Oy, enough with the pig already...

Ratings: 1 (low) to 4 (high)
Stickiness: 2
Quality: 4
Hit/Miss: Miss
Overall: 2
Comments:
Developed by the American Institute of CPAs, the purpose of the PSAs are admirable: "...extending the reach of the 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy effort by launching a national Public Service Announcement campaign with the Ad Council. Called Feed the Pig, the campaign uses the traditional image of savings, the piggy bank, to encourage 25-34 year olds, also known as Career Builders, to find the benefits of saving for every stage of life. "

Unfortunately, the campaign is lame, the mascot is creepy, and - God help me - I may have more faith in today's Career Builders than the AICPA. I think that this message, in the way it exists today, is more appropriate for kids from 10 - 17, and maybe earlier. This message would be a good foundation for those earning allowance, maybe a little extra spending money from after school jobs, and the like. But this elemental message is aimed at persons who, by the age of 25, are ensconced in the working world, and already have developed some level of earning and spending skills in order to maintain a residence, transportation, and other independent living requirements.

Savings is a habit that must begin as early as children begin receiving money, from whatever sources.

Target is on the Mark

Ratings: 1 (low) to 4 (high)
Stickiness: 4
Quality: 4
Hit/Miss: Hit
Overall: 3

Comments:
The last few years' of Target Commercials have been well-developed and well-received. They delicately balance artistic quality with fun, catchy tunes and effective design and videography. I feel, however, they are at a turning point, and may not be sure what their next advertising evolution might be.

When Target's ad campaign really took off, it was fighting for market space at the big-box retailer end of the spectrum, but with some higher quality products and designs - from appliances to fashion. K-Mart had recently gone bankrupt, Wal-Mart was (and still is) the king of big-box retailers. But, in an area of the market rife with razor-thin margins and bulk purchasing requirements dotting the survival landscape, Target made it work. Target successfully carved out their own little niche, and have nurtured that customer base to evolve into an interesting dissection of the population. This is why, I believe, their advertising efforts point forward may need to diverge.

Their customer base has grown, but so have their consumer key demographic variances. The younger demo will like seeing the current strategy push the envelope further, much as the initial Target ads for niche-development did a few years ago. The younger demo feels these ads are becoming stale - same style, different song/products/color scheme.

On the other hand, the latter aged half of the customer base seems comfortable at the current advertising strategy, and may appreciate a little slower display of products over the stylized designs and rotations. In summary, good effort - can you make it last, Target?

Botox. Tsk, tsk tsk....

Ratings: 1 (low) to 4 (high)
Stickiness: 2
Quality: 3
Hit/Miss: Miss
Overall: 1
Comments:
This commercial, which apparently isn't on the Botox site or YouTube, is pretty horrible - albeit of high quality. It'll be better if I make a list:
Background Music: Express Yourself. Horribly ironic that this tune would be used for an injectable poison used to paralyze facial muscles....which, I believe, is how many of us physically express ourselves.


Poisonous Irony: it's botulism, for chrissakes. It's optional paralysis. Oh, now - we really should take pity on the woman who has no self-esteem and nothing better to do with her time or money than to inject botulism into her face to temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Histrionics: Come on, looking at a 40+ aged woman twirling, fake-smiling, and prancing around like a pre-pubescent girl is just sad. Sad and creepy.

It's Waaaay better than........something, perhaps...

Ratings: 1 (low) to 4 (high)
Stickiness: 2
Quality: 4
Hit/Miss: Miss
Overall: 2
Comments:

These new Wendy's commercials, I suppose, are better than those ridiculous ones in which men would preach the benefits of Wendy's while wearing a Pippi Longstocking wig. Ewww. This new batch of commercials is less creepy, but still problematic. First, consider the ending tagline: "It's waaaay better than fast food." Ahem. Wendy's IS fast food. Next: the square patties -whether beef, chicken, or fish. One of the ads from this new series poses the thought :that "If beef was meant to be frozen, wouldn't cows come from Antarctica?" That premise is just too ridiculous to carve up. However, that comment is layered over footage of, what at first glance appears to be a somewhat frozen, square, thin beef patty on the grill. In the attached ad, a comment is made about people being afraid to eat what they can't identify. In the image, a woman is breaking off a corner (because it's square, natch) of a mystery meat fried patty. Only later in the ad did I realize that WAS the Wendy's patty! Speaking of not eating what I can't identify - meat that comes either in stamped out circles OR squares pretty much falls into that category. Spam, anyone?

In a (sub)class all by itself - Kinoki Foot Pads

Ratings: 1 (low) to 4 (high)
Stickiness: Well, they do generate a bit of web discussion. But stickiness for intent: 1.
Quality: 1
Hit/Miss: Miss
Overall: 1 (I should have a 0 on this scale)
Comments: Laughable. LOWEST RATING POSSIBLE!!

I'll try to refrain from such craptastic product advertisements as this. However, the Kinoki Foot Pads ads are so horribly bad, I just couldn't resist. Besides being utterly ridiculous, the advertisers try to draw a parallel between the body supposedly eliminating toxins through the feet with the way trees absorb and process nutrients: from the top down. Even my neighbor's second-grader knows that trees absorb water and nutrients from their roots up. But, that's a path I don't want to spend too much time on: it's just so long, with so may problems to point out!