Filed Under (advertisement) by Nicole on 16-01-2009
Yet another post about an ad; I guess that’s what happens when I spend time in New York! Pepsico caught my attention with a Mountain Dew sponsored event that was very well-executed: DewTour. DewTour was a skiing/snowboarding competition held in Vermont at Mount Snow last weekend. The event itself is a great start, because it fits the image of Mountain Dew as “extreme.”
The only place I saw ads for the DewTour (someone correct me if I’m wrong) was on trains headed to and from the north suburbs of New York City. While this may not initially sound like great publicity, it seems brilliant to me. For starters, extreme sports, including snowboarding and skiing, are extremely targeted groups; I’m sure that by bringing in the top athletes in the field those who follow the sports closely already knew what was going on. To generate additional publicity, 
they didn’t need to spend money for a full-blown campaign. The majority of people who visit the Mount Snow area are residents of those suburbs of New York where it’s considered a popular winter vacation spot, and most of them also commute to work via train.
I don’t know what kind of numbers can be assigned to the awareness/sales generated by DewTour, but we couldn’t find any parking at Mount Snow to watch or even ski, so I think it’s safe to say the event was a hit.
Filed Under (advertisement) by Nicole on 04-01-2009
What better place to market a brand or product than Times Square? Is it expensive? Yes. Ad spaces can cost up to $350,000 per month, not to mention the cost of these high-tech ads themselves. However, these ads end up generating a great deal of bang for the renter’s buck. The CPM (cost per thousand) ranges from $2 – $5; much less than the $20 or so a prime time TV spot would run. With 40 million visitors and 100 million pictures taken each year, Times Square is as visible as it gets. When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, 211 million people are watching! That destroys the 80 million who watch the Super Bowl.
As incredible as the numbers are on their own, I think there are 2 key factors that make Times Square a fantastic place to push a brand. First is the prestige. Walgreens gets this. They just opened a new store at 1 Times Square with outrageous rent, but even more incredible publicity. CMO Kim L. Feil told the New York Times,
“It’s about saying, ‘We’re here.’”
As the
New York Times article further explains, it’s about being a part of an iconic area that is not only as public as it gets, but prestigious. Second, is simply that the entire fascination with Times Square
IS the prevalent advertisements; people come to Times Square to see the best and certainly the brightest ads. The
lights and billboards make Times Square, well, Times Square.
How, then, can a brand be differentiated? With ad after ad of prestigious brands, what can make one or two stand out? A couple days ago I was walking through Times Square, being bombarded with the ads, and one grabbed my attention. Instead of flaunting the brand name alone, it
offered the viewer both humor, and a useful service. I’m assuming it was also there two days earlier for New Years, during which I’m sure there were many thankful Times Square goers.
Charmin did not just get out the Charmin name and blend in with the rest of the Times Square lights. Not every product makes sense to sponsor restrooms at Times Square, but the point of an ad is to promote, and what better way than tying something practical or humorous with that product or service? I know every time I think of Charmin I will remember this ad. They must have done something right.
they didn’t need to spend money for a full-blown campaign. The majority of people who visit the Mount Snow area are residents of those suburbs of New York where it’s considered a popular winter vacation spot, and most of them also commute to work via train.
