The spot opens with a few vehicles pulling up to a sun-kissed shoreline, I remember a jeep and a convertible of some kind. Young folks are jumping out of vehicles even before the cars come to a stop, like they can’t wait to start this AMAZING time they’re about to have together. In slow motion they grab water skis while somehow simultaneously shedding their clothes. The slo-mo shots of this process are masterful, I can see still see clear as day the beautiful blond arching her back as she peels off her sweatshirt. Thing is, EVERYONE in the spot is beautiful, the guys too. It’s like there was a kind of hottie Shriner’s convention in town and this was the start of the after party.
As you can see I clearly remember the Juicy Fruit Gum commercial I saw during high school some 20 years ago. It filled me with a longing. A longing to be driving to a lake with plans to disrobe in public and be surrounded by tan, laughing, blond women. This situation was hard to recreate in the suburbs of Boston. I drove my parent’s Escort Wagon and frankly, no one I knew looked anything like the coeds in that spot.
And why did the ad work? Because it taps into one of the most powerful motivators for consumer behavior, and what I believe is a deep yearning for most of the public - identity. We’re all looking to define ourselves, to figure out who we are. Book stores are filled with racks of literature on the subject, echoed by blogs, movies, magazines and a lot of the time, Oprah.
The best ads, the best brands, offer an opportunity for their audience to explore and define their identity. Juicy Fruit did this presenting an idyllic young adult scene, essentially asking, “Is this you? Wouldn’t you like to be a part of this? Chew Juicy Fruit Gum!”
Recent campaigns put an even finer point on it, offering a side by side comparison for identity. One example – The critically acclaimed and successful “Get a Mac” ads. Our choice here is built around two characters, one a pudgy, nerdy, glasses-wearing, uptight doofus, and the other a relaxed, creative, likeable and cool dude. Guess which one we all want to be. And how do we get there? We start by buying some cool Apple equipment. Kia built a popular campaign using the same principle and some urban hamsters (for lack of a better description). These spots work well and again, the choice for identity is spelled out for us: At one point we see a hamster bumping along in a washing machine as foil for the tricked-out hero crew of the ad. Heck even the soundtrack thumps “This or That? This or That?”
And consider that customer segment Harley Davidson Motorcycles sells the most bikes to isn’t the hard-bitten, rebel, lifetime rider and gear head. It’s the boomer doctor or lawyer.
So when building a campaign or brand, ask yourself if it gives the people you’re trying to reach a choice in their identity, a way to define themselves. By doing so you’ll grab your customer where they live, where we all live actually, at their sense of self. This is a powerful place, it is an emotional place, it is an irresistible place, and if done right it can blur the line between a brand and a way of life.
Jeff Caporizzo is Vice President/Creative Director at ZilYen. To find out more visit zilyen.com
Jeff, your posting on that Juicy Fruit commercial makes me think of another commercial about hot dogs... the old Hebrew National commercials with Uncle Sam.
The aspirational affects of communications is a powerful influence that can be used in ways that help people and humanity grow. Inspiring and helping us define ourselves in positive ways strengthens us. When messages inspire our generosity, confidence and higher values they help us grow in ways we long for or choose. I, too, choose to grow in the ways demonstrated through the Juicy Fruit commercial. To feel that kind of freedom and confidence. It is a value I long to fully embrace.
As audiences, we have to apply independent thought and evaluation to assess the value of messages we see. We have the power to choose to believe and act on what serves us and helps us grow.
As professionals in the business we need to be aware of the power of the tools of our craft and recognize the opportunity they give us to choose how to use this power. And, the option we have of applying a socially-responsible standard of assessment to our work.
I think of it as the communicator's version of Hebrew National hot dogs. In wielding our influence we can choose, at the same time, to live up to a higher power -- the power of our own conscience and the responsibility we have to each other. There is opportunity in our hands - and I hope we all choose to use it wisely.
Posted by Susan Waldman, Partner and Director of Strategic Services at ZilYen.
Posted by: ZilYen | 10/11/2010 at 10:36 AM