Eggs-ellent Easter Advertisements

As much as Easter is a time for giving, it is also a time for receiving: little kids (and in my case, the older ones too) get chocolate candy and colorful eggs, parents get a much-desired photo-op, and we all get the opportunity to spend some quality time with our loved ones....with all of this receiving, why shouldn’t advertisers get something out of this holiday too? Well, while some companies stay away from religious affiliation of any sort, others have taken advantage of this widely celebrated day to put out some great new ads. Here are just a few examples:

As a former high school mascot (the “Bobcat” for those interested), I got a kick out of this ad, knowing just how exhausting such a job should be. Even for those who haven’t chosen to subject themselves to wearing a fur suit in high temperatures, this advertisement for Scandic by Hilton is relatable: as much as we love the holidays, they can be exhausting. This perfectly captures that sentiment, and even gives a solution to the problem.

This advertisement undoubtedly has a more serious tone, but it’s message not to drink and drive is definitely important. The religious imagery serves to capture the attention of the audience, and the clever message (“Don’t Get Closer to God This Easter”) really resonates. While Easter is a time to celebrate, we must still be responsible, a message that this ad clearly delivers.

Ok, so I don’t find this advertisement to be as strong as the other two, but let’s be honest: this kid is just too darn cute not to include in this blog. I also loved the message of the candy and the eggs not being the important parts of Easter; though these two things are always there, it is the tradition that really matters. I know the whole idea of tradition is how my mom is able to get my brothers and I (all over the age of 18 now) to participate in an Easter egg hunt all over the neighborhood every year. Oh yeah, and it’s pretty fun too. 

Would It Kill You to Say You're Sorry?

Ok, let’s be honest:if you’re eating at Taco Bell, you’re probably not the most health conscious on the planet. In the college world, the most frequent customers of the sixth largest fast food chain only indulge themselves in a bean burrito or chicken quesadilla after taking down a few (or more) alcoholic beverages. However, apparently some people take their Taco Bell health more seriously, as the Alabama-based law firm Beasley Allen recently filed a class-action suit against the chain, alleging that Taco Bell’s filling was only 35-percent beef. The claim was recently dropped, and now Taco Bell is demanding an apology.

This advertisement appeared in many major newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times, just two days ago. The bold print ad is accompanied by a video of Taco Bell President Greg Creed in a campaign to clarify that that Taco Bell has “ALWAYS used 100% USDA-inspected premium beef” and that the recent lawsuit had absolutely no basis. Consequently, they would like a public apology from Beasley Allen.

Taco Bell is the last restaurant that one would expect to stand behind the integrity of their ingredients. After all, the chain has not been without its public relations disasters, with an E.Coli outbreak in 2006 and a viral video of enormous rats running through a New York City Taco Bell/KFC in 2007. However, maybe this shows why Taco Bell has launched such an aggressive campaign to defend themselves: this time, they really didn’t do anything wrong. 

Some public relations professionals think Taco Bell is merely adding fuel to the fire and should just let the whole ordeal slip away. On the contrary, I find Taco Bell’s campaign to be a smart way for the company to defend itself, while telling people that their product is actually a lot more quality than they think. In either case, I don’t think drunk college students are going to care either way.

Fair Play

"Going, going, going,.......BAM! Right into the 88-foot tall golf club?"

We might hear these words coming from the Padres' baseball announcer when the team plays at Petco Park in San Diego. TaylorMade, a leading golf manufacturer, has just recently attached an 88-foot tall, 950-pound replica of its R11 driver to the right-field foul pole at the stadium, taking advertising to all new heights. The all-aluminum driver is no small feat, taking 250 man-hours to construct. To close off the advertising deal, LPGA star Natalie Gulbis will throw out the first pitch at today's Padres-Philles game.


Although the club head at the end of the driver is an optical illusion, the handle is in fair territory, begging the question of what happens if a long-driven ball hits it. Well, at least TaylorMade executives will have clubs to protect themselves from angry Padres' fans.

A New Old Spice Man?

Ok, I’ve become disturbingly familiar with the Old Spice brand during the past few weeks. Besides all the advertising knowledge I’ve gained, there has been one major plus of all of my team’s hard work: getting to look at lots and lots of pictures of Isaiah Mustafa. No one can argue that he’s a gorgeous man (although apparently he has a daughter, which makes him seem a little less attainable). Back to the point, Isaiah is a strong, good-looking guy who has been the perfect spokesperson for the Old Spice brand, spearheading the campaign entitled, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”. 

