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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marking Campaigns” Outdoor Advertisements

Hello, and welcome back to the Professional Student! This week, I’ll be examining outdoor advertisements. Not to be confused with advertisements for the outdoors, outdoor advertisements are those that are outdoors, like a billboard.

I always like to start out by listing the criteria for the analysis, just in case you’re new here!

The deliverables are composed of 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement?

1. The Marlboro Man Billboard

I wanted to start this off with something I remember seeing constantly as a child: cigarette advertisements on billboards (which are now banned as of 1999). A link to the advertisement is below. Marlboro is owned by Philip Morris USA.

https://calisphere.org/item/7b50e39fca2b1b4a1df28e26efdc11c2

For me, seeing the Marlboro Man is iconic, as he was an icon in his own right. The billboard features the Marlboro Man on a horse in a blue denim shirt, tan jeans, a cowboy hat, gloves, and a rope for rounding up animals. He has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and faces in a side view profile. It brings back memories of seeing these advertisements everywhere as a child. My first thought was that I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to smoke and ride a horse while rounding up animals, but hey, it’s the Marlboro Man. Aside from Chuck Norris, he can do anything! He is a rugged, manly man who smokes red, so if you’re a rugged, manly man, you should smoke them, too (value proposition)!

Obviously, the purpose of this advertisement is to sell Marlboro cigarettes. The billboard is from 1982 and was featured on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Before 1950, Marlboro cigarettes were advertised to women only, but that changed with the introduction of the Marlboro Man, who was always featured smoking Marlboro Reds. Marlboro Reds used to have a red filter to hide lipstick stains, but they failed to attract women. So, they slapped a brown filter on it, complete with a cowboy (the Marlboro Man), and marketed it to men.

A 1982 article in The New York Times by Eric Pace discusses the price of cigarettes jolting up from about 20 cents per pack to 82 cents per pack. I am not a smoker anymore, but I smoked for 10 years during my time in the Army. I can recall a time when a pack of cigarettes was almost $10, depending on where you were in the country, as some states have higher prices than others.

Another New York Times article by Phillip Wiggins in 1982 highlights that Philip Morris is the second-largest tobacco country after R.J. Reynolds Industries. Operating revenues in 1982 were 10.89 billion, with a profit of 676.2 million.

2. Sheets Energy Strips, “I TAKE A SHEET.”

My second advertisement isn’t exactly the greatest or something considered great advertising, but it made me laugh hysterically because of how ridiculous it is. What it is, though, is a great failure, and as such, it deserves to be revisited. I can’t believe a company’s marketing team thought this was a good idea! I must highlight this as a failure because this is exactly what you should not do!

PureBrand owns Sheets Energy Strips. These energy strips essentially dissolve on your tongue to give you energy. I can’t help but see the resemblance to dropping acid. Not that I’ve ever dropped acid (I haven’t), but I am not ignorant of the fact of what it is, either. We’ve all studied psychology, and the 70s were wild. The box of energy strips features a face with only a mouth and a tongue sticking out with a hand, placing an energy strip onto the tongue that looks exactly like dropping acid. I bet the kids loved this! I can’t find Sheets Energy Strips for sale, but there are plenty of other brands being marketed as dietary supplements. They’re insanely expensive on Amazon.com, ranging from $20-$30 for one box containing 30 strips.  Honestly, just buy a case of energy drinks if you’ll pay $30 for that!

Let’s get to the juicy part: the advertisements! Below is a link so you can see them.

View at Medium.com

There are two featured on that webpage. The first is a woman in a bathing suit with a big smile on her face. She has a swimming cap on and goggles as if she is about to compete competitively, even though it’s a casual pool you would find at a hotel or apartment complex. Athletes use a lot of energy, so maybe that’s their target market for the ad. Here is where it goes wrong. In big, bold white words across the woman, it says, “I TAKE A SHEET IN THE POOL.” First of all, no, you don’t! This isn’t Caddy Shack. No one is throwing a Snickers bar into the pool. They were trying to be funny, but it comes off as crude. I find it hysterical. Not at the words but at the fact that this was publicly advertised on the side of a bus stop and billboards. Next to that, there is a professional woman. A student, a professor, a bookworm, perhaps? She is dressed in a black suit with glasses and looks conservative. She has a slight grin on her face while holding a stack of books. There is also a wedding ring on her hand. Like ad 1, it says in bold white letters, “I TAKE A SHEET AT THE LIBRARY.” It must have been all the Starbucks working its magic. Okay, back to the seriousness. I really can’t believe this was an ad campaign! This obviously targets students and professionals alike, who have very busy schedules and might need an extra energy boost.

According to CSP Daily News (2011), PureBrands spent $10 million on advertising and partnered up with athletes and celebrities alike, such as Pitbull and LeBron James. According to the SEC, PureBrands took a net loss of $21,094,983 in 2012 and $12,583,216 in 2013.

3. Surreal Cereal

Surreal Cereal is a plant-based based high protein, low carb, zero sugar cereal that is “Surreal because it shouldn’t work, but it does, brilliantly.” Surreal is owned by Jac Chetland and Kit Cammell, two British entrepreneurs reinventing the breakfast game by making a nutritionally balanced cereal that tastes great for adults. I can’t find this product for sale in the US, but on Amazon’s UK page, I found a variety pack of 4 for 24 British Pounds.

The specific advertisement I’ve decided to look at is called “No Work January” and can be seen in the link below.

Surreal Cereal – Marketing Geniuses at Play

There is an all-white background that reads: January. Protein. Whatever. Can’t be bothered this month? Neither can we. Whatever is written in rainbow words. Next to the words are cereal boxes, and on the bottom right hand, the word “SURREAL” is printed in bold black letters.

I think this advertisement is clever, as many people are trying to drop holiday weight as their New Year’s resolution. The message, can’t be bothered this month? You don’t have to be with our cereal. Just eat it. The target market segments are adults who want to eat healthy, eat good, and not think about it. People who live active lifestyles or those who are athletic are also a great market. Folks who are looking to improve their health is another market segment.

Regarding the financial information, the company is registered as a private limited company in London, England.

4. okcupid, DTF

Okcupid, an online dating site, is owned by Match Group, which also owns Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and other dating apps and sites.

