Why Do You Like This?!

     The above spot from T-Mobile is my roommate's favorite TV comercial. Yes, you read that right. The ad, which consists of nothing but a knock off of "One, Two, Buckle my Shoe" read by a character who's a knock off of the Mac guy, is someone's favorite advertisement. We've had ta few discussions about this, and it usually ends in me being enraged and her laughing at how mad I get. I guess as someone who studies creative advertising it just scares me that something so uninspired can appeal to someone. My roommate is smart, her brain functions at full capacity, but she still enjoys this. She could recall that the brand was T-Mobile, and can even quote the rhyme now...I normally leave the room when this happens. Is it really this easy to please the general public? There is no way this would even be acknowledged in one of my portfolio classes. I'd probably get kicked out of the program for even suggesting such a terrible idea. It has no originality and no big idea. Mediocre is one of the many ways I could describe this commercial (most of the other ways contain expletives). I'm extremely happy I've received an education that teaches me how bad this is. This spot is a bad one off I hope fades into obscurity soon. T-Mobile, can you hear me now? Do better next time! 

Grey Poupon Brightening Up Its Advertising

    

      I don't think anyone has thought about the brand Grey Poupon in a long time. I remember some commercials in the 90s caught on...but since then Poupon has faded into the background of the crowded and fiercely competitive condiment market. Those condiments can be vicious. Anyway, with the launch of a new digital campaign and website, the brand is attempting to make a comeback and regain its relevance. That's so mayo.

     The digital campaign takes place on Facebook, as Grey Poupon has now made their fan page exclusive. Before a user can like the page, their profile is scanned to determine if they are refined enough to appreciate the luxury the brand tries to convey.  The execution risks losing likes, but it certainly drives home the main idea of the campaign. I'm definitely not interested in mustard of any kind, but I still want to try and join just to see if they'll let me... Ke$ha is one of my likes so I'm guessing they won't. This garnered some buzz and got Grey Poupon on people's minds for the first time in a while, so overall I think it's a success.

     Another interesting move from the brand is their website, which is now located entirely on Pinterest. I'm torn about this decision. Pinterest is all about aspiration, and if Grey Poupon's main message is wealth and luxury, that is certainly aspirational. The design and iconography are great, but overall I think this might be a misstep. The brand needs to constantly update the site with content to keep it fresh on the minds of Pinterest users, and considering the main audience that uses Pinterest, I don't think they're too concerned with what mustard they use...unless it's deciding what mustard to use at their wedding.

     Overall I think the campaign is a great foray into the digital world, but the Facebook execution outshines the website.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/business/media/grey-poupon-mustard-ups-the-ante-on-its-highbrow-image.html