Ad Campaign Reviews

Okay, I watch a crap-ton of T.V. I can never find anything good, but I just can't turn it off. So much of it consist of the commercial that are on. As a result I have begun putting a lot of thought into the ad campaigns that are on.



First off, this Florida Organge Juice campaign has been catching my attention, mostly because they have been promoting the hell out of it on Comedy Central. It runs in like every of their prime time commercial blocks, and every time you try to watch an episode on the website it is preceded by a Florida Orange Juice commercial with an accompanying banner ad on the side.

What does this say? Company's advertise through mediums based on the demographics they attract. The ads show traditional family figures, but seem to be targeted at man-children and pot heads. Is it how it seems to be taking suburban lifestyle in humorous stride? I mean orange juice is really good for a hang over: hydration along with much needed vitamin C.



Next, this Dairy Queen campaign really bothers me on several levels. Not only is it a completely unoriginal repeat of the style made popular by Old Spice, but the spokesman has a mustache. Spokesman are NOT supposed to have mustaches!

Yes I realize that the Old Spice spokesman has a mustache, but he's black. I also realize that that last statement sounds kind of racist, but to be honest: marketing is kind of racist. It's not bigotry, but much of its focus is on understanding and playing of the symbols and icons subconciously understood by members of society. Visual aesthetic communicates thoughts and ideas to us, and, whether you want to be all high and mighty and deny it, that includes the color of a spokesperson's skin.

A mustache goatee thing on a black guy is a common image. It connotates a masculinity and stone cold coolness. In fact on some it just blank and irregular. Think about Samuel L. Jackson with a mustache... now without a mustache. Think about Dave Chappelle with a mustache... now without a mustache. Will Smith with a mustache... now without a mustache. Now again it's now universal. Just because someone is black does not mean they should have a mustache. Bill Cosby would look extremely weird with a mustache, but again it is ultimately about the persona you are trying to communicate.

With a white guy (and to getting back to my original point), it has a completely opposite effect. It comes off as though they are hiding something, or they are unkept or not clean; creepy in some cases. In fact this bring's me to this add:



Tell that it doesn't concern you that that man with the mustache is with a bunch of kids. Just something seems wrong with the situation. But seriously when you do sales they tell you to show up clean shaven, because that's one way people will assess if they can trust you. Television personality, like the type who are career talkshow folks (Seacrest, Philbin), don't have mustaches. News anchors don't have mustaches (the time of Ron Burgandy is long gone.



Now, after that very long, off color rant, I will try to keep this one short and PC. The significance of this commercial is that it is the first new ad campaign PepsiCo was come out with for just regular Pepsi in three years. Much of its marketing budget has been focused on new lines of its healthier drinks and Gatorades. This new campaign comes at a time when Pepsi slips third in national marketshare of carbonated beverages.