Westin Hotels & Resorts is currently capturing the hearts and minds of prospective travelers with its For a Better You ad campaign ... a campaign that promises that its guests will leave feeling better than they felt when they arrived at the hotel.
The most visual of the ads in this campaign is the "Heavenly Bed" ad, which features a woman at rest on a bed of balloons. The ad is bathed in white, promoting a sense of serenity and peace. The balloons themselves leave you with a sense of floating on air ... a perfect setting for a heavenly bed. Of the four ads in this campaign, the message in this particular ad is the easiest to instantly grasp and understand.
According to Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts:
"Westin's entire brand positioning stems from our mission of helping our guests better themselves. The campaign is designed to illustrate how we do this in ways that our competition doesn't and to reinforce the premium experience Westin delivers."
The other ads in the campaign, while visually arresting, do not appear to communicate their intended message quite as quickly or as eloquently as the "Heavenly Bed" ad.
This morning, I was listening to the radio when I heard a Sears ad talking about the products that shoppers had picked to go on sale this week.
What? Did I hear that right?
It turns out I did. Each week, customers can sign on to the Sears website and vote for their favorite deal in nine different categories: Him, Her, Trendsetters, Teens, Techie, DIY-er, Sports Fan, Kids and Chef. On Friday, the winners are announced and shoppers can cash in on the savings online or in the store.
I love, love, love this idea. Talk about putting your customers and their needs and wants first. Plus, it adds a bit of fun and intrigue to holiday shopping.
- Are you a small business that would love to extend the reach of your business? - Do you think your small business has a big story to tell? - Are you handy enough to film a short video?
Well, then the current promotion being sponsored by Google and American Express is right up your alley.
Together, they have launched a program called, "My Business Story." Small businesses are encouraged to create a video which talks about the following:
- The role their business plays in their community - The superb customer service they offer their clients - An innovative angle that differentiates their small business from competitors
Tell your story on YouTube and you might just be one of 36 lucky winners to win a $5,000 online ad campaign (search, banners, videos) free of charge. Even better, your business will be featured on the front page of YouTube on 11/25, more commonly known in the shopping circles, as "Black Friday."
Now that's something to give thanks for.
Check out the details of this promotion at their website and on the video below and, be sure to get your entry in by 11/15.
If you are an American, you live in one of the best countries in the world ... a country characterized by personal freedoms that extend beyond those offered in just about any other place you could call home.
But, there are times those liberties extend a bit further than some people desire. Take the Freedom of Speech guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, for example. While we raise our children espousing the virtues of freedom of speech in our nation's classrooms, are there times when people push the line on these liberties?
Recently, candy shaped like marijuana has been showing up on store shelves across the country. These candies are marketed under names like, "The Pothead Ring Pots," "Pothead Lollipops" and "Pothead Sour Gummy Candy." A group of Buffalo, NY moms believe that the manufacturer has crossed the line and are questioning whether retailers should be allowed to sell candy shaped like marijuana to children. They allege that illegal substances should not be positioned as something fun for children to eat.
According to Fox News, parents contend that while the candy does not contain anything illegal, "its marijuana leaf, the word "legalize" and a joint-smoking, peace sign-waving user on the packaging is not only in poor taste but an invitation to try the real thing."
This debate conjured up images of the candy cigarettes I had as a child. On the few occasions that we were able to talk mom into buying us a pack, I must admit that I felt pretty grown-up smoking my fake cigarettes. Of course, that was at a time when the dangers of cigarette smoking were only just being exposed; so, one could argue that they were perceived as fairly harmless.
Candy cigarettes
Remember the old Joe Camel cigarette ads? If you're in your 20s or younger, probably not, since the Federal Trade Commission determined in 1997 that the image of Joe Camel was designed to appeal to children under the age of 18 and, thus, violated federal law. Now, the only place you'll rub shoulders with Joe is in antique stores or museums.
Joe Camel ads banned in 1997 by FTC
Or what about this: do you think it's acceptable that pro-rights protesters demonstrate with graphic images of late-term, illegally aborted babies at family fundraising events? Whether you are pro-rights or pro-choice is not the issue here ... should young children be exposed to these images? And, from a marketing standpoint, why would you advertise at an event filled with families who obviously chose to bring their babies into the world rather than abort them?
