Advertisers Get Happy in Bad Times -- and So Far, So Good
With so much bad news these days, isn't it time for a little levity in our advertising? You know, the singing, dancing, goofball variety?
Coca-Cola's (KO) worldwide "Open Happiness" project and most spots for retail therapy and toddler toys aren't the only games in town, as the new campaign from Draftfcb, New York, for Chips Ahoy! shows. (Hey, if there's an exclamation point in a product name, it fairly screams for loose and light ads).
The marketer has dumped its claymation "Cookie Guys" in favor of this new spot with kids doing jigs when they get their paws on Kraft's best-selling chocolate chip cookies. New tagline: "There's a lotta joy in Chips Ahoy!"
Ah, the emotional resonance.
In addition to bringing back iconic comedian Bill Cosby, Kraft (KFT) has also rolled out the fun for a massive new Jell-O campaign, the centerpiece of which is a national contest to find the best giggle. It will be part of the ad effort once it's chosen. (Consumers will whittle down the competitors from online entries and Cosby will be the final arbiter).
There's the ongoing Happy Cow campaign from the California Milk Advisory Board (congrats to the newest bovine star, Kristen!) and a $50 million Oscar Mayer ad push behind its bacon, hot dogs, bologna and other packaged meats that drops the famous jingles and goes for a broader message about enjoying the food. (There's a related site dubbed GoodMoodMission.com).
The only real problem with so much optimistic advertising is the risk of looking disingenuous if it's done poorly. It's also ripe for parody, which probably does more good than harm to a brand. So far, it's been chipper but not obnoxious. In other words, I'm not frowning yet.
NOTE: This is a guest post by Terry Stanley.
Related: