StartupCafe

It’s about time we posted another Roundtable discussion!  This week we are asking: What wacky marketing campaign has amused or annoyed you lately?  There are truckloads to choose from, aren’t there?!  So let’s begin…

Jess: While Apple and Verizon have gotten flack for recent ads poking fun at their competitors, I must admit I am enjoying the bitchiness. I converted from PC to Mac two years ago after the original string of ‘I’m a Mac’ adds brainwashed me, and the current series keeps me from having any doubts or questions about reverting. From my point of view it feels good to be on the smarter side, but I’m curious how people purchasing (or intending to purchase) Windows 7 are feeling. As for the mobile phone ads, I’m actually a customer of AT&T in the states but ‘There’s a map for that’ is just plain funny. I don’t want to see companies getting too vicious and dirty, but the current ad banter is like the joy I get from watching the X Factor judges bicker on a Saturday night.

James: The first thing that springs to mind for ‘annoying’ has to be the TV advertising for ‘We Buy Any Car‘ – though I wonder whether it’s wise to even mention it, or just quietly hope it will disappear!  On the positive side, CompareTheMarket’s Meerkat series of adverts are great – and they’ve gone to impressive lengths to back it up with a real online presence.

Thomas: Right, one of my all time favourites advert dates from a few years ago: the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Other adverts worth mentioning include the Irn Bru Snowman, Irn Bru Glasgow Cancan, World Record Irn Bru Cancan, Wassup 2008, and Mac vs PC. The only frustrating marketing campaigns I can think of right now are those for online price comparison websites, I guess any exposure is worthwhile exposure for these guys.

Bela:  The cheeky Clearasil ads are a lot of fun!  If you’ve seen the last few in recent months then you’ll know what I mean.

I’m quite taken by Cadbury’s recent marketing campaign for their Dairy Milk chocolates.  First they had the bizarre drum-playing gorilla, then they had the two children in their school uniform with the crazy dancing eyebrows (bloody annoying, but grew on me), and now they have the funky dancing villagers with shiny lights/electric volts coming out of their fingers – the energetic music to the current tv ad never fails to get me moving!  The ads don’t necessarily make clear what the product being advertised is going to be until the very end, but they are very memorable and I have been enjoying them.  I can’t wait to see what they’re gonna have next.