Posted by Craig M.: 

With so many Michael Jackson tributes being aired now covering his iconic performances and antics in all types of arenas, it’s easy to forget about his endorsement deals.  What was then the largest endorsement ever signed by a superstar, Jackson’s agreement with Pepsi would become a sensation that even cusper Millenials will recognize.  And of course, this is the shoot at which his hair caught on fire.

The director of the spot, Bob Giraldi, recalls the events of the shoot on AdAge, including a lesser-known restroom anecdote. 

Are celebrity endorsements worth it?

The value of celebrity endorsements is a constant argument amid marketers worldwide, and can at the very least be considered high-risk, high-reward.  Tethering a brand to a face, whether pro pitchman or celebrity, not only depends on the current circumstances of the face in question, but also relies on the continued ability of that person to stay the heck out of trouble. 

Here’s a good rundown of why celebrity pitches work to begin with, and some of the pitfalls that await.

Now, thanks to YouTube, marketers must be even more cautious when considering a major deal with a personality.  Just in case anyone needed a reminder of what can happen when brands go all-in on a face, here’s a list of some disasters that are at least fun to recall.  Ah, schadenfreude.

When’s the last time you mentioned Denny’s?  Or thought of it, even.  Probably late night or on the road - choices were a little limited, eh? Well Denny’s is trying to do something about that, giving us a more rockin’ side to consider as they attempt to take back the after hours crowd.  This article from Time Magazine features Denny’s entre to the afterparty:

Guard your Grand Slam breakfasts, people. The recession has hit casual-dining chains like Denny’s, Chili’s and the Cheesecake Factory particularly hard, as consumers have traded down to less expensive fare at McDonald’s. To draw more customers, Denny’s is sponsoring shindigs like this one, building on its reputation as an after-party haven for young, hungry drunks (and, the company is quick to point out, sober people too). From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the 56-year-old chain has started playing alternative-rock music in its restaurants. It has sponsored more than 30 emerging bands, like Me Talk Pretty, which get free meals on the road as long as they occasionally head to Denny’s for a postshow jam session. The chain has also added cheap items to its late-night menu (Pancake Puppies, Kickin’ Flavor Wraps), designed to be shared by groups of amped-up rabble rousers."

 

Jack In The Box’s (JIB) mini sirloin burger spot has to be my vote for stickiest commercial of the year so far.  No, I haven’t bought any burgers, but I have spent many a sleepless hour with it echoing in my head. Jack in the Box is top of my mind - often. Too often. Thanks to that jingle.

I think every agency creative’s ultimate goal is to make a cultural statement out of a commercial.  Mastercard’s Priceless is a good example. It’s practically everyday vernacular - spoofs, signs and common jargon. It has been impressed upon us. That is an organic bulls-eye that continues to build the brand beyond any media buy. The phenom just doesn’t happen that often. 

Perhaps JIB is on the way.  I just heard a radio show play the jingle going into a break - no media buy there.  And check out this clip from Jimmy Kimmel followed by the commercial. Maybe product placement; maybe not.

Create an amazing experience, and it will travel far and wide beyond just those few in attendance.  And most likely, using a cell phone.  Nice work, T-Mobile.  Way to do something both cool and something that ties back to the product experience and brand. 

From Trend Hunter:

On Saturday, May 2nd, the company released some videos filmed on April 30th for their new advert “Sing.” The vids show a gigantic karaoke party of about 13,000 people gathered in the square singing “Hey Jude” by The Beatles and a number of other songs that are not included in this video.

Over 2,000 microphones were distributed among the crowd, while lyrics to the songs were shown on gigantic screens, just like at a real karaoke bash.

The crowd seemed to be having a great time, but was suddenly stunned when an image of singer Pink was transmitted onto giant screens hanging over the square. And they were then sent into a frenzy when cameras panned around to reveal that the singer was at the event in person.

“Sing” was created by super advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.

This video apology from a Dominos Pizza store in Chicago in amazing for many reasons. Here are a couple:

First, that it happened in this format - what a great way to answer some potential criticism spreading like wildfire from "Interactive Amy."  It positions the brand/store as creative, responsive and tech advanced - better than ruining a pizza.

Secondly, that it seems authentic - Church of The Customer Blog notes that the script seems opposite of any corporate policy, pre-written statement than can seem, well, not genuine.  This is something worth sharing with your circle of friends, undoing a lot of the original damage.  Heck, we’re talking about it aren’t we?

