advergirl

A Challenge to Lowe's

As an ad girl at a retail shop I get my fill of holiday cheer by oh-right-about October 1. By then, the hoopla has been in full swing since balmy July when reindeer were being sprayed down on a set that tested the limits of modern air conditioning.

Spring forward to the week before Halloween. Retailers finally get to debut their holiday TV spots to a consumer populace that's not ready for them and an ad community that's already over them.

The early spots look great this year with one glaring exception ...

Lowe's is recycling their "I'm looking for..." spots. The cute idea where a harried shopper hits the store unable to remember the name of the holiday home adornment she's hunting and launches into a charades-style pantomime which the savvy sales girl immediately guesses as a giant inflatable with life-size santa and reindeer.

Yeah, you've seen it.

Clever idea.  Slightly annoying talent. Highly over-exposed spot here in year 2.

First up, let me say, I like the strategy. They're setting themselves in direct opposition to every other big box - from the Depot to Target. It's story about service and knowledgeable sales staff. It is targeted at a busy, high income, high expectation female customer. I love that.

But, America has seen it. And with talent that grating, there's a good chance they'll miss the highlighted product as they lunge for the fast forward button.

Lowe's is a fantastic brand. With great agency partners. But, for some reason, this year, they're leaning on expired creative. So, here's my challenge:

I'll talk my agency bosses into slashing our fee in half if you give us a shot at reinventing the spots. There's still time for a holiday miracle ... call me!

One other note, I don't think that all spots necessarily expire after one season. A great example is the super iconic Nissan Heisman spot ... which I believe has been running for as many as three years:

Armstrong Ceilings: Look up America

So, say you're just starting out in advertising and making no money and living in decidedly questionable digs somewhere far outside of the city you actually work in ... well, here's a competition for you!

Armstrong Ceilings recently launched this 'Look up America' site that combines a ceiling makeover contest (no more brownspots, kids) with some interesting expert content ... seems that Armstrong sponsors the 'Michelangelo Design Council,' anchored by Eric Cohler. The Council offers current design insights, sponsors events, etc.

For a little site, it's a great combo of consumer 'explore' and PR 'intrigue' that puts a very accessible face on a very big brand...

You don't want to live here.

I'm sure something like this has been done before, although perhaps not as well. Nonetheless, it's actually the "media buy" that's impressive:

Leo Burnett delivered this campaign to homeless charity Shelter and the upmarket real estate agent Douglas & Gordon. The ads are actually placed in the windows of the real estate offices of Douglas & Gordon. Handsome couples browsing expensive listings are confronted with the images of the dilapidated and dangerous housing that thousands of families live in across the UK (and the world for that matter).

Very brave campaign for the client / partner. And very smart execution - just enough snappy in the copy to belie the guilt trip.

Read more at Brand Republic

Circulars still relevant

As some retailers are moving to RSS and email newsletters to deliver weekly sales to customers, Vertis is drumming up research to prove the continuing value and viability of traditional newspaper inserts.

Advertising insert readership levels are consistently at 85% or above, and web-savvy consumers still rely on them, as 88% of Sunday newspaper readers surveyed via the web say they read the inserts, while 79% of those surveyed by telephone say they read them.

::Customer Focus 2006: Retail study from Vertis.

Vertis also highlighted the decision-making power of the circulars, noting that 52% of those surveyed by phone and 71% of those surveyed via the web said they use the inserts to decide where they buy groceries; 29% / 41% to decide where to shop for health and beauty care products; and 28%/39% for office supply decisions.

Other Key findings

• Since 1998, the percentage of women aged 18-34 reading grocery inserts has increased 14 percentage points
• These women tend to like discount stores, and have shown an interest in the grocery stores' ethnic and organic departments
• 40% of women aged 35-49 said advertising inserts influence their overall buying decisions, while television only influences 20%
• Women aged 18-34 are an important demographic for furniture retailers, as 33% of these women said they plan to purchase bedroom furniture, 26% plan to purchase bedding and 24% plan to purchase living room furniture. When these women were asked about their last furniture purchase, lowest price was the greatest consideration for 39% of them, increasing nine percentage points since 2002; meanwhile, highest quality dipped seven percentage points since 2002
• The percentage of women aged 18-34 turning to the internet first when ready to make a purchase has increased from 19% in 2004 to 27% in 2006
• The percentage of "do-it-yourselfers" has grown nine percentage points since 2004, as Americans are increasingly more willing to take on home improvement projects. Specifically, this group has grown most with women aged 35-49, growing 12% in two years
• 73% of women aged 35-49 who read ad inserts compare similar home improvement inserts before heading to the selected store

Release
Full report

"We build each home like our own"

Client: Cresleigh Homes
Agency: 16 Rays, San Fran