Department stores like Sears, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales give us multiple brands to choose from, great return policies, and huge sales…well not huge sales since I’ve never found anything cheap at Bloomingdales. They’re also family oriented. When you think of JC Penney, you to think “family”:

JC Penney, founded in 1902 as a dry good store, has kept itself relevant in mid-American suburban malls by employing creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi. However, workers from Saatchi & Saatchi New York and Epoch Films entered a unreleased commercial into the 2008 Cannes International Advertising Festival…without JC Penney’s permission. Ah ha! The plot thickens! The entry seen below has produced a backlash from the company:

JC Penney has condemned and has distanced itself from the work and those responsible for it. The irony is the commercial won the Bronze Film Lion! The controversy over the titled “Speed Dressing” commercial has led me to three observations:

1. Whether the commercial aligns itself with JC Penny’s branding strategy, the commercial has created good publicity for JC Penney. When was the last time that JC Penney was part of any conversation topic? Viewers who see this ad for the first time, like me, will be unaware the ad is for JC Penney until the last moment. At the end, they may be pleasantly surprised to believe JC Penney is a creative brand that is not afraid to push the envelope. Oops. I forget. The brand plays it safe. For good reasons that we all know.
2. “Speed Dressing”, like many other commercials, is adaptable and transportable. Take out the JC Penney branding and “Everyday Matters” tagline, you have a commercial that could be used for any brand such as Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Macy’s, etc. The wit, cleverness, and teen connectionare what make commercials worth watching. We are curious as to what is going on. It’s a story that’s sexually charged but keeps a sense of innocence. A few changes can definitely change the energy. You can change the music to become edgier and less cute. It could have been two adults in a corporate environment trying to get alone time in a conference room or restroom. It is sad that this commercial did not leave the cutting room floor, that it only could make it out to the public through a festival. It may not be groundbreaking, but lots of advertising today lack the emotional storytelling element. “Speed Dressing” does not simply push product, but our own realities.
3. Branding sometimes stifles and hides reality behind a happy veil rather than shows reality. Advertising defines trends, cultures, and our buying habits. Although not a mirror of ourselves, advertising is at least a rippled reflection of our lives and should not be denied. Teenagers have sex.  Advertising is entertainment. It is fun. It is commercial. It sells a product. It sells back to us our own lifestyles. Whether you choose to speed dress on your own time, that’s your choice.

“Speed Dressing”, other than the sexual nature, is not an effective commercial for JC Penney, because it does not follow their brand strategy. The target may be teens within the household, but the commercial deviates from the wholesome image of the American family. Fair enough reason for the ad to not have made it to the public. However…is the ad entertaining? Yes. Is it captivating? Uh yes.

For full background on this commercial and its controversy, visit Duncan’s TV Ad Land or Adage.com

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Do you believe that any entry should be allowed to enter into the Cannes International Advertising Festival, regardless of the work’s affiliation with brands and agencies?

The energy crisis and the concern over soaring fuel and food prices makes penny-pinching consumers conscious of their declining purchasing power. Major purchases are increasingly being evaluated by their utility, durability, and return on investment. This kind of forethought is most prevalent amongst the middle and lower classes, generally the kind of people who would be buying Acuras, if they’re even buying cars at all. So is it really smart for Acura to position their new TSX as an object of frivolity and impulsiveness? The latest commercial is below:

SUV plants are shutting down and the sale of automobiles is seeing a sharp decline. I’m assuming the new TSX was too far along its development for fuel-efficiency modifications when the energy crisis took over newspaper headlines and gas was at $4/gallon. Given that assumption, Acura must’ve recognized the poor timing of the TSX debut, knowing that, unless it was a hybrid or an electric car, the new TSX was going to be poorly received. So the only demographic Acura apparently thinks it can appeal to is that which “start a business, sell it, and then start another one”, the entrepreneuring start-up yuppies in their mid-twenties who define themselves by their VIP status in clubs, not by how “green” they are. Think “Entourage” (and coincidentally, this commercial broadcasted during that show). Acura depicts this demographic as impulsive, consumptive, and therefore, wasteful: “Buy a car, sell it, and then buy another one”. If this demographic really wants to show-off their financial and social prowess and their indifference towards global warming, I doubt they’d do that in an Acura. Brands like Aston Martin, Lotus, Bentley – not Acura – define prestige for those yuppies who crave it. Acura is saying that anyone driving this car is a wannabe opportunistic yuppie.

