Connecting with an audience is the main staple behind creative marketing. Companies around the world look for clever ways to become etched in the brains of society. Smaller brands continuously look for ways to reach the peak of the mountain, while those at the top try to figure ways to stay there.
Over the years we’ve seen Coca-Cola pull at the heart-strings of families, while Pepsi tried to provide a modern day excitement. Nike spends hundreds of millions of dollars on celebrity athletes like LeBron James and Michael Jordan, to sell shoes and apparel. This entices the younger generation to be life-long lovers of their product, and over the years, we’ve seen it pay dividends ten-fold.
In fact, here are 5 creating marketing ads society will never forget:
#5 Weightwatchers
Years ago, before Weightwatchers went the celebrity route to entice people to lose weight; they offered a variety of commercials. One of the best was when they had a picture of two doors with the Weightwatchers brand in the middle. The door on the left was the “ENTRANCE,” which was made for an overweight individual to walk through comfortably.
If you looked to the right, there was an “EXIT” door, which was about a third of the size. The perception was that if you joined Weightwatchers, you would be able to fit through the skinny door by the time you completed the program. Thousands of people joined and experienced positive results, and Weightwatchers became one of the most popular weight loss companies in the United States.
#4 FedEx
One way to grab an audience’s attention is by making them laugh. FedEx was able to do just that when it released a photo of one of its semis hauling a trailer. Granted, this was no ordinary semi, because you could see the inside of it. Do you remember what it is carrying? Yep, two UPS delivery trucks. Definitely a creative marketing ad that captured the attention of UPS.
#3 Careerbuilder.com
Think back to The Great Depression and stories of people on Wall Street committing suicide by jumping out the windows of their offices. It’s something the elderly might have personally experienced, and the young crowds were still able to understand it due to various movies and the Internet.
The picture CareerBuilder used was a bird’s eye view of a metro bus parked below a building in New York City. However, instead of looking at the advertisements on the sides of the bus, there is one on top of it that reads; “Don’t Jump. Careerbuilder.com.”
During the time this photo was released, it was quite the controversial piece. The perception was you didn’t have to commit suicide when you are at the lowest point of your life. Why? Well, because CareerBuilder had plenty of jobs to get you back on your feet.
#2 Whiskas
Now I haven’t been around a cat in years, but I remember the Whiskas “Big Cat Little Cat” commercial. It was the by far one of the most entertaining slogans I have ever seen. One picture shows a little cat eating a plate of Whiskas food, and then the next photo shows that same cat chasing a giselle that can reach speed bursts as fast as 60mph. Definitely I’ll never forget.
#1 Hot Wheels
I realize this might not be your top 5 slogans if I gave you a list and photos to choose from, but when I was a kid, this Hot Wheels picture in an old magazine stuck in my mind. The slogan was “Police Raid,” and it’s a picture of a police officer in a little kid’s bedroom, writing the young boy a ticket.
His head drooped and shoulders slouched, the young boy was clearly disappointed he was caught racing at top-notch speeds. It’s a picture I saw myself in, considering my parents bought me over 500 hot wheels when I was a kid myself. Not to mention I hounded my parents every time we went to the Grocery store, if I could find a new one.
My reaction was what Hot Wheels wanted, and without involving my parents, it impacted them by getting to me. In one way or another, that is what you call creative marketing.
