Short version: For the seafool lover in you. (KAPOWIE!) Too busy with their food porn spots, leave it to the captains of the sea to take matters into their own hands and show Red Lobster how to do something interesting. He doesn’t even break character once people. I said once.
Long version: I figured I should explain the food porn reference more. It’s the term I use for brands that focus strictly on gorgeous close-ups of their product for :30 seconds and nothing else, save for a big ol’ logo.
This happens with other categories too, like automotive or health & beauty. With fast food chains or sit-down restaurants like Red Lobster, you get the added bonus of the sultry 1-900 voiceover and a script that usually includes the words succulent, juicy or tender. (Sometimes all three for the food porn hat trick.)
So why is it a problem? It’s not. Some brands live for this. They’ve done their focus groups to verify that people love close-ups of shrimp—succulent closeups—and they’ll be damned if they’re going to deviate.
Problem is, advertising like that becomes so much white noise. Then the account goes up for review because the brand is looking for a new direction from its agency. (A direction that four guys just gave them in under four minutes.) Several things happened with Burger King and their King character though that apply here.
1) BK had marketing people willing to try something new.
If don’t have any support from the brand, you’re dead. Or, if you’re not dead, you end up creating boring work.
2) This is not your father’s brand icon.
Up to that point, brands typically had a character associated with them, either one that was on the label (Coppertone girl, and Aunt Jamima), one that was brought to life (Ronald McDonald, the Michelin Man or ones created specifically for ad camapigns (Mr. Whipple, the Maytag).
Burger King hadn’t had one until then, relying mostly on a service proposition: “all we ask is that you let us serve it your way!” When they finally did though after Crispin Porter came in? It was cleary unlike anything else done with an icon before. Characters were supposed to be reassuring.
The King would stare at you. In bed. WHO DOES THAT?
(Progressive Insurance is now taking this theme off into yet a different direction with the Progressive counter girl. Personification of your brand as an actual person is the new old black.)
3) Categories need a wakeup call from time to time.
Back in 2004, the majority of advertising for the top three fast food chains, Wendy’s, McD’s and Burger King had them using shiny happy families eating shiny happy burgers. The classic “Where’s the beef?” from almost two decades earlier was a distant memory. Then Burger King threw some garters on and went all subservient. (Yes, Jack in the Box was doing funky before BK, it’s just that this is Burger King—they sneeze and CNN covers it.) Since, Burger King has enjoyed an almost 5-year long resurgence.
Playing it safe makes you like everything else in the category, and creates opportunities for someone else to step up and do something different.
Red Lobster has always done this though. Gorgeous close-ups. Dull copy. Boring brand. That video above? Is the poke in the head the category and the brand needs.
Obviously too long for one spot on national TV, but edited down, it could work as a series of unbranded spots running consecutively, thus creating a subplot through an entire show. The dude in the raincoat could be the next Gordon’s Fisherman, albeit with a little more freak.
But if not, there’s always succulent lobster tails to fall back on.
(Clip via Ectoplasmosis.)
Tags: Red Lobster
No comments:
Post a Comment