To be completely honest, I don’t really watch TV nowadays. I primarily utilize streaming services to watch shows and movies when I have the time, so I decided to analyze commercials that stuck out to me when I was more of a television connoisseur than I am today. I included one commercial that aired on streaming services as well as regular television since at the time it was relatable and had a big impact on a big audience. I think these assignments will show that catchy jingles are the way to get my attention.
Burger King’s Confusing Times
This Burger King Commercial shows some of the “confusing times” people experienced during the COVID-199 lockdown and the time after navigating this new world with COVID-19 precautions. Examples include “working at home or living at work”, taking a master class while being nowhere near a master, being unable to mute or turn off your camera in real live conversations, etc. The commercial ends on one last confusing time, being the new plant-based impossible whopper that tastes just like a regular whopper. Burger King used humor to demonstrate these confusing times for people and made the content relatable to the current events going on aka the Global Pandemic.
The ad’s objectives were to introduce the new plant-based impossible whopper and get people to buy it. The objectives can be measurable by looking at the number of sales of impossible whoppers while this advertisement was airing. The target market of the advertisement is Burger King customers and plant-based consumers, current customers could try something new while new plant-based customers could be introduced. The value proposition of this ad would be that plant-based consumers could now eat at Burger King for convenience and at a cheaper price than specialty plant-based restaurants.
Meow Mix
The Meow Mix commercial shows a cat singing the Meow Mix jingle and along the bottom of the screen are subtitles with a ball bouncing along the words for viewers to sing along. The lyrics are from the cat’s perspective saying how Meow Mix food is the best and they adore it. Meow Mix utilized a catchy jingle and a cute cat “singing” to captivate audiences. This campaign aimed to get cat owners to purchase “cat’s favorite food” and sell more Meow Mix products.
The objective is attainable and can be measured by the number of sales of Meow Mix products. Even though the sales because of this commercial are not trackable, you can roughly compare the sales before the commercial and after. The target market of this advertisement is cat owners. Meow Mix wants cat owners to buy more Meow Mix products such as dry food, wet food, treats, etc. The value proposition of this advertisement is that customers will benefit from buying a cost-effective product instead of more expensive cat foods and be able to provide a variety of flavors to consumers’ cats without sacrificing cost.
JG Wentworth 877-Cash-Now
This commercial starts at an Opera show, and then the lead performer, accompanied by the other performers, starts singing the JG Wentworth jingle. As the performers sing the jingle, they briefly touch on some of the uses for JG Wentworth’s services, ending with the conductor telling the viewer “It’s your money, use it when you need it”. With this catchy jingle and different theme for this commercial, it was able to catch viewers’ attention. Personally, it’s the only phone number I can guarantee I remember. The objective of this advertisement is to inform viewers of their services, i.e. getting your cash now versus later. The objective was not time-specific or measurable, there’s not really a way to track if consumers came after seeing the commercial or because they recently received a structured settlement payment and were referred to JG Wentworth.
The target audience for this advertisement is anyone who has received a structured settlement payment. JG Wentworth wants customers to sell or delegate their settlement payments to them instead of receiving the monthly installments. The customer will benefit from receiving their percentage of the settlement upfront, versus having to wait 10 years to receive the full amount. This would help anyone who needs money from the settlement now, instead of having to wait. The value proposition would be that the customer would get their money now and be able to utilize it.
Education Connection
This commercial starts with a waitress singing a catchy song about how she needs to get a degree to make more money than she currently is. The song lyrics describe her utilizing Education Connection’s online quiz and how she was paired with a school that worked for her and matched her needs. The chorus of the jingle tells listeners that this college matching quiz is free to use to help connect you with the right school. The purpose of this advertisement is to show viewers what services the educational consulting company Education Connection offers.
The objective was attainable and measurable, but there isn’t a way to track if people taking the quiz did it because they saw the commercial or found their services elsewhere. This advertisement’s target market is people thinking of going back to school, either for the first time or continuing their education. Education Connection offers matches for a variety of school levels, from getting a GED to a Doctorate. The value proposition of this advertisement is that it gets the word out there to people who need help finding a school or navigating going back to school. I can speak from personal experience that without services such as Education Connection or educational consulting, as a first-generation college student, it was hard to figure out what I needed to do or where to look. While their services are not targeted to consumers like myself, I could have used their services to help if needed. Education Connection is specifically catered to adults wanting to go to college, not high school students looking for a college to attend.
ASPCA “Angel” Commercials with Sara McLaughlin
ASPCA commercials start with the song “Angel” by Sara McLachlan playing as videos and images of animals in distress as messages such as “Every day in America thousands of animals suffer from cruelty and neglect”, “Thousands of animals were rescued last year, but for thousands of others, help came too late”, etc. Then Sara McLauchaln appears on screen holding an animal and asking for your help to make a difference in these animals’ lives by donating to the ASPCA. The ASPCA uses the emotional pull on animal lovers’ heartstrings by showing images of sad/hurt animals to get views to help donate towards their care.