Debuting in June 2010 and continuing on from there, this campaign has been extremely successful for Old Spice, as statistics prove (for example, their sales have grown 107% as a result). With those kind of numbers, and the fact that Isaiah Mustafa has risen to such popularity (with around 55,000 followers on Twitter alone), you can imagine my surprise when Old Spice came out with this new commercial, WITHOUT the puppy-loving, mustache-bearing, guitar-playing Isaiah.

This commercial has the same humor and bravado of every Old Spice commercial, even though it is without the brand’s major star. The ad for the company’s new cologne “Danger Zone” features a still anonymous Old Spice man, who treks through the wilderness and appears completely unfazed by snakes, rough waters, and even an alligator eating his legs down to the bone. As much as I love Isaiah, I have to admit that I approve of Old Spice’s latest ad, and think that their move makes sense.

We are currently in an age of tabloids and public relations disasters. Thus, as companies have learned, it’s not smart or economical to invest a company’s entire image in one person. This is the danger that Old Spice faces if it continues to keep Isaiah as the only face of its grooming products. As a Senior Marketing Strategist from Wieden+Kennedy, the advertising agency that handles the Old Spice campaigns, addressed, “It has been an evolving process with many different Old Spice men.” From Swagger and LL Cool J to Bruce Campbell to Will Ferrell, there have been many Old Spice men. Isaiah may have been the most successful, but he will surely not be the last.

THE MEN OF OLD SPICE

WILL FERRELL

BRUCE CAMPBELL

LL COOL J

The most important thing for this dynamic brand is that it continues to appeal to young men seeking a sense of confidence and the ability to accomplish the many goals that they have set out for themselves. With this confidence, dependability, and humor, any man can be an Old Spice Man.

Beauty in the Hands of the Networks?

As much as I want this blog to be about the best in advertising and public relations, there are times that call for me to comment on certain aspects of this industry that can be extremely frustrating, or even angering. The recent Lane Bryant commercial controversy is just one of these times; however, it is not the company or its advertisements that are drawing fire from people like me, but how the two have been received by major television networks.

Recently, Lane Bryant representatives took to the company's blog to point out a “plus size” double standard going on in network television. According to the company, both ABC and Fox nixed their new commercial for their lingerie line Cacique, which features a full-figured model for the plus size retailer. Allegedly, ABC refused to show the commercial during “Dancing with the Stars” until the final moments of the show, and Fox demanded that it be re-edited three times before allowing it to air during American Idol, again restricting it until the end of the broadcast. While the company admitted that the ad was indeed “sexy (but not salacious)”, they pointed out that these networks frequently show Victoria’s Secret ads for lingerie during the same time slots. 

In the interest of full disclosure, ABC and Fox deny these allegations, claiming that the only restrictions made on the commercial were that it be aired during the last ten minutes of the shows, in order to keep it from airing it during a “family hour”, and thus avoiding complaints of the Standards & Practices Department of the network. Fox will now air the spot next week on April 28.

As much as I hate consumer outrage over mild transgressions, I find that the anger is not misplaced in this instance. I myself am not plus-sized, but I am also not the size of a Victoria Secret model and I know how influential the media can be on a woman’s body image. Therefore, I find it appalling that networks should set such a double standard when it comes to women’s beauty. Not all women are a size 2, and brands such as Lane Bryant who give women the confidence to show off their body at any size should be commended. However, instead of doing this, these two major television networks chose to perpetuate the stigma of plus-sized women and continue to make them feel like they are not worthy of the same things that skinny models are. I am sure that some will think I am overreacting, but with media power constantly growing, our sense of self and body image is becoming lower day after day.

Lane Bryant has seemed to adopt the same view, and has thus turned what could have been a disaster into a public relations triumph. Their sense of indignation on their blog definitely makes their plus-sized target consumers feel more connected to them as a brand; as they have surely felt the same kind of exclusion in real life as Lane Bryant now feels by major television networks. The end of their blog even encourages readers to “PICK ONE: Team Cacique or Team Network. Tell us how you feel and pass this along to everyone who shares the view that beauty is in the eye of the beholder not the hands of a television network.”

Regardless of if you wear lingerie or not, I think Team Cacique is the right team to be on. 

