The following is a review of five selected television advertisements. Each advertisement has been chosen from Advertising Educational Foundation’s Ad Award Archives. Click on each ad link below or scroll down to review the analysis of each ad.
Advertisement 1: Luvs, Second Time Mom’s and the Truth About Parenting
Advertisement 2: Ford, Wedding
Advertisement 3: North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, This is Destini
Advertisement 4: Visit Florida, Aspirations
Advertisement 5: Wells Fargo, Why I Work
Advertisement 1: Luvs, 2013
“Second Time Moms and the Truth about Parenting“
About the Advertisement:
This 30-second television visually contrasts the actions of a first-time mom whose baby drops its pacifier with the second-time mom whose baby whose baby drops its pacifier. The commercial suggests that the first-time mom is highly over protective and concerned, while the second-time mom takes everything in stride.
The advertisement evokes humor that easily connects with those who have more than one child.
Objective:
The aim of the ad is to make a connection between Luvs and the comfort experienced moms have with the product. By demonstrating the overprotective nature of the first-time mom and contrasting it with the more practical nature of the second-time mom, Luvs desires to suggest that first-time moms should head the “advice” of those more experienced and purchase their products as well.
The key goal is to increase product sales.
Target Market:
The primary target market for this product appears to be a first-time mom, but arguably it is also parents with any number of children.
Call to Action:
The response objective is sales; therefore, the call to action is the tag, “Live, Learn, get Luvs.” This is to encourage new parents to make a purchase
Value Proposition:
Luvs makes a product that is trusted by experienced moms.
Advertisement 2: Ford, 2011
“Wedding“
About the Advertisement:
The 60-second spot begins with a staid African American wedding that’s crashed by comedian Kevin Hart driving a brand new 2011 Ford Explorer. Hart’s character extols the virtues of the features (roominess, turn, power) and technology of the vehicle. Using the wedding and the wedding party as the background, Ford leverages Hart’s humor to make an emotional connection and add to some energy to an otherwise uncharacteristically solemn environment.
Objective:
It appears the goal of the spot is to increase visibility and ultimately sales of its product among African American families, as well as perhaps other racial and ethnic groups.
Target Market:
Given the casting and wedding environment, the target market seems to be upscale African American families–those just starting a family as well as those with established families–who might benefit from a roomier, all-purpose SUV.
Call to Action:
The call to action is a somewhat unclear, but presumably is “get yours now,” as evidenced by the bride and groom driving off in the vehicle with Hart running behind screaming, “Hey! That’s not yours!”
Value Proposition:
The new 2011 Ford Explorer has utility and value for everyone.
Advertisement 3: North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, 2011
“This is Destini“
About the Advertisement:
This is Destini a 30-second spot that captures a snapshot of the life of a young woman named Destini. The spot introduces Destini, her puppy, shows us where she gets ready for school, and introduces her parents. It also tells us her father died from smoking, shows us how much she misses him. And then shares that her mother still smokes.
I particularly like “Destini,” which I presume is the young woman’s real name, because it creates layers of meaning in the spot. While it is her name, it also suggests that tobacco users may face the same “destiny.”
The advertisement leverages emotional appeals to drive home the point that tobacco use is harmful to one’s health.
Objective:
The goal of the advertisement is to discourage smoking by sharing a real-life example of the impact of smoking on one family. According to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, this and other ads in the series have contributed to reducing teen smoking by 53,000 over the past nine years, which would suggest the campaign is working (NCDHHS Staff, 2017).
Target Market:
The target market for this spot is adolescents and teenagers who are likely to be pre-disposed to smoking.
Call to Action:
The call to action is subtle, stating “Tobacco. This is life.” thereby suggesting that smokers are apt to have a shorter life than non-smokers, and teens should not engage in the habit, or Destini’s reality may well be the destiny of all tobacco users.
Value Proposition:
Tobacco use can kill. Don’t use tobacco and potentially live a longer life.
