This commercial is better than the movie you're watching

If you, like me, have a tendency to skip commercials rather than watching them, then we can probably all agree on one thing, and that is advertisements lack substance. It seems to me that ads makers think the best way to capture an audience's attention is to shock them, or make them laugh, or to trick them with clever deceit. What they unfortunately leave out is a good story and emotional investments. As a result, an typical advertisement departs on the next train of thoughts out the brain soon after the commercial is finished.

Advertisements are like pebbles on a beach. They are there, but they are never the center of your attention. You might want to lie on the soft sands or go swimming in the water; you will probably never notice the pebbles that are there. Occasionally, you might find one with a interesting shape or texture, and spend a few moments of you attention on it, but it will surely be out of your mind in a minute or two. But if someone tells you that the rock you are hold is of a special substance, and must have traveled a long way to get to this beach, and could be a sign of good luck, all of a sudden you might want to hold on to that rock. It has taken a life of its own. An advertisement need a good story and some emotional elements to be able to linger in a person's mind. There is no stronger stimulant on the brain than powerful emotions.

By this research done by Dr. Robert Heath from University of Bath, the message a commercial is trying to convey is less important to creativity and emotion. (Web, http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/articles/campus/advertising-message041206.html)  In this day and age, creativity is dulled because everything is changing too fast, cleverness are taken to be the norm, and true innovation are rare. Emotions, however, will never change. Each and everyone of us will always feel the for basic emotions: joy, sadness, fear, and anger. Of the four, fear and anger are totally inappropriate for advertising purposes. That leaves us with only joy and sadness. Why is it that so few ads makers are targeting these core emotions?

The above ad left me speechless. I admit I shed a few manly tears (I assure you they were very manly) reserved for special occasions. It has been a long time since I've seen this, and this is the only ad from that period that I remember. To express a man's joy, sorrow, hopes, and regrets all within one minute and a half is just incredible. Thai Insurance also has a whole lineup of touching ads similar to this one that can be found on Youtube. The only thing I can say this, I think the mastermind behind these ads should go make a few movies and try to win some Oscars.

What is in a logo?

What is it in a logo that catches one’s attention and retains recognition? Is it simplicity? Ingenuity? The brand name itself? There are just some of the questions I encounter while trying to design what is hoped to be the permanent logo of the Student Leadership Conference (SLC) at UBC. There is a popular meme on the internet that says this, “What is seen cannot be unseen”. It refers to the fact that one you notice or is informed of some random quirk in a picture, you become constantly aware of it every time you see that picture. Likewise, once I began to think about that is in a logo, I cannot help but think about the quality and rationale of every logo I encounter, even today. While I don’t have an answer, I would still like to share my thoughts on this subject.

How much of McDonald’s success is owned to the recognisability of the Golden Arches (so famous in itself that it has achieve Capitalization status)? Doing a quick research on the internet, critic cites the simplicity, the vibrant color combination, and the symmetry that make it eye catching and memorable. Plus, its marketability is versatile, since it could be incorporated into the entrance, the building’s support structure, and etc. But, in all seriousness, do people really believe it to be special, or are they just spewing generic BS to fit the bill? I am inclined towards the latter.

In my mind, there is nothing special about the Golden Arches. There is nothing to suggest that competitors such as A&W, Wendy’s, KFC, Burger King and co.’s logos are definitively inferior. I agree that McDonald’s marketing is the most successful of its industry, but I would argue it has very little to do with its logo. McDonald’s marketing success comes from three areas: product recognition, abundance of advertisement, and constant changes to their campaign theme. Everyone recognizes a Big Mac, even in the most remote countries in the world. It is so abundantly available that the UN named one of their purchase power indicators the Big Mac Index, for God’s Sake! Secondly, McDonald’s aggressively places their ads in every nooks and corners of the world. I challenge you to go on a day without seeing anything McDonald’s related – I bet my shirt that you will fail. Third of all, McDonald’s constantly update their ads, always creating new mini-segments. By my casual observation, McDonald’s go through a particular ad every 1-2 weeks. What that does is that the audience are always treated to something fresh, thus they are less likely to skip the channel relative to an ad that they’ve seen 5-10 times already.

If McDonald’s ever choose to rebrand itself, it will create a massive uproar for a brief moment and ultimately affect nothing. Several years ago, Gap Inc tried to rebrand itself, reverting back to their inauguration logo to communicate the idea that they are less corporatize and conservative, more personalized and hip. What did it change? Nothing. A new logo did not change people’s perception of Gap. Within two years, they changed it back to what it was five years ago. That is the ultimate signal of “I think we just f’d up, let’s change it back before more people notice.”

Comment, discuss, and debate what you think about logos and their importance to marketing.