Mercedes-Benz celebrates Bertha Benz

In honor of National Women’s Day, Mercedes is honoring Bertha Benz, wife and business partner of Carl Benz, founder of Mercedes-Benz. The Benz’s were automotive pioneers and the automaker has made a campaign in honor of her memory.

The four-minute film titled “The Journey that Changed Everything,” chronicles Bertha Benz’s journey in her automobile-like, motorized carriage, in what is considered the world’s first long-distance drive. The company celebrates Benz’s confidence and vision, which was instrumental in Mercedes-Benz’ foundation.

The ad tells the story of Bertha Benz’s 12-hour drive from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany to visit her parents in 1888. She did this in order to prove the skeptics wrong about her husband’s new technology.

The ad is shot like a western with modern stylization, conveying the fear of the people as Bertha comes into town, thinking she is a “witch.”

After her carriage breaks down, Bertha went to the pharmacy to find fuel because mechanics didn’t exist and fixed her carriage as the townspeople watched. Benz’s tenacity helped pave the way for the Benz Patent Motor Car, which has grown into arguably the world’s most renown and well-known car brands, synonymous with luxury and affluence.

Modern Product Placement

Since starting college, I was introduced to what is called “product placement,” which is when brands pay to have their logo/products in popular tv shows/movies. I’ve noticed product placement the most in one of my favorite TV shows – HBO’s Silicon Valley, which is about, you guessed it, a Silicon Valley startup. Silicon Valley is one of the most popular TV shows right now and are about to start their 5^th season. Popular brands can be seen in all episodes. Since the show is centered around technology, almost all characters use an iPhone, most without a case so you know it’s an iPhone and Apple and Dell computers can be seen throughout. There are also Canon cameras, Tesla charging stations, and recognizable car brands such as Chevrolet, Tesla, Corvette, Cadillac and McLaren.

As far as costumes go, name brands can be seen throughout. In the Silicon Valley, where wealth is everywhere, you have to look your best and wear the nice brands. Some clothing brands seen throughout the show includes Patagonia, New Balance, Adidas, Converse, Puma and Nike.

Everyone has to eat, and some popular food and drink brands can be seen throughout. There are often Big Gulps and Cheez-Its on-screen in the offices, as well as popular alcohol and cereal brands.

It is very impressive to see the number of well-known brands in this show and this blog barely scratches the surface. The amount of money spent on product placement has to be astronomical. I believe it is effective for brands because it has a high chance to influence millions of viewer’s purchases.

Advertising This Year’s Oscar Awards

According to Jeanine Poggi, writer for AdAge, “despite the drama surrounding the Academy Awards…advertising still remains robust.” The Disney-ABC TV Group has confirmed a sell-out of commercial inventory for the Oscars. A 30-second spot in this year’s broadcast lines up with last year, costing advertisers $2.2 million.

Despite a steady decline of viewers, the Oscars’ audience is still attractive to advertisers, among those with advertisements include: Anheuser-Busch InBev (Budweiser), Cadillac, Google, Hennessy, IMB, Marriot, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Samsung and more. Let’s take at a few we’ll be seeing.

Cadillac

The luxury brand of General Motors has four minutes of airtime this year, launching its new “Rise” campaign featuring its SUV portfolio. The purchase includes four new ads set to Childish Gambino’s “Me and Your Mama.” Cadillac returns as a sponsor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Hennessy

In their first Oscar spot, dubbed “7 Worlds,” by Sir Ridley Scott, Hennessy is promoting their X.O cognac. The ad highlights the seven notes of X.O and pays homage to the Oscars with a scene including colossal golden figures similar to the award statue.

Marriot

Marriot uses the Oscars to further Introduce Bonvoy, its new streamlined rewards program. The commercial will air in an isolated spot; a 30-second promo for Marriot followed by a 60-second Bonvoy ad. Marriot worked with Observatory Marketing on the ad, while Publicis Groupe’s Marriot One Media is handling media duties.

