Last weekend, my husband and I were driving home from the pool and we were having a typical discussion between husband and wife. We had the radio on, which is more for our kids benefit than ours, and in the background I hear the station going into a commercial break set when a radio spot took over the airwaves. I stopped and listened, and then I noticed that my husband had stopped talking to listen to the spot as well. We both had a good laugh, as the lyrics were funny and quirky. As a veteran media strategist, that quick moment was so intriguing. I am surrounded by ads all day long - great ads, good ads and many bad ones too. My antenna is typically up and aware of all the selling that happens around us. After hearing that spot, I began to have the thirst for a cherry-flavored soda that took me back to some childhood memories, and I realized that I had been 'sold'. Then, my husband leaned over and said, "next time we are at the store, let's pick up some Cheerwine."
It's amazing when you have a message that just breaks through the clutter – it takes a message that is both engaging and persuading to the audience. Ads really do work when the message is delivered in a vehicle that embraces the creativity, or really, marries it, and they become one. Good ads become great ads when the media and creative strategies are in harmony with each other. Think about the Bud Light campaign and how refreshing those spots were on the radio. In the days where a sixty-second spot on a Rock or AC station could not engage the listener enough to keep them from switching the station, along comes the Real Men of Genius spots! The radio spots were the all the rage at every office water cooler around the country.
So for all you kids out there who think advertising doesn't work, it may be due to your strategy. The marriage between the message and the medium, packs a one-two punch. Oh, what a powerful combination it can be.