Archive | On Our Minds

Some think that Target has lost its cachet.  A June WSJ article says that the star retailer’s recession-driven strategy to focus on food and low prices works at the expense of its chic image.  This, they say, has confused its audience and put pressure on the company’s large, high-margin fashion and home décor business.   After […]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbO7fR7eLEc?rel=0&w=480&h=270] Did you catch the most recent Keebler commercial featuring two sisters returning home after school?  It’s saporous.  After a cursory greeting to their Mom on their way straight to the kitchen, the older sister, maybe 11- or 12-years-old, reaches for the last yummy-looking cookie in the pack.  The scene shifts to the younger […]

According to Carl von Clausewitz, the best strategy in war is always to be very strong, first generally then at the decisive point.  It is also the best strategy in advertising.  For us, being generally strong is about branding and the decisive point is about belief change.  Simply, effective advertising should brand well and present […]

Two juice pouch ads from Kraft exemplify the classic struggle advertisers and parents face when talking with kids – fun vs. sensibleness.  The Kool-Aid ad definitely brings the fun with the bright purple tongue while the Capri Sun ad touches on both fun and sensible choice.  On the one hand, fun is important, but ads […]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOwJOcp-Mxk?rel=0&w=480&h=300] For a cool $5 million, maybe more, Groupon became this year’s poster child for how not to advertise. And it did so on America’s largest television stage, the Super Bowl. The company’s commercials, which included an in-program parody about Tibet featuring Timothy Hutton, and similarly-toned pre- and post-game spots about saving the whales […]

In Season 11, Episode 4 of Celebrity Apprentice, Teams Backbone and A.S.A.P. were given the challenge to come up with a :30 commercial to showcase a new videophone product from the company, ACN. The two commercials were evaluated by ACN representatives. Did ACN get it right with their final selection? The teams were charged with […]

Sometimes, advertising that is too bold and “in your face” can cause negative reactions rather than positive ones. What do you think of this ad that wraps around USA Today? Too much, just right or not enough?

Does ad content matter? Is one of these ads more likely to cause you to stop and read it? Which one and why? Does one make you any more likely to buy? Which one and why? Overall, which ad would you run if it was your brand and why?