The billboard advertisement I’ve chosen to analyze features two lovely ladies. Below is the link for the advertisement.

https://www.designrush.com/best-designs/print/trends/best-billboard-ads

The first woman picked up her date and held her up in her arms sideways while her arms wrapped around her neck, holding a rose. The background is all baby pink and says “DTF” in big, bold yellow letters with a black shadow. Next to DTF it says “ALL HEAD OVER HEELS” bolded in black. The bottom of the billboard says okcupid, and below that, “DATING DESERVES BETTER” is printed in bold black letters.

I will not elaborate on the acronym DTF, but if you’ve watched The Jersey Shore, you know what comes to mind. However, okcupid took a play on DTF, and it doesn’t mean what you think it means here. DTF certainly grabs attention and gets a laugh, but in this ad campaign, DTF means down to thrift, down to furiously make out, down to flea market, etc. It is a way to connect to millennials and a modern audience.

I like the colors of the billboard. They’re bright. I like to see the LGBTQIA2S+ community being represented. Its modern, and it targets exactly who it was meant to target. Though millennials and modern people might have been the target, Gen Z can’t be discounted as they’re a much more accepting and open generation than previous generations.

Match Group has a net worth of $8.65 billion and a value of $11.63 billion (Stock Analysis, 2024). Love is a good business to be in! Match Group spent $519.6 million on advertising in 2023 and $447.9 million in 2022. In 2016, they spent $325 million but have steadily increased to spending an average of half a billion since 202 (Dixon, 2024).

5. Chipotle, “As Real As It Gets”

Am I the only one who thinks Chi-pot-le instead of Chipotle? It makes me laugh every time. I like Chipotle, but I don’t eat there often. It isn’t exactly something that comes to mind, and I find their food overly salty. Every bite I take slowly increases my blood pressure levels until my feet start to retain water and swell up. Chipotle is a publicly traded “Mexican Grill” quick service fast food restaurant owned by The Vanguard Group, which holds majority shares. Surprisingly, Chipotle is not franchised and is owned and operated by the corporation itself.

This advertisement is funny nonetheless and can be seen by clicking the link below.

https://www.commarts.com/exhibit/chipotle-billboards

The billboard features a burrito with some bites taken out of it, as the contents have spread out all over only what one can assume to be a table. You can see the foil wrapper slowly being peeled away, and next to the burrito, the words “REALEST WRAPPER IN THE GAME” appear in bold white letters against a grey “table” background. Below that, there is the Chipotle logo with the words “AS REAL AS IT GETS” in bold black letters.

This is obviously a play on words and a nod towards the music industry, specifically the rap music genre, where rap artists and musicians claim to be unchanged by their fame and money as they’re “the realist of the real” rapping about real life, real situations, or their own personal stories. The billboard made me smile, but it didn’t make me want to eat a burrito, which appears to be what is being sold. A real burrito, of course, not those fake burritos sold elsewhere.

According to Google Finance (2024), Chipotle is valued at $79.74 billion and had revenues of $2.52 billion in 2023. Chipotle spent a quarter of a million dollars on advertising in 2022 and $264.09 million in 2023.

Thanks for stopping by The Professional Student. Don’t forget to leave me a comment!

References

About. Surreal UK. (n.d.). https://eatsurreal.co.uk/pages/about

Cable News Network. (1999, April 29). Marlboro Man hangs up billboard hat. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/US/9904/23/tobacco.billboards/

Chipotle billboards. Communication Arts. (2017, May 15). https://www.commarts.com/exhibit/chipotle-billboards

CSP Daily News. (2014, August 28). Lebron James, purebrand roll out sheets energy strips. https://www.cspdailynews.com/general-merchandise/lebron-james-purebrand-roll-out-sheets-energy-strips

Design Rush. (2023, December 7). 12 Best Billboard ads with inspirational designs. DesignRush. https://www.designrush.com/best-designs/print/trends/best-billboard-ads

Dixon, S. J. (2024, February 26). Match Group annual AD spend 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101065/match-group-ad-cost/#:~:text=Online%20dating%20company%20Match%20Group,its%20ad%20spending%20since%202016.

Google. (n.d.). Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) stock price & news. Google Finance. https://www.google.com/finance/quote/CMG:NYSE?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj2-9G81cyFAxXA4MkDHSmODHEQ3ecFegQIPRAg

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis. https://www.canvas.com

Leonelli. (1983, January 1). Marlboro Man Billboard. Calisphere. https://calisphere.org/item/7b50e39fca2b1b4a1df28e26efdc11c2/

Match Group, Inc. (MTCH) Statistics & Valuation Metrics. Stock Analysis. (n.d.). https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/mtch/statistics/#

Pace, E. (1982, November 2). Cigarette prices tiptoe higher. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/02/business/cigarette-prices-tiptoe-higher.html

Roach, E. (2012, August 27). Purebrands of Boca Raton’s energy strip a hit with co-owners Lebron James, pitbull. The Palm Beach Post. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/business/2012/08/26/purebrands-boca-raton-s-energy/7834465007/

Sec.gov. (n.d.). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1062273/000114420413069417/v363889_10k.htm

Statista Research Department, & 4, M. (2024, March 4). Chipotle’s AD & Marketing Cost Worldwide 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/504077/chipotle-ad-marketing-spend/

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Magazine Advertisement Analysis

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to The Professional Student! This week, graduate students at Western Carolina University were challenged to analyze five magazine advertisements, keeping with the theme from the greatest marketing campaigns assignment. 

As I have posted previously, I will list the deliverables below for the analysis in case you’re just joining me for the first time.

The deliverables are composed of 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement? 

1. Old Spice: Smell like A Man, Man Advertising Campaign

The Smell Like a Man, Man magazine advertisement features old spice deodorant, body wash, and body spray with a beautiful background featuring the beach and ocean. The advertisement can be seen below.

https://www.strategian.in/post/case-study-on-old-spice-smell-like-a-man-man-campaign

A white horse is leaning into the display of hygiene products with a man sitting on his back. The man is shirtless in a pair of rolled-up jeans, tan boat shoes, and a matching tan belt, and his shirt is tied around his neck in a preppy manner like he is about to play a round of tennis. He has one hand on his hip, and the other is flat with his palm facing up, holding a bottle of body spray. His head is slightly tilted with a smirk and one slightly raised eyebrow to draw the viewer in. He is looking at you, and it is hilarious! His face is funny, and the notion of a man dressed the way he is dressed galloping about the beach with body spray on his palm like a serving tray full of drinks. The Old Spice Boat is displayed on the top right with the words “Old Spice” below it in classic Old Spice red. Under that, there is “SMELL LIKE A MAN, MAN.” 

