The Marketing Week

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Avis

Avis made its first move onto the small screen with a campaign that revived its “We try harder” strapline as it looks to shake up an industry that EMEA commercial director Troy Warfield believes has lost its way. Aiming to put the “excitement, romance and adventure” back into the market, the TV spots showed off the type of experiences that car hire can enable, from trips into the Australian outback to drives along the Italian Riviera.

There’s a bit of a trend now for travel and leisure brands to focus on the experiences they can offer, rather than just the products or services they sell, from Premier Inn sending Lenny Henry into the great outdoors to National Express’ ‘romance of travel’ ads. Car hire is never going to be sexy. But by showing off top end cars like the Porsche 911 in beautiful locations it should help people reappraise the Avis brand.

GOOD WEEK FOR….Marmite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZhEB7bhOh4

Unilever’s flagship food brand has capped a giddy year, which saw it enjoy a double digit sales increase, by claiming the coveted ‘brand of the year’ gong at the Marketing Week Engage Awards last night (26 June). Last year’s ‘End Marmite Neglect’ campaign sealed the win, which was based on brand tracking data pulled from YouGov’s BrandIndex. The Adam & EveDDB created campaign aimed to return the brand to growth by getting it noticed both on shelves and in kitchen cupboards. The campaign led to a wealth of PR due to 500+ complaints to the ad regulator about its parody of animal rescue TV shows, a spike in attention and buzz as well as a huge turnaround in sales.Congratulations all.   

BAD WEEK FOR….The Luis Suarez ‘brand’

It was all going so well. The Uraguyuan striker entered the World Cup as a red hot property after finishing the Premier League season as top scorer and claiming player of the year accolades left, right and centre. He had put the ban for biting an opponent while playing for Liverpool a year earlier behind him and was seen as a very marketable entity, snapped up by 888Poker and front and centre in Beats and Adidas’s World Cup campaigns. It got even better when he scored both goals to condemn England to defeat in his country’s second World Cup game but then….He went and spoilt it all by doing something stupid like, err, biting someone again. FIFA has slapped the player with a lengthy ban after he was found guilty of biting an opponent in Uraguay’s third match against Italy. Adidas said they would pull his image from any further World Cup ads, while 888 terminated its contract with the player. The door is likely closed on future endorsement deals for the time being.   

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Bacardi calls on football haters to turn the other cheek and help World Cup fans

The brand recognises something of itself in the passion and excitement around the World Cup and has launched a quirky charm offensive on football fans to prove it. Bacardi is calling on US company owners to sympathise with football lovers and give them more free time to watch the tournament. Fans are being asked to sign an online petition demanding employers provide three-hour viewing breaks so that staff can enjoy the matches without having to duck out of work. All signatories are entered into competition to win the ultimate Bacardi-soaked World Cup party. 

Samsung China helps physically disabled kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PekesCh-iqI

The smartphone maker is hoping to tug on the heartstrings in its latest campaign, which charts how it helped two psychically handicapped kids overcome difficulties in their lives. Four films tell the stories of the kids, who received financial donations from the business to hep restore one’s sight and improve the mobility for the other. The powerful ads are part of the brand’s corporate responsibility push across the region.

ONE TO WATCH

Advertising for sugary snacks and fizzy drinks is to come under greater scrutiny as part of the Government’s efforts to promote healthy living.

The probe by Public Health of England (PHE), an agency established by the Department of Health in 2013 to execute strategies to improve the nation’s health, is likely to include the content and scheduling of adverts for sweets and fizzy drinks. The organisation said it would “consider the case” for tighter controls on advertising foods containing high levels of sugar, fat and salt on TV and other media, while also taking into account the Advertising Standards Authority’s current review into this area.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK – an Engage Awards special

@shib88 – senior strategist at Isobar on winning an Engage Award
BOOM. We won in the automotive category at the #MarketingWeekAwards for our @AutoTrader_UK work. Proud to have been a part of this. @Isobar

@purr_creative – on Marmite winning brand of the year
Marmite are a worthy winner of #BrandOfTheYear at #MarketingWeekAwards – we happen to think that the pots make great pen holders!

@danshfc – Post Office marketing manager on not winning an Engage Award
Next year Post Office will bite back like Suarez! #MarketingWeekAwards 

@branD_M_E – FutureBrand global marketing manager on host Claudia Winkleman’s attempts to find his perfect match
Thanks @ClaudiaWinkle…I forgot to thank my mum! Next shout out when u present #Strictly, tk my cause nationwide 🙂 #MarketingWeekAwards

@enginelondon – on the morning after the night before
Hangovers aplenty this morning. @MHPC and @slice_tweets both triumph at the #MarketingWeekAwards last night!