The objectives of these advertisements are to bring awareness to animal welfare across the United States and stop animal cruelty. These objectives are attainable and measurable, the ASPCA can track if they had an increase in donations while the advertisements were airing. According to the New York Times, this campaign raised over $30 million for the ASPCA from early 2007 to late 2008 (Storm, New York Times). I will speak from personal experience that these objectives were met because I tried on multiple occasions to donate to the ASPCA as a child with my parent’s bank cards and at one point had my own subscription to donate monthly. Never in my life had I immediately gone to throw money at something except when I saw these commercials. The value proposition ASPCA commercials bring is that they bring awareness to the viewer of how rampant animal neglect is, provide help to animals suffering from neglect and they encourage the viewer to help prevent it as well.
Additional References:
Strom, Stephanie. “Ad Featuring Singer Proves Bonanza for the A.S.P.C.A.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Dec. 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/us/26charity.html?smid=url-share.
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Meaghan,
Wow! Some really great references and memories in here, starting with the Meow Mix commercial. Who can forget that catchy tune and melody stuck in your had for what seemed like ages. Interestingly, the spot doesn’t speak to the superiority of the cat food, but simply works as a wonderful brand recognition tactic, which is incredibly powerful for super market pet food shoppers when they browse aisles to make a selection. The mechanics of how they put this piece together was amazing when I look back on it’s success.
Once again, you had me chuckling with the JG Wentworth commercial, which actually started as more of a regional campaign (believe it or not). However, I would argue that nearly all Americans who watch TV could tell you 877-CASH-NOW, despite having never encountered a scenario where they needed to deal with a structured cash settlement. The beauty of this commercial is that should that time ever arise with those viewers, brand recognition comes into play and their first call is likely to be JG Wentworth. Another great example!
Finally, your choice of ASPCA is also fascinating. While I have little doubt the spot was successful, admittedly these ads have sometimes frustrated me. That is simply due to the fact that after some investigation, much less of their collections actually go toward rescuing animals than they may lead you to believe. Large portions go to salaries and overhead, as well as considerable sums aimed at anti-hunting legislation and lobbying. Despite my fondness for animal welfare, this has turned me off from these types of commercials to some degree. That said, I thought it was another fantastic example of emotion being one of the most powerful action steps for people here in the US. Great job on this!
Cheers,
Zane Breeding
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Thank you for your insightful comments Zane!
I agree that these brands created great brand recognition, I honestly had no idea what the JG Wentworth commercials advertised until doing this analysis. I get why they do their business because they profit so much over time, but I am genuinely shocked to see them still existing today. I always had the understanding that Meow Mix was the “superior” brand of food because they say in the ads things like “cats ask for it by name” even if it’s just meant to be a pun. And the advertisements lean heavy on the fact that their flavors are apparently cat’s favorite. I am incredibly lucky that my cats will eat pretty much anything I put in front of them, so I think they would be a terrible judge on if Meow Mix’s claims are true.
The ASPCA ads have always frustrated me in a way as well, I always feel so guilty and it seems like they always perfectly time a picture or video of an animal that is judging you and “giving puppy eyes” begging. While I genuinely hope most of the donations do go to the animals in their care, donation campaigns like this always seem to do a portion of the money towards whatever cause. I agree that emotion is one of the most powerful calls to action!
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Meaghan,
I would really enjoyed the your commercial about meow mix. It was very nostalgic and its the only dry cat foood that I buy for my cats over 30 years after this commercial. I often sing this “jingle” to my cats at feeding time. ASPCA has been very sucessful for years in impacting the animal lover with its sadder than sad sonefgs, and pictures of abused animals or animals with extremely big and lonely eyes. I dont remember the educational commercial at all but I think it did a great job trying to explain educational resources, and appeals to an age of students ready or thinking about college. For several years, I have had the J.G. Wenworth jongle stuck in my head. I never really understood what it is that they do, but just know that they can get me my moy now in the event that there is some money that I don’t have access to that I need to get. Great job on your analysis!
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Thank you for your comment Tonya!
I find doing these analysis are always a bit nostalgic for me because I seem to keep picking commercials I have memories of hearing/seeing. I think I am going to try and do a week with advertisements I’ve never seen before to see if that could alter how I view them.
I have definitely realized how much of a jingle advertisement person I am through these assignments, I also had no idea what JG Wentworth did until just last week. Zane mentioned in his comment about the brand loyalty they accidentally created and I think they are the first option consumers think of when they need their money thanks to these advertisements. I will give a warning that it seems like the people who cashed out early did get the shorter end of the stick, so be careful if you win the lottery or something!