Old Spice is owned by Proctor & Gamble, as I have previously discussed in the radio campaign advertisement blog. The consumer the advertisement is targeting is men who want to smell like a man, man! What’s the value proposition? Smelling like a man, of course! The objective of the advertisement is to sell a combination of Old Spice products. Interestingly enough, as I was reading about this campaign further, I discovered the reason behind this advertising was to encourage men to buy Old Spice products without taking away the fact that women enjoy using Old Spice products as well. 

This advertisement campaign ran from 2009-10, and according to an article in the New York Times, Old Spice spent $7.5 million advertising body wash in 2009, well under the $30 million spent by Axe body wash. However, in 2010, Old Spice was more aggressive than Axe and spent $11.4 million in the first quarter, whereas Axe only spent $3.6 million (Newman, 2010).

2. Nissan’s “Stay Home” COVID-19 Advertising Campaign

The second advertisement that I’ve chosen to look at is from Nissan, a popular Japanese vehicle manufacturer. Nissan serves many global markets, including Egypt, where this campaign was published. I really enjoyed looking at the two magazine advertisements that are shown in the link below.

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/stay-home-8b153c9b-c5ac-4393-abdc-5a718cc8a38c

The first one has a Nissan symbol with a red backdrop. Below the symbol, the words “Innovation that excites” appear. Next is another display of words, “A safety Driven Lifestyle (value proposition). .” Below that is a vehicle bench seat displayed and set up like a living room space, complete with a floor lamp, table, and a house plant. To the right of the car seat couch, the words “Staying home with your family will save your life.” 

This was a very responsible and smart move for Nissan, and this advertisement would have served well in other markets outside of Egypt during a time of uncertainty. The use of the hashtag was also smart, as it highlights the widespread use of hashtags across several social media platforms. Hashtags place posts in related categories that pop up when users search for specific information. Using that particular hashtag could take people directly to Nissan’s social media posts or posts by users regarding Nissan. 

It wouldn’t be outrageous to think that most people who purchase vehicles value safety, especially a family vehicle where their loved ones will be passengers. Using the staying safe theme to highlight the safety of Nissan vehicles and the safety of staying home during the pandemic was smart. Nissan is demonstrating care and compassion while advertising its cars. I thought it was brilliant to use one of their vehicle bench seats in the same fashion as a couch in a living room. It looks warm and inviting, so Nissan’s are also safe, warm, innovative, exciting, and inviting!  A lot has been communicated in a straightforward ad, which I love.

The second advertisement is set up the same way with a few differences. Instead of a bench seat, there is a luxurious leather power bucket seat, almost recliner-like, complete with a gold side table, a vase of flowers, a reading book, a tall houseplant, and a beautiful light fixture hanging above it. The words “Enjoying the comfort of your home will save your life.” 

The same messages are being communicated, but I think both ads target two very different clients. In advertisement one, the bench seat is basic and made from cloth. Generally, cloth seating is more affordable than leather seating. The second advertisement seems more luxurious and aimed at customers who value luxury and comfort over practicality and price. It’s like looking at a base model vehicle versus the top-of-the-line trim level. 

In advertisement one, the target market is families or people looking for safety and practicality. In advertisement two, the target market is older people or people with more disposable income who value comfort and luxury. It doesn’t matter if you choose a base model or a top-of-the-line model because both will deliver innovation that excites a safety-driven lifestyle. 

Looking at Nissan’s financial data, sales in 2018 were strong at over 11 million Japanese yen. 2019 sales dipped slightly to just under $10 million Japanese yen. In 2020, sales dipped further to just under 8 million Japanese yen and have been going back up. In 2022, sales were at just above 10.5 million Japanese yen, which is almost on par with 2018 (Carlier, 2023). Looking at the amount spent on advertising, the numbers are very low compared to revenue (not bad). In 2018, Nissan spent just over 300,000 Japanese yen. The number continues to decline, and in 2020, Nissan spent 232,534 Japanese yen. In 2020, numbers were almost on par with what was spent in 2018, at 283,505 Japanese yen (Statista Research Department, 2023). I can see the correlation between what Nissan has spent on advertising and that year’s revenue. Of course, we have to take into account the pandemic and pandemic recovery, especially regarding the auto industry, as there were supply chain issues with microchips.

3. McDonald’s McMobile Advertising Campaign 

The McDonald’s McMobile campaign was targeted in North America and Canada, as the advertising agency was based in Montreal, Canada. A link for the advertisements is below.

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/mcmobile

I found this advertisement to be simple yet effective. It was to the point, and I automatically understood what was being communicated. I had no particular feelings about the ad, but I don’t eat at McDonald’s. Displayed on the top right-hand corner of the advertisement are the classic McDonald’s golden arches with the words “Download. Order. Enjoy.” displayed. There is a burly background, and a woman holds her phone horizontally as if to take a photo. On her screen is a ham, cheese, and egg McMuffin. Similar images include a McCafe and a classic quarter-pounder. 

The value proposition is simple. Download the McDonald’s app, order, and enjoy your food. The target customer would be folks on the go who don’t want to deal with the time it takes to order and wait for food in person. This advertisement campaign was released in 2020, and McDonald’s grossed $19.21 billion globally, less than the previous year (Statista Research Department, 2024). There is nothing odd about the numbers because of the COVID-19 pandemic. McDonald’s spent over 650 million dollars on advertisements in 2020 globally (Statista Research Department, 2024).

4. Febreze Odor Chart Advertising Campaign

Nobody likes a bad smell, and Febreze is in the business of smelling good! This advertising campaign was released in Turkey, but it could have been successful anywhere as it is easy to understand and cleverly designed to represent a pie graph using smelly foods. Here is a link to the campaign. Like Old Spice, Febreze is owned by Proctor & Gamble.

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/odor-chart

Three different advertisements are featured, all with Febreze Air in Ocean Mist. Advertisement one features a moldy wheel of cheese with a slice missing from it. Next to the mold wheel of cheese pie chart, a statistic states, “Bad odor makes it 84% harder to remember our memories.” As a chef, I appreciate this statement as it has been proven that smells can trigger memories. Nobody wants a bad or unpleasant memory triggered by a bad smell. 

In the second version of this advertisement, a red onion pie chart is featured, with the statistic “60% of the people who are exposed to bad odor has bad mood.” I don’t like to smell bad things, but I’m unsure about the truth regarding this. There are some grammatical errors, however. The “%” symbol is displayed on the wrong side of the number, and the “has” should have been “have a bad mood.” I’m not nitpicking, as this advertisement was in another country, but I noticed it. I completely understand how difficult it is to write in a foreign language and make an advertising campaign. I certainly could not make a Turkish advertisement. 

