Huggies & JWT: Online Advertising Done Right

Back in July/August of 2008, Huggies launched an ad campaign aptly called “Geyser,” which featured a young father carrying his son into a bedroom for a changing, and then, well, being “hosed” down by a “geyser” of, well, you get the idea. The commercial was a hit online, and according to an article by BrandWeek, published in August of 2008, the ad received 1.3 million aggregate views on sites like “YouTube, Spike and Meetup.com.”

As of late, the commercial has reappeared on cable television as well (initially I thought it was a Superbowl advertisement, which caused me to research the ad– I hadn’t come across it online). While researching the ad, I not only came across the initial advertisement, but also a “mockumentary” entitled, “Inside the Diaper.”

Word Cloud Resume

I was perusing Oliver Blanchard’s “The Brand Builder” blog a little bit ago and came across a post that showed his blog as a word cloud. I’ve seen this done in the past, but what caught my eye was Oliver’s mention of David Bernardo’s Resume as a word cloud. I clicked. Yep, it was awesome, and expressed a resume in a truly unique way. 

So naturally, I felt obligated to enter mine and share it here. I was pleased to see that “community” ended up at the core of my word cloud.

To create your own, visit Wordle and give it a shot.

Practice what you preach

When I attended Graduate school at USC I started to go through the steps of having my thesis published, mostly because I thought it would bring me fame, fortune, and a great job. (Clearly I had no concept of how many people actually read a thesis. For those of you in Graduate school, it’s about as many people as you have fingers on your hands. Advisor, parent(s), significant other, editor, and maybe a roommate). 

Midway through the submission process I stopped because I realized I was losing my mind, and publishing my thesis on paper didn’t really embrace what I had written. My thesis was on User-Generated Content and Viral Media, and it’s Impact on Broadcast and Marketing. I was committed to the fact that the topic was changing, so the medium should be changing. (In retrospect, that’s oh so McLuhan of me).

Pottery Barn: Where’s your Community?

Back in July I bought my first place– a purchase that has completely changed the way I shop. Now, instead of only perusing stores and websites for jeans, tops, and accessories, I find myself checking out the home section too. I’m excited by looking at paint swatches and watching HGTV’s “My First Place” and seeing how others “pull it all together.” And right now, I’m also quietly obsessed with Pottery Barn. 

Pottery Barn’s website is pretty robust– they have a “Style House” section that features videos, design tips “for every room,” design tools, and heck, they even have a “furniture facts” section– where you can learn about your new sectional. But what their site lacks is a community element– something that surprised me.

New Media Risks

Down-home, Midwestern brand JCPenney is typically known for erring on the side of caution, rather than scandal. However, as of late, JCP has entered the new media sphere with a series of ads that beg to become viral, including last Christmas’ “Aviator.” 

However, reports of a racy sex-charged teenage ad showcasing the Texas brand lent itself to criticism and speculation on whether or not the ad was sanctioned by JCP or created by JCP’s ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi.

This begs you to ask the question—how do you draw a line between what is real and what is fake within the online sphere. Just yesterday I mentioned the Gatorade ad, which was an ad created by Gatorade’s ad agency but was leaked online, only to become a viral sensation. Is JCPenney following suit, but sinking due to the content?

CMO Mike Boylson echoes his disappointment in the article that made the Wall-Street Journal two weeks ago, but the ad continues to strike a frenzy with conservative JCPenney-ites across the country.

So where do we draw the line between what we consider real, and respond to appropriately, and what we consider fake and respond to irrationally? Where will new media stand amidst the doctored commercials, and who decides what is good press versus bad press?