Dos Equis: The Most Interesting Man in the World

"I want to be that guy," says every man that views this spot for Dos Equis. In associating the brand with The Most Interesting Man in the World, Euro RSCG brilliantly positions Dos Equis with an aspirational appeal.

With a Bond-like feel, an translucent splash of humor, and a phenomenal title, this commercial takes the cake. In advertising alcohol, aspirational appeal is crucial (unless you're McCormick's or something then price is the key selling point), an aspect that is exemplified perfectly in this spot. Sure, you could highlight taste and other product attributes, however that's not going to evoke emotion from the consumer. People don't drink for taste, they drink for status, for appeal. They drink the drinks that they're "supposed" to drink, which is determined by the advertising and branding efforts of each brand. I'd say it's an effective advertisement, and it seems the people agree as this commercial received over 185,000 in the first week of June.

T-Mobile Dance

Brilliant. It's like a 2 for 1 deal. Buy one great publicity stunt, and get one commercial free. And if you order now, we'll throw in a viral buzz for free.

Well played Saatchi & Saatchi.

Barbeques Galore Retail Analysis

The following is a selection from a marketing analysis report over Barbeques Galore. The full analysis provided a full description of the product lines, target market, positioning, physical look, and personell.

The Consumer Experience

Along with the physical location and look of the store, the customer service brilliantly completed the consumer experience. In order to accurately vivify the total package, a rendition of one of John’s monologues must be provided. The below is a picture that John painted me upon inquiring further about the grilling process and what all can be done on certain grills.

Monologue: Grilling is really making a comeback, and it’s no surprise. It allows families to spend their leisure time together in the serenity of the outdoors preparing the food they need to survive. Grilling keeps the traditional family at ease taking the workload off of the mother while allowing the father to spend time with his family while providing a necessary service to the household. It gets him out of the office, and out of the taverns, and is the relaxation that so many people need after a tough day at work. To grill is to relax, and to relax is to bond with those around you. Aside from the peripheral benefits, grilling is just as capable of preparing an array of foods like any indoor appliance. With proper training, you not only can cook meat, but bread, vegetables, and near anything else. The difference is that with grilling, you also get that smoky hint of flavor that we all know and love. Grilling is a lifestyle, one that not only provides a benefit to the individual, but those around him as well. This is why our stores have done so well over the past 11 years.

In saying all this, John gave me so much more than just product features, he gave me a vision. He sold me a set of associations that would be triggered each and every time I opened my potential grill sending me back into the utopian world of grilling that he seemed to believe in. After talking to John, my choice to buy a grill was no longer based on the physical nature of the product, but the emotional ideals attached to the process as well. My mindset went from browsing to actually considering a purchase, all because John generated the emotional experience necessary to arouse the consumer buying habits.

Needless to say, my consumer experience was top notch.

Introduction to The Hub

The Hub or Hubba-U.com

What is the Hub?

The Hub is an entertainment-based online magazine catering to the TCU community. Set to launch in August of 2009, its goal is to be the trendsetting publication for the student body focusing on interests and fads including, but not limited to: Fashion, Business, Campus Gossip, Featured Videos, New Music, On and Off Campus Events

By covering the above topics, The Hub will strive to embody all that is TCU culture drawing a devoted following through continuous updates and relevance.

Vision

To create a liberal social hub for TCU students. Functioning as a satirical, entertainment-based alternative to the Skiff, this website will focus on the trends and interests specific to the TCU demographic.

Goal

To provide a central location for TCU culture, encouraging community through entertainment. To give everyone involved an unbelievable experience and a tangible asset to showcase to future employers. To live the dream by creating memories through hard work and time well spent.

Full Official Launch: August 15^th (start of school next year)

Goals:

1) Make it interactive. Encourage student submission of articles, videos, music etc.

2) Identify / Report / Set trends.

3) Provide Edu-tainment.

4) Promote the best kept secrets on campus. The things that deserve recognition, the people that are doing big things, and the people whose creativity never gets the visibility it deserves.

5) Start something that we can all be proud of. Something to help us learn and grow, but more so something that will bring fond memories for years to come as our team became something much more than a website.

