is then transferred to a billboard advertisement for a fictional company and the piece fades to read, ”No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.”  The film ends with an invitation to participate in a Dove Real Body Workshop.

Evolution was incorporated into the Canadian Campaign for Real Beauty website in order to coincide with the start of LA Fashion Week.  Shortly after, Tom Piper, art director, uploaded the video to YouTube in hopes of it going viral. Once uploaded, the advert was viewed over 40,000 times in its first day, 1,700,000 times within a month of its upload and 12,000,000 times within its first year.

Based on its hits, I would say it is safe to say that Dove made the impact it hoped to- get women to free themselves from self-doubt and encourage them to embrace their real beauty.

I Put That Sh*t on Everything

Living in upstate New York, Frank’s RedHot sauce seems to be a mealtime staple.  Whether it is wings, eggs or even pasta, there doesn’t seem to be a meal where I don’t see and/or smell the Frank’s on the table. Frank’s is known for its hot and spicy taste but many people also know it for it’s spokesperson, Ethel, the old lady who puts “that sh*t on everything”.

Ethel has been seen spicing things up at Bingo Night adding Frank’s to the punch and using Frank’s to help her grow her award winning pumpkin at the country fair pumpkin contest.  Ethel’s use and love of Frank’s is comical as old ladies are not often seen, or thought even thought to, put hot sauce on their food, or as Ethel says, on everything.

Since Frank’s has a great following, it likes to give back to its customers by providing them with fun contests with even more exciting prizes.  Frank’s last contest was geared towards its football fans.  Frank’s announced that they’re “giving away pimpin' prizes once week for 8 weeks straight! These prizes– announced on Mondays– will mark you ‘defender of tailgating.’ People will hear you psychedelically grilling hot dogs from blocks away, and they'll respect that SPLAT you put on everything.”

 

…And for those Frank’s fans who forgot their bottle of Frank’s at home but need their fix, they can use the Frank’s RedHot Wing Restaurant Finder iPhone app.  With this app, you can locate wing restaurants and bars, invite friends, browse reviews about the wing restaurants and bars and filter so you can search by bars or restaurants.  Also, its app user can view and share wing and classic recipes for those night spent cooking at home.

So whether Ethel is your BFF, you’ve already entered yourself in Frank’s latest contest or you’re currently searching on your iPhone for the closest place to get Frank’s, Frank’s will continue to have loyal customers due to its great marketing and even better taste.

Controversial Billboards Part II

If you didn’t get enough from my last post about controversial billboards, here are the five more that I promised…

Heavenly Endorsement

Upon walking into a Moe’s Southwest Grill, you are greeted with a friendly, “Welcome to Moes!” from all the employees.  However, this billboard uses God to sell Moe’s, having God welcome its customers.  Now, if God likes Moe’s, it must be heavenly and well liked by everyone else… Except for the pastors living nearby to this advertisement in Orlando, Florida.  After the complaint, Moe’s corporate made the franchise take down the billboard as it violated company policy.

Freedom of Speech

Ellis Miller of Gilmer, Texas, didn’t like how Obama was handling things in the White House so he decided to let everyone know it.  Miller created a billboard asking its passerby’s, “Voted Obama? Embarrassed yet?”  Miller explained that he was “frustrated of how things were going with the health care bill and other aspects of the administration.”  Since Miller is guaranteed the freedom of speech due to the First Amendment, he decided to put this freedom to use and let everyone know how he feels.

Too Much Sex

PETA’s billboard states, “Too much sex can be a bad thing… for little tigers too,” to get the message across that it is important to spray or neuter your cats and dogs to keep them out of trouble.  PETA was smart to think on their feet about how to use Tiger Wood’s sex scandal to their advantage.

Funeral Home’s Heavy-Handed Hit

Bergemann & Son Funeral Services is trying very hard to get customers.  So hard that they are almost trying to get you to your death faster by telling its billboards viewers to come a little closer to their billboard that is on the opposite side of the Berlin subway track from their viewers.

Ring Finger

Drivers on Signal Mountain Boulevard in Chattanooga, Tennessee first think the lady in this ad is giving them the finger.  But with more time to look, they realize that the lady is giving them the ring finger, exclaiming “She’s tired of waiting,” urging those who are thinking of proposing to their loved ones to get their ring at Robbins Diamonds.

Controversial Billboards

My sister stumbled across a Woman’s Day article talking about 10 controversial billboards.  After looking at them, I see what all the uproar is about.  Here’s the low down on half of them…

1. Mistress Exposes Affair

No one knew that YaVaughnie Wilkins and Charles Phillips, member of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board were ever lovers.  When Phillips got back together with his wife after the 8 ½ year affair, Wilkins decided she needed to get revenge.  The 3 story billboards were hung around New York, Atlanta and San Fransisco and cost approximately $250,000.  If Wilkins’ plan was to get Phillips back, it failed, as he is still living with his wife Karen and son Chas.

