2008 was weird and confusing. The market tanked and Pepsi got a new can, again. Between those two important hallmarks we did come together to elect a new president, thank goodness. How we made it through no one knows. What we can tell you is that if the same confounding fate awaits us in 2009, have no fear. We here at Mouth have created a little game to answer all of your questions this year. Good luck and may Mouth be with you.
Click here to play.
One of 2 things is happening here. Either the the coal industry really is super evil and desensitized to the fact that they are causing tremendous damage to our environment and health, or their creative agency is playing a cruel joke on the jerks they work for. The only place that we can think of where lying to the public is normal and coal is great for Christmas, is hell. And that is where this campaign should go.
A letter from Motrin to the public:
Nov 20th
So…it’s been almost 4 days since I apologized here for our Motrin advertising. What an unbelievable 4 days it’s been. Believe me when I say we’ve been taking our own headache medicine here lately!
Btw - if you’re confused by this - we removed our Motrin ad campaign from the marketplace on Sunday because we realized through your feedback that we had missed the mark and insulted many moms. We didn’t mean to…but we did. We’ve been able to get most of the ads out of circulation, but those in magazines will, unfortunately, be out there for a while.
We are listening to you, and we know that’s the best place to start as we move ahead. More to come on that.
In the end, we have been reminded of age-old lessons that are tried and true:
When you make a mistake - own up to it, and say you’re sorry.
Learn from that mistake.
That’s all… for now.
Sincerely,
Kathy Widmer
VP Marketing
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
_________________________________________________________________
What if this Motrin thing was just a huge PR stunt? For years we have said over and over that all press is good press. Increasing brand awareness and name recognition are the initial goal of every marketing campaign and in this case it is safe to assume that Motrin is now on our minds. At the end of this little eruption we will all remember to think of Motrin when we need to get rid of a headache. Lets look at the facts.
The Motrin Mom ads released online were not too expensive to produce and up until the Twitter blow up, had only been viewed a little over 8,000 times. Those numbers are barely a ripple in the pond compared to even the most unsuccessful campaigns. This says a lot about what Motrin’s plan really could have been when launching these ads. Were they really trying to reach out to moms stressing themselves out by wearing babies as fashion accessories? Or were they simply trying to create a buzz so they could win back consumer consideration?
We should also note that Motrin has also been running print ads in 18-34 demo mags such as Nylon, and has also been hitting trendy neighborhoods in NYC with similar outdoor creative. The online mom ad is obviously an extension of that campaign. So how could this be a stunt?
In the new an exciting world of cyberspace, marketing is a whole new beast. Some brands get lucky by creating a good viral piece that is passed around by co-workers and friends. Usually those pieces are restricted to YouTube and other similar sites. In addition to video sites there is a whole world out there made of social networks, blogging communities, chat rooms, and media rooms. In the case of the Motrin Mom ad this is where all the attention came from. One post on Twitter targeting a small specific group of vocal people, created a huge reaction which caused Motrin to take a giant step and not only just issue an apology, but they pulled the whole campaign. That, in turn, was a story picked up by CNN, The New York Times, Ad Age and more. Once those media outlets put the story into print, BAM! Millions of eyes on Motrin at no extra cost. All from a single post on an online social forum. Genius. If this was the initial design, kudos to the agency for demonstrating a job well done in this new digital marketplace. If not, well you are welcome for the idea on how to do it again.
Case 1: The Motrin Mom Ads.
In the last few days the social networks have been a buzz with fear and loathing for the territory this Motrin ad has entered. The piece seems to claim that wearing your child is basically like putting on a $10,000 pair of uncomfortable Jimmy Choo shoes, that it is both extremely fashionable and painful at the same time. Somewhere they forgot to remember that mothers enjoy being close to their children. Daycare is not for everyone you know.
The fallout from the public has caused Motrin to pull the ads and issue an apology. The question here is whether or not this controversy/pr nightmare will hurt or help their brand. While being offensive, the commercial is still sending a message that people are discussing. It is memorable and isn’t that what advertising is all about? For all those who are offended, we are willing to bet that the next time you are in the ibuprofen isle at the drug store you will be thinking about Motrin before Advil.
Case 2: Brooke Shields Told Me To Get Pregnant And Buy A German Mini Van.
Has anyone noticed the inherent creepiness of the latest Volkswagen Routan ads with Brook Shields? Is she or is she not telling us to create a little army of whippersnappers who will one day grow up and defend our nation against the powers who intend to destroy us? And how odd is it that this message comes from a company who’s name means “the people’s car”, and who’s original state-sponsored business plan was to give an automobile to everyone belonging to the master race? However disturbing or unintentional it may be, these commercials are so odd they have lasting power. Kind of like how everyone knows about the movie Soilent Green. Thanks Brooke, but this mini-van better be really fast and turn into a submarine or something.
Not all work gets made even though we think it should-a-been. This will be a regularly updated section on Foaming at the Mouth.
Everybody has a little Latin in them. Or a lot. Bringing out the Latin in you means bringing out your fun side. Or getting your party on. So go ahead. Latinize yourself. Latinize your family. Latinize your boss. Latinizing is about being proud of the Latin in you, and celebrating it every chance you get. Want to make the everyday less than ordinary? Latinize!
After a historic week it is hard to deny the power of the Barack Obama Brand. Through simplicity and consistency, scores of Americans passed messages of “Hope” and “Change” along to their friends and family. For almost 2 years-President Elect Obama’s constant, simple, and clear message was spread virally into the lives of Americans. The campaign formatted and recorded events so they could be used as content on YouTube. The use of technology including email, text messages, and social network seeding gave us daily updates which generated almost an insider connection to the daily operations. This idea was not mind-blowing or new but the level to which these methods were utilized has never been done before. Obama’s campaign showed by example that if these tools were activated all at once, for an extended amount of time, it is possible to create a large social network who in the end elected him President. The only thing that seemed to be missing were personal profiles of workers, donors, volunteers, and supporters on Obama’s website. What they will do with that massive database now has yet to be seen.
Given the the sheer scale of genius and depth which could be detailed here, a single blog post will never cover it. Here are a few of our favorite elements from the past election cycle.
Ads in video games?
A Great Logo.
An easy to remember and powerful Message…Less is more
The Final Product
A little bit Banksy, a little bit Dali.
These melted sings in Leeds, UK by FinalFrontier Design are a perfect example of conceptual guerrilla art. Not too intrusive and both eye-catching and clear in their message. Large cites always have room for these ideas for they add depth and quality to their local brand.
New York can always make room for more exciting architecture. The latest wonder belongs to Zaha Hadid. For the next couple weeks the Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion will be at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. The pavilion was conceived of as a mobile gallery to house artwork inspired by Chanel’s quilted chain-strap 2.55 handbag. A true classic.
Inside, Karl Lagerfeld’s hand picked artists from around the globe introduce guests to conceptions such as a guitar and couch designed around the elements found in the 2.55. These pieces give the classic handbag fresh legs in the ever evolving worlds of art, music, design and fashion-showing that through the years the popular accessory has not lost an ounce of its everlasting brand identity.