The last advertisement features a slice of a boiled egg pie chart with the statistic, “People stay up to 80% shorter on average in places with bad odor.” If your house stinks, your guests won’t want to be there. I like Febreze, and I think it has uses mainly in the bathroom as an after-spray deodorizer because it doesn’t matter how much you spray. If your home needs cleaning, no amount of Febreze can cover that up. Just clean your house! Most people don’t just slap on some deodorant daily without washing their pits, and if you do, that’s on you, but it isn’t going to be me! 

Some of the statistics made me laugh, and the use of stinky foods in the form of a pie chart was creative. The value proposition is clear: Febreze eliminates foul odors (to a point). Who is the target market? Anyone, I think, unless you’re scent-sensitive or allergic to strong smells. I also like the bright colors, as they grabbed my attention. The advertisements were simple and effective, which is something that I appreciate. 

I’ve discussed the financials of Proctor & Gamble in previous blog posts, so I will skip it and dive into something different. I’m curious to know how many brands that Proctor & Gamble owns. Proctor & Gamble is the 4th largest corporation in the world by market capitalization, and it’s Fortune’s 6th most admired company. Proctor & Gamble serves over 5 billion people globally with its brands (MMA, 2024). According to Levine (2024), “Proctor & Gamble is a leading consumer staple company with 80 brands.”

5. World of Wildlife Foundation “Love it or lose it” Campaign

The final series of magazine advertisements I will look at are from the World of Wildlife Foundation. The WWF is a non-profit dedicated to wildlife conservation and endangered species. Here is a link to their homepage to learn more.

https://www.worldwildlife.org

Here is a link to the “Love it or lose it” campaign.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/public-service-advertisements-psa

The Love It or Lose It campaign features several images, but the theme is clear: if we don’t love it, we will lose it. There is a billboard featuring a woman drinking water, and below the words, “Time is running out to protect our freshwater. Act now. Below that is a honeybee pollinating a flower with the words, “Time is running out to protect our food system. Act now. The theme continues with glaciers melting, endangered tigers, and forests. 

This series makes me sad because it’s true. All people have a responsibility to the environment in which we live on Earth. A lot is destroyed for the benefit of people, and it is unfortunate. Little things can make significant differences, like recycling, eliminating plastics, taking a shorter shower, organic gardening, renewable energy, etc. I think this is the value proposition. It’s the “Act now” aspect of the campaign. The target audience is everyone, as we are all responsible for doing our part to reduce carbon footprints. 

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, 85% of WWF spending is on worldwide conservation. Since WWF is a non-profit, all of its financial information is available below on its website. 

https://www.worldwildlife.org/about/financials#:~:text=All%20told%2C%20WWF’s%20net%20assets,pressing%20needs%20our%20planet%20faces.

Total revenues in 2023 amounted to 469,953,556 million dollars, and total expenses were 454,544,058 million. Regarding expenses, the amount spent on advertising was not explicitly listed. I saw their audit for 2022, which included 8,613,526 million dollars in advertising expenses. Revenues were slightly less in 2023 than in 2022, so I am guessing that advertising was around the same or slightly less. 

The audit can be found below.

https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/FinancialReport/file/wvsz4ctol_2023_World_Wildlife_Fund_Inc_SF_CFS.pdf?_ga=2.56794538.1415699859.1713125081-1843126818.1713125079

Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Professional Student. Please remember to comment or ask questions. Thank you, and I hope everyone enjoyed this analysis! 

References

Akhtar, S. (2022, June 15). Case study on old spice “smell like a man, man” campaign. Strategian. https://www.strategian.in/post/case-study-on-old-spice-smell-like-a-man-man-campaign

Carlier, M. (2023, August 29). Nissan: Total net sales. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/314849/total-net-revenues-of-nissan/ 

Febreze: Odor Chart • ADS of the WorldTM: Part of the Clio network. Ads of the WorldTM. (n.d.-a). https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/odor-chart 

Funding and financial overview | WWF. (n.d.-a). https://www.worldwildlife.org/about/financials 

Levine, S. (n.d.). What companies does Procter & Gamble Own?. The Motley Fool. https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/stocks/what-does-procter-and-gamble-own/

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis. https://www.canvas.com

McDonald’s: Mcmobile • ADS OF THE WORLDTM: Part of the clio network. Ads of the WorldTM. (n.d.-b). https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/mcmobile 

Newman, A. A. (2010, July 15). Old spice argues that real men smell good. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/business/media/16adco.html# 

Nissan: Stay home • ADS OF THE WORLDTM: Part of the clio network. Ads of the WorldTM. (n.d.-c). https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/stay-home-8b153c9b-c5ac-4393-abdc-5a718cc8a38c

Procter & Gamble. MMA Global. (n.d.). https://www.mmaglobal.com/members/procter-gamble#:~:text=As%20the%20world’s%20largest%20multinational,the%20world%20with%20its%20brands.

Public service advertisements (PSA) | pages | WWF. (n.d.-b). https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/public-service-advertisements-psa 

Statista Research Department. (2023, September 13). Nissan ad spend 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1412701/nissan-motor-advertising-spending/ 

Statista Research Department. (2024, March 19). McDonald’s revenue 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/208917/revenue-of-the-mcdonalds-corporation-since-2005/

Statista Research Department. (n.d.). 

WWF – endangered species conservation | world wildlife fund. (n.d.-c). https://www.worldwildlife.org/ 

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The Professional Student: “Engaging Professional Marketing Services”

For this assignment, graduate students at Western Carolina University in the Innovative Leadership and Entrepreneurship program were challenged to visit a PR firm, advertising agency, or other marketing services firms to create a publicly available audio or video presentation. Alternative options include writing an essay based on research or creating a digital tour for a professional marketing firm. 

I decided to visit a local PR firm, Darby Communications, in Asheville, North Carolina, and make a video presentation. The firm is owned by another student in my cohort, Coral Darby. Coral was kind enough to grant me access to her business and her amazing staff. Everyone at Darby Communications was so kind and I appreciate the time everyone gave me. Thank you Coral, Mindy, Suzanne, Lysianne, Stacy, and Angie!

Coral, along with all the interviewees, have given their written consent to have their interviews publicly released. Consent forms have been uploaded online to the university portal in accordance with Western Carolina University policies and procedures.

