Super Sunday Sunday Advertising

Super Sunday is our national day of hoopla and hype.

This Sunday, over a hundred million people will turn to the big game to watch the best football players match play for play, in the midst of leading advertisers who have invested millions hoping to break through all the clutter and excitement.

What kind of commercial will win the day?

Over the now 48 years of the Super Bowl, Budweiser stands out as the most consistent bet when it comes to the national popularity polls of big game ads. So perhaps this one will prevail on Sunday.

Budweiser clearly knows about the cognitive theory of empathy.

The brand symbols of the Budweiser clydesdale horses and the dogs that guard them are highly likable. We relate to them as though human characters in a play. We identify with the dedication of the young dog, the anxiety of separation. We rejoice in the outcome.

Other than winning the advertising super sweepstakes, the payoff for Budweiser resides in the concept of "attitude toward the ad." We enjoy the advertising, and we like the brand that makes us feel good about the world and ourselves.

  Copyright © 2014 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.

Year Six of the Psychology of Advertising

Welcome to the beginning of year six of authoritative observations on how psychological concepts and theories better inform our understanding of the effects of advertising.

I began this blog in January of 2009. Since then, thousands of people all over the world have been coming to these pages for psychological perspectives on advertising. The topics range widely, often triggered by a striking new ad or commercial that just appeared somewhere in the wide world of advertising.

The two most widely read posts in 2013 registered quickly with visitors to this site, moving into the top five of all posts.

The most widely read post appeared the weekend of Labor Day. My September 1 post was titled "Advertising and American Core Values."  It featured a 1956 General Electric print ad that framed the ideals of the United States in an economic context.

The ad copy stated:

"We in America believe in high wages, high productivity and high purchasing power. They must occur together. One without the other defeats its own ends, but together they spell dynamic growth and progress."

These words support the General Electric corporate slogan of that era, "Progress is Our Most Important Product."

In 1956, General Electric clearly understood, as did Henry Ford a generation earlier, that workers and consumers are the same people, and as such they are the leading force of the nation. Indeed, in 1914 Henry Ford paid workers $5 an hour when the going rate at the time was half that amount. His company remains arguably the most continuously successful automobile manufacturer on the planet, clearly contravening the payroll policies of many companies today.

Here is yet another example of the power of advertising to reveal who we are and what we can be.

The second most widely read post in 2013 concerned "The Discipline of Account Planning." This post shared critical perspectives on the definition of this important position in strategic planning and creative development.

Be sure to visit my August 22 post for a detailed discussion of the important underlying framework that is essential to successful account planning

Who knows what 2014 will bring?

Surprise is one of the many joy's of working in advertising. This important intersection of art and commerce is always about what's new, what's relevant, and what works.

Thanks for reading. And, one thing's for certain, there will be Super Bowl commentary in a few days.

   Copyright © 2014 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.

Brand Persona as Constant Friend

Through the moments of everyday life one brand stands out.

When it comes to soft drinks, Coca-Cola could be said to be always there for us.

The Coca-Cola brand persona is that of a beloved friend, one who supports and comforts and encourages, helping us to find the enjoyment in any moment...the pause that refreshes.

My students recognize this genre of creativity as Eighmey's Law: Number Seven - "When in doubt, rock it out."  In this commercial, Barry Gibb's 1967 song "To Love Somebody" begins as a typical love song between a couple but the scenario quickly moves to portray the adventures of parenthood. It is this unexpected direction that makes this commercial great.

Be sure you notice what the woman holds in her hands at the beginning of the commercial, and again near the end. Dare I say genius?

   Copyright © 2013 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.

Advertising and Realization

In music, realization is said to be the action of enriching a piece of music by interpreting performance directions that are ambiguous.

In advertising, realization occurs in the minds of audience members when they are invited to construct their own narratives for the imagery in messages they see.

In so doing, their existing values come forward to guide their interpretation, and they come to realize the fullness of the idea in the message as their own thoughts.

The action of the whale in an unexpected context invites interpretation. Realization of both the meaning and immediacy of the environment as one world is brought home in ways words cannot.

This public service message for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society was created by Gentleman Scholar, an agency based in Los Angeles, CA.

   Copyright © 2013 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.

Definition of Branded Content

What is branded content?

Some say it is the "fusion" of advertising and entertainment.

But, the potential for audience enjoyment can be seen as a dimension of any media content. Advertising has long been evaluated in terms of its entertainment value. Indeed, "attitude toward the ad" has been an aspect of advertising research for well over a century.

Some say branded content began with sponsored radio programs during the 1930s. The term "soap opera" comes from the prominence of packaged goods companies as sponsors and producers of their own radio programs. Advertising agencies once had specialized production departments to provide the needed creative services.

However, the origins of branded content and its definition as a marketing communication practice go back even further in time, long before the age of broadcasting.

Here's an 1880 trade card for Ayers Sarsaparilla.

Trade cards are a long-standing advertising practice. They can be packaged as a premium or gift along with a wide variety of consumer products. In the 1880s, trade cards were often distributed by traveling salespeople long before national advertising media became a centering factor in marketing.

As branded content, the information and enjoyment provided by trade cards can be valued by consumers for its own sake. The ideas and feelings imparted in this manner support favorable brand associations. Importantly, these associations are made in an implicit, natural manner.

So, what is branded content? It is a new term for a very old practice.

Broadly speaking, branded content is brand storytelling. It is a broader term than "brand journalism," an idea that inherently likens advertising to commercial news.

Here is a recent example of branded content in a video format, the kind of material that can be placed in paid media or released to find its audience in a viral manner.

Actions to provide consumers with enjoyable and meaningful experiences such as the John Lewis holiday video are not a new marketing communication method. What is new is that the media environment has changed.

The competition for attention is increasingly intense in today's accelerated and complex electronic media. Marketers are finding value in actions that are truly consumer centric. This underscores the growing importance of a newly minted term for a longstanding practice, branded content.

  Copyright © 2013 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.

The Psychology of Demonstration

The best advertising makes you think.

If you thought about rotisserie chicken, this commercial is not for you.

On the other hand, if you are a younger discerning customer for the most advanced automobiles, then this commercial speaks to you a charming, highly sophisticated way.

The commercial cleverly demonstrates the advanced function of this brand's latest suspension technology. Showing a car dodging potholes at a high rate of speed would have been for the birds.

   Copyright © 2013 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.

The Meaning of United

The actions of people as they come together in a musical performance may be the best example of the concept of community. Each person has a voice, yet works in a united manner with others so they may together reach a high ideal.

This is admirable advertising showing how the core values of a brand can reach out to attract and reinforce the brand community. And, the message is that people who work in a united manner can accomplish the highest goals.

This is a lesson with far reaching implications.

The United Airlines commercial was done by McGarry Bowen.

      Copyright © 2013 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.