Marketing The Arts Coursework (Add+Vantage)
140MC Coursework
For this piece I had to analyse a contemporary advert. I chose the new L’Oreal Elvive advert with Cheryl Tweedy (Cole).
London museum of Brands and Advertising (26.02.10)
The photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=1153591252&aid=2055055
and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2055059&id=1153591252#!/album.php?id=1153591252&aid=2055059
On 26th February 2010, we (me, Amy Turner, Carley Bartlett, Chris Thornton, Nikki Maidment and Beth Hamer) went to the museum of brands and advertising in London. It was really interesting looking at advertising from Victorian and Edwardian, through every decade up to the 2000s. The cabinets were filled with so many different items it was difficult to see them all. But it was really interesting looking how what was advertised has changed. In the earlier times, it was mainly soap powders, flour, and other cooking/washing items being advertised. Then there was the introduction of alcohol and cigarettes being advertised, with more foods. It was surprising how long brands like ‘Cross and Blackwell’, ’Hartleys’, ’Birds’ ‘Cadburys’ and ‘Jacobs’ have been in business. The adverts for these were extremely simple, showing the product and saying what it did and how it was a necessity to help you with your housewife duties. But since they were new products, there was hardly any competition so they did not need to convince the target audience this was the right brand of washing powder or flour for example, as it was probably the only one. During the period of the second world war the advertising was largely war propaganda, encouragin men to sign-up. Towards the middle decades, the subject of advertising began to change; although food and washing aids were still advertised, fashion and children’s toys were advertised more. This fitted in with the change in the times, women after the war began to become more independent, so they were interested in fashion, so the advertising fitted that, it catered for their needs. Toys were becoming more popular too, after rationing ended, children no longer played with things they found, they wanted proper toys so the advertising acknowledged this. Also, as cars were invented as brought into people’s lives and onto the roads of Britain, advertising began to incorporate this too, by making car adverts part of the norm. Although they were still fairly simple adverts, just telling the target audience how good the car was, not what it could do for you or your lifestyle like they do now. As the decades moved on, brands faded and recognisable ones were introduced. While foods and washing aids were still advertised, fashion, music, sweets & chocolate and toys were more central to advertising, as this is what the consumer would have been more interested in. Especially when television programmes/films became part of the toy industry, like Doctor Who, Star Trek and Thunderbirds and franchising began. Cigarette and alcohol was still popular advertising right up until the 2000’s, when cigarette advertising became illegal and alcohol advertising almost redundant due to strict regulations. Only a few alcohol companies remain advertising. I think it was set out extremely well, in a linear way which made it easy to follow and the cabinets were packed with things to look at. The brands section was interesting as it show-cased particular popular brands that have been around since Victorian/Edwardian times to now, showing the cans/boxes/tins etc and how they have changed. The packaging section was also interesting, showing how bottles were just bottles, simple and made from the material available, to how the packaging became part of the brand, how the bottle etc says something about the product. It also showed the introduction of new materials, which then lead to packaging innovations- different desgins and styles became available. And the designs themselves almost had to sell the products, rather than the advertising. This is how the market works now, the consumer has to be convinced to buy the product, they do not tend to buy out of necessity like they would have in the earlier times. The packaging then went on to show how companies are trying to make packaging recyclable and from sustainable materials, which fits in with the eco-conscious society of today. All in all, it was an interesting visit, with lots to think about and really showed how some brands can sustain and survive, whilst others simply fade away- why is this, what do they do right or wrong? Also, it highlighted how the subject of advertising has changed, how advertising focuses on the changes in society in regards to what it advertises. The only thing I would say I didn’t like, was the lack of history, there was very little text with the items, a bit of history of the brands would have been a good idea.
Lucozade Alert Plus in first TV sponsorship (Marketing magazine)
“LONDON – Lucozade Alert Plus has signed up as the sponsor of Five’s Friday night drama ‘The Mentalist’ – albeit a week after the new series started. The show debuted last Friday at 9pm on Five without sponsorship, opening the 23-part second series with 2.4 million viewers. The deal was agreed with too tight a deadline to get the creative ready for the first show. Lucozade brand manager Alex Saunders said: “It was agreed that we would leave the idents off the first epiode as we wouldn’t be able to get everything ready in time. It is the first TV sponsorship for Lucozade Alert Plus, an energy shot launched in September by GlaxoSmithKline. Each sponsorship spot features a bottle of Lucozade Alert Plus fizzing with electricity. The electric current transforms into a word that completes a number of sentences, such as ‘The Mentalist has clarity’, ‘The Mentalist has insight’ and ‘The Mentalist is sharp’. The first series of ‘The Mentalist’ proved a hit for Five last year, bringing in an average weekly audience of 3.5 million viewers. The sponsorship deal was brokered by Five’s sponsorship controller Rachael Wheeler. M&C Saatchi created the sponsorship assets including a 15-second opening credit, six five-second break bumpers and a 10-second closing credit.”
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After studying Lucozade for a GCSE exam, I know that they have never had a sponsorship deal before. Also, it has been a while since Lucozade had any kind of television exposure. There is bad organisation shown in the fact that the creative ideas were not ready in time for the first show to be sponsored, showing the importance of a time schedule when creating marketing campaigns. However, I think that ‘The Mentalist’ is a good programme for Lucozade to sponsor, ‘alert’ and ’sharpen up’ plus the shape of the graphics on the bottles fit in with the idea of thinking, working things out etc. Also the fizzing is like ideas bubbling in the brain. This hopefully means that everytime someone talks about or thinks about the programme they will remember Lucozade. It is strange however, that Lucozade have only chosen now to advertise the product, despite it being launched in September. Maybe they have realised people have forgotten about the brand? The target audiences of the programme and the product are similar and it will be reaching a substantial amount of the target audience- hopefully the whole of the 2.4millions viewers. Although, with a drop of 1.1million viewers from the end of the first series to the beginning of the second, I’m not sure I would have continued with the sponsorship: if the viewers drop that significantly at a time when they should remain steady, how quickly may they drop throughout the rest of the series? But, it is good to see such an old and memorable brand back into advertising and giving everyone a brand reminder and hopefully gaining more of the market segment since the last time they advertised.
The Lovely Bones
I went to see it last night and having not read the book I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I had seen interviews with the actress in it and seen the trailers and a few classmates had read the book in high school and enjoyed it so I thought I would see it. Although, I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I did enjoy it, but it isn’t really my genre of film, it is rather fantasy, with the ‘Heaven’ and ‘in between’. The special effects that created these though were really brilliant, it did seem real, well as real as it could, it was quite spectacular. The narrative itself never did what you expected it to, everytime it seemed to be going the way you thought it would it didn’t. It did have a traditional ‘Hollywood happy ending’, but it really was interesting how it didn’t follow the path you thought it would. For example, I thought the killer would be caught, but in fact he was killed by a falling icicle and fell down a ravene and left dead and all alone- which was a much more fitting end for him than being imprisoned. But still, it was not was you expected. It was above two hours, but didn’t seem it, as the story kept twisting and moving on in time, keeping you interested and intrigued as to how it was going to end. Also, because it was set in the 1970’s it made the story more believeable, because as the main character said, it was a time when things like that didn’t happen, when missing children were not the centre of media attention. There was a traditional love story in it narrative as well, but with a difference as the girl was dead when the couple had their first kiss! I have never seen a film like it; making it difficult to compare; but I did enjoy it, despite it being quite detailed and you had to concentrate. I think it was something really different and had traits of an independent film, but I think it will be one that ‘breaks through’ into the mainstream.
Lynx Twist Flyer
On a recent trip to the cinema, I was looking at the postcards and flyers whilst waiting for the screen to open and I found this Lynx advert:
I found it really interesting, as it was different from others flyers. The front is two samples of Lynx, you peel back the flap and there are two examples of how the spray changes. I like the way there a lines that flow and swirl from one sample to the other, like a smell flows in the air and how it twists and changes. The colours also represent the smell, as it smells fresh and citrus, yellow and green fit in with that- lime and lemon colours. The ‘S’ in twist is backwards, like a twist, which works well.
On the other side, the slogan is similar to other Lynx adverts- it’s about attracting women. With the use of the lime green again and the reversed ‘S’, keeping the theme running. The products are clearly shown, making it clear what to look for when the target audience go to by it in the shop. The twists of colours are used again, linking the samples from the reverse to the products. The fact that there is a Facebook page is good as it is making use of free marketing.
I thought it was a really good flyer, as it kept the theme throughout, and it caught my eye, the black background with the citrus colours. Also, the samples I thought were really different and would make me remember the product if I were that target audience. And it was certainly placed in the right place, as the target audience attend the cinema regularly.
