Christmas Smackdown - The Champ vs. MANta vs. Macy's

Even though the holiday season is officially upon us, yesterday - as in true MARCOM fashion - Christmas carols were drowned out with brand chatter about the most miraculous advertising day on the calendar:  Superbowl Sunday.  

So, I figured I'd best attend to this season's communications efforts before they are fully eclipsed by New Year's resolutions, the big game, and, what's next - Valentine's Day? 

PEAK PERFORMANCE

Back for another year of intense shopping and yule tidings is Target's Christmas Champ (comic, Maria Bamford).  

Turning shopping and other Christmas related revelry into something akin to competitive sport, the Champ provides a light-hearted dig at the shopping obsessed, while encouraging us to follow suit.

This year's TV campaign looks suspiciously identical to last year's - a little bit of a let down, like leaving stale cookies for Santa.  Still the call to action is clear, the message is relatively timeless, and still resonates.

1 MAN, 7 BILLION GIFTS

Fans everywhere will be happy to find the bare-chested, white towel-clad Old Spice guy in their stockings this year.  

The brand has brought Isaiah Mustafa back as MANta Claus - charged with the task of delivering a Christmas gift to each and every person on earth.  That's about 7 billion gifts, in just 5 days.  

Who needs Rudolf and a sleigh when you have the internet, and the magic of Marketing?

The campaign kicked off yesterday, December 5th, with a personalized gift to @beautyjunkies, followed by a gift of a Bear Deodorant Protector to 25 of Old Spice Guy's "closest internet friends, and, finally, even larger "group" gifts to the City of Baltimore, and the entire country of Australia.  

If you weren't among OSG's 25 closest friends - no worries.  Old Spice has made "limited quantities" of the deodorant protector available for sale via its Facebook page.  For only $19.99 you can be living like a "close friend" of the Old Spice Guy!

As day two of the campaign is getting under way, the impact of yesterday's Facebook posts seem to be strong.  The first posting - in reference to @beautyjunkies - garnered 2,261 Likes and 171 comments as of press time here.  Subsequent postings received healthy likes and comments, but far lower than this level.  

Lesson Learned - personal or customized posts have more resonance and inspire engagement more than group or generic postings.  Even if the post is not directed to you specifically, it creates a "it could have been me" perception, thus encouraging us to engage with the brand more.  This reminds me of the Wheat Thins tweet inspired TV campaign earlier this year.  

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN

Perhaps my favorite campaign this season is for another retailer, one which has encouraged us to "believe" since 1858 - Macy's. 

Whether it be Miracle on 34th Street, or Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus, Marketing Communications has been successful at declaring Macy's ground zero for holiday shopping.  This year's television creative keeps that tradition going.

What I love about this commercial is that it is a pretty integrated approach.  Advertising a PR campaign - the "cause marketing" of the Make a Wish Foundation - illustrates how the two MARCOM tools, when used together, are more powerful than on their own.

Also, it encourages kids to write letters to Santa and then DEMAND that they be taken to Macy's to deposit them.  What a great call to action.  Once in Macy's - well, the season takes over.  You might as well shop!

FROM SPENDING TIME, TO SPENDING MONEY

The holiday season is spectacular for so many reasons.  Friends, family, and fun.  It's not surprising that brands want to tap into that, and to shift the enthusiasm from spending time, to spending money.  

Target & Macy's are successful in their appeals to do that.  Old Spice is a somewhat different campaign - less sales directed, and more about building relationships.  If Old Spice knows its customers as well as it thinks it does, it will see continual payoff in high engagement through social media.  Plus, it will sell out its bear deodorant protector - which I imagine will become the gag gift of the season, akin to the Snuggie of holidays past.

Happy Holidays from the BrandDR...  Enjoy the ads!!

 

The Fry's the Limit, But there's a Ring Around the Moon...

Earlier this week I tweeted, somewhat skeptically, about Burger King's big announcement that it was introducing "new fries."

Yesterday, the industry news was abuzz about the creative efforts behind this new announcement.  Keeping with its' "product as Hero" focus that won them the BK account this past summer, agency of record McGarryBowen's spot announcing that "NEW FRIES have arrived at BK" emphasizes product shots and satisfied consumption.  (See the spot here, via Ad Age.)

Wendy's Natural Cut Fries

NO SMALL FRIES
On the whole, the fast-food industry has become increasingly obsessed with "small fry" menu items like french fries.  This is not surprising given that "sides" can be consumed in a variety of contexts - as part of a larger lunch or dinner meal, but also as a standalone snack.  The "small fry" is indeed big business.

Just last year, Wendy's introduced its Natural-Cut Fries with Sea Salt, and this year, even without a new recipe (why mess with perfection?), McDonald's is advertising its fries as "the best on the planet."

FRY ME TO THE MOON
Burger King however, seems to be a bit more over the moon with its fry obsession than than the competition.

In 2002, BK tried to shake things up - putting a "new" twist on the staple fast food side.

In 2006 BK went a "fowl" with this new fry:

And 2007 marked the most offensive FRYasco - Fresh Apple Fries.

(FRIED) EGG ON THE FACE
Fry obsession aside, these three "new" menu items are lackluster at best - coming a day late and a dollar short to a market that already knows the fry, the chicken finger, and the apple slice.

Even with new management, BK has continued its bandwagon/reactive approach, with fanfare for the ordinary.  It's most recent menu additions have been:

BK Toppers - you can add toppings (like cheese, mushrooms, and bbq sauce) to your burger!!  For $1.99!!!

"Revamped" Chicken Tenders - now "nugget" shaped!!

Stuffed Steakhouse Burger - jalapeno peppers & cheddar cheese stuffed into the meat!!

Quaker Oatmeal and Soft Serve Ice Cream (I can't even make light of this - these are so generic and so uninspired.)

What the key competitors - McDonald's & Wendy's - lack, is what BK excels in, yet we hear very little about it.  The onion ring.

RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW
With rumors that Wendy's will oust BK as the No. 2 fast food chain (behind McDonald's) growing louder, it may be time for Burger King to quiet down on the small fry issues and reach for the rings.

The whole point of branding, after all, is to differentiate your products from competing products.

Keep it simple BK - no "chicken rings" or "french toast rings."  Onion rings.  Tried and true.  McDonald's may have the best fries on the planet, but there's a ring around the moon, and that's what BK should reach for.