Silence is Golden

A couple weeks after the Gilbert Gottfried debacle, Aflac was forced to move on without the well-known voice of its duck. If there’s one thing that we have learned from controversy, it’s that customers really look at how the company in question reacts to it. So, everyone was eagerly waiting to see what Aflac would do after losing the voice behind its much-beloved spokesduck. So they brought us this:

In my humble opinion, this commercial is genius, as is the rest of how Aflac is choosing to handle the public outcry that it has faced. Instead of just choosing a random person to take over Gilbert Gottfried’s role, they cleverly came out with a commercial in the form of a silent movie, completely avoiding the issue altogether. In addition, although a little too violent for my tastes, the killing of the duck could be seen as a symbolic death of Gottfried’s role in the company (and judging from a lot of the opinions that have come out about Gottfried's Twitter comments, there is no shortage of people who wouldn't mind seeing the comic run over by a train). We must sit and wait to see the next step that Aflac will take; however, this new competition to be the next voice of the duck will likely draw a lot of publicity and keep consumers attentive to the thing we Americans love most: controversy.

Commercial an "Ace"

Rarely is something labeled “too sexy for television.” Let’s be honest, our generation is used to a level of promiscuity and sexual imagery that our parents probably would have never imagined in their day. Today, even my lovable 90-year-old Nana doesn’t even blink an eye when a scantily clad model starts gyrating in a commercial to highlight her jeans. Recently, however, a new video game advertisement starring tennis star Serena Williams was shelved after being deemed too racy.

In the 60-second commercial, the “World’s Sexiest Tennis Player” (Serena Williams) battles the “World’s Sexiest Tennis Gamer” (actress Rileah Vanderbilt). A spot for Top Spin 4, a console video game by developer 2K sports, the ad features groaning, moaning, a lot of body shots, oh, and a little tennis playing too. Williams has always been noticed for her voluptuous and toned figure, but many thought the numerous cleavage and rear shots were just too much.

After Vanderbilt leaked the video via Twitter, 2K Sports pulled the ad, releasing a statement that “As part of the process for creating marketing campaigns to support our titles, we pursue a variety of creative avenues. This video is not part of the title’s final marketing campaign and its distribution was unauthorized.”

Despite the company distancing itself from the commercial, we all know that once something is put on the Internet, it’s there forever. Add a little controversy, and you can ensure that it will get millions of views purely out of curiosity. Plus, with Williams’ latest health emergencies, she has attracted quite a bit of publicity. Therefore, one could argue that the commercial was still a success: plenty of attention drawn to the game, without the company hurting it’s image, as it was not an official part of their campaign. Plus, the sexiness of the ad surely appealed to the main players of video games: men. 

Excellent Elevator Ads

For me, one of the coolest forms of advertising is guerilla marketing campaigns. They’re usually the most creative and most interesting to look at, and figure out ways to catch people’s attention in an innovative fashion. One of the best examples of guerilla marketing is elevator advertisements. People usually use elevators in mundane and everyday situations, such as in a work building or apartment complex. Thus, adding something different to people’s routine allows advertisers to brighten their consumers’ day, while sending a clear message. Here are some of the best elevator advertisements:

This ad isn’t for the squeamish!

Anyone who is claustrophobic or fears getting caught in an elevator would no doubt be motivated to get in shape after seeing this.

Playing on one of the big fears of businessmen everywhere!

“Becel: Take action. Love your heart.” This elevator advertisement mocks the elevator itself and encourages people to get healthy!

I have to admit, this ad for a Divorce Lawyer is a little sad. But I guess it shows how a couple really splits.

Selling Out or Buying In?

In the trailer for Morgan Spurlock’s new movie, he asks an expert, “Where should I go where there is no adverting?” The man’s answer: “To sleep.” A poignant moment, it displays a truth of our society today: advertising is everywhere, and it is unavoidable, even in movies. This is the basis for the award-winning filmmaker’s new documentary, “Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.” While it is not as stomach-churning as Spurlock’s previous hit “Supersize Me,” it is nonetheless just as intriguing. He explores the world of product placement, marketing, and advertising, while attempting to find brands who will finance the movie. Cameras follow Spurlock as he meets with executives of different brands, trying to get them to finance his project.

In short, this is a movie about making a movie. It is financed entirely through product placement. As Spurlock describes, the goal for the movie is transparency, an attempt to show movie watchers all the work that goes behind subtly manipulating them with carefully placed products and brand logos. As the title of the film suggests, Spurlock is indeed successful in his conquest to find companies to sponsor his work, including Pom Wonderful, Old Navy, Petland, Jet Blue, and Hyatt. Spurlock showed this off when he arrived at his movie premiere with a suit with all of the different logos patched onto it. 

“Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is an innovative look at one of the little-considered aspects of advertising today: product placement and other subtle forms of exposure that are intended to unconsciously influence the mind of the customer. As usual, Spurlock uses humor and satire to get his point across. While the movie has not yet come out (it comes to theaters on April 22), I think that one of the main things that viewers should get from it is that advertising is everywhere and that we should constantly be aware of it all around us, in many different forms.

Is product placement a bad thing? One could argue that directors sell out when they allow companies to influence work that should be artistic. On the other hand, one could argue that product placement is harmless and allows movie makers to raise much-needed money, which allows them to make movies even better. While there are many arguments for both sides of the issue, I find the debate to be irrelevant. Whether we like it or not, the fact is that product placement has been around for a while and doesn’t show any signs of disappearing any time soon. I think the importance of Spurlock bringing light to this issue is that we can not keep ourselves from being manipulated unless we are aware that we are being manipulated. Ok, so a can of Diet Coke next to Carrie Bradshaw while she types on her laptop making us thirsty all of a sudden isn’t the end of the world. But what about the more important stuff? Just because moviemakers sell out, doesn’t mean we have to buy in.

To find out more about the movie and if it's coming to a theatre near you, visit: "Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold"

The Mayonnaise Dividing America

Every commercial we watch usually does nothing but extoll the benefits of the product it is trying to sell, making it seem as if all our problems can be solved if we just open up our hearts (or wallets) to the latest sugary cereal, dating website, or nutritional supplement. It makes sense: advertising is intended to make people realize how much they will love a certain product or service. Knowing this makes Miracle Whip’s latest commercials ever more surprising. The premise? Miracle Whip is a polarizing product: people either hate it or love it. Which one are you?

The video ends with: “Are you Miracle Whip? Get a taste and Decide”. These commercials are ingenious. Somehow, even with people talking about how much they dislike the condiment, I wanted to go to the store and buy it to see which side I was on. Now, whenever anyone ever complains about the product, consumers will simply put them in the "hate it" category, and not view their opinion as a reflection of the brand itself. 


They also make the statement that Miracle Whip is “a little loud” and “a little tangy,” demonstrating that it is not just an ordinary mayonnaise. The commercial itself is a little loud, with people using humor to describe just how much they hate Miracle Whip. My favorite line? "It's like a lotion sandwich...who wants to eat a lotion sandwich?" I’m not sure if I’m Miracle Whip or not, but considering Pauly D doesn’t like it and apparently won't date a girl who does, I can take an educated guess....Are you Miracle Whip?

Spokesdancer of the Year

Ok, so I’m not exactly sure if this qualifies as advertising, but I do know that it lends itself to wayyy too many comments about glittery 80’s t-shirts and short shorts to not be included in this blog. While my exposure to Richard Simmons is limited to his brief cameo in Nutty Professor, Air New Zealand travelers will be seeing much more of the flamboyant exercise star. The airline just came out with this safety video featuring a team of aerobic dancers and way too many headbands to keep count.

I have to give Air New Zealand credit: how many of us really pay attention when the safety procedures are discussed before the flight? It’s more likely that we’re trying to get that last text off on our cell phone while trying to ignore the obnoxious crying baby behind us than that we’re listening to information that could actually save our lives. This video is able to draw attention to something truly important in a unique and humorous way. Ok, so people that have a terrible fear of flying might not be amused. But, for the 99% of us who just hate the cramped space and constant ear-popping, this video would be a welcome distraction. Who knows, it might even inspire someone to exercise once they get off the plane!

This Comes From Awesome Advertisers

Admittedly, I’m not the most environmentally-friendly person. I mean, it’s not like I’m walking around campus emptying bottles of hairspray or throwing trash on the ground, but I haven’t put as much effort as I probably should into the whole “green” thing. However, this latest example of marketing changed my perception on this a little bit.

The subject of this blog begins in a bathroom. Yes, a bathroom. Don’t worry, it’s nothing gross (although with three brothers I could probably come up with a story or two). After washing my hands in a Marquette bathroom, I went to go get a paper towel to dry them. On the towel-dispensing machine was a sticker that read: “Remember: These Come From Trees”. Underneath this message read: “This sticker will save up to 100 lbs. of paper every year. Help spread the word. Get yours at: TheseComeFromTrees.com”. 

Immediately I thought: “What a smart way to spread a message.” The stickers, dedicated to helping the environment through the saving of paper, were located at one of the roots of the problem: people taking too many paper towels after washing their hands. Plus, the stickers are asking people to do something relatively easy, as often we take too many paper towels not because we need them, but just because we don’t think about it. This campaign makes people think about it at the exact time that they need to be, without being too pushy.

