Long before I began officially studying marketing and had an excuse to obsess over adverts, I had my favourites. I’d say most of us have at least a touch of nostalgia for the advertising we grew up with, which might seem like a pretty strange phenomenon (reminiscing over sales messages?) but if you take a moment to watch those ads again you’ll recognise a common theme, as exemplified by a couple of personal favourites: Mr Soft and Um Bongo (- A would like to point out that Mr Soft was his suggestion).
Bright, colourful, brimming with humour, appealing characters and catchy songs and jingles, it’s no wonder we remember them fondly. Almost exclusively for sugary snacks and drinks, the ads served as a continuation of the entertainment (equally bright and stimulating cartoons) during the ad breaks.
Watching TV for ten minutes today will show you how much times have changed and, as something of an aside, I can’t help but wonder what future generations will be getting nostalgic about now that advertising regulations have clamped down on the use of mascots and jingles for HFSS foods (foods high in fat, sugar and salt)?
Advertising to adults has had to be more sophisticated than simply continuing to entertain during the ad brea… Oh wait.
No…
That’s precisely what it does.
It may not be as gaudy (well, sometimes it is) as advertising to children, but it aims to engage the viewer in a similar way that the programming they would normally choose to watch does. It does this through creativity, humour and originality.
Since 1999, when I first laid eyes on The Surfer, Guinness have easily been my favourite advertisers. From the bizarre Fridge Pub and Bet on Black, to the inspired niotulovE and Tipping Point, it seemed for a long time that Guinness couldn’t put a foot wrong.
Lately however (and by lately, I mean the four years since Tipping Point came out), I’ve been unimpressed by the ads Guinness has put out. Sure, Bring it to Life was ambitious but it seemed to lack that certain magic that the previous Guinness ads were so famous for. This latest series of online virals they’ve released in the run up for St Patrick’s Day have frankly left me cold.
The visitor centre at St James Gate, which as long time Guinness fans, A & I visited in 2009, devotes a huge portion of the tour to the advertising history of Guinness- from the early Zoo Keeper paintings to Rutger Hauer’s endorsements of the early 90’s, iconic advertising flows through Guinness’ blood. So what’s happened?
Where has the spark gone and importantly, can they get it back?
Don’t get me wrong, I won’t stop drinking Guinness just because their ads don’t stimulate me any more- at the bar, mine’s still a pint of the black stuff- and maybe, for Guinness, that’s all that matters. They’ve still got my custom. My perception of the Guinness brand on the other hand, the mystical feeling that Guinness and I connected on some personal level, has, for now at least, been lost.
What are your favourite ads and why?
Further reading: via Brand Republic
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