The good, the ad, and the ugly
The Super Bowl has become an advertising spectacle, no doubt about it. Companies, usually car manufacturers, spend upwards of seven figures on their Super Bowl ads and because those gobs of money attract some of the brightest minds in the advertising industry, we spectators get the wonderful benefit of looking at the most advanced advertising thinkers competing in a high-stakes bake-off.
We know we know, it’s not football season yet, but does a true fan ever put away their jersey? True champions are always training, and for better or for worse, we’re always watching ads from the industry’s experts to see what we can learn. So consider today an off-season punt-fake of sorts, and run with us!
Before next season (aka your marketing this month) really kicks into high gear, we want you to be prepared with plenty of direct mail marketing tips!
Consider these your spring training.
The best: Merge your story with a larger narrative.
Chrysler’s Super Bowl Ad “Imported from Detroit”
Powerful? Yes. Attention grabbing? Check. Chock-full of narrative? Definitely. Chrysler’s ad makes a wise choice in tapping into a universal narrative that we all love: the underdog story. And it accurately connects the ideas of strife and accomplishment, and that great hardships can lead to even greater successes. Detroit has been through it all, as has Chrysler, and they’ve spun that into a strength.
How can you harness this in your direct mail? Tell your story! Sure, you’re in business to make a profit and take care of your family but what’s the greater narrative around what you’re doing? If you’re a small business, you should see yourself as out there battling Goliath, fighting to improve whatever industry you’re in. If you’re in a troubled industry, tell the Rocky Balboa story about how you can come back and make that industry great again. Find a universal narrative like Detroit coming back from the brink of failure and you’ll engage customers and draw them in!
The worst: If you can’t be the best, be memorable
Mountain Dew “Puppy Monkey Baby”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql7uY36-LwA&feature=youtu.be
If you’re like us, you turned that off after just a few seconds. (OK…not really) It does not get any better. During the Super Bowl however, nobody’s changing the channel and they’re effectively chained to this tortuously bad video. You’re probably screaming, “What were they thinking? How could they pay $4M for that?” and the answer is, because it’s effective.
It’s not effective at being likable, but it’s effective at being memorable, and in advertising, that’s often all that matters. It’s the same reason that you know, but probably don’t like, Pepto Bismol’s Jingle, or Geico’s mascot. This commercial started a firestorm of negative press and had everybody talking about it the next day at the water cooler. And from that perspective, it worked, because Mountain Dew was top of everyone’s mind.
How can you harness this in your direct mail? Don’t focus on being polite, focus on being memorable. Jump out and grab people with your sales copy, and don’t be afraid to use clashing, garish colors or lots of exclamation points (within reason). Your postcard’s job is to catch people’s attention and even if they don’t respond, to help them grow accustomed to your pitch so that you stay top of mind! And luckily, you can accomplish all of this without being even a fraction as annoying as Mountain Dew’s commercial, or spending $4M.
Oh…and whether it’s a talking lizard, a puppy monkey baby or a silly jingle, repetition cements your brand.
And there you have it, tips from the best and the worst of one of the most expensive advertising events on Earth! Now it’s time to put it all together.
Use our DIY web to print platform to create a postcard in under 15 minutes that tells your underdog story or sears itself into your customers’ consciousness!
Either way, blame it on what you learned from the big guys!
Need help with your strategy? We can help you identify and perfect your story and turn it into sales. Give us a call at 1-866-319-7109 or contact us at Opportunity Knocks today!