Visiting the website for this environmental campaign makes it even more impressive (These Come From Trees). The header reads: “Welcome to the world’s first guerrilla public service announcement! An experiment in environmentalism, viral marketing, and user interface design with the goal of reducing consumer waste paper!” With tons of information, an impressive Facebook following, the cheap price of the stickers, and the undeniably awesome results, this advertising campaign makes even people like me want to make the environmentally friendly decision. Visit the website and look at all of the blogs documenting the progress of the stickers!

Friday Flashback

It’s the second Friday of Lent and as I sit behind my laptop I can’t help but reflect on the important parts of this special season.....prayer, repentance, alms-giving, and quality fish advertising. It comes as no surprise that during these 40 days, restaurants and fast-food companies work hard to appeal to the pious side of their Catholic customers, highlighting their seafood options and deals for fish, on Fridays in particular. So for this week’s Friday Flashback, I can’t think of any better example of Lenten advertising in the past to highlight than McDonald’s “Filet-O-Fish” commercial.

Premiering in 2009, this advertisement’s strength rests in it’s simplicity: “Frankie the Fish,” a mechanized version of Big Mouth Billy Bass, hangs mounted on a wall plaque in a very plain-looking garage, singing the short diddy: “Give me back that Filet-O-Fish” over and over again. Meanwhile, two friends eat the sandwich and watch the fish without saying a word.

It’s amazing how such a simple commercial can have such a great effect on customers. The advertisement led to an increase in sales, inspired a Facebook fan page with more than 40,000 members, increased online searches for the sandwich at Google by 100% in the subsequent four weeks that it aired, and even led to mounted “Frankie’s” that sung the jingle being sold in stores.

During this Lenten season, businesses can learn a lesson from McDonald’s popular fish sandwich campaign: keep it catchy and simple. After that, when it comes to their customers, all businesses have to do is have a little faith.

#HappyBirthday

Happy Birthday Twitter! As Twitter celebrates its 5th anniversary, FunnyorDie.com just came out with this hilarious video about Twitter's brief past. While it is more than 140 characters, the video includes celebs such as Soulja Boy and Perez Hilton. This is not necessarily an advertisement, but I felt compelled to include it in this blog because of the social medium's undeniably huge influence on advertising today. True, Twitter is often abused, with followers having to hear about the meatball sandwich someone ate for lunch, or the hangnail that they've been dealing with all day. But, when Twitter is used well, it can help with a brand's image and make people aware of a new product or service. That's why people like Kim Kardashian-whose fame may not be questionable even though her talent is-reportedly get paid up to $10,000 for tweeting about a company's product! Will Twitter fade away with the emo punk rockers of MySpace? This is yet to be seen. However, for now, Twitter should enjoy it's birthday and keep on rocking those @ symbols!

Quacking and Tweeting

In advertising news, Gilbert Gottfried was just fired by Aflac from his job as the voice of the iconic duck in their commercials. This comes after he made a series of Tweets about the tragedy in Japan that I’m sure he found to be very funny, while nobody else did. Among the “hilarious” tweets that Gottfried sent out over the weekend: “I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, ‘They’ll be another one floating by any minute now.’” The dozen or so tweets, all making light of the recent horrific events in Japan, did not sit well with Twitter followers, news analysts, or Aflac.

The giant insurance company released a statement saying, “Gilbert’s recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac...Aflac will immediately set plans in motion to conduct a nationwide casting call to find a new voice of the iconic Aflac Duck.” While I usually find media and public outrage to be misplaced (with people getting worked up over the slightest comment or implication unnecessarily), even I found Gottfried’s comments to be offensive and insensitive, and I think Aflac handled this situation perfectly.

Gottfried’s firing reinforces the importance of brand image in today’s marketplace. Did Gottfried’s comments have any direct effect on Aflac’s financial status or the products and services it provides? No. However, his snide remarks would have surely cost the company a lot of business from the outraged, and severely tarnished the brand’s image. Aflac is an insurance company, and one whose tag line reads: “We’ve got you under our wing.” Their company stands for safety and providing comfort in times of trouble. Therefore, nothing could be worse for Aflac than to be seen as making light of a crisis such as a tsunami, or the exact type of situation that they are supposed to help their customers in case of. Oh, and according to reports, Aflac does 75% of its business with Japan. 

