2 very clever supermarket ad campaigns

In-store advertising is particularly popular in an era of DVRs. After all, what better time to reach someone than during the buying process?

Here are two examples of very creative advertising campaigns done in supermarkets. One is for feeding the hungry, the other for Western Union.

Now, how are you NOT going to donate a can of beans or two after you see those images?



I'm not sure who wires money anymore... perhaps this is still the popular way to transfer funds in developing nations. But it's a very effective ad positioning for those folks nevertheless.

Hat tip to Dark Roasted Blend, and Catherine S., for the head's up on these ads.

Less is More with Transparent Billboards

I love great marketing, particularly when it’s someone who does something both new and elegant and creates an attention grabbing campaign. The marketing idea behind this is brilliant. Amnesty International must have considered (rightly, I suspect) that people would care more about things happening around the world if they could imagine them happening where they live.

The marketers then had a brilliant production idea. Make the billboards transparent, other than the central image. By doing that simple thing, it would look like the activity was happening right on the street in that neighborhood. Genius. Take a look at this campaign, called “It’s not happening here, but it is happening.”

I originally put this post on my company blog, at Brogan.com.

Fat (Phat?) Marketing Idea

Let's say you work for a state agency charged with keeping obesity down. You have limited marketing funds. Oh, and it's the holidays, where the American dream is an overstuffed belly and a blissful turkey-induced nap.

You can give up, or you can get clever. My client, the NC Dept of Health and Human Services, got clever. Check this out (and maybe join up). I think this is a pretty good idea:

Sign up for the Eat Smart, Move More...Maintain, don't gain! Holiday Challenge!

Pumpkin pie, turkey with stuffing, fruit cake, fudge....the holidays are here bringing all sorts of delicious foods with them. Unfortunately for most, those holiday sweets and treats mean a couple of extra pounds gained. But we have a solution!

The second annual Eat Smart, Move More...Maintain, don't gain! Holiday Challenge begins on November 19. Registration is now open at www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com. Participation is free.

Your goal for the holiday challenge is to maintain your pre-holiday weight. You will not try to lose weight; just avoid gaining any during the remainder of the year. This can be tough, especially with all of those holiday goodies!

To help you do this, we will send you a weekly newsletter that includes tips, strategies and advice for dealing with one of the many triggers that can cause holiday weight gain. Recipes and a quick and easy menu idea will also be included.

During the Challenge, you are encouraged to download an activity log, food diary, and weight log from our website to track how much activity you do, what you eat, and your weight each week. In addition, you will be able to read a blog with expert advice on avoiding gaining weight during the season.

Be sure to sign up now! We hope you will join us in the challenge to maintain your weight over the holidays.

Ads That Hook People

The age old controversy of the value of shock in advertising rages again... This is a particularly heated debate in social marketing circles, where there's a fairly large body of research that suggests shock and fear don't work. Now this new campaign out of England...

The text reads: "The average smoker needs over five thousand cigarettes a year. Get unhooked."

The question then: Will this ad campaign from the British government shock people into noticing the ad and get them to respond to the message? Reuters reports that people are certainly noticing, with 800 complaints being filed so far.

What they don't report in Reuters is how have calls to the tobacco quitline increased based on this campaign. My personal guess is that there will be an initial spike in calls that will drop off quickly, corresponding directly with the shock wearing off... And then what do you do next? The agency may win awards for it, but is it the best strategy for the short and long-term... Probably not...

Child See, Child Do

I love good social marketing creative. Here's another one, from Australia. (A lot of good social marketing creative comes out of Australia, perhaps because they are willing to put more extreme commercials out than American censors would allow. This one, however, is only somewhat graphic.)

This spot is unusual, in that most social marketing is issue specific (i.e., AIDS, problem gambling, smoking cessation). This one is about all the negative things children will emulate if we're not careful about being a role model. From Child Friendly, in Australia. Enjoy.



Like a lot of great creative, this is taking something that happens (usually gradually and over time), and twisting it just enough to shock us by it's accuracy. Anyone know the agency that did this campaign?

Powerful Social Marketing Message

The company I work for does a lot of social marketing, and I think we're pretty good at it. Done properly, social marketing uses the best practices of marketing to issues. In many cases, however, you can go well beyond traditional marketing, because building the "brand" isn't as important in most cases as raising awareness of the issue.

Here's a great campaign for the Traffic Police in Mumbai, India that uses a special invisible red ink that is only activated when it gets wet. Wow.

Found at Houtlust