Sleeping Beauty at the Alexandra Theatre (10/1/10)
To be totally honest, I only went to see this because of Ray Quinn and I hadn’t seen a pantomime since junior school. But, I really did enjoy it. Ray Quinn’s singing was amazing, as he acted it brilliantly, and of course looked gorgeous! Joe Pasquale was hilarious as Muddles, he really is a true professional and you can tell he has been performing in pantomimes for so long. Ceri Dupree as Lady Passionella, wore some fabulous dresses and brilliantly high-heels, which even I couldn’t wear! But he too was really good and you can also tell that he has been playing pantomime dames for a long time. I didn’t expect there to be 3D effects, but they were really good, they made me jump and worked really well. The singing of the main cast was as good as singing in the west-end and the jokes were contemporary and just so funny. I also didn’t expect it to be such a big production- the 3D effects, Joe Pasquale hanging upside down from the curtain and high wires were used quite a lot- at one point Joe flew over the audience in to circle. The wicked queen also used one of the boxes, which I thought was a really good idea as it gave another dimension to the stage without obviously having another stage. And the high wires gave the performance another level, theoretically and practically. The main reason I booked tickets, as I said, was because of Ray Quinn, but I am so glad I did, it was a fantastic production with a brilliant cast, I really loved it.
I am also looking forward to other performances this year:
- When Harry Met Sally (Alexandra Theatre)
- King Lear (RSC in Stratford)
- Blood Brothers (Hippodrome in Birmingham)
Grease in the West End (28/5/09, 10/7/09 & 14/8/09)
In a word: amazing. Absolutely loved it, every time. The first time I saw it was for my 18th birthday in May last year, unfortunately Ray Quinn has injured his back, so wasn’t playing Danny, but even with the understudy it was still fantastic- so much so that I wanted to go back to see it again (and again!). The third time I saw it wasn’t the best as there were quite a few understudies, so after seeing it with the proper actors/actresses already, it seemed strange, but still really good- which shows how strong a show it is. The second time I saw it was the best, the full cast- especially Ray Quinn- were performing. The whole show is just fantastic! It is in my opinion, better than the film adaptation. It flows better as a show and it really comes alive on stage. The acting, dancing and singing is all brilliant. The singing in particular, is just amazing. Someone once told me that you didn’t have to be that good a singer to perform in the West End, but the cast of Grease, are so much more than that. Probably the best are Ray Quinn (Danny), Emma Stephens (Sandy), Natalie Langston (Rizzo) and Michael Melmoe (Roger). The whole show flows and each character gets their chance to shine. All the love stories between the T-Birds and Pink Ladies are obvious in the muscial, rather than in the film where only Danny and Sandy and Rizzo and Kenickie are focused on. All the main characters get to sing their own solo song too, making them more whole as characters. The choreogrpahy by Arlene Philips was really good, the dances were step-perfect by the ensemble and Ray Quinn’s dance section at the dance contest was fantastic, the lifts were amazing. It was the first musical I had ever seen and the first time I had been to the West End, and it certainly made me want to go back. It even made me think I might quite like work in marketing for theatre.
Pepsi shows ‘wild side’ with online relaunch (Marketing magazine)
“LONDON – PepsiCo is to relaunch its UK website in April, as part of a strategy to shift spend from TV to digital media. The soft-drinks company will support the revamp with a social media campaign in the summer, encouraging consumers to show off their ‘wild side’. This follows Pepsi’s adoption of the strapline ‘Max your wild side’, replacing the previous ‘Max your life’ and ‘Max it’ positioning. The activity will be the first in the UK to use the revamped Pepsi logo. The fresh visual identity, which was introduced in the US last year as part of a £700m global brand makeover, will also be rolled out across Pepsi, Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi cans to create a more international feel. PepsiCo has already been stepping up its digital activity in the US. During last month’s Super Bowl, it opted to invest in a social media campaign on Facebook rather than run a flagship TV spot, as it had done for the previous 23 years. The Pepsi Fresh Project is an online cause-related marketing drive that asks participants how the company should give away £13m to charities. Traditionally, Pepsi has sought to make an impact during the high-profile sporting event by debuting ads featuring big-name stars such as Britney Spears, Cindy Crawford and Justin Timberlake. PepsiCo will also be using digital media in its attempt to hijack the 2010 Fifa World Cup, which is sponsored by rival Coca-Cola. The first stage of the activity is a 30-second viral ad for Pepsi Max featuring the French striker Thierry Henry. The spot will be launched this week on the website for Sky Sports’ Saturday morning show Soccer AM. However, the company has no plans to move away entirely from traditional advertising. The second phase of its World Cup activity is a TV ad, featuring Chelsea players Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba as well as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres; it will be shown during the summer. From April, PepsiCo plans to increase the size of its Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi bottles from 500ml to 600ml without raising the price. This is aimed at persuading consumers to switch to sugar-free options. Last year UK sales of Pepsi’s cola range grew at a higher rate than those of market leader Coca-Cola, according to Nielsen. They rose by 6% in the 12 months to October 2009 to reach a value of £267m. Pepsi is still some way behind Coke, which posted sales of £999.4m in the same period; a year-on-year increase of 3.2%.”