Please take an opportunity to check out Darby Communications in the link provided below:

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I hope you enjoy my video presentation, which you can access at the link below, and I look forward to reading your comments and feedback. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope everyone is enjoying The Professional Student!

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Television Advertisement Analysis

This week, graduate students in the Innovative Leadership and Entrepreneurship program at WCU were challenged to analyze five different television advertisements using the same criteria from last week’s blog post regarding radio advertisements. In case you missed my blog posting last week, I’ll repost the criteria below for your convenience. 

The deliverables for the assignment analysis are composed into 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) that would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement? 

I really enjoyed this assignment as I got to take a trip down memory lane, remembering some of the more pleasant aspects of childhood, like the holidays and enjoying treats. I hope you’ll enjoy these commercials as much as I did! 

Snickers candy bar commercial, 2010 

Two icons joined together and formed one when Snickers recruited Betty White to film a commercial! Snickers is an iconic American candy bar owned and produced by Mars, Inc.

Betty White is and forever will be an American Icon. From Golden Girls to later hits like The Proposal, which was filmed just a year before this commercial. What’s not to love about an innocent-looking, cheery, and lovable grandmother figure with a bit of a naughty comedic side? Snickers has always made memorable commercials, and this one is no exception. 

The scene starts out on a football field with many young men playing tackle football on a muddy field. You see them all running around, and then suddenly, Betty White appears in a pantsuit, playing right along with them. One player goes to throw the ball at Betty, who then gets tackled. Betty lands in a mud puddle with mud all over her face and outfit, and she has this guy on top of her. After Betty gets up, one of her teammates refers to her as Mike and asks, “What’s your deal?” Betty responds, “Oh come on, man, you’ve been ridding me all day!” The teammate chimes in, “Mike, you’re playing like Betty White out there!” Betty comes back at him with a quick-witted response, “That’s not what your girlfriend says!” At this point, all the players are like, “OOOOOOOOOO,” and another lady comes up to Betty with a Snickers bar. Betty takes a bite, and the woman asks, “Better?” At this point, Betty transforms back into Mike, who responds, “Better!” The commercial ends with the tagline, “You’re not you when you’re hungry. Snickers satisfies.”

The objective of this campaign is to sell Snickers bars, particularly to have a few stashed around or with you on the go in case hunger should strike as “you’re not you when you’re hungry. Snickers satisfies (value proposition).” The commercial made me laugh at the thought of a grandmother figure playing tackle football, and it was even funnier with the quick-witted like of “That’s not what your girlfriend says!” Snickers is a classic candy bar, and there is nothing new to offer or change about it. It’s good just the way it is, and it is one of my favorite candy bars aside from a Payday. 

According to the Statista Research Department (2012), Snickers came in third, holding 5.5% of the U.S. candy bar market share in 2011 and 6% in 2012, followed by M&Ms in 2nd place, and Reese’s in 1st place. According to Faria (2023), Mars, Inc. spent $630.2 million in 2010 and $652.2 million in 2012. There was no data for 2011. I could not find specific sales revenue information for the year 2010. Mars, Inc. is a family-owned private company, but what I did learn is that as of 2022, 147,000 people were employed by Mars, with an estimated sales revenue of $47.3 billion (Wunsch, 2024). They are the top global confectioner in the world, with a diverse portfolio that owns 16 separate companies, including drinks, pet food, gum, and healthcare corporations (Wunsch, 2024).

Apple Super Bowl Commercial, 1984

I chose this commercial because I was curious to see why this ad is the most famous commercial of all time, as it only aired one time during the 1984 Super Bowl game.

The purpose of this advertisement was for Apple to introduce their Macintosh computer. The advertisement is long, coming in at a minute. It starts out in what appears to be a futuristic setting with people all dressed the same, marching into a room with glimpses of a woman in orange shorts and a tank top running with a sledgehammer. There is background music playing, talking about “pure ideology.” The people are marching into an auditorium, all looking the same, all dressed the same, listening to the propaganda about ideology being spewed by the figure on the screen. It’s serving A Handmaid’s Tale and giving out Nazi vibes in the depicted militaristic manner of everyone looking the same and marching to listen to their “great leader.” As the scene progresses, this woman with the sledgehammer keeps running closer and closer to the screen. Everyone sitting down appears to be in a trance, looking at the screen. At one point, ever so faintly, you can hear, “We are white people.” The woman begins swinging the sledgehammer around and around while she is twirling in a circle. At the same time, armed guards outfitted in riot gear start charging towards her. Right as the man on screen says, “We shall prevail,” she launches the sledgehammer at the screen, punching a big hole in it. A huge explosion occurs from the screen, and everyone sitting down looks in awe as if they’re coming out of their hypnotic state. Words pop up on the screen, and an announcer starts speaking, “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like “1984.” This is obviously a nod to George Orwell’s book 1984. The screen goes blank, and the famous rainbow Apple logo appears on the screen. 

The advertisement is eerie and creepy, and overall, it gives you a bad feeling until the end when hope is presented: the Apple Macintosh, the answer to disrupt the present and future to prevent Orwell’s 1984 from becoming a reality and be different (value proposition). The goal of this ad is to sell and introduce the Macintosh by announcing when it will be available for sale. Who is the target market? I would guess working middle to upper class folks as the computer was over $2,000 in 1984, which is a cost still considered high today. To give you a better picture, adjusted for inflation, $2,000 in 1984 is the equivalent to $6,000 today. It also strikes people with a bit of fear, forcing a deeper thought process to occur. Don’t be the same. Don’t be like everyone else. Don’t do what the person next to you is doing. Don’t do what your neighbor is doing. Be different and buy something different to disrupt the present and the future. 

According to Hintz (2014), Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl commercial reportedly cost half a million dollars to produce. According to Zuzarte (2024), Apple sold $155 million worth of Macintosh computers in the first 3 months following the Super Bowl ad.

M&Ms do exist commercial, 1996

I want to visit a favorite commercial of mine from when I was a child. This is a classic commercial, and I have many fond memories of stuffing my face with M&M’s during the holiday season. Mars, Inc. also owns M&M’s. As a veteran, I appreciate the origin of M&M’s, as they were developed in 1941 exclusively for U.S. service members deployed overseas during World War II. 

