Time For...Tims?

   I'm not a Tim Hortons brand loyalist. I definitely enjoy their food and drinks given their relatively low price point, but Tim Hortons is more of a thing of convenience for me. If it's there, I will go.
That's why I was surprised by how much I felt personally affected when they recently decided to go ahead and change their slogan. All of the sudden, at the end of their commercials, viewers are faced with an obnoxious "Time For Tims." "Time For Tims"? Really? I don't know, I just don't know.
When it first struck me that I was so off-put by this new slogan, I tried to think of their old slogan. A slew of random jingles came to mind but upon second thought, these were all the jingles of other fast-food companies that I had just assigned some random, seemingly-fitting Tim Hortonsesque lyrics to.
   So I did a little digging. Alongside a long list of truly trivial trivia on the Tim Hortons website, I found my answer:

   Of course! "Always Fresh." I mean it's certainly boring but it gets the point across. Come to think of it, the "Always Fresh" slogan is plastered on all of their packaging and promotional materials. But it definitely never jumped out at me like the "Time For Tims" slogan remodel. So back to the original point of this post: why does "Time For Tims" irk me so much? Because it's exclusionary. It's fair to say that only a certain percentage of people actually refer to Tim Hortons as "Tims." I'm sure you have gathered at this point that I am not part of that small percentage. And, judging from my everyday interactions with my peers, I would say that the majority of my age group never refers to Tim Hortons as Tims. I think the only people I ever really hear referring to it as Tims are my middle-aged co-workers at my blue collar job. Sure, these individuals might actually comprise the core of the Tim Hortons target audience, but is it really a good strategy to alienate everyone else?
   I personally don't know Tim Hortons as Tims. They are essentially changing my whole idea of what Tim Hortons is. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Seems like a risky move on "Tims'" part.

Constructing Curiosity

   This week I wanted to talk about something that I've always thought of as being a bit of an anomaly. For lack of a more official term, I will refer to it as the construction site peephole. 

   Peepholes are not necessary for the advancement of construction projects. They are simply there to satisfy the public's curiosity. Peepholes stand out in my mind because it seems as though very little in our society is done without a fixed and obvious drive behind it (usually that drive is monetary gain). But with construction site peepholes, there is very little at play here other than to give people a look at what's on the other side of the fence. Often what you come to see isn't even very impressive. Usually it's just some machines digging holes or lifting things and burly construction workers milling about. But the simple fact of the matter is that on street level, people do not like to walk alongside a fence within clear earshot of the sounds of industry and not have an idea of what is being built. On the whole, we are preoccupied with productivity and advancement. People like to be in the know.

   Now, this led me to think about how construction site peepholes could be used to develop some very creative, off-the-wall (no pun intended) advertising. I find it surprising how so few companies, whether it be the construction company itself or the company responsible for what's being built, take advantage of this valuable advertising opportunity. 

   I did a quick search online to find some examples of peephole advertising that have been done in the past. I was expecting to see some really neat things and to be honest, it was difficult to find anything of substance. 

   So many advertisers slave over the simple task of grasping their audience’s attention. In the case of peepholes, they already have the people’s attention – why not give them something to look at? 

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I revel in the magnificence of fine-tuned advertising copy as much as the next ad-junkie. However, there is a prevailing and undeniable trend of advertising that incorporates little, if any, copy. The central visual may be supported by a single tag line but nothing more than that. Any supplemental information is all construed by the viewer from the subtext of the image.
Here are some impressive examples pulled from the Communication Arts 2011 Advertising Annual issue:

BandSports: Family Portrait (follow link for more ads from the campaign at Ads Of The World)

Land Rover: Go Beyond

3M: Cushion Wrap

I WANT MY JUNKMAIL

   I am consistently impressed with the total brand experience provided by Anthropologie. I grudgingly admit it: I have crossed the line from being a passive, disconnected shopper to an involved and educated super-consumer. I am on the mailing list (acceptable), I check out all of the new promotions (alright, now I'm getting embarassed) and I sometimes even frequent Anthropologie-centric shopping blogs (gasp!!!).
   Now the point of this post is that with brand loyalty programs often come little perks. During the month of your birthday, some stores will offer you a discount or a free gift. Anthropologie, for example, sends out a little cloth envelope via mail, beautifully packaged, with a coupon for 15% off your next purchase (pictured. Photo credit: http://effortlessanthropologie.blogspot.com). Lurkers of this brand are fully aware of the elusive b-day gift, which is actually awarded by lottery to its brand subscribers (read: not EVERYONE receives the discount). You can imagine the outrage provoked in those not fortunate enough to receive the discount.
   Now let's compare the DM birthday discount sent out by Anthropologie to all of the other random stuff we get in the mail each day. It's funny to think that we get so annoyed with companies that send us mail, whether hard-copy or electronic, when we do not have a relationship with that company. It takes an investment of time and communication to establish that kind of connection with a consumer. If a "stranger" company moves too fast, woah, watch out – it's rejection time. That DM piece is going straight from my mailbox to the recycling bin. But, on the other end of the spectrum, once that solid bond is formed, there is expectation.
   I think that Anthropologie is walking a fine line by not offering the coveted birthday discount to ALL of its loyal customers. To not receive the birthday discount during the month of your birthday is the equivalent of a virtual slap in the face. I'm sure customer service receives countless calls from irate customers and the cries are loud and clear: I want my junkmail.