Way to keep the customer first. This Domino’s store apparently understands every customer interaction is an opportunity for a positive impression.  That’s what marketing and building a brand is all about.

I watched the film Man On Wire recently (very entertaining, btw).  This amazing stunt between the two World Trade Center towers in 1974 captured the eyeballs and imagination of many.  

Petit got many impressions and had to go to great lengths and planning to do so.  It had to be something unreal to get the attention of the press, through which all impressions were made.

We talk about impressions in this industry constantly.  And thankfully, a lot has changed in the last 35 years.  Sure, this sentiment is not breaking news, but the technology evolution and social adoption of buzz-enabling tools is still pretty unbelieveable in its own right.  If you do something amazing, the eyeballs can find you so much easier than in yesteryear, thanks to the internet (24-hour news sites, YouTubes, Facebooks, blogosphere, streaming video), go-anywhere communication devices (mobile phones and digital cameras) and cable TV’s thousands of channels.

Now if you do something amazing, say clear from San Francisco, my eyeballs can find you from my living room in Dallas over coffee on a Saturday morning.  

Being amazing should be the hard part, right?  Just ask Petit.  Exciting times for sure.  But remember, total access to eyeballs works both ways though - amazingly positive gets talked about, but amazingly negative moreso.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll recognize the slang word “tweet” used by people of all ages.  It seems recently it has surged to the top of the cool list.  Social networking has hit a new high, with Twitter leading the pack.  Everyone from CNN to President Obama is letting the world know what their status is.  The battle of how many “followers” one can obtain has somehow made it to the six o’clock news.  Companies are even turning to it to replace their “contact us” form.  Apparently marketers can tell a whole lot more about a person by just following their Twitter feed….where you eat, where you go, what you enjoy, even the time of day that purchases are made! 

 I don’t think this trend is going anywhere for a while, and could be an open door to advertisers.  Usage could include sales or promotions that all the followers could be come aware of instantly through their feed.  This could be the next generation of virtual advertising and take over the use of web-site banners or pop-ups.  Who knows…..Google could eat up Twitter, and it would become a verb rather than a noun, a sign of jeopardizing the social networking world (Twitter me!).  It’s looking like gone are the days of phone talk time, or even worse, face-to-face conversations.  The world of Twitter is taking over – are you going to join the bandwagon?

Well, I haven’t really been here.  But what a great idea for Hanes. Perhaps the Design-A-Tee will be coming to a mall near you. Right next to the Build-A-Bear.

I love freebies - and its no surprise that so does the average American consumer. With the general mindset becoming more and more cautious since last fall’s September Shock, the consumer has settled into a new era when every purchase will be scrutinized and downgraded. Even the fast food industry, which began swelling last year compared to its full-service rivals, is now contracting – quickly. How do you bring those penny pinchers back? Give them a break when they’re feeling the pinch more than ever.

Yesterday, a combination of fast food and full service restaurants announced price promotions to get diners in tables (or drive-thrus) in honor of April 15th, tax day. McCormick and Schmick featured a new menu featuring entrees for $10.40 and themed drinks, like the Samuel Adams Deduction Draft. Fast food chain Taco Del Mar had a more straight-forward approach with their promotion: “Taxes Suck. Tacos Don’t.” Taking a page straight from the Taco Bell school of publicity, they gave away - you guessed it - free tacos.

I did a study a few years ago about conversion, and I found that in most, if not all instances, giveaways led to future purchases. Even if they weren’t sustained over time, there were enough purchases to warrant the cost of the promotion. But, in a time when consumers are living in an atmosphere of heightened anxiety, these brands can bank on more than just short term sales peaks. They now have advocates who will not only remember the tax day when Chik-fil-A cut them a break, but will also continue to loyally return.

It is somewhat ironic, but supporters of the annual print ad Kelly Awards selection going online are correct: people consume media both on and offline.  No need to fight about it. The blend is perfectly natural, and regardless, we point it out on this blog because it’s a convenient place to see some of the year’s most acclaimed print work. Here’s the skinny, according to The New York Times article:

Now, as it puts together the 28th annual Kelly Awards for magazine advertising, the organization is for the first time allowing consumers to vote for their favorite magazine ad — online.

People can vote at mag-ads.com beginning Monday for the magazine ad they liked the best this year, from among 27 finalists.

Isn’t having an online contest for print advertisements a little contradictory?

“Not at all,” said Ellen Oppenheim, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the organization. “Advertisers use multiple media and a mix to achieve their results. Magazines have Web sites. We don’t shy away from the fact that all media contributes.”