Advertisement 4: Visit Florida, 2011
“Aspirations“
About the Advertisement:
This 30-second ad begins with somewhat cheesy post card-like pictures of outdoor activities in Florida fading in and out of the frame. We see people enjoying themselves in water activities, theme parks, and relaxing on the beach in each segment accompanied by some upbeat music. With roughly 7-seconds left in the spot, we hear a jolting car horn honk and the video changes to a young woman in the snow lost in thought while looking at a billboard for visitflorida.com.
The spot uses visualization and humor to help the viewer connect with the message.
Objective:
The purpose of the advertisement is to encourage viewers to think about Florida and all the fun activities in which individuals and families might engage. It would seem such advertisements are effective for the State of Florida. In 2016 the state saw over 100 million visitors from other states in the US and Canada (Visit Florida Staff, 2017)
Target Market:
The primary target market for this advertisement would appear to be individuals in colder climates who might be ready for a break from the cold weather. A secondary market might be any non-Florida resident desiring a beach or outdoor getaway.
Call to Action:
The call to action is, “Your Florida Side is coming…unleash it” and visit the website visitflorida.com to plan your next getaway.
Value Proposition:
Florida has everything you need to take a break from the drudgery of your life.
Advertisement 5: Wells Fargo, 2015
“Why I Work” (Spanish) / “Souvenier” (English)
About the Advertisement:
This 30-second spot begins by showing a truck driver stopped along the road picking up a something. As the spot continues, we see he is picking up a rock. The visuals go on to show him stopping at various locations at different times of the day, each time picking up a rock. Then the spot cuts to a little girl sitting in the kitchen and we see the truck pull up in the window. The girl runs outside, and we learn that the girl is the truck driver’s daughter. She runs to meet him, and it’s clear they have missed each other. He gives her the rocks that he has picked up along the way, and she adds them to her collection, we see that each one is noted with the state from which he gathered it.
The spot has an emotional driver. It plays to the father’s absence while on the road and how much he and his daughter miss each other while he is away. But, as the announcer points out, while he’s on the road working, he’s also working together with Wells Fargo to help save for his daughter’s future geology degree.
Objective:
The goal of the commercial is apparently to build credibility for Wells Fargo as a valued banking partner to help the viewer save and build for the future.
Target Market:
Given the truck driver and his daughter are Hispanic, and the first version of this commercial was apparently released with a Spanish vocal track, and the rocks are all gathered from western states, it would appear that the primary target market is the growing Hispanic population within the United States. It may well be that Wells Fargo is seeking to reach the high percentage of unbanked Hispanics in the United States (Rojas, L.B., 2011). A secondary target might be immigrants in general.
Call to Action:
The call to action is for the viewer to contact Wells Fargo to begin building a stable financial future.
Value Proposition:
Wells Fargo is the bank that you need to achieve your goals.
Featured Vintage Image Source: Getty Images, Debroke/Classic Stock
References:
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Staff (2017). This is Tru. Retrieved April 1, 2017, from nc.gov: http://www.tru.nc.gov/
Rojas, L. B, (2011, September 8). Latinos and banking: Why they shy away, and why they shouldn’t. Retrieved April 1, 2017, from scpr.org: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2011/09/08/7350/latino-immigrants-and-banking-why-they-shy-away-an/
Visit Florida Staff (2017). Research: 2016 Estimates of Visitors to Florida by Quarter. Retrieved April 1, 2017, from visitflorida.org: http://www.visitflorida.org/resources/research/
Last Updated on October 5, 2017 by David Harkins
David Harkins is a business strategist, speaker, and teacher.
He is the founder and executive consultant at David Harkins Company. In his spare time, he writes hikes, explores, and creates art. Although, not necessarily in that order.
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David,
Great Job. Your selections had a great range, and I appreciated that. My two favorite were the Luv ad and the Wells Fargo ad.
Luvs: I love all of their TV commercials. As a mom (only 1 and she’s 17 now), I can totally relate to every situation. Even though I only have one child, I could totally see myself doing those things by the second kid. It’s real life and we as mom’s get it. I like how they never push their product, but you know exactly what it is and we’ve all used them.