Copycats

   Like almost anyone who has had the pleasure of viewing these commercials, I was delighted by the Dos Equis: The Most Interesting Man In The World ads when they first aired in 2007. Euro RSCG introduced an entirely new and unexpected spokesperson for an alcoholic beverage. The campaign was surprising, playful and extremely entertaining.
   In regards to the campaign, Euro explains that
"In place of Joe Drinker, we created The Most Interesting Man In The World, dashingly attired in Hemmingway-style suits, situated in highly exotic and intriguing locales. Instead of soothing the drinker with familiar and generic cues of masculinity, Dos Equis used the sophisticated figure of The Most Interesting Man to imply that all their drinkers could and should be living a more interesting life." Quote
   Based on the key consumer insight that imported beer drinkers longed to be seen as more interesting people, Euro developed a campaign that was groundbreaking and adored by the public and critics alike.
   Now, a few years later, I find it interesting to note how many so-called copycat commercials appear to be riding on the wake of Dos Equis' success. Both Jamieson's Irish Whiskey and Johnny Walker Scotch have come up with commercials following the success model established by Dos Equis. Both the Jamieson's spot and the Johnny Walker spot feature supposedly extraordinary men with a mysterious, intriguing air about them. On their own, the commercials certainly aren't bad. They each have their charm. However, I simply can't get past the fact that they appear to be blatant attempts to piggyback on the success of Dos Equis' campaign. Then again, I'm an advertising student. What I'd really like to know is whether or not the general public has taken note of this as well.

Copywriting Hiccup!

I find it so interesting when you happen to notice something in a commercial that strikes you as being somewhat off-kilter, then you see the same commercial a couple of weeks later and the perceived problem has been fixed.
A current example: a few weeks ago, I was watching television with my boyfriend and we saw the new commercial in Bud Light's "I'm In" campaign. There's a scene that shows the main character texting to his friend and on his screen he clearly types out: "Two words: I'm in." My boyfriend is studying his Masters in English Literature so he clearly had a few issues with this statement. This set off us on a little discussion about how "I'm in" is actually three words because "I'm" is a contraction. I proposed that they probably opted to say "two words" instead of "three words" because given their target audience, writing "three" would probably confuse people more than "two."
Now skip ahead to last week, when I happened upon the same commercial, except this time, instead of typing "Two words: I'm in," the commercial was edited to only say "I'm in," clearly abandoning the "two words" part.
I suppose the little detail caused enough outrage from the public resulting in enough complaints that it made sense for them to channel the funds into having the commercial edited. They always say that for each person who actually files a formal complaint, there are at least 25 people who are thinking it.

Sexism Still Rampant in Present-Day Advertising

I must say that I am always a bit shocked and dismayed when I see examples blatant sexism in current advertising. Yesterday I saw this 30-second spot for the 2012 VW Passat. The ad features a woman and her husband driving to the emergency room. The woman is going into labour and is in obvious distress and discomfort. Upon arriving at the emergency room, her husband and the paramedic ignore the woman's pleas and instead, take their time to marvel at the apparent magnificence of the 2012 Passat. At one point, the man even shuts the door to muffle his wife's cries.
I find this ad to be absolutely disgusting. It's meant to be funny, but it's hard to imagine that any woman would laugh at this. Having a baby is one of the most intense, painful and life altering experiences for a woman. This advertisement diminishes the significance of childbirth and shows little regard for the comfort or feelings of women. I personally expect a much higher caliber of advertising from Volkswagen, who are known for their impressive, innovative creative. It's hard to believe that this idea ever made it off of the drawing board.

Self-Aware Ad Copy That Works

I should think it appropriate to kick off this blog with an example of what I feel is effective advertising copy. The particular commercial that I am referring to in this instance is Leo Burnett's new television ad for Ikea Canada from the Long Live The Home campaign (click here to view the 60-second spot).

   First, we should take notice of the abrupt departure that this ad takes from Ikea's established advertising style. In the past, Ikea has been known for its commercials that are quirky and funny. This ad is far from that. Instead, the Long Live The Home campaign redefines the term "emotional appeal." From the loyal family pet to the teenage heart break, as viewers, we are inundated with copy and images that are emotionally charged. The ad is absolutely brimming with gratuitous, saccharine descriptions of the significance of home. Long Live The Home doesn't tug at your heart strings – it's too nice for that. Instead it embraces your heart strings because it's just that nice.
   The funny thing is that as an advertising student, I feel as though I could literally reproduce the creative brief that Leo Burnett worked from to make this ad. The idea itself is really not that groundbreaking. However, the execution is immaculate. The copy is simple, but so effective. As viewers, we are fully aware that we are being served a huge portion of sticky, sweet sap, but somehow, it is so heartwarming that we don't even care. In some instances, when poorly executed, emotional appeals in advertising can backfire in a big way. If the audience is aware that their emotions are being exploited in a cheap try for their pocket books, they will dismiss the commercial altogether. But in this case, it is so well done that while self-aware, the audience still takes the bait. It's simple, it's sappy and it works.