2. PETA’s Diet Plan

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) usually spread their cause by the use of images of how pigs and other farm animals are slaughtered for processing so you can eat them.  However, this time, PETA decided to tone it down a bit and use a cartoon.  Unfortunately, the cartoon billboard was still seen as a negative one, making fun of overweight people, calling them “whales”.  PETA says that by going vegetarian, you can lose the blubber and therefore save the whales.  With so much negative attention, PETA took the billboard down and replaced it with a board stating, “GONE: Just like all the pounds lost by people who go vegetarian.”  Same message, not so rude.

3. Have an Affair

Having an affair is controversial within itself, let alone having a website that promotes this behavior.  Ashley Madison, a dating site for married people who are looking to have an affair, created a billboard with two, what seem to be, naked people, with the words, “Life is short, have an affair.”  Ashley Madison’s advertisement just added to the controversial topic.

4. Prepare to Die

Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Home and Cemetery uses an elderly lady in a dress that “you’ve always said you would be caught dead in” to warn people that they better prepare for their death now, rather than later- when it may be too late, with the help of his business.  While we can agree that we all will die one day, this billboard is a bit of a slap in the face to us… and anyone who wears dresses like the one pictured.

5. Barack Obama, Jacket Salesman

Although President Obama does wear a Weatherproof jacket, he never knew the company would be using an Associated Press picture of him in it as an advertisement in Times Square, New York.  While it is legal, the White House isn’t so fond of Weatherproof’s billboard as they don’t exploit the president to sell products, making sure he stays fair to all.

It Gives You Wings

Red Bull energy drink avoids usual methods of marketing, relying more on word of mouth, to share its ability to “give you wings”.  Some observers say its branding is revolutionary, some even calling it an “anti-brand” strategy.

Red Bull’s image is associated with youth culture and extreme sports such as mountain biking, snowboarding, cliff diving and surfing.  Red Bull is even connected with dance and college parties through their Red Bull and Vodka drink creation.  Since Red Bull’s message to give you wings is extreme, it wants to reach the most extreme audience.

To make sure the brand is visible on the street, Red Bull uses cars as mobile bulletin boards, mounting a giant can of the drink on the top of the vehicle.  In its attempt to be seen as youthful and slightly “off-the-wall”, Red Bull’s promotions have to be eye catching.

If someone is seen wandering the street by a Red Bull representative that seemed to be lacking energy, they would be handed them a can of Red Bull.  The energy drink is also given to club DJs to hand out.  Even after finished, these empty cans will be left on tables in bars, clubs and pubs, further promoting the item.

In keeping with their target market, Red Bull hosts events like the Red Bull Flugtag and the Red Bull EmSee Battle Rap Championship with help from Eminem.  At the 2009 Super Bowl, Reggie Bush was the first NFL athlete announced to endorse the product, adding mainstream sport athletes to its roster of sport endorsements.

In addition to being seen as “off-the-wall”, Red Bull is seen to get you energized with its ability to give you wings.  College students find this extremely attractive, while they often spend long nights doing homework resulting in no sleep.

In order to further connect with possible consumers, Red Bull hires student brand managers who promote the drink on college campuses across the country.  These brand managers are encouraged to throw parties where Red Bull will be distributed.  With proper documentation, Red Bull will even provide Vodka so party-goers can enjoy a Red Bull and Vodka drink while having fun, causing Red Bull to be associated with fun.

On RIT’s campus, Red Bull brand managers hid cases of Red Bull around campus, telling students to text a specific number for clues, getting its consumers excited about the drink.  The Red Bull team can often be seen at events handing out drinks to give students wings, as its likely that we need it.

Red Bull’s alternative approach to marketing has left them very successful, as the most popular energy drink in the world, based on market share, according to Burt Helm of Bloomberg Businessweek.  But with all these other soft drink companies taking Red Bull’s approach of non-traditional marketing for their products, we’ll have to wait and see how long Red Bull can use its wings stay on top.

Get Cheggin'

College students spend an insane amount on textbooks a year- sometimes upwards of $500.  That's where Chegg comes in.  According to Chegg, with their help, "don't buy it, rent college textbooks from us and save a ton on books."

Since majority of Chegg's rental sales come from college students, they look to these students to do most of their marketing.  Whenever a book is rented from Chegg, the buyer received a promotional item in the mail along with their book.  Personally, I’ve gotten everything from pens, post-it notes and even a hat.  All of these are things that college students use; I’ve seen many orange Chegg hats being worn on windy and freezing cold RIT’s campus.

In efforts to spread the word about Chegg and help in their mission to save students money and time, Chegg lets college students apply to their ambassador program to become a Chegg Champion.  Chegg Champions receive a coupon code which they are able to distribute to anyone looking to rent books from Chegg.  Anytime their code is used, the Chegg Champion makes $5 and the purchaser saves an additional 5% off their total buy.

Chegg Champions have a huge incentive to spread the word about Chegg as they make money for how well they do.  And to make it easier for them, Chegg Champions have access to pre-made flyers, blog posts, texts, tweets and Facebook posts all with their unique code inserted into it.  Chegg Champions also get promotional items sent to them to hand out, such as slap bracelets and Chegg money that looks exactly like real money.

Chegg makes it easy for their Champions to spread the word for them, while all parties (Chegg, Chegg Champions and book renters) benefit.

As an added bonus, Chegg plants a tree every time a book is rented online, letting people feel good about their purchase.