Overall, this year seems to be a good one for the Oscars, with some strong players getting ready to capture our attention.

Battle of the Beers

Recently, there has been an advertising battle between two of the largest American beer giants: Anheuser-Busch InBev (parent company of Bud Light) and MillerCoors (parent company of Coors Light). The beer battle is entering another day of their “corn” war, with neither side seeming to retreat.

The war started when Bud Light used Super Bowl ads to slam Coors Light and Miller Lite for using corn syrup, to which they say that there is nothing wrong with corn, but Bud Light only use the highest of ingredients, not including corn, which is really called “dextrose.” A bold move by Bud Light to get customers to associate corn syrup as something bad and only being used by “lesser” beer companies. In brilliant fashion, MillerCoors responded by issuing an ad by Coors Light that simply reads “The National Toast To Farmers Friday 2/15,” also using the hashtag #ToastToFarmers with two bottles clinking over a cornfield with mountains in the background. This was an excellent way to rally the agriculture and corn communities as well as the blue-collar beer drinkers of America. Additionally, Pete Coors, Chairman of MillerCoors, personally delivered a truckload of Miller Lite and Coors Light to a meeting of the National Corn Growers Association in Denver, Co. The verified NCGA twitter account posted a video on twitter tagging Coors Light and stating “@CoorsLight delivering the world’s most refreshing beer to support America’s corn farmers.” Miller Lite also ran a full-page ad in the New York Times addressing the “beer drinkers of America,” stating the distinction between corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, which MillerCoors doesn’t use. They stated the corn syrup is a normal part of the brewing process and never makes it into a Miller Lite can.

All-in-all, Bud Light mounted a massive offensive, but Coors Light and Miller Lite are not backing down. Maybe we can declare a winner when the sales results come in.

Schultz., E., Schultz, E., & Schultz, E. (2019, February 06). The beer-corn war escalates as Bud Light fires back at MillerCoors. Retrieved from https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/corn-war-escalates-bud-light-fires-back-millercoors/316557/

Advertising This Year’s Grammy Awards

According to E.J. Schultz, writer for AdAge, “last year’s Grammy Awards ratings slid to a nine-year low.” That’s pretty bad. This lull, however, hasn’t stopped big-name brands from buying ad spots in this year’s Grammy’s, which airs tonight on CBS. Among the brands running ads: Apple, Oreo, Pepsi, Intuit and Lincoln, to name a few. Last year’s Grammy’s had 19.8 million viewers, dropping 24 percent from a mere year before, where 26.1 million tuned in, according to Nielsen. Last year, CBS made about $96 million from brands spending $1.2 million for 30 seconds of air time. It’s pretty amazing how much the price of eyes on your brand will cost you. Seemingly well worth it, though. Brands can breathe a little easier with a smaller price tag, compared to the $5.3 million price tag for 30 seconds during the Super Bowl.

A few of the ads running will feature new guest celebrities and tech specs. Lincoln, known for using Matthew McConaughey, will be using Serena Williams and Abraham Lincoln this year to headline their luxury lineup. Apple, a Grammy regular, will be back with new “Memoji” ads featuring popular artists such as Ariana Grande, Khalid and Florida Georgia Line. Oreo is bringing in rapper Wiz Khalifa, a millennial favorite, and his son for a 30-second spot in its new “Stay Playful” campaign. Lastly, Intuit will come in with a 60-second ad spot that addresses inequality and promotes the idea that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, deserves to live the life that they want. The commercial stars Luisa, a female entrepreneur from humble beginnings, and follows her journey to prosperity the help of Intuit.

Overall, it should be a good year for ads at the Grammy Awards.

Schultz., E., Schultz, E., & Schultz, E. (2019, February 08). Here’s an early look at the ads running during the Grammys. Retrieved from https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/early-ads-running-grammys/316595/