Advertising Design - Week II

THINK IT THROUGH

February 14, 2021

Advertising Design - Week II

Ad campaigns can literally make or break a company. Especially in today's political, human rights driven, climate change conscious society, the tone of the campaign is everything, and if you get it wrong well, you'd better fix it real quick. It seems to me that there are basically only three directions to go when planning an ad campaign. 

DOVE soap was founded in 1957. Over the past 60 years or so, the company has developed a multitude of personal care products, and the name DOVE has become synonymous with hydrated, healthy skin. All very PC....now. There was a time when DOVE almost knocked itself from the proverbial pedestal. In not one but three ad campaigns, there was a subliminal racist, female body-shaming message. I won't name the campaigns, but they were in 2017, in case you want to look them up ;) In any case, people were outraged, yet it took DOVE two more campaign tries before acknowledging that their ads were tone-deaf and they would do better. This would be direction number one. I don't recommend going down this path.

Toms launched a "One-For-One" campaign where one pair was given to children in countries like Haiti for every pair sold. After 15 years and 100M shoes, the media and fashion critics still question whether this is really a selfless act of charity or a money-making scam. In 2019, Toms retired the "One-For-One" program and is instead donating one-third of its net profits to its giving fund. Still philanthropic, I personally can see how the "One-For-One" might slowly eat away at the bottom line. This would be direction number two. Very noble and with only the best intentions.

So, there are actually more directions one can steer an ad campaign, but today we're just going to talk about three. 

And last but certainly not least, and my personal favorite is the Rebel direction. I am speaking of the elephant in the room. I am speaking of NIKE, the company with a set of brass balls. Controversial should be its byline, which I absolutely LOVE. Thinking outside the box. Just doing it. Knowing that CONTROVERSY can lose market shares in the moment and also understanding, doing what's right is right. 

Getting behind an athlete that kneeled by his convictions being true to his core self. Of course, there was backlash, but again, right is right. There is no other way to go forward, to bring awareness, to be a mentor for people, young, old, and every age in between, to become the biggest kid on the block without following your gut and thinking outside the box. This is my kind of advertising campaign.