The commercial starts out with the red and yellow M&M’s walking out to the Christmas tree at night with a bowl of green and red M&M’s while a classic and well-known song, the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky from The Nutcracker, plays in the background. The yellow M&M asks the red one if he thinks Santa will enjoy the green and red M&M’s. The red one says, “I have no idea,” and suddenly screams as they encounter Santa putting presents around the tree. The M&M yells, “He does exist!” Santa, looking back at the M&M’s in awe, says, “They do exist!” This is a hilarious moment of irony. Both the red M&M and Santa faint, and the words “Happy Holidays” appear on the screen, followed by “Always Fun” and the yellow M&M asking Santa if he is okay,

I like the feeling of this commercial as it is a little mysterious, with Tchaikovsky playing in the background. I love The Nutcracker, and I saw it many times while growing up during school field trips. This commercial is hilarious for adults if you understand the irony of three fictional characters meeting each other at the same time and mesmerizing for children who have thoughts of Santa coming down the chimney with presents. The commercial suggests putting out red and green holiday-colored M&Ms instead of traditional milk and cookies for Santa. However, with the use of “Happy Holidays” instead of something like “Merry Christmas,” the commercial is inviting people who might have different religious beliefs and backgrounds (target market) who don’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense to also enjoy the red and green candies (value proposition). M&M’s are inclusive with their word usage even though they depict a traditional Santa with a Christmas tree. 

As previously stated, Mars, Inc. is a privately family-owned corporation and is the top global confectionary producer. 

Share a Coke commercial, 2018 

When I think of Coca-Cola, I think of America. Coke is a part of American culture and history, as is McDonald’s and other well-known food brands. Like the previous commercial, I have many fond memories of different Coca-Cola advertisements. Some of my favorites growing up were the Coca-Cola polar bear commercials. Coke was so smart with their Share a Coke campaign, as you could buy drinks with your name on them, friends, family members, and so on, gifting them a Coke in a gesture of kindness, love, and friendship.

Coca-Cola is a publicly traded company owned by thousands of shareholders. The largest shareholder of Coca-Cola is Warren Buffet through his company Berkshire Hathaway. 

The advertisement starts out with two men on a train, one younger and one older, with foreign background music playing. There is one bottle of coke on the table, and it belongs to the older gentleman. The younger man tries to grab the bottle, and the older man slaps his hand away and slowly starts turning the bottle of coke around towards the young man. The bottle has the words “Friend” written on it. The young man looks at the bottle intensely and grabs his phone to text the older man. Once again, the young man goes to grab the bottle, but his hand is slapped away. The older man picks up his phone and reads the message, “Friend request accepted.” The older man smiles, and the young man takes the bottle of coke, twists off the top, and begins chugging it. He takes the bottle from his mouth and smiles, and the camera cuts to the bottle of Coke with the word “Friend” front and center. The words “Share a Coke with” appear next to the bottle, and the word “friend” changes to “Dad, Bro, Dude, etc.” Both the men start laughing and chatting with each other, and the words “Taste The Feeling” appear on the screen. 

I like this advertisement for several reasons. It shows how two strangers can be brought together with the clever use of the word “friend” combined with a technological era where more socializing happens online than in person, depicted by the “friends request accepted” text message. The advertisement also displays how Coca-Cola, an American Brand, can bring anyone together, regardless of what language they speak or where they’re at (value proposition). It can be assumed that these two know each other since the young man has the older man’s cell phone number. Presumably, it’s his father or grandfather, but it isn’t explicitly obvious, so that’s up to interpretation. The ending is particularly clever: “Taste The Feeling.” It’s impossible to taste a feeling, but the feeling of making a friend and sharing laughs with each other is a good feeling, which is what it feels like to drink a Coke; good. The target market could be anyoe, as the cost of a bottle of Coke is inexpensive to share as a gift.

According to Ridder (2018) sales revenue for Coca-Cola in 2018 was $34.3 billion and has since increased to $45.7 billion in 2023. According to Ridder (2023) Coca-Cola spent $4.1 billion on advertising in 2018, and that number hasn’t changed much over the years, coming in at $4.32 billion in 2022. 

De Beers A Diamond is Forever commercial, 1996

For my final television advertisement analysis, I wanted to dive back into my childhood with another classic, a De Beers diamond commercial. Known as the “world’s largest diamond company,” De Beers is owned 85% by Anglo American, a British company, and 15% by the Government of the Republic of Botswana. 

The song that everyone knows because of the famous De Beers commercials is Palladio (1st Movement) by Karl Jenkins, the Smith Quartet, London Philharmonic Orchestra. The commercial starts out with Palladio playing and a couple holding hands, walking in the park, being viewed through the mesh pattern of a fence in all black and white. A narration begins, “The last time we were here was when I proposed 10 years ago. It seems like only yesterday. Now, the camera turns to a wall, projecting the shadows of the man and woman; it quickly cuts to the eyes of the man, and then, back to the wall, you can see him placing a ring on her shadow hand. The ring is not a shadow, so you can clearly see it in the advertisement. The narration starts again, “I told you then how much I loved you, and nothing has changed.” All the while, the glistening diamond ring sparkles intensely in the background. The camera cuts to the woman’s eyes, which look filled with love and joy, and back to the shadow figure of them giving each other a passionate and intense French kiss. On the screen, the words “The Diamond Anniversary Band. On your 10th, show her you’d marry her all over again” appear, followed by, “A diamond is forever. De Beers.”

This advertisement makes you feel passion and love for the special someone in your life. The over-exaggeration of the diamond sparkle makes the ring appear almond-magical. It is aimed at long-term couples who are celebrating their 10th anniversary, encouraging men (target market) to purchase the diamond anniversary band to “show their love they’d marry them all over again (value proposition).” 

According to Behrmann (1996), De Beers for the first half of the year are up by 8% from a year earlier, coming in at $2.75 Billion for diamond sales. An article by Bergenstock and Maskulka (2001) suggests that De Beers spends $200 million annually on advertising. 

