Creative Marketing (?) in Chile
My favorite guy was on our local radio station this morning. His name is Ron Lale, and I like listening to his voice and the interesting things he says. I always learn something from his twice weekly guest appearance, but all day I've been thinking about what he said this morning.
In Chile, there's an ad agency making fake cigarettes and dropping them on the ground in high pedestrian traffic areas. The idea is that some tard-ass smoker will be desparate enough to pick one up. Then they're apparently hoping that for some ricockulous reason, this dumb ass will decide to unroll it and find the public service announcement that reads:
"It seems not only do you need a cigarette, you also need help."
So I've been trying all day to decide if this is the greatest marketing I've ever heard, or the stupidest. On one hand, yes, it's brilliant. If someone is needing a cigarette so badly that they actually would pick one up off the ground, then they probably do need help. But my other hand thinks that smoking is probably not their biggest problem. Wouldn't the location of the nearest homeless shelter make more sense than a "Quit smoking" phone number? Then again, wouldn't this same person light it up before they had a chance to read it anyway?
I'd like to find some creative uses for this kind of marketing.
11 comments:
Yes!
for young'n abstinence: I was thinking at first that the rubbers could have huge holes in them so that when you put it on, you'd notice, and then think twice...but who am I kidding? there's not much critical thinking going on by then... and kids these days might just assume that's how its supposed to be...
also: maybe that'll just help kids quit using rubbers... oh! look! the tactic works!
Ya know, I just don't know what to say about that.
I was thinking more like putting a public service announcent that you could read as you unrolled.
Something like ___________
(fill in the blank)
would the psa be one word long and glow in the dark? because neon green words that say "Harder!" or something aren't much of a psa... or maybe they are... also, some people may not unroll enough to get the whole word, right? so maybe you'd resort to recognizable symbols, like the "don't walk" sign or maybe "slippery when wet" tire marks? dunno.
My first thought was something like a safe sex PSA.
Or "Congratulations! You're actually using a condom."
Or maybe something fun like a riddle that can only be answered by the Big guys who unroll all the way.
Or a game like on those bottle caps where you get a number and go to the website to see if you win a prize.
I don't know.
so no warning slogans like: "you may get HIV" or
">10% ineffective" or "may fail"
or ...dunno... sleepy now, running out of catchy slogans for condoms... I know, who'd 'a thunk it... oh! "squish!"
har. I like that one.
I like the warning ideas.
Today I thought about using them to replace those little naked girl cards you find on the sidewalks in Vegas. Maybe put their number on the outside packaging.
Whadda ya think?
condom calling cards you say? nice. I'll start giving them out instead of the paper business cards I've got now!
Perhaps I should switch careers eh?
well, there's a lady at our health department who goes by "Condom Miranda"
I love it. Condom Donna. Condom Piranha. Hmmm. There's a shop in Philly called Condom Kingdom. Maybe I could be Condom Queendom.
???
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