In firing Gottfried, Aflac not only protected their brand image by disassociating themselves with such controversy, but also showed that they are responsive to their customers. In addition, their future nationwide casting call to find a new voice for the Duck presents an opportunity for an awesome PR and advertising campaign. 

Thoughts and prayers are with those in Japan.

Using Hands to Save a Life

In the middle of all of the flashy and grab-your-attention type of commercials out there, I absolutely loved this PSA done by the American Heart Association. It certainly stands out for how simple it is, as well as the beauty of the hand movements with the classical music in the background. As the person signs in the PSA, hands can do amazing things, and this was certainly the perfect way to show it. 

I’ve also become quite interested in the follow-up advertising of commercials, specifically the websites that companies suggest that you go to. In this case, the American Heart Association’s website (Hands Only CPR) definitely enhances the message, especially by making the site interactive. Not only do they include this video and repeat the steps for hands-only CPR, but they also encourage visitors to “Create your own Hands Symphony,” which can be done to dance, hip-hop, OR latin music! This is a great example of advertising: the PSA grabs your attention, and the website includes activities to further promote their message. Hands can do amazing things, and so can the minds of smart advertisers. 

The Power of Print

Getting a tonsillectomy during spring break was not the brightest idea I have ever had. However, I have been able to cope with the fact that I am stuck in a bed, while my peers frolic on beaches and make generally bad decisions, by consoling myself with a few key items: Buckeye Blitz ice cream (if you’ve never heard of it, go buy some!), my adorable puggle Jack, trashy reality television, and an unlimited supply of magazines. 

Yes, magazines. The perfect reading items to flip through when killing time or wishing to read something that doesn’t require too much effort. Oh, and the advertisements-with their glossy photos and occasionally sweet-smelling scratch-and-sniffs- are even fun to look at. Recently, in between reading about Charlie Sheen’s latest antics and learning how to perfect a poof like Snookie’s, I came upon an interesting advertisement in a magazine....for magazines.

The ad caused me to look up just who was behind it. Starting last year, the leaders of 5 major magazines (including Cathie Black from Hearst Magazines and Jack Griffin from Meredith Corporation) joined together to promote a campaign entitled: “Magazines: The Power of Print.” 

While they created a video to introduce this project, the campaign has mainly consisted of page ads like the one that I saw in People. The purpose? To give consumers, and advertisers, faith in the power of magazines and dispel the myth that it is a dying medium. The ads do this not only through engaging language, but through actual statistics, such as that the average readers spends 43 minutes reading a magazine. This kind of information is undoubtedly intriguing for advertisers who may wonder if the investment in print advertising is still worth it. “The Power of Print” campaign proves that it is, while getting readers excited about their product. The prominent magazine publishers have followed a great rule: Stick to what you do best. By keeping the campaign in their medium, they prove just how strong magazines can be.

2183

As I sat on the tenth floor of Straz during the week of midterms, huddled in one of the common room chairs with my daunting amount of homework and assignments spread before me, I longingly looked outside and down at Wisconsin Avenue. Suddenly, something caught my eye. A truck shaped like a billboard, sticking out in red, drove past the building. It’s shape was different than other vehicles driving down the street, however it was more the message printed on the truck that caught my attention. An electronic counter with the number “2008” was clearly displayed, and underneath it the text read: “Americans Murdered With Guns Since Tucson,” and below that a link for the cause: “FixGunChecks.Org.” 

As my laptop was conveniently sitting in front of me, I immediately logged on to the website address on the truck. It turns out, the advertising campaign is being run by “Mayors Against Illegal Guns,” a group dedicated to “Keeping Guns Out of the Hands of Dangerous People,” and thus preventing senseless shootings. As soon as you log onto the website (Fix Gun Checks), you are able to “Read the Latest Updates from The Road,” including articles from wherever the truck was last (it plans on driving through 25 states) and the attempts being made by politicians in that particular location to fight the cause. With a continuous electronic counter, a petition for supporters to sign, a link to “Donate Now,” interactive videos, and more, I found this to be an innovative and awesome advertising campaign for a very important issue, especially in America today.

Some might question whether or not Mayors Against Illegal Guns is exploiting the terrible tragedy that occurred in Arizona just a few months ago. However, I would have to disagree with these people: this coalition is merely highlighting an event that all Americans remember and relate to in order to help stop the forces that caused such a tragedy in the first place. As I watched the truck drive by, I realized that it was a perfect example of how smart advertising can support a good cause and draw attention to the things that really matter.

NOTE: At the time of this posting, 2183 was the amount of Americans murdered with guns since Tucson.