Gray Matter Musings

As someone who considers himself up to date on pop-culture, I found myself both reminiscing over funny radio ads of yesteryear, as well as uncovering some intriguing new spots that caught my appreciation. Now, for the start of a series of postings coming go Gray Matter Musings that analyze “The Greatest Marketing Campaigns” across various channels, we start today with an analysis of Gray Matter’s 5 favorite radio advertisements. Happy Reading!

#1

While all of us men fancy ourselves as “genius”, Bud Light knows that Real Men of Genius have extraordinary contributions that qualify them for this prestigious designation. Thus, we give you “Mr. Championship Ring Designer” Mr. Championship Ring Designer, which was produced by Anheuser-Busch in 2009 by DDB Chicago, winning the 2009 Radio Mercury Award. This Bud Light ad uses humor to relate to its core audience of male sport’s fans, utilizing a self-depreciating wit to strike an immediate reaction with listeners.

The ad’s underlying objective was clearly to boost sales figures and brand awareness through witty humor, while also resonating with the average man that we too can be “real men of genius” by simply consuming a frosty brew. This ad was aired in unison with the NFL football playoff schedule and Super Bowl, thus capitalizing on superior timing to measurably impact seasonal sales of Bud Light. Once again, the target market of this spot is clearly aimed at male sports fans, more specifically NFL football fans, many of whom reserve Sunday’s for both football and beer.

Ultimately, this spot is simple, yet effective, as it seeks to have consumers “crack open a cold Bud Light” to join the prestigious ranks of “real men of genius”. By doing so, listeners can reside in the halls of genius alongside Mr. Championship Ring Designer. While the value proposition of this spot remains somewhat murky, it resonates with me that this piece intends to capitalize on the “hip” notion that drinking Bud Light offers listeners the benefit of becoming a member of the club, thus facilitating a sense of belonging amongst listeners.

#2

Next on the list is an HBO spot, tabbed “Cock Fight” Cock Fight, which was produced to promote the hit TV show Eastbound and Down in 2012. Airing on BBDO New York, this spot won the 2012 Radio Mercury Award. Perhaps you notice a theme here, as humor once again lies at the center of this HBO advertisement, promoting the show Eastbound and Down. The technique here matches with that of the show, playing on the “edgy” and “silly” humor that made this show so popular amongst its core audience.

“Cock Fight” was undoubtedly intended to boost ratings for the hit television show, while drawing in new potential audience members. Interestingly, it also serves a means for additional brand exposure for mother company HBO as well, announcing yet another hit series to their repertoire. The ad was time specific, referencing the launch of season two of the show, which means viewership numbers were likely measurable from these various spots. In that regard, the core audience being targeted here are both existing HBO and Eastbound and Down viewers, while also targeting the 18–35-year-old demographic to join in on the fun of the show.

The drivers for action steps of this advertisement are aimed at asking viewers to tune in to the season two premiere, or as a secondary call to action, listeners can access the show via digital download, Blu-Ray, or DVD (yes…. I am old!). The benefit of tuning in or purchasing season two is the listener can partake in all the shenanigans and fun of lead character Kenny Power, without the real-world consequences associated with such crude actions. Ultimately, this seems to be the unique value proposition as well, where the youthful urge for harmless fun can be satisfied from the comfort of one’s home, without judgement from society.

#3

Next up, Ridgeway Volkswagen’s spot “Mysteries of the Universe” – Mysteries of the Universe with guest contributor and brilliant physics mind Stephen Hawking, uses some humor to set the tone for Hawking using his brilliant background to align Volkswagen’s superiority and craftsmanship as one of the wonders of the universe. While listeners clearly understand the facetious nature of these correlations, the impact statement comes from Hawking’s mention of incredible value based on current Volkswagen pricing. Thus, Hawking’s name, brilliance, and reclusive nature offer a witty humor that delivers a value statement that is hard to argue.

This spot is absolutely aimed at boosting Volkswagen sales number for Ridgeway Volkswagen, by highlighting the incredible value that consumers can realize by purchasing, while not breaking their piggy banks. The objectives of this spot were likely quite measurable for Ridgeway in overall sales figures based on the timing these particular ads ran on the airwaves and while not time specific, given the prestige of Hawking’s name, I would anticipate they achieved their sales objectives from this spot, which speaks to the power of the right spokesperson or paid endorser. The target market for this piece is likely educated adults in the 35–59-year-old demographic with an appreciation for Hawking’s contributions to the scientific world. It also clearly targets anyone in the market for a new vehicle, which vastly expands that target market as well.

Finally, this spot asks listeners to consider purchasing a new Volkswagen at an unbelievable price (less than $7,999 pounds). There is no mixed messaging here, and by taking advantage of this offer, consumers can find themselves in the company of one of physics greatest minds, being blow away by the value offered. Thus, while making a price conscious purchase, based on being aligned with Stephen Hawking, listeners are also making the “smart” purchase. Ultimately, this is the value proposition as well, an amazingly low price for a finely German engineered vehicle, which stumps even the great Stephen Hawking!