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Everything seems to be changing at the moment! Not sure if it is because I am more aware of these kinds of changes now, or whether this year seems to be the year for change in the way companies do things. Pepsi have decided that their ‘wild side’ campaign would be better online in a viral advert. I think this is a good idea, as they have already invested £700 million in worldwide re-branding, so making use of the viral and social networks online is a good idea. Not only is it virtually free- apart from making the advert- but a most of Pepsi’s target audience are online, so making a viral and tapping into social networking sites means most of their target audience can be reached. This should help Pepsi catch-up with their rivals Coca-Cola in the sales market. Another good thing they are doing is linking the viral/social networking to charity, which gives them a USP. They are asking participants to suggest ways they could give £13million to charities, which is a USP and more importantly, one that Coca-Cola does not have. However, donation to charities is not necessarily something that will attract their usual target audience. Although the younger generations are becoming more charitable. But what this might do for Pepsi is give them a whole new market too. The enlargement of the bottles of Diet and Max are a good idea too, as in an ever-conscious society it gives the consumer two things- a drink that is better value for money and better for their health- two more reasons for them to switch from Coca-Cola to Pepsi, hopefully breaking the brand loyalty that so many have to Coca-Cola. I think these plans are extremely good marketing techniques and should raise Pepsi’s profits. It is good though they they are not moving away from television advertising altogether though, as that is still the most effective- albeit expensive- method of advertising. But like the BBC are changing, Pepsi is too, rising to the challenge and thinking of new ways to attracts the consumer.
Newspaper publishers rally against BBC plans for mobile apps (From media week)
“LONDON – Newspaper groups have attacked the BBC’s plans to launch a range of free news and sport apps, claiming it will undermine commercial publishers in a “potentially” important’ sector. Yesterday, the BBC announced it was developing news and sports apps for the iPhone, set to roll out before this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The apps will then be adapted for the BlackBerry and Android operating systems. The Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) said the move did not constitute an extension of an existing service, but rather an “entirely new service” and should therefore be subject to a Public Value Test. NPA director David Newell said: “Not for the first time, the BBC is preparing to muscle into a nascent market and trample over the aspirations of commercial news providers. We strongly urge the BBC Trust to block these damaging plans,” “The market for iPhone news apps is a unique and narrow commercial space, which means that the potential for market distortion by the BBC is much greater.” At this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the BBC’s director of future media and technology, Erik Huggers, defended the plans, arguing that licence fee- payers were demanding access to digital content, “at a time and place that suits them”. Members of the NPA include Associated Newspapers, the London Evening Standard, the Financial Times, Guardian News & Media, Independent Newspapers, MGN, News International and Telegraph Media Group.”
From: http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/bulletin/mediapm/article/984867/?DCMP=EMC-MediaPMBulletin
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Creating apps for the iPhone will make the BBC even more accessible. Sport and news are the most popular genres of the BBC’s website and are the genres people most want access to when they are not at home near a television or computer; for example to check the latest scores or to read the headlines peopler are talking about. I think that this links in well with the BBC’s plans- spoken about by Pete Clifton- to introduce more technology to the BBC. It links in well with the iPlayer now on the Wii console. It means that the BBC is incredibly more available to everyone wherever they are. The iPhone already plays host to things such as an ’Orange Wednesdays’ app, so a BBC news and sport one I think is more appropriate. It will help the BBC gain a younger audience as well, they can just take their iPhone’s out of their pockets and look at the headlines if someone mentions something on the journey home that they think sounds interesting or dramatic. Although, I can see why newspapers are worried about this. It means people will not be looking in their newspapers or on their websites for the scores or the news. But, the BBC is only updating and modernising, which really the newspapers should do too. I think the newspapers should not become complacent and this will certainly make sure they do not, this is doing to newspapers what is happening to the BBC at the moment- creating competition and most importantly, creating a challenge they have to rise to. However, on saying this, I do not think that newspapers will become entirely extint and redundant just because of one iPhone app, people do still want the tradition of reading a newspaper.