Orangina's Stay Alive Campaign Falls Flat

I've never liked Orangina's advertising. With slogans like "naturally juicy" against photos of animals in very unnatural situations, I assume they are meant to be ironic. They are trying to keep their brand young and fresh with these provocative ads, but they are falling short. 

The problem with this "Stay Alive, Drink Orangina" advertising is it gets away from the differentiating factor that makes Orangina stand out in the market, and it suggests claims that are not true. Plus the product featured in the ads is out of proportion and looks nothing like the product looks on shelves. In a over-saturated advertising market, you can't treat the consumer like they're stupid. They know that drinking Orangina will not keep you alive longer. They don't need all of these excessive advertising gimmicks, they want the facts about the drink. 

I want to see more about the pulp inside Orangina. This is what makes it special. The brand has gotten so far away from their strategy, that they let their execution become their differentiating factor. This does nothing to reinforce the brands image and build brand loyalty. Disruption theory and standing out in the market only work if it reinforces your brand image. If not, your brand just stands out in a shocking, unproductive way. 

I'd like to see a fresh, new campaign from Orangina, how about you? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Petit Bateau Captures the Essence of Childhood

I came across this ad while walking to work earlier this week. It instantly struck me, bringing me back to my childhood. Back then, we used to laugh about how the lollipops turned our tongues different colors. Now that I'm grown up, the colored tongue is more of a guilty badge, telling people you gave into temptation and ate the candy. It made me reminisce about my childhood and instantly put a smile on my face. 

Petit Bateau is a long trusted French brand, best known for its underwear and children's clothing. This year they are celebrating their 120 year anniversary (although they would tell you its 1,440 months) and looking to reinvigorate and freshen the brand. The teamed up with Kitsumé to bring a new line of women's and men's clothing which will be part of the Fall 2013 line.

This ad is captioned "Never old forever." I like this caption and advertisement as a way to preview the Fall 2013 line in the minds of consumers. Petit Bateau is planting the idea that their clothing will bring out the youth in their consumers. I also like the execution of this ad. I imagine the strategy was something like, "our clothes bring out the youth, childlike fun in our consumers." I picture the creative team sitting around coming up with an idea. I like their idea because they perfectly captured one of the fun things about being a child in a way that is not overdone or stereotypical. I also appreciate how they are reinforcing their brand language and culture by giving the child's age in months instead of years. 

I connected with the ad this week because it reminded me of my own creative struggles. For my Branding Practicum class, my final project is to create a brand. I must develop the brand strategically, and then execute it my creating a logo, communications package and PR strategies with a partner. I am currently working on the advertising campaign. I've written the strategy and I am now waiting for some brilliant executional idea to come to me. I am hoping to come up with a simple idea like Petit Bateau's that will ring true for consumers and execute my strategy in a clear, non-styereotypical way. As my professor said in class this week, "It only takes 3 seconds to come up with a brilliant idea, the hard part is the time it takes to get to those 3 seconds." Hopefully I can come up with an idea soon!

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about Petit Beateau's advertising campaign. 

Google and FNAC's Politically Suggestive Ad

While going to university today I saw this ad. It is FNAC's new ad for the Google laptop. The tag line is "a computer for all." Right now in France, there is a big debate going on about marriage for all. The law passed, but now they are arguing about adoption rights. I don't know if Google and FNAC are making a statement with this ad. It could be something that was in the works for awhile, and just happened to come during all of this uproar. Or, it could have been a quick response by the brand to show their support on marriage for all. Either way, the language is suggesting that FNAC and/or Google support marriage for all. 

This ad was shot on Avenue de Ternes in the 17th arrondissement. This particular neighborhood in Paris is very conservative. This brings up the question of ad placement. Was this the best neighborhood to put this ad. It could potentially alienate customers. Especially because FNAC's competitor Darty, is just a couple of door down. 

In any case, this is an issue with brand management, and making sure your advertising is relevant to the consumers.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think this ad is trying to say.

Converse Keeps It Fresh by Getting Dirty

I noticed this new Converse ad campaign a week ago in the Opera metro station. I love the concept. Its a fresh way to advertise sneakers. Converse is a brand that is constantly transforming. It went from athlete sponsored athletic gear, to being infused into youth culture. You see Converse everywhere you look in Paris. They are so engrained in youth culture that I remember last year, I had a pair of Coach sneakers, and the kid I used to babysit told me I was wearing "fake Converse." Apparently my sneakers didn't have that cool factor of Converse!

I like these ads because they remind me of being a teenager. Everyone can relate to having a favorite pair of sneakers, that they wore all the time. They were completely dirty, worn-in and probably had a few doodles drawn on them. Overtime, our favorite go-to footwear develops its own character. The dirty Converse in these ads serve two purposes for me. First, they evoke a sense of nostalgia for my carefree teenage years. Second, Converse succeeds at making sneakers sexy. These sneakers have a gritty, urban sex appeal. Unlike the perfect, glossy shoes you usually see in shoe ads, these Converse already developed their own history. They want to tell a story and they are calling consumers to wear them and create a story of their own. 

I wasn't a big fan of some of their past campaign, for example the "Get Chucked"campaign. This one gets back to the point and makes the sneakers the star. In previous campaigns it seemed that Converse were a part of a cool story, but now, its the Converse who tell the nostalgic, sexy story. 

If this is where Converse is going with its brand image, I want to see more. 

Sushi Shop: Creative QR Code

Today on my way home from work I spotted this ad in the metro. Sushi Shop took a bold step and made a QR code out of their sushi. This is the most creative way I've seen a QR code used so far.  At first glance, it's hard to tell what the image is. I get where they're going with this, but does it work? My metro arrived right after snapping this photo, so I'll to find out next time.  

QR codes are meant to allow consumers to access online content. This one can be easily overlooked, especially when placed in a busy metro station. They are a tool, and must be easy to find and use. For now, I prefer a classic QR code.