Those wonderful and memorable television ads for California Cows, Geico Insurance, Wendy’s Where’s the Beef, and of course the Taco Bell dog all make advertising memorable and repeatable.
There is a new kid on the block, Justin Case, personalizing SafeAuto Insurance commercials. Why are these ads so memorable for so long?
Personalized Advertising Samples
There was a move a few years ago to promote reading. The campaign tagged as “Get Caught Reading” and included photographs in magazines and posters displayed in bookstores and libraries showing sports and television stars reading their favorite books.
The Got Milk? campaign has been running for over 16 years and is also personalized by showing favorite sports, television and movie stars with a milk mustache indicating they had just finished drinking milk.
The California Cows ads are not only funny but are even more personalized because they use voices and dialog that is used by almost all of the generations watching television.
The Geico commercials have been airing since 1999. The company started out with a duck as its mascot and then changed to the gecko. The mascot talks and has a fancy accent. The ads show the gecko involved in everyday situations and even talking with executives in the company.
Justin Case Advertising
The latest face to appear in advertising is Justin Case for SafeAuto Insurance. Justin Case is a parity on just in case you need an insurance representative. Justin is shown working in an office cubicle complete with company identification card clipped to his shirt, a coffee mug, and family photos.
SafeAuto is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus Dispatch reported (Saturday, July 18, 2009) that “SafeAuto's approach, bypassing famous names in favor of more generic characters, reflects a new trend in advertising toward presenting an average Joe or Jane, someone people can relate to, especially in the midst of a recession.”
Justin Case is fast becoming an advertising icon much like the gecko. The actor playing Justin Case is pleasant, believable, and reassuring – just like the gecko.
Developing Personalized Advertising
Advertising is a difficult prospect for any company or organization. Getting the right message using the right medium all the while trying to make sure the ads are memorable as well as the company name makes advertising troublesome.
Getting that right mix of message and medium, then breaking it down into a memorable delivery can produce long-lasting (often decades long) and effective results.
Advertising is one of those professions that demand professionals to think out of the box.
Keeping history in mind (what has worked well in the past), keeping the consumer in mind by developing personalized and memorable ads, all the while giving consumers a message they want to hear are good first steps to developing top-of-mind advertising campaigns.
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