Let’s go back to making ads for consumers – not each other
The problem with marketing today, is that it’s marketing to other marketers, not consumers, argues Public Address’ Shane Allison – and nothing proves this more than the “abject failure” of the collaboration between Burger King and McDonald’s.
What do Dove’s real beauty, Dundee Movie, Black Supermarket and Dream Crazy have in common? They don’t feel like ads. The thing about great marketing is that consumers don’t feel like they’re being sold a product.
By this measure, Burger King failed abjectly when they dreamed up the ‘A day without whopper’ campaign to promote sales of the Big Mac on McHappy Day, the annual event where McDonald’s donates $2 from every one of its signature burgers sold to its charity.
The problem is, consumers everywhere know that if McDonald’s wanted too, they could just donate a bunch of cash to their charity. Same with Burger King – if they wanted to, they could.
We should employ the tactics BK did with this add. Yes, we (marketers) can see through it, but this image has been shared across the world (in non-marketing press) so doesn’t that prove the point that the consumers liked it also. It’s a good idea and at least made me say ‘nice’. Nothing more, nothing less now let’s just move on.
“Consumers can smell the whiff of self-indulgent marketing from a mile off.”
Readers can smell the whiff of self-indulgent ‘opinion piece’ from a ‘founder’ mile off too.
Ha! … burrrn. (probably of the ‘Flame Grilled’ variety).
Well played Sir/Madam!
Readers can recognize the stink of anon wankers that don’t realise this is an industry blog from even further.
Slightly off topic, I’m so sick of these constant “Burger King for latest x social issue” campaigns.
Fuck off – your core product is contributing to the growing obesity epidemic and all you can do is attempt to divert the viewers attention with pathetic shots at things like net neutrality and anti bullying.
The only ppl fooled by this insincere bullshit are probably the same ones who obsess over reality TV.
BK, you have no authority to speak on social issues and are doing it for likes.
I appreciate that McD’s has RMHC which supports 50K + families… but wouldn’t they adversely ruin the lives of 100x that globally?
Those complaining about the product offerings of these two need to calm down. Firstly, we’re celebrating our craft here – not their business models – and secondly, why can’t there be a world where products like this exist? Imagine a world where everything that was ‘bad for you’ was banned, what a shit existence that would be.
I love this work and agree it’s what we should be striving for.
Ok, so on “the craft”…. it’s such insincere work!
(and also, their products happen to be bad for you).
“Consumers can smell the whiff of self-indulgent marketing from a mile off.” Lol no. Consumers pay almost zero attention to 90% of ads, the majority of them don’t have any knowledge of marketing, they just know what they like and what they don’t, and most of them don’t even consciously know why they feel this way. To even think that an average consumer is going to think “thats a wanky ad by an adman trying to impress other admen” is so far off the truth that it just demonstrates your complete lack of consumer understanding. We can all agree that some ads are made for awards and industry credit, but don’t try and claim its a consumer concern.
Yes, that is great idea!