Old Spice knows: brave:works pay off

It’s hard to imagine the Old Spice marketing manager’s response to the latest campaign pitch from Weiden + Kennedy, but we’re sure it was something along the lines of: “This is either gonna break me or make me.” Now, a year and two months after it’s launch, it’s clear it most certainly did the latter. The ad awards are flowing in, along with record sales.

Early reports claimed that Old Spice sales were surprisingly down after the launch of the iconic campaign, despite huge success in the social media world. But now that final numbers are in, we can take a moment to pat a few very brave individuals on the back. With a 107% sales increase, we applaud the Old Spice marketing team for having enough guts to follow their agency down a very unconventional path. We applaud the account execs for being brave enough to support this zany idea. And we most certainly applaud Old Spice execs for not pulling the spots after a few shaky numbers in the beginning.

The lesson. Be brave. It pays off.

Forbes recently named the campaign one of the 20 best social media campaigns ever! Want to know more? Here’s a summary of the Old Spice man strategy and its impact on consumers:

Brave Wins

As an update to our previous post on Coke’s “happiness campaign”, here’s a nod to Definition 6 – winner of Ad Age’s Small Agency Campaign of the Year. Coke teamed with the Atlanta-based agency on an unconventional, real-world approach to extending its happiness mantra.

Definition 6’s assignment from Coke: create a video that has viral traction. Easier said than done since viral videos are unlike what agencies create on a day-to-day basis. With online, you cannot simply buy airtime based upon ratings and Definition 6 Creative Director John Harne stressed to this point to Coke. “There are no guarantees to viral success: luck and timing are a huge part of this success.”

So, armed with only $60,000, a dilapidated Coke dispenser, and the pressure of this MUST go viral looming over their heads – and an idea -- Definition 6 set up the “happiness machine.” A week after it was posted to YouTube the video had 500,000 views and, to date, it has surpassed 2.6 million – making it a bona fide viral sensation. The campaign became so popular that the agency later re-created the film for broadcast and aired it during this year’s season finale of “American Idol.”

Location, location, location

We all know the golden rule of real estate, but how does it relate to online marketing?  

Geolocation is the hottest topic in the technology industry today.  The proliferation of GPS-aware mobile devices  means connecting the dots between what you’re doing and where you’re doing it is easier than ever. There is finally a real opportunity for marketers to make money using  “location”.

If you’re not already actively using location-based social network sites like Foursquare, Yelp, GoWalla and Angies List, consider this new marketing channel a step beyond a typical social media campaign. Services like these are catering to businesses who are now offering location-based deals, and gathering data around where consumers are and what they are doing is becoming increasingly valuable.

Utilizing new channels is brave marketing, especially when it involves investing resources and a certain amount of risk. Some advertisers who have taken the leap into new territory have reported remarkable success.  Domino’s Pizza in the UK reported it’s Foursquare campaign contributed to a 29% increase in profit (about $26 million)  http://mashable.com/2010/07/12/dominos-uk-social-media/

As this technology become more widely used, and it will, it will become part of our lives,  just as texting and tweeting did.

Apple = Brave … again

With the recent release of the iPhone 4, the latest and greatest from Apple, comes a new wave of innovation: mobile video conferencing.  Other smartphones have had video conferencing capabilities for a while, but they are not as easy to use as the iPhone 4’s FaceTime. All you need for FaceTime is, another iPhone 4 user and a wi-fi network. Considering the iPhone’s increasing popularity and the rush of other companies to compete with Apple, this technology is changing the world as we know it. Therefore, Apple = Brave.

Whether used for business or pleasure, mobile video conferencing changes how we communicate. Now we can have face-to-face conversations without having to leave the house, minus some of the privacy that comes with email or a regular phone call. It gives a new feel to “working from home,” or conferencing in to a work meeting while on vacation. It could also mean that when your parents call at noon waking you up, you won’t be able to tell them you’ve been out of bed for hours.

We’ve all dreamt of a future with flying cars and video phones replacing regular phones everywhere. It is finally here - sans the flying cars, of course. Are we ready?

Is it brave to go long?

Recent trends show that good advertising is effective in packages that are longer than the traditional :30 or :60 second ad.  Pepsi, Kraft Foods, Sprint, Nike and others are creating ads, short films and other fun pieces that are anywhere from a few minutes to nearly a half-hour in length. And consumers are making a choice to view the best of it – and pass it along to friends.