Overall:

I want this to be a somewhat controversial, intriguing publication that gets people talking. I would like to satirize yet glorify TCU culture, and act as the central hub for all the gossip-savvy students.

It will not be trashy. It will be well-written, well-organized, which will differentiate it from juicycampus.com or frattinghard.com. We will encourage funny content, but not celebrate ignorance and irresponsible actions.

Photograph in Time 6/9/2009

Last night, I watched "Notorious" with my good friend Ryan. The movie was about the rise of the great rapper Notorious B.I.G., how he rose from a crack dealer to one of the most recognizable hip-hop icons of all-time. The theme of the movie is how dreams can come true no matter how big. "You can change the world, but only if you change yourself first."

I have a lot of dreams. In fact, they're the basis of my existance. So after watching the movie, my thoughts grew deep, and I began wondering if any of those dreams would become reality, and if so, what would I do when they did? Then I starting wondering if those dreams would ever change. So I figured the only way to find out is to implement a tracking system, which from now on I'll refer to as my "photographs in time". They'll be screenshots of my thoughts and dreams in various time periods, and below will be my first installment.

Today, Tuesday, June 9th of 2009:

I want to make the Hub a success. The Hub will be an online magazine for the TCU community and will surpass all other media sources on campus. I will need to maintain the website; manage the staff; and sell then satisfy local advertisers. But this will not be possible by myself, especially working 15 hours a week at ThinkCash, therefore I will need to build a management team and empower them to take charge. With Level 19 and LOUD, I tried to put everything on my shoulders, but with The Hub I will not make that mistake. I will surround myself with the most talented people I can find, and then push them to learn, grow, and dream. Together, we will build a powerful advertising medium for the affluent, niche market of TCU students. Although the reach will be limited, and the money will be meager, the experience and memories will be my reward.

I want to be fluent in Spanish. I'm going to study abroad in Sevilla, Spain this upcoming Spring semester and I'm going to be become fluent. Is it a long shot? Yes. But it something I've always wanted, so it's something I will forever regret if I don't.

I am determined to work at a top-tier advertising agency in the Summer of 2010. New york is preferable as I feel I could learn the most in that market. However, the quality of the agency trumps its geographical position. If I'm going to accomplish it, I need to do two things:

1. Build contacts at an array of agencies. Without that, I stand no chance. A TCU education and solid resume won't be enough. They need to hear my voice, my story, my drive.
2. Become tangible. This blog, a 30 page paper on the Emergence of Online Media, and The Hub are all projects that will not only help me grow through experience and knowledge, but they will stand as a testament to my self-initiative and committment to excellence.

I will do all this because advertising is what I want to do with my life. I want to effectively communicate messages to the consumer. I want to bring brands to life. Because it doesn't matter how great an idea is if the consumers aren't aware of it or don't understand it.

Those are my goals for the upcoming year. Those are the things I think about everyday. Those are the things that I will reflect on as this next year passes along. And after it's all said and done, I'll finally know if dreams really do come true, what it's like when they do, and if my dreams have changed.

GM Reinvention: Close, but not Quite

The new hot topic in advertising--The GM Reinvention Campaign-- goes something like this.

Although our country is a jumbled mess at times, one thing we all agree on is a love of country. With this love of country is a set of symbols that we all associate as devoutly american--all of which are included in this advertisement.

The emotion appeal is outstanding. The narration is brilliant. It acknowledges their faults, and effectively counters them with the "getting down to business" and the "chapter 1" lines. Although I've been a firm supporter of foreign models, It makes me want to believe in the change (Obama allusion?).

This effectiveness doesn't go 360 however as the GM Reinvention website falls short. They got my attention with the commercial, so I went to the URL they directed me to in order to learn more about the movement. But when I get there, the emotion is gone. It's cold, cluttered, and corporate. Sure, there's plenty of content, but where's the mystique, the patriotism, the innovation?

There's definitely a material disconnect between the mediums, which could be caused by a deviance from their campaign goals. The commercial's goal seems to be a re-courting of the everyday consumer via emotion, while the website looks as if the company sells B2B delivering nothing but information. Therefore, Deutsch/LA, I'd advise giving it a second look.