Wells Fargo: I know it’s about a bank, but I loved the sense of family and how the dad collected rocks for his daughter’s collection. That was awesome! Family first, right?
Great job!
Thanks! As a one-time traveling Dad, that Wells Fargo ad catches me every time. And because it’s focus is on Latin families, I am sure it is quite effective.
David,
I really enjoyed your analysis. My favorite was also the Wells Fargo ad. They really “drove” home the point on that one didn’t they? I really enjoyed all of the ads but the Wedding ad had me literally laughing out loud! The selection of ads you chose had a nice range. I can appreciate the point that Luvs brings across. I also liked your comment about your fourth child and “dirt” – too funny. Glad we are all down-to-earth enough to understand the reality of these ads. The tissue warning could have been in play for a couple of these David. Thanks for the heads up 🙂
S.Newby
Thanks! I think I like the Wells Fargo ad the best, too. Although, I really have a great appreciation for the Luvs ad.
David,
Great ad selections. My favorite is the Luvs commercial because I have been saying for years that middle children get the short end of the stick. Meaning parents tend to be more laxed and optimistic when it comes to their second or other children. I agree with your analysis that this ad is targeted at new moms. Particularly moms that are probably trying be extremely organic or all natural.
You were pretty spot on with Ford Explorer commercial. I am a huge fan of Kevin Hart so to me he was a great addition to this commercial. In addition, he had just came off a huge comedy tour and had a great response for his stand-up comedy movie release. He was everywhere so why not include him in Ford commercial.
Destini was very poignant and thought provoking. Not only did she lose her father but she is also at risk to losing her mother the same way her father died. Overall the commercial let’s you know that smoking is a choice that doesn’t just impact you but those who love you.
Aspirations made me want to book a trip immediately. Actually just show me a beach and I am ready to go! I enjoyed this ad because it gave a traveler pictures of a wonderful tropical adventure right here in the good old USA.
Wells Fargo was simple and sweet. Invest into you child’s dream today can make a better future for them tomorrow.
Thanks! My favorite for the emotional appeal is probably Wells Fargo. I used to travel a lot when my children were very young. I would always bring back little souvenirs from my trips for my children. This one personally tugged at my heartstrings. I agree that Desitini was quite poignant. The choices we make often affect other people. The Luvs commercial is so true! The last of my four probably ate a lot more “dirt” than the first one. 😉
The Wells Fargo ad is interesting because with all the Capital One ads during the NCAA tournament we’ve been discussing, “do these work?” Connecting the humor of Charles Barkley with a bank seems a stretch. So I’ve wondered if these banks are basically so flush with cash that they spend it foolishly (or with minimal return). Alternatively there really isn’t much competition in banking post 2008. Chase, Capital One, BofA and Wells Fargo. So perhaps (like Coke/Nike) all they need to do is throw the name out frequently. The other thought is humor vs. compassion. I personally feel the Capital One ads are more effective. But perhaps for the Hispanic audience such a play on compassion works better.
I like the emphasis on contrast as shown by the Florida ad. I think that’s a nice technique to get the viewer’s attention and uses video’s strength well.
I don’t think I have seen the Capital One ads with Barkley, yet. I’ll have to research those for comparison. I don’t think Capital One is technically a bank on the scale of the others. I believe it is a third-party credit card issuer. This may play a part in the strategy and frequency of its advertising. My experiences marketing to the Hispanic market confirms that this connection to family and addressing the sacrifices parents make for their children is critical for appealing to that market. I think the Wells Fargo ad is likely very effective in Hispanic markets, yet perhaps not so effective in white America. Do you think the Wells Fargo ad might be effective if we swapped out Latino actors for African-American actors, and perhaps purchased media to appeal more to African-American audiences?
Capital One’s advertising is interesting. Play close attention to when they use African-American actors or sports figures vs. Jennifer Garner. Is the message different? Is the tone different? I believe so as they are targeting different markets in a not very subtle way.