With consumer concerns in mind, the angle I propose for the new Acura TSX is “Affordable Luxury that’s also Fuel-Efficient”, or something along those lines. With that, you attract those lower and middle class consumers who are becoming increasingly aware of their carbon footprints and how light their wallets are getting. These buyers can’t afford to pay for bragging rights with more elite brands, but still want the amenities that luxury cars promise: the i-VTEC engine, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and Navigation with voice recognition. This messaging better aligns with the way more and more people are starting to think. I know the mid-sized Sports Sedan market is crowded and Auto-making companies want to stand apart from competitors, but this TSX ad really narrows the reach of its message. “Affordable Luxury that’s Fuel-Efficient” screams sensibility and good judgment for the buyer who is still too cool for the Prius and the economy car, but who really does want something that’s fuel efficient as budgets tighten over recession concerns.

The only thing I liked about this commercial is the song…

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What do you think of the new Acura TSX?

I’m not a coffee person. I like to think that I’m not reliant on caffeinated supplements for energy. And on those occasional social coffee breaks at work, I usually encourage my colleagues to go anywhere BUT Starbucks. It bothers me to see quaint and charming neighborhood cafés replaced by the green-labeled corporate giant; especially when there was already a Starbucks across the street (Do we really need to have two of them on the same block?). And every time I’m in line at Starbucks, I feel as though I’m at the grocery store check-out counter; Starbucks labeled mints, gum, candy, and cookies line the cashier counter alongside free iTune downloads of emerging Indy music artists. Is Starbucks a coffee business or digital-entertainment business? It’s quite unclear sometimes…

Fortunately, the executives at Starbucks recognize the need for brand revitalization and innovation, and have, therefore, implemented a few initiatives that will revamp their customer experience. But is it going to work? Is that sterile corporate image inescapably ingrained in their brand autonomy? Are coffee aficionados longing for a return to a more nostalgic European coffee house experience that Starbucks fails to give them? The company is negotiating a complicated turnaround following a year in which its stock price fell by half and same-store sales flattened.

Their solution:

- Mass Marketing:

1. Coast-to-Coast product sampling (April 08)

2. Coupons

3. Full page ads in the WSJ

4. Cards entitling customers to a free cup of coffee every Wednesday of May

- Social Networking:

1. www.mystarbucksidea.com An online community dedicated to sharing and discussing ideas and allowing customers to see how Starbucks is putting top ideas into action.

- New Products:

1. Double-shot energy drink

2. Fruit Smoothies

3. New machines that make the barista more visible to the customers

4. New Pike Place Blend (site of the original Starbucks location)

- New Services:

1. Wi-Fi Service for AT&T customers in more than 7000 US Company-operated stores starting May 1 (iTune offers)

- Customer appreciation:

1. Frequency punch cards to earn free beverages

2. Free birthday coffee

3. An extra shot when you buy a Venti

My thoughts:

Product sampling is an effective method to market Starbuck’s new Pike Place blend, because nothing sells better than sampling a product. But discounting with coupons will hurt Starbucks brand equity and pricing power.

The company needs to de-emphasize non-core businesses to bring the focus back to its core product: coffee. The iTune giveaways have got to go! Although I think the strategy to grow sales by diversifying its revenue sources distracts consumers away from Starbucks’ core competency, being innovative does mean having to re-invent yourself. For Starbucks, that means venturing into the smoothie and energy drink businesses (which, at least, is more relevant than the digital music business), which will bring in traffic from non-coffee drinkers like me (although I’d go to Jamba Juice if I really wanted a smoothie). Starbucks has lost its brand buzz through poor innovation, and this is a significant opportunity to engage with an important demographic.

The punch cards and free birthday coffees are a great way to demonstrate customer appreciation. And given the state of the economy, loyal customers who are financially stretched will appreciate the freebies.

