I pass this billboard on my way to the bus stop (here’s the actual sign). When I first saw it I thought it was quite clever: each ad has a simple catch-phrase (“the original voicemail,” or “friend request accepted.”) These Dentyne ads highlight the current social media phenomenon, and point out the superiority of actual face-to-face time.
I get it. The message is clear, and the ads are simple. But do they make you want to buy Dentyne?
A big part of my methodology is making communication simple and clear. These ads have both those traits, but I’m wondering if they are actually effective in getting people to purchase the product.
Do you think they’re effective? What could they do to actually increase sales?
10 responses so far ↓
1 Mattias // Jan 26, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I think it’s effective because they’re pushing ‘face time’ and that you need gum to be up in someone’s face (to avoid offensive bad breath).
Terry O’Reilly, the host of the radio show “The Age of Persuasion,” mentioned on one of his broadcasts that Listerine first hit it big when it told the public about something it didn’t know it had: halitosis. I forget which episode it was but you can now subscribe to the show as a podcast.
2 Gregg // Jan 27, 2009 at 1:56 am
Yeah, it makes me want to be the creepy guy in his mid-thirties who chews Dentyne and kisses teenage girls… Awkward.
3 jesse // Jan 27, 2009 at 2:02 am
i don’t know that i agree it’s ineffective.
there’s 2 reasons why.
the first is that i know that these companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their advertising and almost nothing that shows up in an image is accidental. the line in this particular photo is very good. you’re drawn top right to the text, then, upon finishing, you see a girl, smiling very happily, and you then want to know who is making her smile, it’s the boy, and right below him is the dentyne gum pack.
true, you may not immediately recognize the gum, BUT, the message makes you feel good. and wether you think you did or not, the pack of gum has now been associated with a very large (by comparison) expression of happiness. but the gum made it work.
so, now that your brain has made that association on a barely perceiveable level, you may not totally understand why the pack of gum makes you, not necessarily BUY it, but associate that reaction with the little black pack.
i think it’s clever, but in all fairness, i could be very wrong.
4 Keith // Jan 27, 2009 at 4:18 am
Not really. But I do love those ads.
5 Doug Kramer // Jan 27, 2009 at 4:23 am
I honestly think that the majority of advertising does not have the effect that corporations are hoping. I don’t believe it CAUSES you to buy gum. I don’t even believe it PERSUADES you to by gum, let alone the specified brand.
Big advertising, I believe, is becoming less and less effective. Like antibiotics. Or a bandaid that you pull off and put on a bunch times. It’s over done.
Ever notice those big ads on the sides of buses? You know, the ones that cover the windows as well. When you’re in the bus, looking out, you notice the very fine screening effect when you first look out the window. But, have you noticed that when you’ve sat and stared long enough, the brain is able to filter out the screen effect. The brain “removes” what it feels is unnecessary stimulus, like a color filter, removing an undesired color.
I believe big advertising is like that. It’s being filtered. And I believe the next big replacement is online advertising.
6 Bryan // Jan 27, 2009 at 9:15 am
I have never even thought to buy Dentyne since seeing these ads. Like you I found them clever… It lacks the hook (like a good rock song) that will last. Right now it is like an indie band without the hit song that puts them over the top.
7 Nathan // Jan 27, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Unless it’s an ad for a new product (or service or even film) that is new to me and interests me, I never feel like advertising “works.” If it’s a new drink at a coffee shop I might give it a shot, but I can’t actually notice if it’s building my sense of the brand or if it means I’m more likely to that choose that store/product/service when faced with options a week later. That’s why I find web advertising strange- most (all?) seems to be measured by click-throughs, but we don’t measure any other advertising like that (i.e. “Did you drive to Tim Horton’s immediately after seeing the new ice cap billboard?”). But all these ads must work because at some point I’m choosing the products I choose, even when I can’t name something that’s actually better about it.
8 Adrienne // Jan 27, 2009 at 3:55 pm
cool adds influence me to buy products. If they take the time to make a clever add, i typically remember that and then when i’m faced with choosing from 7 products that taste relatively the same but have different name brands, I remember stuff like clever adds and I buy the one that made an impression or made me giggle. I’m glad you showed me this add, now I don;t have to spend 5 min trying to deceide on gum
9 Justin // Jan 27, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Wow, a lot of comments on this post – thanks to everyone that left their thoughts.
I’m with Doug – I think big marketing is dead. Seriously. The culture has evolved; marketing doesn’t work the same way it used to.
Here’s an example of a good ad: on the bus there’s a small billboard that reads:
It has a picture of a guy holding up a Blackberry. I’m on the bus, I’ve got nothing to do, and I’m interested in buying a new home. So I take out my phone and visit the site.
The great thing about this bus ad is that it is measurable because anyone that visiting that site very likely saw the ad. They can measure hits, track what people looked at, and how long they stayed on the site.
Very smart.
10 Lorinda // Jan 27, 2009 at 7:03 pm
This ad makes me sort of want to buy gum.
However, I don’t like gum because is has aspartame and it makes my jaw too sore. So, it makes me think of alternatives like brushing my teeth and flossing in the middle of the day. That is just me though, just as if I were going to look at a billboard trying to sell me a hummer or something I absolutely do not want, others may be into a purchase like that so the advertisement works for them. Advertising doesn’t work for every person but rather the average person. I can imagine this ad works exactly how it is intended. People who like gum looking for a new pack might say, “hmmm, haven’t tried dentyne in a while, I know it doesn’t stick to teeth, I remember the flavor, it’s just one pack… if it’s that bad I can buy a new pack next time, I’ll try it.’ (Did I convince you to try Dentyne next time)
What it makes me think of most is wiping out the things I hate the most: communication via technology. Though I think it is necessary to have internet for sharing/working, we use it for the rest of our contacting insincerely.
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