References 

Behrmann, N. (1996, June 20). The Wall Street Journal – Breaking News, business, Financial & … De Beers Diamond Sales Hit A Record in the First Half . https://www.wsj.com/ 

Bergenstock, D. J., & Maskulka, J. M. (2001, May). The De Beers Story: Are Diamonds Forever?. GALE ACADEMIC ONEFILE. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA75645899&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00076813&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Ee46b7721&aty=open-web-entry

Faria, J. (2023, December 19). Mars: AD spend in the U.S. 2019. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/463074/mars-ad-spend-usa/ 

Hintz, E. (2021, April 1). Remembering Apple’s “1984” Super Bowl Ad. Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. https://invention.si.edu/remembering-apple-s-1984-super-bowl-ad

Lahm, R., Lockwood, F. (2022). ENT 610 Entrepreneurial Creation. Master of Entrepreneurship Degree Program: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Analysis.https://www.canvas.com

Ridder, M. (2024, March 18). Coca-Cola Sales figures 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/264423/revenue-and-financial-results-of-coca-cola/

Ridder, M., & 26, S. (2023, September 26). Coca-Cola Co.: Advertising Budget 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/286526/coca-cola-advertising-spending-worldwide/

Statista Research Department. (2012, September 20). The Statistics Portal. Statista. https://www.statista.com/ 

Wunsch, N.-G. (2024, February 19). Top confectionery companies by net sales 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/252097/net-sales-of-the-leading-10-confectionery-companies-worldwide/

YouTube. (2010, June 26). Apple 1984 Super Bowl Commercial introducing Macintosh computer (HD). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=62&v=2zfqw8nhUwA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fthesparkhouse.com%2F&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo

YouTube. (2013, June 26). 1996 De Beers a diamond is forever commercial. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iigEiW8abJk&t=5s 

YouTube. (2016, December 27). M&M’s – they do exist! (1996). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hMAHqp9FNw 

YouTube. (2018, April 12). Coca-Cola’s new “share a coke” ad 2018. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xCqmYbXH9w&t=34s 

YouTube. (2021, October 22). Betty White Snickers AD (2010). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5syJjBQ_k6o 

Zuzarte, R. M. (2024, February 15). 40 years later: Lessons from Apple’s 1984 as we reflect on the celebrity-driven ads of Super Bowl 2024. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/40-years-later-lessons-from-apples-1984-we-reflect-ads-zuzarte-imhoc

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The Professional Student: “Greatest Marketing Campaigns” Radio Advertisement Analysis

Progressing forward into the second week of the second course in my master’s program, students were challenged to examine 5 radio advertisements of our choosing and provide an in-depth analysis. Admittedly, I haven’t listened to traditional radio in over 14 years, so I enjoyed looking up different radio advertisements and even found some to be quite shocking

Before streaming became a thing, my main music source was listening to downloaded music on an old-school iPod, which was commercial-free. Those things are built like bricks and are virtually indestructible! I still own one, which is brand new in the box, should the time arise again for its trustworthy use. Now, I primarily stream all music on Spotify, but started out listening to Pandora when it was first released. 

The deliverables for the assignment analysis are composed into 5 different sections listed in the following order (Lahm & Lockwood, 2022):

  1. Describe the advertisement by product/service, company, brand, etc., and the focus. What was the appeal or technique that was used to evoke an emotional response? Include a link to the ad selected.
  2. What were the objectives of the campaign? To sell more? To inform customers about a new product feature? Were the objectives attainable and measurable, or were they time-specific? 
  3. Describe the target market that was the focus of the advertisement.
  4. What action does the advertisement want the audience to take? If action is taken, how will the audience member benefit from using the product? 
  5. Describe the value proposition of the product or service being offered in each advertisement. What are the specific reasons (product features and benefits) would drive customers to purchase the product or service being sold in each advertisement? 

In selecting my radio advertisements, I wanted to include a mix that I was familiar with and a mix that I was unfamiliar with. Growing up as a kid and teenager in the 1990s and early 2000s, listening to the radio was a main source of entertainment while I got ready for school. Before iTunes became a thing, there was a progression from radio to MP3 files that were downloadable either by using Napster or LimeWire. I’m pretty sure it was considered pirating music, but as a teenager, I didn’t really care. I just wanted to download songs, make playlists, and burn my own CDs. 

Radio Advertisement 1: hair pomade by Old Spice, which won a 2019 Radio Mercury award. Here is a link to the advertisement. https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/old-spice-pomade-radio/

The advertisement starts out with people, both men and women, calling into a radio show to request a “song” Pomade by Old Spice. The women are requesting songs for their boyfriends. A radio announcer gladly obliges, and a jingle comes on about Old Spice Pomade. The jingle explains, “You put it in your hair, not your other hair, but your head of hair. Your gorgeous head of hair. Pomade, such handsome, great hair!” Background singers are chiming in with “pomade” after every line in the jingle. 

The jingle is catchy, and there is some quick-witted humor involved with the line, “You put it in your hair, not your other hair, but your head of hair.” Let us leave it to the imagination to figure out what “other hair” could be referring to. There is also flattery involved, as those who use Old Spice pomade will have gorgeous and handsome hair. Growing up, Old Spice was a brand I thought of for my father, or grandfather, but not a young man. Their advertising has shifted greatly over the years to target younger men, which can kind of be reflected in this radio advertisement, as all of the callers sound like young adults. 

The objective of the advertisement is to inform customers of the product and sell hair pomade to men. The action is to purchase Old Spice hair pomade, which will benefit you by allowing you to achieve gorgeous and handsome hair by using the product. The value proposition is having gorgeous and handsome hair that impresses others or significant others. Old Spice hair pomade comes in multiple scents at a reasonable price. Regarding the success of the advertisement, I’m going to do a little more digging. Old Spice is owned by Proctor & Gamble, and according to Petruzzi (2024), net sales in the United States jumped from $28.6 billion to $31.3 billion from 2019-20, and have continued to increase over the past 3 years. According to Faria (2023), Proctor & Gamble spent $4.28 billion on advertising in 2019 and $4.72 billion in 2020. 

Radio Advertisement 2: O’Reilly Auto Parts. I chose this advertisement because of how catchy it is and how easily it gets stuck in my head. I often hear other people singing or humming the jingle out in public. Here is a link to the jingle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5McPlaK9awQ

O’Reilly Auto Parts is an auto parts store, and according to the advertisement, they offer “professional parts people who recommend the best products for your car.” The advertisement goes on to highlight some current sales happening when this radio advertisement was run in 2022. The emotion that was invoked is pleasant, as the jingle has always been catchy and upbeat. Listening to it, I felt good and like I could trust the employees and products offered at O’Reilly. 

The specific objective of this advertisement was to highlight and sell Peak antifreeze and engine coolant that was on sale with a mail-in rebate. There was no specific timeline in the advertisement, but since a sale was being advertised with a mail-in rebate, those are generally limited to a specific time frame. The target market for this advertisement would be people who drive and maintain their own cars and who might be looking to save a dollar, or a few dollars, with a sale and mail-in rebate. The advertisement encourages people to come on into O’Reilly Auto Parts to talk to professional parts people and get the best products for their cars. Talking to professional parts people who recommend the best products for cars is also the value proposition. The features and benefits of purchasing this coolant are that it is on sale with a rebate and gets maximum system cooling performance for 10 years or 300,000 miles with the Peak brand of long-life antifreeze and coolant. 