My solution:

Our street corners are overpopulated with Starbucks locations; we don’t need anymore! Instead, the company needs to focus on store growth abroad. Furthermore, Starbucks should invest in their larger locations because most often, I find that the only reasons I want to spend time and money in a coffee shop are to study, read or chat with friends. Smaller locations inhibit those kinds of activities, and most of the Starbucks I’ve seen have been quite small, accommodating the on-the-go traffic. If Starbucks wants to revert back to its nostalgic coffee house days, it’s going to have to change its look from that of corporate sterility to one that’s warm and cozy: bigger plush couches, visibly on-hand periodicals, and a variety of individual and communal tables. And the Wi-fi was long overdue.

The Pike Place blend is the company’s effort to return to its heritage and bring back the simple romance and excitement of coffee. A longer term strategy that I propose is to partner with local coffee shops: Starbucks provides the beans and their brand to neighborhood coffee house gems à locals associate the brew with their quaint neighborhood café experience à loyalty to the Starbucks product and brand. Starbucks could partner similarly with local restaurants too, which will give great branding exposure and brand association with more authentic mom-and-pop institutions. Ultimately, the Starbucks brand needs to embody something more than just American Capitalism; it needs authenticity and community endorsement. And contrary to what critics have been saying, I actually like www.mystarbucksidea.com because it creates an online community that allows Starbucks enthusiasts to share their ideas on improving the Starbucks brand.

Where do you get your coffee?

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Everyone in the sports world will have seen this clip already:

Regardless of being fake or not (it’s fake folks.*), the pervasive nature of this video is apparent. WIth more than 2 million views, the viral video utilizes YouTube as an outlet not only for creative expression, but product marketing. The timing of the release of this video corresponds with the peak of the NBA season, especially with the Lakers playoffs hopes and Kobe-4-MVP discussions. It makes sense, because as the season vamps up for playoffs, kids are going to look at Kobe highlights online. Type in “Kobe Bryant” and you’ll see the video on the list. Thanks Youtube. Everyone knows you’ve changed the world. Don’t be so cocky.

So what does this mean? One would point out that “the medium is the message“, that YouTube is a medium that has changed the game for marketers and society (McLuhan). They have to be more careful how they shine through the millions of random videos and create something that grabs our attention at the right time and in the right way. TV is a passive experience. They show, you receive. You laugh. Done. Youtube, however, has allowed marketers to measure the effectiveness of its marketing message through the comments and discussions. You see thousands of comments about the whether Kobe CAN physically do this stunt, how the shadows from Kobe and the Aston Martin show it’s fake, and countless other jibber jabber. Youtube is a “cool” medium, as McLuhan MAY suggest, which means we can interpret videos differently in different ways. You may get the feeling that this is the best video ever and you want to buy 24 pairs of these Kobe shoes. I get the feeling the Aston Martin is cooler.

* The reason why it’s fake is because the NBA, the commissioner, the agent, Nike, and everyone who loves money, will NEVER allow Kobe to risk his physical body for an ad. Seriously, sure he can probably jump it, but are you willing to lose millions of dollars over this? Kobe isn’t and the league SURE isn’t going to allow it. His body and talent are too important to too many people. I stick by it being fake until I read in ESPN that it’s real.

**By the way…couldn’t they have someone better than Ronny Turiaf in this video? Is it because he has no shoe deal?

Sources of quotes:
McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw Hill, 1964.

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I was enamored of a TV commercial I saw this weekend, so I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

I’m a San Franciscan native, and this commercial really invoked a stirring sense of heritage within me. Clips of the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars, the Trans-America building, and the view of the beautiful San Franciscan skyline, coupled with Marlena Shaw’s uplifting “California Soul”, really resonated with me. Is this an attempt by Dockers, a company founded in San Francisco, to reconnect with its roots? The brand seems to have lost a sense of its identity (when was the last time you heard of Dockers?) and is now coming home for inspiration and reinvigoration. Its casual non-distinct style phased the label out of mainstream fashion and into the grandpa/functional pant category (boring!).

