Something hidden

'Explaining individual poems can be an unedifying business. Start describing how and why they were made, or worse, what they mean, and you reach a point where the poem seems to hold no value or intrigue whatsoever’ (from Gig by Simon Armitage).

It’s true (isn’t it?) that the things we are truly charmed by have a little intrigue, something we don’t quite get, something hidden, whether it’s a poem by Simon Armitage, a piece of art or who Dr Who fancies. They leave room for interpretation. They know your own imagination will make them more interesting, more personal. They encourage ambiguity.

Brands aren’t ambiguous at all (not on purpose anyway). They don’t have interesting scars or unplacable accents. Brands tell you everything, all the time. They stomp around as if on an eternal speed date (and you know they have a couple of Viagra in their back pocket for later).

In Marketing, André Platteel observes ‘Consumers no longer believe in unambiguous brand promises. They no longer wish to identify with brand values they can add nothing to. They no longer want to be reduced to consumption machines that are only allowed to absorb predigested experiences.’

As I am writing this, Spain have just played Germany in the final of the European Cup and the Verve are nearly through their headline set at Glastonbury. The Verve are giving a perfect performance. But three chords in, I knew what to expect and it’s not exactly boring but I’m not learning much. With Spain I had to watch. I hadn’t a clue what was going to happen next. As Paul Doyle posted on the Guardian site after the game, ‘Spain are no machine, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc Fàbregas and Sergio Ramos no mere cogs. They are a vibrant organism, each element exuding adventure and intelligence.'

I want a brand like that.

Photo credit courtesy of Eszter Hargittai

25 July 2008, posted by Patrick Cox

What’s in a kiss?

The latest Heinz TV ad for a ‘New York Deli’ variation of mayonnaise has caused quite a stir over the last week or so.  The focus of the ad is mum in the kitchen preparing packed lunches for the kids, the twist being that mum is played by the kind of guy you’d find working behind a New York deli counter. Here’s the spicy bit - the ad ends with ‘mum’ demanding a kiss from dad as he dashes out the house and looks to have forgotten to say goodbye in their usual affectionate way.  So he leans over the breakfast counter and kisses our New York Deli ‘mum’ squarely on the lips.

The ad was due to be a five-week campaign in the UK only.  It triggered 202 complaints and was pulled off the air swiftly. Over 60,000 hits on YouTube later and we’re asking whether it has done any lasting damage to the Heinz brand?  Has it been a disaster or a success?

The ad won’t do any lasting damage to the Heinz brand. In fact, it’s been a stunning success in raising awareness and potentially sales for a rather boring mayo variant. Heinz has also capitalised on pulling the ad by saying it’s meeting its commitment to ‘actively listening and responding to customers’. Plus the whole episode has had the added benefit of reinforcing itsinternal values around ‘empowerment’ and ‘risk tolerance’.

Heinz isn’t trying to become an issue-based brand or court controversy in the way that Benetton has done in the past. It’s simply a case of an ambitious local team looking for a way to flog more product in a noisy and saturated market.

Brands really come a cropper when they say one thing and do another or conduct business in ways we don’t approve of.  A few years ago, British jeweller Gerald Ratner described his product as rubbish: this was insulting to Ratner customers and they left in droves.  Nike being accused of knocking out $100 trainers through child labour in the Far East is damaging to the brand. Heinz, on the other hand, voluntarily withdrew two of its baby products earlier this year on the back of a consumer group report suggesting that chemical seepage could occur in glass containers used for products with a high fat content. This is a business that has been managing its brand for over a hundred years and looks to know exactly what it’s doing.

And the controversial kiss.  In our contemporary society it’s not daring or bold, just a deliberate but mild courting of controversy.  And rather sweet that the people who made it think a couple who’ve been together for umpteen years would share such a lingering and tender moment while shaking the salad cream and packing the kids off to school in the morning.

10 July 2008, posted by Sairah Ashman

Clean graffiti

Recently artist Paul Curtis teamed up with Clorox’s Green Works to produce a “clean” mural in San Francisco’s Broadway tunnel. Instead of adding paint, Curtis removes dirt and grime to create striking artistic forms.

This is a great example of an individual turning a maligned practice (public graffiti) into a public service, and a business attempting to move green cleaning products beyond niche type stores to the wider world of supermarkets.

As a branded effort by Clorox, Curtis’s “clean graffiti” also effectively demonstrates that consumers don’t have to sacrifice cleaning power for eco-ethics. Click here to see more photos.

Photo credit courtesy of Tyler Howarth

8 July 2008, posted by George Crichlow