Assignment #1: Good Ads VS. Bad Ads

“Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.”

– Bill Bernbach

The world of advertising is largely run by people who know what they are doing, simply because you can’t stay in business if you don’t. Good advertising campaigns leave consumers with a positive impression, even if the advertisement in question is completely divorced from the features of the produce or service. This leaves most adverts selling benefits or self-actualization. Below are some examples of advertising done right. Some are humorous, while others are dramatic and heart-warming.

Coca-Cola & Bells Whiskey

Both of these ads are very sentimental. They associate their brands with family values and create narratives that tug on the heartstrings. This is a common technique in advertising which helps humanize the brand.

Newcaslte & Old Milwaukee

These are both examples of advertising that utilizes humor. By making viewers laugh, companies can inject a specific personality into their brand. By seeming less corporate and more down to earth, some companies can actually encourage business. This approach is largely utilized to target Millennial’s, who respond better to self-deprecation and brands that don’t take themselves too serious.

Seinfeld on Hulu

While this ad is funny, I thought it was notable as advertising that is successful purely through it’s tight and well-done execution. They managed to condense the humor of an incredibly long-running show into a quick advertisement, allowing older fans to relive their most iconic scenes while possibly enticing new viewers, all the while staying true to the Hulu brand.

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There is a darker side to advertising. One in which tone-deaf, unfunny, or just plain cringe-worthy advertisements make it on the air. Below are some egregious offenders.

SalesGenie

Here is an ad that could have done it’s intended job. It aired during the Super Bowl, and while it may not have been remarkable, without the inclusion of overtly racist accents and subject matter, it could have easily served it’s purpose and flown under the radar.

Chicago-Lake Liquors

Another racially oblivious ad campaign that never should have survived the cutting-room floor.

Hooters

This ad is bad. Clinically so. It’s poorly written, poorly shot, slightly sexist, and is making fun of the event that it aired during.

esurance

This is an example that print adverting is just as prone to gaffes. It’s a testament to the corporate chain-of-command that no one caught such a glaring flaw in this campaign.