There are a number of reasons fueling the growth of long-form.

• First, the proliferation of media has resulted in a clutter of bad to average advertising. So, when ads are actually good, they stand out as valuable information and/or entertainment and consumers are willing to watch. Hard sell is so yesterday, and a little length allows an engaging story to develop.  

• Economics are changing as media changes. The average cost of a :30 ad ($380,000 … Dorothy, you’re not in Alaska anymore) can be spread across TV, the internet and other mediums – so adding mediums is a negligible cost for some companies.

• Success. Brands like those mentioned earlier and others are reporting measureable success with long form, urging others on. Who doesn’t want consumers to spend more time with their brand?

The question: is this really a case for long-form advertising. Or for good advertising period? It takes hard work and skill to create the good stuff – but when you succeed, does size matter?

Brave enough to try something provocative?

Here in Brandville we believe in creative work that gets results. We know that brave:works, first and foremost, require an idea … something fresh that commands or engages attention while informing or entertaining (versus blending in with the woodwork).

Our recent Pledge to Live campaign for the Alaska Department of Boating Safety demanded a provocative idea. An idea to get people interested in and talking about the importance of wearing life jackets … to save lives.

Our creative team offered up a dramatic event to support the campaign. In our pitch to the client, we warned that the concept was “out there,” but would surely get people talking. After slight hesitation, they deferred to our creative, strategic judgment. Then and throughout the entire planning process, our client adopted a brave attitude and trusted us to do the job. The end result? The campaign was dubbed “newsworthy” after being passed by state leadership, and we were given the go ahead even though it made some of them uncomfortable – a true indication of bravery.  And it was deemed award winning by the International Boating & Water Safety Summit in its 2010 media competition.

Our best work happens when our clients are brave. Brave enough to trust our instincts and counsel. And brave enough to step out of their comfort zone. This campaign is a true example of how, brave:works.

Brave enough to fight the epidemic?

In order to do our jobs effectively here in Brandville, we need to understand target audiences.  It’s interesting to study trends and compare traits from different generations.

According to Dr. Jean Twenge, co-author of “The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement,” today’s young generation has more self-esteem and is more extroverted, confident, assertive and competitive, than any other generation in the past. They are also self-centered, prone to feel entitled to things they haven’t earned, and lack any deep emotional connections – all of which are narcissistic traits. Yikes.

Of course not everyone is narcissistic but, if we look around, narcissism can be seen in everyday aspects of today’s culture - from the current obsession with celebrities, to song lyrics that say “don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me,” to a rise in plastic surgery rates.

How do we connect with this audience and not fuel this narcissism? Twenge suggests that as a society we begin to focus on personal responsibility, quality relationships, a sense of community, thrift, more compassion for self and others and, most of all, gratitude for what we already have instead of what we deserve. The question is: are we brave enough to fight the trend?

Can brave:work create happiness?

Research shows it’s not enough for people to be satisfied; they want to be happy. Thus the proliferation of brands marketing “happy,” from Coke to Lay’s Potato Chips (a Pepsi brand) to IHOP.

Coke’s happiness vending machine placed on a college campus surprised and delighted, dispersing everything from soda to pizza and fresh flowers. And the YouTube video that captured the fun captured a million hits in about 10 days: YouTube.com

The long-lasting “Happiness Factory” campaign (launched 2006) continues to engage. It includes a music track, downloadable ringtones and the Happiness Factory microsite. On the site, users play simple, silly games to help workers in the Coca-Cola factory in the “assembly line of elation responsible for the joy found in every bottle.” (Only the truest Coke lovers out there can understand that gushing sentiment.)

The simple truth: it is fun. Score a little happiness for yourself: cocacola.com

iPad=Brave:move?

In Brandville, there’s been a lot of discussion surrounding the latest gizmo: the iPad. As expected, many of our citizens have cried WE MUST HAVE THIS DEVICE! We’re ad people! Just think what it would do for client presentations! And, excitingly, the second-generation iPad is already set to launch this Friday, 4/30.

To further fan the flames (and demands), this story broke: the Norwegian prime minister “practically ran the country from his iPad while stranded due to the volcanic ash.”  According to Jens Stoltenberg’s press secretary, he was stranded in New York but effortlessly continued his work on his new Apple iPad. This begs the questions: will Obama follow suit? But most importantly: will the citizens of Brandville?

Can brave thinking save the world?