I’ve said it a million times: It takes creativity to break through the clutter. Here’s an ad that does just that:
2009 was rough year, and a lot of companies have dramatically cut their marketing budgets. A lot of brand advertising budget has been moved to sales promotion.
You gotta do what you gotta do. But whatever you do, don’t cut corners on creativity. Bland and boring never sells.
Forget the Google G1 phone—the amazing Pomegranate phone is the first phone that, on the surface, looks like a real iPhone killer.
If you think the features are over the top, you’ll be shocked when you click on the “release date” button in the upper right hand corner.
So, what do you think?
Thanks to my colleague, Mary Kate Baker, for reintroducing me to the Pomegranate.
Not every business is struggling amid the economic downturn. Discounters, companies that help people save money, banko attorneys and the repo man aren’t the only businesses thriving.
Cheerful products that provide a respite from the real world are selling.
Products like the Oh Snap! Cheese Board and Cutter and The Bubble Calendar are selling well, while Giant Cheetos and Oreo Fun Stix (drink milk through an Oreo straw—brilliant!) are on their way.
The fact is, fun gets people talking. And we all know that word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing.
This all got me thinking about ways to fun-up some our client’s products and services, as well as our own.
So, who’s cornered the market on fun? In products? Services? B2B? B2C?
Comment below to share the fun!
Remember a few years ago when a woman was thrown off of a Southwest Airlines plane because her outfit was too revealing?
Imagine her surprise when Southwest launched the “SI One,” to promote Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition last month.
The airline expected controversy, but probably didn’t expect how polarizing the image would be.
A few comments on the company blog include:
Awesome!!!! Makes me want to fly SouthWest!
Kudos to Southwest for being savvy in its marketing.
Your planes are sexist and completely inappropriate. I (and my family) will NEVER FLY YOUR PLANES AGAIN!!
Looks like a Las Vegas Strip taxi cab!
BOYCOTT SOUTHWEST!!!”
So what do you think?
Is Southwest Airlines responsible or not?
Comment below to weigh in.
Thanks to Lissa Boles for sharing this with me.
Image: Nuts About Southwest Blog
I saw something I’ve never seen before on the way to work yesterday: A thin, jumpsuit-clad man with white hair and beard riding a 70’s-era motorcycle with a sidecar.
Just the sight of him sent my imagination racing: Who was he? How old was he? What did he do? What was he like? Did he build the motorcycle himself?
Maybe he’d traveled the world, built a fortune and was now spending his days creating metal sculptures when he isn’t out riding his motorcycle. Or, maybe he just committed homicide and was making his getaway.
Who knows?
The point is, he was different. He was unique. And he was like no other.
Nobody has fired my imagination like he did in a long time—and I only saw him for five seconds.
I’ve seen tens of thousands of cars and motorcycles over the last several months, but because he was different, I noticed him.
From now on, I’m calling events like this, “sidecar moments.” It’s one of those rare occurences when you see something different enough that you stop, pay attention and take a few minutes to ponder what you are experiencing.
What’s this have to do with marketing?
Though marketing is about differentiation, ironically we often try to emulate other things we’ve seen elsewhere:
We’re all guilty of this, and of course, it’s okay to look at what others are doing for inspiration.
But whatever you do, don’t let someone else’s marketing get in the way of real creativity.
Instead, don’t be afraid to be completely unique. Create a sidecar moment for your prospects and customers. They’ll notice you, and it might even get people talking.
So, how can you make your marketing really stand out?
Comment below to weigh in.
Once again, the Super Bowl was indeed super, but how about the ads?
A few ads brought sustained belly laughs, others brought groans.
But which were responsible, and which weren’t?
For review, visit my Super Bowl XVIII ads page.
Cast up to five votes in following polls.
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If you’d like to weigh in on any of the ads, please comment below.
Here are all the ads from Super Bowl XLIII, all assembled on one page for your review.
Review the ones you missed, then cast your vote for Most and Least Responsible Ads of Super Bowl XLIII.
Enjoy.
THE ADS
