ROOFTOP banter

Will The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Sell Us Out?

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Brandi Hensler

Date: 

March 31st, 2011 /// Industry Insight, Inspiration, Marketing Trends, Uncategorized

“So what I want to do is make a film about product placement, marketing and advertising where the entire film is funded by product placement, marketing and advertising.”

From Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, comes a documentary that plans to reveal all the dirty details of the true world of advertising. I would guess that many in our industry are responding with a deep sigh or an “uh oh.” People are going to see who we really are. What we really do to make them want what we have. All with complete transparency.

This girl? Not worried. Excited, actually.

Advertisers today aren’t necessarily the same malicious manipulators that I grew up hearing ranked right next to lawyers on the Scale of Evilness. Today, if you’re smart, you know better.

The gap between social media and PR is closing everyday. Information sharing is increasing exponentially. Consumers trust word-of-mouth 60% more than traditional advertising. With all this, brands are being forced to be more transparent and honest… or else (cue the Nestle palm oil push back).

There’s no hiding who you really are anymore, and I don’t have a problem with that. It’s only pushing us all to do what the best of the industry have done all along – find the truth about your product and communicate it to those who will take interest. Work harder. Be more creative. This documentary may be perfect inspiration to take it even further.

In any case, the film and related aftermath promise to be wildly entertaining. So stock up on name-brand munchies and update your Fandango app. This is an extravaganza we won’t want to miss.

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Piperlime: Bitchy or Brilliant?

Posted By: 

Brandi Hensler

Date: 

August 31st, 2010 /// Marketing Trends

Piperlime’s “Let’s Get Dressed” campaign is creating a lot of buzz. The campaign encourages women to get dressed up and say “no” to sweats & sneakers & such.

The buzz isn’t surrounding the print portion of the campaign so much as the social media. To be specific, some people are a bit salty about their Status Updates. Not like Piperlime didn’t see this coming, with posts such as, “Every time you wear sweatpants in public, a single guy leaves New York.” Is it worth potentially losing fans who consider this language “snotty?”

I vote yes. Personally, I applaud Piperlime for taking a risk, and Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners for selling in the campaign. It’s edgy and appropriate, and the audience they are targeting appreciates it. The potential for pissing off a few people is offset by the opportunity to gain brand advocacy among many others who identify with their position. Talk about searching out qualified candidates. They gained me, for one. As for the haters… I think this falls under the “no press is bad press”  category. Touché, salesman.

Here’s the AdAge article and Piperlime’s FB page.

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Levi’s: Dressed for Social Media Success

Posted By: 

Copy D

Date: 

September 8th, 2009 /// Marketing Trends

I’ve always been a big fan of Levi’s campaigns. I was once so moved by a Levi’s superbowl spot, I ran out the next day to buy a pair of (not so) skinny jeans. Levi’s is a classic name that refuses to tire, endlessly reinventing itself to stay connected.

Levi’s ads are almost always sexy, modern and thought provoking while tying in the brand’s heritage in fresh and unexpected ways. This year’s Go Forth: The New Americans campaign is no exception. This site uses consumer-generated content to build the “fabric” of its message, fueling American pride in challenging times.

The multimedia invitation – words, images, audio and video — offers ample opportunity to participate. Contests create compelling reasons to submit. Content suggestions such as “Pick a task: Take a picture of you wearing Levi’s in a place you’ve never been before” inspire brand integration in ways that spark imaginative thoughts.

Copy is almost an afterthought, but just as powerful as the submitted imagery: “I work for better times. ‘Cause no one built this country in suits.” Whether a reader or contributor, you’re likely to remember this site, associating the Levi’s brand with the belief that you too can shape an ideal American future…especially while wearing a great pair of 501s.

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