April 6, 2012 - Evolution of Automobile Advertising (Part 2)

Now that we've gotten past the innocence of the previous three decades, it's time to rev up our engines in the 80s, 90s, and 00s.

1980s

What kind of mpg does this car get? What kind of engine does it have? What safety features are included? We're not going to find out the answer to any of these questions, because this car and this commercial are not about those types of things. This commercial wanted to tell a story. Whether you quit your job, and go out on your own, the Mercury will be there for you. This commercial also differentiates itself by the market its choosing to sell to. There's not a hint of male undertone in this commercial. You've come a long way, baby!

1990s

It would seem that for the 90s, the Mercury brand was struggling a little, and this advertisement certainly doesn't seem like it would help. In this spot, we get no information about the car itself and only vague references to why we should drive it. Commercials in the 90s were much more about the humor. They were silly, and they hoped people would buy their cars based on memory alone.So instead of getting to know a car, we get a soap opera parody, and bad puns.

"The Mercury Mountaineer. Not a lot going for it."

2000s

And here in this spot, we get a sort of mix of the 80s and the 90s. Is it funny? Yes. Does it have an engaging story? Yes. And does it sell a benefit of the car? Yes.
This is a truly great car commercial, and it's important to realize how excellently each commercial captured its era. Listen to the way announcer voice has changed or the way cars are depicted in the last 50 years. It's amazing the road that automobile advertising has followed until we arrive a quality commercial like the one above.

Rather than continuing with cars, the next blog post will talk about the evolution of McDonald's advertising. Stay tuned!

April 4, 2012 - Evolution of Automobile Advertising (Part 1)

Today we'll be looking at the difference between car commercials in the 1950s, in the 1960s, and in the 1970s.
And just for fun, we'll be looking at how Mercury has updated with the times to advertise to what people really want.

1950s

In the 1950s, people wanted "miles and miles of smooth riding comfort," and "lounge-rest foam-rubber seat cushions" and they really wanted "Merco-therm ventilating" (whatever that means).It's evident that people were looking for a car that did everything it was supposed to. It should be the latest technology in comfort and providing a smooth ride. They wanted their ride to be "Better in Economy."

Another interesting is the shots of the car itself. In this TV spot, every image of the car seems very clinical and precise. It's nothing too fancy, just showing an all-around car that's "Better than ever in every way."

1960s

Turn your volume up for this one. It's very quiet.

"We couldn't make comet much tougher, so we made it more beautiful." What a perfect line to ring in the 60s with. This was the period when cars started to become fetishized. Notice how the camera slowly spins around the car while the announcer talks in a hushed, quieted voice. It's almost sensual!

"More graceful proportions" Ooh!
"Four-speed stick, bucket seats" Aah!
"Warm walnut coloring of its dashboard" Oh my!

While the Mercury Comet still claims to be a durability champion, people are not buying it for its reliabilty. In the 1960s, they bought it to look good.


1970s

Remember to turn your volume back down.

It's the 70s now, and Mercury doesn't even need to show you a car for the first 30 seconds. It's all cats, helicopters, and weird metallic containers. The fetish object of the 60s has become a full-on lifestyle choice. Sure, it's still got those "glove-soft bucket seats" and "instruments embedded in rich vinyl," but that's definitely not what people care about. How can you pay attention to those things when there's a woman petting a live cougar in your backseat?

And that's what this car symbolizes. If you drive a cougar, you're as wild as a wildcat and can attract Farrah Fawcett-type women. There's no more talk of economy or "Merco-therm ventilating" (that term still confuses me.), and the innuendo of the 60s is replaced by in-your-face soft selling. They really started selling the benefits rather than just the features or attributes.

The next blog post will cover the 80s, 90s, and 00s years of automobile advertising where things get sillier, sexier, and subtler. (Not necessarily in that order.)

April 2, 2012 - How we all became selfish pricks!

Time to drop a history lesson on y'all.

WWI. Flu Pandemic. Stock Market Crash. The Great Depression. Death. Disease. Loss of Jobs. Loss of Independence. Loss of Life. And this was all in a 25-year period.

The children who lived during the depression would go on to fight in WWII. They are able to leave their homes and experience new cultures, new food, new drugs, and new ways of life. And what do they find when they get back? Free trips to college, a huge manufacturing boom, readily-available jobs, and horny women.

Now these soldiers are back at home and they are starting families, and raising children. They want to give their kids everything they could never have. They provide the suburban home, the TV, the radio, and the chicken in every pot. They still gather everyone together as a family.

And here is where we transition. These baby-boomers grow up among affluence, disposable income, and a parent who wants to give them everything they want. The transistor radio is invented allowing for the portability and freedom of music. Elvis sells sex through music and the world is going down the terlet. Advertisers completely shift into selling to this growing generation, and everyone wants to give them material possessions and objects of desire.How do they respond?

They become hippies. . .

We don't need all that stuff, man! We don't need your material goods, man! We don't need the Man, man!

And then the 70s and 80s rolled around. The counterculture had their own children which gave to way to new responsibilities, and all of a sudden . . .