Dockers’ comeback strategy appears to be grounded in applying the versatility of their pants to a more hip-urban-yuppie a.k.a San Franciscan lifestyle. This commercial reminded me of JC Penney’s recent re-branding campaigns – “Every Day Matters”, and “Calendar” – whose objective was to change America’s view of the retailer as a grandmotherly place that sells sensibly priced no-frills merchandise (again…boring!). Saatchi and Saatchi’s ad campaign highlighted new, exclusive designer apparel, private labels and updated home furnishings, and positioned the tagline “Everyday Matters” to carve out a deeper more meaningful and emotional relationship with its customers. The message extended beyond its former tagline, “It’s all inside”, by reestablishing a more sentimental connection between the customer and the brand, a connection that was lost for some time. The growth in sales immediately after these campaigns is a testament to the success of JC Penney’s re-branding strategies.

The Dockers commercial invokes a similar sentiment as the JC Penney campaign. The only risk I see with the Dockers commercial, however, may be its attempt to identify itself solely with the San Franciscan culture, and consequently, narrow its appeal to only the Northwestern part of the country. Similarly, Mervyn’s attempted to re-identify itself exclusively as a west-coast brand, and therefore, alienated the rest of the country (and did that help the company? Not so much! But it sure helped JC Penney). Or Dockers could simply be reaffirming its San Franciscan identity because revenue streams in from primarily the West Coast? Regardless, the tie to my home re-introduced Dockers as a notable brand with cache to me, especially since “California Soul” was on repeat in my head all week. Give me something that ties me sentimentally to my roots and my affinity for something (SF) and you’ll get my attention.

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Rather than tell about BMW’s latest advertising, it’s better to show how “ultimate” the “ultimate driving machine” really is:

With four M-series BMWs spread over a 1.5-acre banner, the 90+ year-old company has applied guerilla advertising in the loudest way. This reminds me of the Adidas vertical soccer billboard display in how BMW is able to cut through the clutter by making a “larger than life” type of billboard. The ad makes itself known to the world, causing people to can’t but help stare.

Should the display stay up for an extended period of time, it could very well become a tourist destination. While I’m at it, I’d want to spend some rubles on those hats that every Russian typecast is wearing…and stare into Lenin’s grave.

I have no idea which agency came up with this idea or the budget required for such a display (I could guess at least quarter of a million dollars just for the cars alone), but the loudness of the monster display shows that yelling louder gets you heard.

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You’ve seen it and you were slightly appalled. You did a double take when it first caught your attention. And oh yes, you wondered who Sarah Marshall was and who had the audacity to publicly divulge that his mother never liked her or that she “looked fat in those jeans”. Oh the animosity! Was this really someone’s juvenile attempt to make public some serious post-breakup hostility? The slandering was credible enough that even friends of the real Sarah Marshalls expressed concern. This injurious bashing, however, is a creative preface to the traditional marketing (commercials, trailers, etc.) for the upcoming Judd Apatow movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, about a man attempting to get over his ridiculously hot celebrity ex-girlfriend.

Not only are there offensive billboards strewn across major metropolitan areas, there is also a blog (www.ihatesarahmarshall.com) where the main actor, “Peter” (Jason Segel) flagrantly writes about how much he hates his ex-girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). He also takes her pictures and photoshops devil ears, mustaches, and herpes over her face. What a brilliant and creative way to exploit the popularity of blogs as a viral marketing tool (props to the Universal Marketing team for this idea)! It’s simple, yet powerfully effective.

Although the campaign creatively integrates the blog into the marketing of the movie, the marketers could’ve made more effort to invite readers to engage with Peter on it. No comments are posted, and Peter makes no effort to reach out to the audience for advice on his post-breakup depression. Peter could’ve invited readers to submit their own creative photoshop doodling over Sarah Marshall’s face (everyone loves to mark up a face that’s more beautiful than theirs, no?) to be posted on the blog. This favorite childhood pastime could’ve translated to a more active audience engagement. Furthermore, people love congregating against a common adversity, so why not invite other broken-hearted readers to lament about their dramatic breakups on the blog, and therefore have the blog serve as a pseudo support group/remedial outlet for all those in Peter’s position? The blog has a lot of potential to engage its audience, but if anything, it helps the audience get to know Peter and gives them a sneak peek into the plot of the movie. And since this movie promises the same comedic pleasure as “40-Year Old Virgin”, “Knocked-up” or “Superbad”, you can expect to see me in the theatre during its opening weekend!

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