A painfully effective ad

One of my favorite examples of effective advertising is finally getting some credit in an article in AdAge. HeadOn; You know the ads. An incredibly annoying voice-over repeats incessantly, "Head On...apply directly to the forehead!" while a woman wipes a mondo-ChapStik on her forehead. It makes you want to scream. But I noticed something amazing one time at the gym; when the ad came on, virtually everyone on the treadmills around me looked up at the TVs and stared at it. I couldn't believe it! There is something hypnotic about it's ability to annoy.

Equally amazing is that at no time does the ad really tell you what it does, but it doesn't have to. By the end, they've completely captured your attention and you have an almost insatiable desire to go buy it to find out. Even if you don't buy it, and you assuredly hate the ad, you have still completely internalized their brand message. Mmmm....take stick....rub on head...person smiles...urrrrr....HeadOn good.

Gotta love simplicity!

And, it works. HeadOn racked up 234% growth in 2006 and is on track to double sales in '07. NICE! But as they say in infomercials, "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!" The same approach has produced another hit in ActivOn for joint pain which now outsells HeadOn.

Look fancy ads are great fun, but most of time they simply don't work. The next time your ad agency brings you a concept, if it doesn't CLEARLY, CONCISELY, and perhaps ANNOYINGLY communicate your key value and positioning, send them away. Or, just lock them in a room with the HeadOn ad on a continuous loop until they learn something.

Food humor by Brian Regan

Some funny stuff from Fig Newtons to PopTarts.

CHART SECRETS

I LOVE CHARTS...., but only when I do them. Let's face it, most charts stink. People perpetually use the wrong type of chart or mess with the scales to trick the viewer. Here's a great article from PC Magazine titled, "Secrets of Readable Charts." My favorite (or should I say most hated) is the "Nonsense Chart." If you produce on of these and work for me, it's grounds for firing (just kidding). After reading this, you'll see why CM Solution has created our own "Best Charts" deck as part of our training curriculum.

PC Mag article on charts

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Husband Daycare: It's time has come.

This is perhaps the best
idea for a national social program in
history...and a funny video too!

Code Monkey

This is a hilarious song/video of the plight of programmers who apparently live the same lives as many underappreciated Business Analysts.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision that could change marketing forever

The U.S. Supreme court has agreed to hear a case that may reverse the interpretation of the Sherman Antitrust Act that restricts manufacturers from setting retail prices. As perhaps the most powerful "P" of the four marketing p's, pricing control by manufacturers could radically change the marketing strategies of innumerable brands.

Here's a great summary by the International Herald Tribune:
U.S. Supreme Court case tests minimum price rule

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Kids' spend 15% of time on TV and 6.5% on homework

Check out this interesting article by NPD Insights that analyzes how "tweens" (kids 8-12) spend their spare time. SCARY! But, if you don't understand this, how do you expect to sell to them (and their parents)?!

Club cards don't create loyalty?! DUH!

The Seattle Times ran a story titled, "Club cards: Loyalty in the bag? Not really." Anyone in the industry (that's not a retailer) has long known that club cards create no loyalty. And, customers long ago figured out that the "savings" they were getting are the same discounts they got before without a card.

So, why have them?? It's the data stupid. While many retailers still believe that cards enhance loyalty, the primary reason for their continued use if the new form of data provide. The bad news,...most retailers misuse and misunderstand that data too.

OK, I'll turn off the cynicism now. Card data can be powerful and this article is worth the quick read.

Seattle Times Article Link

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P&G, Islam, and Superheroes

Only P&G could pull off a marketing campaign that involves the creation of a conspicuously western-society superhero that sells soap to an Islamic consumer base with little history of personal hygiene (no offense intended...let's face it...most of the world doesn't see a need for soap).

Gotta love P&G...no [recognized] need...CREATE ONE! Man I miss the good ol' days of outrageously ambitious marketing ideas. God bless you P&G (whichever One your consumers choose).

Watch the very interesting report from Martin Lindstrom of Advertising Age.

See it here.

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Alternate Uses for Corporate Laptops

For all of us that have had to suffer with the "latest" technology from Corporate...here are excellent examples of alternate applications. [Disclaimer: I do NOT recommend any of the activities demonstrated unless for entertainment purposes only.]