According to Placek (2024) O’Reilly Auto Part’s revenue was $14.41 billion in 2022 and $15.81 billion in 2023. According to O’Reilly Auto Part’s corporate website, there are 6,095 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and 62 stores are in Mexico. According to their advertising profile, they spent less than $100 million dollars last year on advertisements. 

Radio Advertisement 3: Bud Light, real men of genius. Budweiser is owned by Anheuser-Busch. This advertisement is 15 years old, but I chose Bud Light because I can always recall their commercials, and they always seem to have great success. I am not a beer or alcohol drinker, but Budweiser is memorable nonetheless. Here is a link to the advertisement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2-eqLrcyiA

The product that is being advertised is Bud Light to Mr. Camouflage Suit Maker, who has amazing skills of deception and can trick a deer into thinking they’re shrubs or a tree out for a walk as they perfect squiggly black lines of blogs and larger blogs all in spectacular shades of green. Bud Light is using flatty towards hunters and pumping up their egos’, as they’re “so smart” and deserving of a beer. 

Clearly, this advertisement refers to and targets men who are deer hunters, or hunters in general, who often wear camouflage clothing to blend into the background unnoticed by their prey. These hunters who “blend in and stand out” deserve a Bud Light for all their crafty camouflage work, as Bud Light can easily be accessorized with camouflage. It’s funny how the beer is being sold as an accessory first and not a beverage, which seems to be the value proposition, as Bud Light could be accessorized with camouflage in a camouflage beer koozie. 

According to Faria (2023) Anheuser-Busch spent $1.47 billion on advertising in 2009 and $1.36 billion in 2010 in the United States. Worldwide, sales revenue was $36.75 billion in 2009 and $36.27 billion in 2010 (Conway, 2024). I could not find specific sales for the United States, but it is interesting to see the correlation between sales worldwide and the amount spent on advertising in the United States for 2010, as they both decreased. 

Radio Advertisement 4: Subway, 2007 Radio Mercury award winner. Here is a link to the advertisement, and I am going to point out that this is pretty shocking as it involves a lot of fat shaming. http://www.radiomercuryawards.org/spotdetail.cfm?id=15

The advertisement starts out with a couple ordering food at a generic fast-food restaurant. The names of the meals are “double chins,” “badonka dunks,” “love handles,” and “thunder thighs,” to name a few. It ends by describing the “California fit menu options” with raisins, low-fat milk, and apple slices, a tasty alternative to burgers and fries. 

The emotions used are trying to guilt people using a shock factor (choice of words) into being healthier because they might have thunder thighs, double chins, a badonka donk booty, and so on, basically fat shamming people as if having an imperfect body is such a bad thing. The name of the menu is “California-Fit,” which makes me think of Hollywood and the ridiculously strict standards that celebrities are held to regarding physical appearances. The advertisement encourages people to go to Subway and try new, healthier alternatives to burgers and fries, such as raisins, low-fat milk, and apple slices. The target market appears to be people who might be feeling out of shape or insecure about their body types and who are looking to “get healthier” and will benefit from achieving their health goals by eating California-fit menu items. 

This advertisement is from 2007, and I could not find any sales data from that year. The earliest sales data I found available began in 2015 at $11.5 billion dollars and has been decreasing over the years to $10.37 billion in 2022. Subway experienced a boom in the early 2000s with the success of Jared Fogle’s weight loss, who then became the Subway spokesperson from 2000-2015 until an FBI investigation led him to become a convicted sex offender for child sex tourism and possessing child sex pornography (Do Couto, 2023). Subway ingredients have also come under fire over the years in the United States and in European countries. 

Radio Advertisement : Ragu pasta sauce, a 2013 Radio Mercury award winner. I consider this advertisement to be a bit controversial, as there are a lot of political undertones that could be seen as poking fun at liberals or democrats. Mind you, Barrack Obama was the President of the United States at the time. http://www.radiomercuryawards.org/spotdetail.cfm?id=1445

The advertisement starts out with a child complaining to their mother about a sibling playing with toys. Mom lets the child know that “we share” in this house, and a song begins. The song sings, “You gotta share all your stuff according to mommy, who knew you were being raised by a socialist commie. Because Ragu is growin up tough. Because Ragu, she’s been through enough.”

The next version of this song starts out with a teacher taking attendance in class, calling out a child’s name, “Moon Topaz Henderson.” The song starts to play, “Her name is creative, and her parents are to blame. Now she has to go through life with a stupid effin name! Because Ragu, growing up is tough. Ragu, she’s been through enough.” 

The next version of this song starts out with a father shopping for shoes for his son. The father asks his son how the shoes fit, and the son replies that they’re too big. Dad says you just gotta grow into them. The song starts, “You wear a size 7, but he pulls a 10 off the shelf. You have to walk around like a hobo and look like an elf! Because Ragu, growing up is tough. Ragu, he’s been though enough.”

The tagline used at the end of all three: “A long day of childhood calls for America’s favorite pasta sauce.” 

The product being offered is Ragu pasta sauce, which is targeted at parents. The parents should buy Ragu pasta sauce and make their kids dinner after a tough day, as growing up is rough. The emotions that are invoked here are mixed because the lyrics are outrageous and politically charged followed by a catchy jingle. My jaw dropped on several occasions. Is it effective? Yes! Is it effective in a positive way? Absolutely not. The value proposition is that parents can make an easy meal their kids will enjoy and eat with America’s favorite pasta sauce. 

According to Wunsch (2014), Ragu was ranked in the United States behind Prego at $246.6 billion in sales revenue in 2013. Prego had $390.4 billion. I could not find any statistics on how much money Ragu spent on advertising in 2013. 

References

Company overview. Corporate Information General Info. (n.d.). https://corporate.oreillyauto.com/corporate-information-general-info#:~:text=More%20Info-,Locations,and%2062%20stores%20in%20Mexico. 

Conway, J. (2024, March 11). Anheuser-Busch inbev revenue 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/269112/revenue-of-anheuser-busch-inbev-worldwide/ 

Do Couto, S. (2023, March 7). Jared Fogle Documentary: How the child predator was brought down – national. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/9533658/jared-from-subway-fogle-catching-a-monster-documentary/ 

Faria, J. (2023a, September 6). Procter & Gamble: AD Spend in the U.S. 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/191998/ad-spending-of-procter-and-gamble-in-the-us/ 

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