#4

Moving back to humor (you obviously see the trend now), we review an advertisement run by Progressive Insurance and produced by Arnold in 2019. This piece, titled “Elk Country” Elk Country also won the Radio Mercury Award for 2019, becoming one of the first Progressive spots to win this award. Admittedly, never a fan of Progressive’s previous commercials, this was a new find amidst my research and one that resonated due to its usage of the modern “Karen” phenomenon. The ad utilizes the wild bugles of Elk, coupled with a barrage of screams from “Karen”, who sounds eerily similar to the Elk after learning her RV sewage tank was malfunctioning. This was simply an intelligent and well-timed spot that capitalizes on modern pop-culture with the use of Karen. Humor is the core principle to land amongst listeners, while also reminding them the very real threat of accidents remains prevalent, even in the most remote locations. After all, who wants to be like Karen?

The ad’s objectives are two-fold in my eyes, the first being encouraging customers to implement policies for their recreational vehicles (and all vehicles) with Progressive, who understands that sometimes life happens. However, secondarily Progressive is also using this radio message as a brand awareness exercise that is aimed to relate them more closely to the younger generation of insurance customers. Transparently, despite coming across as simple, I found this spot to be one of the most strategic and well planned that I came across, and in turn, I fostered a new appreciation for Progressive (they hooked me)! That said, this advertisement was not time specific and it’s likely the results of this spot were difficult to measure in terms of policy enrollments. However, I would counter that the data may support the notion they landed with the younger demographic, by looking into the average age of recent policy purchasers. Thus, it does seem clear the target market for this piece was a middle to upper class demographic, ranging in age from 25 to 49. While it is entirely reasonable it may land with many outside those demographics, given the ad is aimed at RV insurance, it is mostly likely geared toward young professionals and those more financially secure into their 40’s.

The call to action for this advertisement is murky, though the underlying message is that consumers should inquire about insuring their assets with Progressive, thus avoiding any potential disasters. The clear benefit for consumers is that they can feel confident in their protection and can rest easily knowing that Progressive has them covered, unlike Karen. This also leaves us with the value proposition, which could also be construed as a subtle shot across the bow at other insurance carriers, insinuating that Progressive’s coverage leaves customers secure, while competitors offer up the Karen policies. In the end, it was a clever way to utilize humor to remind listeners of the threat accidents can pose to their very expensive assets.

#5

Last but not least, another gem that was uncovered amidst my research that caused some reminiscence to my childhood. This particular spot, titled “Stinky Broccoli Forest” Stinky Broccoli Forest, was produced by Radio Flyer, the maker of children’s pull along wagons for many years and aired on FCB Chicago. Once again, this spot won the Radio Mercury Award in 2018. Needless to say, almost everyone has either seen or owned a Radio Flyer wagon, encountering plenty of adventures along the way! Radio Flyer uses humor to set the tone, speaking about the make believe “Stinky Broccoli Forest” that children can travel to in their magical Radio Flyer wagon, which is “imagination on wheels”. Counter to the humor, nostalgia runs deep in this advertisement, reminding each of us of the great times we had as children and sparking a sense of hope that our own children will create those memories. Clever indeed, the spot was aimed at impacting direct sales of Radio Flyer wagons and sparking the urge amongst parents to ensure their children own this iconic piece. Interestingly, I found that it also served as a brand existence reminder, alerting a new generation of parents that Radio Flyer wagons are still on the market and are still offering up imagination journeys. The measurable nature of this spot is likely limited based on its regional airing, though brand awareness and some sales gains could likely be calculated in the immediate period after running through local channel sales data.

While this spot could be perceived to be aimed at children, the witty nature and nostalgia associated makes clear that it is intended for the new generation of parents in the 25–49-year-old demographic who hold precious memories of their Radio Flyer childhoods. The call to action from the piece was for parents to purchase their children a Radio Flyer wagon, thus empowering their imagination for adventure. It is no coincidence this spot ran amidst a rising trend in children’s technology and digital tools, thus reminding parents that the outdoors and “stinky broccoli forest” is always a better alternative than being glued in front of a screen. The benefit of this purchase is the very same, getting children out of the house, away from the screen, and engaging their imaginations outside in nature. This corresponds extremely well with the value proposition, which is imaginative and intelligent children who can create special memories from their childhood with a Radio Flyer. Benefits can be inferred to be both cognitive and physical, with gains in both areas because of the purchase and use. Ultimately, this radio spot landed with me based on my own childhood experience.

References:

ANA Educational Foundation. (2017b, February 10). Mr. Championship Ring Designer – ANA Educational Foundation. https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/mr-championship-ring-designer/

ANA Educational Foundation. (2017a, February 10). Cock Fight – ANA Educational Foundation. https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/cock-fight/

Marshall Volkswagen. (2013, February 5). Volkswagen Value “Mysteries of the Universe” | Ridgeway Volkswagen [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsL6iYbmZ0c

ANA Educational Foundation. (2019c, November 26). Elk Country – ANA Educational Foundation. https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/elk-country/

ANA Educational Foundation. (2019a, October 22). Stinky Broccoli Forest – ANA Educational Foundation. https://aef.com/ad-campaigns/stinky-broccoli-forest/