Pro-Life protestors show graphic images of late term abortions.
All of these examples are only made possible because of the innate rights of Americans to exercise Freedom of Speech ... a very special freedom that makes America the Land of Opportunity for millions of new immigrants each year.
What do you think? Do these examples fall comfortably within our Constitutional rights as Americans? Or have they crossed some invisible line that demonstrates we have gone too far as a country? Just how far is too far?
When you think of iconic brands in America that stretch back over the decades, Gerber is one that will inevitably be mentioned. Sometimes, you'll even hear Gerber's name surface in pop culture, as in: "He's so cute - he could be a Gerber baby!" -or- "Look at those cute little Gerber cheeks he has!"
But, while a legacy brand has much to offer in the way of history, it can also conjure up images of being "old-fashioned" or "my mother's brand." That's okay, if your mom is still the primary target for the brand; but, in the case of Gerber, newborns and toddlers grow up (rather quickly, some say), ushering in a whole new generation of Gerber babies every few years. So, in order to remain relevant to today's families, Gerber has to make sure that their message is still meaningful.
I'm sure some version of this very discussion occurred at Gerber as they set out to create a new television campaign designed to contemporize their brand.
Their most recent campaign treats you to a flip book style of all different, shapes, sizes and colors of Gerber babies. Do you remember what flip books are? According to Wikipedia:
"A flip book or flick book is a book with a series of pictures
that vary gradually from one page to the next,
so that when the pages are turned rapidly,
the pictures appear to animate
by simulating motion or some other change."
What I found particularly endearing about this visual flip book is that the copy and pictures are in synch with each other.
Say hello to the Gerber Generation: babies wave They have some big news to share: arms are spread wide The nutrition children get in the first five years: faces soiled with food Can affect their health forever: clapping hands Think about that: point their finger to their head Together, we can create a healthier generation: flex muscles And it all starts with you: point to you
Great campaign. Every time I see the ad, I notice something new ... and even if I didn't, I am enraptured with all the smiling faces of the adorable babies and toddlers. Gerber has extended this campaign to Facebook, the Gerber YouTube channel, and their website.
Now, maybe when you think of the Gerber brand, you will think of happy, healthy children who are redefining the next generation of Gerber kids.
Ahhh ... a relaxing day on the beach. Can you feel the warm sun beneath your toes as you stroll the shoreline?
But, wait ... what is that bobbing in the water? Could it be .... could it be a GIANT LEGO MAN?
Believe it or not, that is exactly what recently happened at Siesta Key Beach in Florida. An eight-foot-tall, 100-pound fiberglass man washed up on shore.
Now, I must admit that I immediately gave a high five to the other PR professionals at Branigan Communications. I mean, we may not have been the team that came up with this great idea for the Lego brand, but we must recognize brilliant work when we see it, right?
Wrong. Well kind of wrong.
It was a brilliant PR stunt, but the culprit was not Lego. Rather, this stunt was brought to beach-goers, complements of a Dutch artist named Ego Leonard.
“I am glad I crossed over. Although it was a hell of a [swim].
Nice weather here and friendly people.
I think I am gonna stay here for a while.”
Leonard has extended his campaign to both Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, his website shows a partially obscured Lego man, whose face is covered by a big green apple. Interestingly, this is not the first time this has happened. Other Lego figures have washed up on beaches in both Holland and England, in 2007 and 2008.
A few days ago, I was filling my gas tank when I happened to look up at the pump. The ad displayed there intrigued me on several different levels. I'm happy to say that I found it far more inspiring than the "Simplify Your Life" campaign which they aired in 2010.
I loved the mosaic gas can filled with images that begged to be examined. Its call to action was simple ... visit FuelingGood.com. When I did, I learned that Citgo has donated thousands of gallons of gas to charitable organizations. What a great gift-in-kind donation for nonprofit organizations who are trying to trim their operating costs.
Research study after research study demonstrates that consumers are increasingly turning towards companies that deliver quality products and are good corporate citizens. But, here's the $6 million question ... will this ad encourage consumers to buy their gas at Citgo?
In my own personal case, my unequivocal answer is yes. I like the idea of feeling good when fueling up.
