The Marketing Week
Welcome to The Marketing Week, your guide to the good, the bad and the ugly in the marketing industry over the last seven days.
CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
We have all done it. Sat there, horrified, in front of the TV watching direct response ads highlighting disasters and human suffering in far flung corners of the world in deepest sympathy. This before turning to something more immediate and trivial by comparison and then, sadly, ultimately, forgetting.
Charities and aid agencies have an incredibly difficult task arresting the attention and ultimately persuading people to donate. Praise must go to Save the Children then for producing a campaign that manages to present the Syrian conflict in a deeply affecting way.
Its “If London were Syria” campaign, which shows the everyday comfortable life of a London child slowly morph into the horror experienced by those of the same age living through the Syrian civil war, has racked up more 24 million views and considerable awareness of the charity’s work.
GOOD WEEK FOR….
At the start of the week it appeared it might be curtains for Mr Kipling’s near 50-year-old slogan “Exceedingly good cakes” as part of a marketing shake-up by parent Premier Foods. The firm’s chief executive seemed to admit it was “possible” the strapline might not feature in upcoming campaigns in order to support the introduction of a new creative strategy for the brand in an interview with the Telegraph.
His comments quickly snowballed, causing outcry among lovers of the slogan. So much so that the brand moved to quash the rumours, taking out newspaper ads that read: “Mr Kipling doesn’t do rumours, but he does make exceedingly good cakes.
Mr Kipling is one of Premier’s eight core brands set to receive a marketing lift this year and the company says it hasn’t yet decided on the future of the strapline. For now, at least, it is safe.
BAD WEEK FOR…..
Morrisons posted its lowest annual profit for five years this week, issued a profit warning for this year and sparked concerns over a price war after announcing a £1bn investment in price over the next three years. CEO Dalton Philips called it a “bold and comprehensive response to the fundamental structural changes to the market”, namely the rise of the discount grocers.
To top all that off, the firm was then forced to reveal that pay details of more than 100,000 of its staff, including bank account information, had been stolen and posted online. The timing could be a coincidence but the Telegraph and Argus, which was sent the list on a disc and alerted the company to the breach, said it came from a “disgruntled Morrisons shopper”. Just as the company embarks on a major restructure and marketing push to win back customers this is the last thing it needed.
INTERNATIONAL
Facebook introduces video ads
Facebook is to introduce Premium Video Ads in the US. The move will see 15-second ads that auto play in users’ News Feeds introduced following a three-month trial.
Brands will reportedly be charged between $1m and $2.5m for the spots, which will play without sound unless Facebook users choose to expand and watch. The ads will be introduced over the next two months.
American Apparel sparks controversy with “Made in Bangladesh” ad
The US retailer, no stranger to controversy for its advertising in the UK, has caused a stir in North America for running an ad starring a former Muslim model topless.
The ad features an American Apparel employee who was born in Bangladesh but moved to the US aged 4 with the words “made in Bangladesh” across her bare chest. It aims to highlight the retailer does not use cheap labour in developing countries and makes all of its clothes in the US.
A man cavorts naked in bacon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CKIHR91ILE
Only in Australia! A homage to American Beauty in this ad for Primo bacon. Femme Fatal Mena Suvari in red rose petals is replaced by a less aesthetically pleasing man cavorting in bacon.
ONES TO WATCH
Nestle steps up Silicon Valley charm offensive
The world’s biggest food maker is launching a QR initiative called “Beyond the Label” that lets shoppers access product info when they scan packaging via their smartphones. Users are taken to a page displaying health information, recipe ideas and facts about how much energy was used to make the product. The program comes from Nestle’s tie-up with Silicon Valley and is being rolled out to more than 30 countries.
Puma launches campaign to get its groove back
Puma has partnered with global electronic music platform Resident Advisor (RA) to create a series of short films charting the stories of some of dance music’s emerging talents. The “FastForward” project follows DJ and producers developing their careers by performing at various venues around the world. All content will be hosted on a branded page on the Resident Advisor portal.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
@adlawUK – Dan Smith, head of advertising law at Wragge & Co on music in ads.
“If BA can ignore London Calling being about nuclear anxiety, I can ignore the Levellers’ 15 Years being about alcoholism…”
@synergyTim – Tim Crow, chief executive of Synergy Sponsorship on whether Ford got value for money from its Champions League sponsorship.
“Ford exiting #UCL sponsorship after 21 years and probably £1bn in rights fees alone. Can anyone remember even one activation?”
@Paul_FramP – CEO at Havas Media on the problems of social overload
“Wonder how long it will be before someone develops a “Hide me” button where people can find the solace of anonymity again.”
@dressermaM – Steve Dresser, retail analyst on the supermarkets’ response to Aldi and Lidl
“Post Tesco and indeed Morrisons now, it’s clear that the discounters have provoked a reaction. But have they had it too easy as well?”
DATE FOR THE DIARY
20 March – Nike will reveal whether it has been able carry over the strong momentum from the end last year into the start of 2014 when it publishes its third quarter results.
20 March – Next reveals its full-year results. Can it build on its strong multichannel performance over Christmas and what does it have in-store to maintain its good run?