Dot Biz Blog: What is Jake At State Farm Saying?

Okay, I haven't posted for awhile. [Okay a long while.] I
am a little conflicted. Should this blog be actual tips
for online businesses or should I just continue to point
out weird advertising observances from time to time? Who knows?

However, for now, I have another observation. Does State Farm
Insurance want to lose female customers or fail to attract them?

Every time, I see their "Jake at State Farm" TV commercial, I for one,
am glad I am not a customer. What does anything about that commercial
have to do with getting a good deal on insurance?

For instance,
(1) Why do I as a viewer, along with any other viewers
who may actually be in the market for insurance, want to know
that the husband in this commercial is calling State Farm in
the middle of the night and that his wife, obviously a light sleeper,
is jealous?

(2) Why does the wife [who has this man for a husband] care who
the heck he is calling in the middle of the night?

(3) Why does anyone need to know that the night shift
State Farm customer service rep is wearing kakhi pants?
Does this fact instantly identify him as a man and not a woman?

(4 What does this couple's angst have do with good service or
good rates from State Farm Insurance? Since the husband is not
stranded on the roadside and his house is obviously not on fire,
this commercial simply begs the question of why the husband has
an urgent need to talk with State Farm in the middle of the night.
[Surely, State Farm has not actually embarked on an outbound calling
plan to wake up customers and potential customers in the middle of
the night.]

Aside from the several customer targets who may actually be
offended by the commercial, this :30 sec spot fails to deliver
any benefit as to why I, or anyone else should be doing business
with State Farm. I did get the fact that they have 24-hr service,
just sayin', but isn't there a better way to point this out?

Dotbizblog: Should Companies Spend Money to Show Small Children Emulating the Bad Behavior of Adults? really?

Okay, I no longer have small children, but I couldn't help but note one evening this week that two back to back TV commercials showed small tots setting very bad behavior examples. One showed a toddler repeatedly flushing a toilet including craming a stuffed toy into it. Another, I believe a Nationwide Insurance commercial, showed children acting in adult roles of impatience and rage. Really? isn't it bad enough that children often have to see their own parents acting out without having television reinforce this type of behavior?

Mercedes Benz Less Doors Commercial

Again, maybe my ears are just tuning into these things lately,
but a recent Mercedes commercial confuses the proper use of
the words less and fewer.

The commercial shows a chained car so powerful that the doors
are being pulled off. It is a dramatic commercial, but it ends
with a phrase that includes the words "less doors".

Grammatically, the script should have read fewer doors. Anything
that can be counted should use the word "fewer" when referring to
quantity, whether the use is with the word more or not.

Just saying...seems a little off for a luxury brand to do this on purpose.

Advertising: Bravo Chrysler TV Commercial

Okay it isn't often _when was the last time_ that an American car commercial brought some emotion to the flat screen?

Chrysler's "Imported From Detroit" gets my vote for a commercial that does, no doubt, do just what it set out to do: elevate the consumer brand response to Chrysler products.

It's advertising that commands attention, creates mood and is memorable cinematically.

Adorable Kids in TV Commercials

I don't know about you, but the commercial for Jif peanut butter where the little boy makes a peanut butter sandwich gets my vote for a memorable emotional commercial. How likely is this to touch the heart of every mom? On a scale of 1 to 10it is off the charts in my book.

And if there is any chance in the world that her child might actually do something this nice for her on a crazy busy school morning, Mom is reaching for the Jif peanut butter and placing it in her grocery cart.

It's a perfect slice of life for emotional branding this product. See more blog posts at http://www.andersonandcompany.biz.