Hippies got jobs.

These people went to work in offices. They created new products and status symbols. The PC, the walkman, and every other device that created individuality and portability. Families didn't gather around technology anymore. Individuals did. Look at the names of the products. The Personal computer. The walkman. It all screams exclusivity and is targeted at just single people. No groups.

I don't want anybody else listening.

Expand technology outward and what do we have in the '90s, 2000s, and 2010s? Even more personal technology. We've got ipods that hold hundreds of collectively, curated and personally tailored music included with headphones so we're the only ones listening. We can watch movies and TV shows on personal screens. We can handle all our finances, and buy everything we need without ever interacting with a human. We don't just have phones anymore, we have smart devices. And they are only going to keep getting smarter. And more personal. Until eventually we reach . . .

Also, as  a quick note. What's the massive undercurrent for all new technology and new advances in the last 50 years?

PORN

And that is how we all became selfish pricks!

March 23, 2012 - AIDA

SELLING TO YOUR AUDIENCE!

Attention

The first step is obviously to grab somebody's attention. It's the moment of "Hey you!"

The best ways to nab attention are to educate and entertain. You have to be outlandish and outrageous, so you'll get noticed, but it's also important to have a product or service worth all that attention.

"Our brand Ski Poles are fire-resistant!"

Interest

This is the "You want!" portion of the portion of the pitch. You talk up the benefits and never disclose the bad news. You create buzz. A good trick is to act like you're revealing a secret to a customer. They'll feel like they can be trusted and everyone likes the feeling of being an insider.

"You look at the camera too much."

Desire

The "We've got!" statement. Now that they're interested, you make the product or service available, thus turning their interest into desire. Maslow is a key figure here. Of course, we all desire safety and comfort, but also intellectual pursuits and the ability to simplify our lives. How will whatever you're selling play-in to all that?

Action

"Buy Now."

Why is the "now" so important? Because it's all about creating scarcity and demand. People are lazy, and if we don't buy or act or order "now," we'll start think more rationally.

And logic is the real death of a salesman.

March 19, 2012 - King Corn

Features: What is it about corn? What is common to all corn? 

-It's a vegetable. It's a starch.

-Most widely grown crop in Americas.

-It's also known as maize.

These are the features. They are basically the Wikipedia page of the product.

Attributes: What is specific about corn?

-color (yellow, white, red)

-price

-container (can, bag, fresh)

-quantity (small, large)

use (popcorn, hominy, on-the-cob, other things)

This is one of the other things.

Benefits: And what are we actually selling?

-free time by quick preparation

-more money in your pocket

-longer life through healthy living

Corn and exercise. That's the secret.

The next step in selling this corn is determining the audience. Let's look at three of them.

College Age (18-28)

-lazy

-poor

-impulse purchases

-high energy

-drunks

-corn is "convenient"

-No cooking ability

"I've never seen half this shit!"

Families (25 - 45)

-a central purchasing authority

-budget w/ splurging opportunities

-needs large quantity of food

-nutritional needs

-corn is "dinner"

Retired Age (55-75)

-money hoarding

-health-conscious

-lives in the past (nostalgia)

-smaller appetites

-Corn is "security"

"I still buy corn that has its husk."

In the next blog post, I will detail just how to market corn to these very different audiences.

March 16, 2012 - Skip Day

Skip Day.

+

Skip Day.

March 14, 2012 - Brand Conscious

No one can escape brands. In my life, at any given time, I'm surrounded by at least 5 different brands. I'm typing on my Toshiba laptop and clicking my Logitech mouse which rests comfortably on a Crystal Classics mousepad. I'm reading from my New Leaf notebook and filling out a New York Times Crossword Calendar with my Uni-ball pen by the light of my Star Wars lamp using a GE lightbulb. I'll probably print my assignment on my HP printer using Xerox paper. . . or maybe I'll just play my Parrot Bay harmonica instead.

All that was stuff that was just sitting on my desk! That's 11 brands surrounding me that I use on a regular basis. But the question is: What do these brands say about me?

The New York Times crossword and Star Wars paraphernalia clearly hint at nerdy interests.

At least I'm not this nerdy.

The New Leaf notebook hints at eco-conscious tendencies (when in reality, it was the only notebook available at the UMKC Bookstore) and Toshiba and HP are both signs of efficient, but economical mid-grade technology purchases. What do all these add up to? My brands clearly identify me as a college student. 

And that's how it always seems to work. People buy brands that are targeted to them, and brands target the audience they want to give their product to. It's a give and take.

Here's another important lesson to think about. When selling a product, you've got to sell not only the benefit, but also the benefitofthechange. The audience will ask themselves: Is this product worth it to me?

And from an advertising perspective, it's important the needs and desires of your audience. Let's look at an example of car purchases.

When talking cars, what is a 8-year-old most interested in?

Fast cars.

As compared to an 18-year-old?

Cheap cars.

Or a 48-year-old?

Fast cars. The circle of life.

The whole idea is to be brand conscious. Be aware of what you are buying and why? It could even tell you a little something about yourself.

Like how this guy must love his Nike shoes.