Thursday, June 10, 2010

Do opposites really attract?




Welcome to the third installment of S.I.U.Y.A. I thought to touch upon two campaigns that are extreme opposites of each other. You cannot have good without bad; yin without yang, life requires balance right? So the question still remains do opposites attract?


The first campaign we are going to look at is for the brand Unilever and there product Axe/Lynx the male body spray. Here we have the campaign appropriately named "Ideal Woman" I will get to the reason why I feel this campaign is perfectly titled. At least we know just from the headline that this is every guys dream right?, well this campaign spot was composed from the creative’s at BBH London. The entire 40 second spot was produced in first person perspective, this direction engages the viewer to feel as if they are part of the campaign. Which can be credited to Director Paul Goldman. The shop (bbh London) managed to cast 9-10 very sensual/sexy women to fulfill their vision. You know the saying sex sells! And I know it's worthless to mention without an image to bring home the point, but come on guys let's try to stay focused on the topic at hand.


Art Director Rosie Arnold really planned a great visual here. The spot opens with random women speaking into the camera lens one even shouting; depending on the situation. This gives off a feeling as though they are conversing or yelling at you; creating great consumer engagement right from the beginning. The shops very own Shawn Preston (copy writer) wrote some really interesting topics, having to do with different scenarios. These topic range anywhere between comic books, football, cheating, hooking up, dirty laundry & a threesome! Well aren't we a lucky camper!


In the above mentioned scenarios these men pretty much get away with anything and everything. Like I said every guys dream in a perfect world!




Ok so if that last spot was our yin then this has to be our yang. First I must say this campaign really engages the viewer, but what really sells this advertisement is this spot leaves a lasting impression, which engages the viewer to piece it together. BETC Euro RSCG, Paris is a subsidiary of Havas Worldwide a French based holding company. Created a wonderful campaign for the McDonald's brand, yes you read correctly I will say it again McDonald's! Nicely titled "Father/Son" art director Benjamin Le Breton envisioned a decent set up. Which opens on a teen aged boy sitting at a table next to a window; looking at a class picture and seems to be lost in thought memorizing something pleasant. He then receives a phone call from what seems to be a love interest of his, he cancels the call before his father can return in time to see what he was doing.


The father then ask his son “What are you looking at" in this particular moment the boy then hands over the class photo. Then the father goes into a rant about, how they looked so much alike at that age and so on. I would like to tell you the rest but I don't want to ruin the end for you. This campaign I felt was strategically well placed together. RSCG creatively copy written an appropriate tag line "come as you are", no not the Nirvana song silly but a very strong statement to say the least!




The way I see it: both of these campaigns are on extreme opposites of the spectrum; just in the pictures alone we can see these differences, but they do have commonalities in place. When we think of marketing; our first primary goal/question should be, who are we targeting? And what are we looking to achieve? Once those are in place then ideas/creative processes start to take on a life of its own. Here are two campaigns one targeted towards heterosexual men and women, kind of on the hyper masculine side. And the other a very controversial campaign spot based in France. In these times it's important to deliver a comprehensible message; your message needs to transcend across the board to all communities; if your looking to generate the most sales for your client.


Sure these two campaigns have very different messages but they both deliver precise targeting strategies. On one end you have a product (Axe/Lynx) implying to their male consumers that, if you use their products you will have every woman at your beckoning call. While the other gives out a message of come use our services (buy our food) we do not discriminate, kind of like a good friend that puts his arm around you and says don't worry I will take good care of you. Both of these brands have generated high revenue, Axe at 39.642 (48.540 usd) billion Euros annually, and McDonald's made a first quarter statement of 6 million just in the US alone! If you look at these figures we do answer the question previously asked, opposites do attract indeed!

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