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Dear Meaghan,
The Burger King commercial was ire and depressing. Not because of the impossible burger, but just being reminded of how thrilling some aspects of the pandemic were! I found the book on climate change funny, and it was about the irony of all the required packaging. I get it, though, as “these are confusing times,” like eating a burger that tastes like a burger that isn’t made out of meat.
I love the Meow Mix commercial, and I think it is iconic! That jingle is so easy to get stuck in your head. I want chicken; I want liver, Meow Mix Meow Mix, please deliver! It brought me back to my childhood.
The JG Wentworth commercial is funny, and I like their approach to the jingle by incorporating opera singers! I’ve never needed a settlement, but I know who to call now. Well, hopefully, I’ll never have to call!
The Education Connection advertisement was interesting. It was catchy and clear about the value proposition, which I liked, and it grabs the attention of the viewer when the number pops up of how much more money you can make with a college degree!
As soon as the song “Angel” started playing, I knew this was an animal commercial! These types of commercials are so sad. I can’t stand looking at the poor puppies or kitties because they look so sad. It breaks my heart to think about what some people do to animals or how they’re constantly neglected and abandoned.
You provided a lot of memorable television advertisements, and I enjoyed reading your analysis!
Kindly,
Shawn
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Thank you for your comment Shawn!
These marketing analysis assignments have really had me reflect on commercials that would either make me happy or have a memorable impact on me. I along with the many people in the world who have seen the ASPCA commercials cannot listen to the song “Angel”, I think that and the Pandemic is one of the universal trauma experiences of the mid 2000s.
I have learned with these assignments that all it takes is a jingle and/or emotional experience to make these advertisements stick out to me. Even though I am no where near Meow Mix, I have had a drastic increase in the amount of times the jingle has gotten stuck in my head the past week.
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Meaghan,
I hadn’t seen the Burger King commercial yet, this was a funny one! I do like their play on COVID changes like WFH, having to deal with in-person conversations you can’t mute, and the quick clip of someone using a facemask as a sleeping mask on the plane. I think Burger King is almost saying, “we’ve been through all of these confusing changes already, why not try this vegan burger?”. They also entered the market at a good time, as meatless and vegan options become more popular. I personally haven’t tried the plant based whopper, but now I’m curious.
Meow Mix is a timeless commercial. Admittedly, sometimes I walk around the house singing the tune to my cats during treat time. I personally don’t buy Meow Mix, but I do take notice and immediately sing the jingle when I spot their products at the pet store. I agree that they are an affordable product option, but I think the commercial’s value proposition is that the product’s flavor is so great, cat’s will love it and “sing” for it.
The ASPCA commercial still gets me! They really came for our heart strings and invoke our empathy towards animals. I recall being a young child and crying to my mom that she needs to donate to ASPCA after seeing this commercial, so I love that you took matters into your own hands!
Great analysis!
Taelor
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Thank you so much, Taelor!
I can honestly say I love the Impossible Whopper. I stopped eating red meat about 5 or 6 years ago for health reasons, and at random times I would remember enjoying regular whoppers so it is very nice to have something to fill that craving with. I’m glad you enjoyed the analysis of the commercials. It’s fascinating how brands like Burger King can cleverly weave current events like COVID changes into their advertising narratives. And I couldn’t agree more about the timing of their vegan burger launch—it definitely seems like they’re capitalizing on the growing interest in meatless and vegan options.
I completely relate to your sentiments about the Meow Mix commercial. That jingle is indeed timeless, and it’s amazing how it sticks in our heads! It’s a great example of how effective advertising can create lasting impressions, even if we don’t necessarily buy the product ourselves. The ASPCA commercial is incredibly powerful, their ability to evoke empathy is truly remarkable. It’s heartwarming to hear that it also inspired you to take action even from a young age. I think that is one thing my mom will never let me live down, the one time I committed credit card fraud.
Thanks again for your thoughtful insights and kind words!
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Meghan,
These commercials are great! I dare say that the JG Wentworth, Education Connection and ASPCA commercials are iconic. These commercials all tie into emotion, and I feel that without emotion commercials fall flat. I think of the Medicare Hotline commercials which are just text and a narrator rather than something that evokes a feeling.
Each of the commercials you choose all have an emotional response which drives people to act, as a non-profit director I see everyday how an emotional story leads a donor to give, and how we as humans rely a lot on these emotions.
Your analysis of the objectives were wonderful and it is clear that these commercials did their jobs as we are still talking about them some 15 years later!
Great choices!
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Thank you for your kind comment Ivan!
I like how you mentioned the commercials met their objective considering that they are still being talked about 15 years later. While I do agree that is true, one could also so if a commercial did not meet their objective, and if done poorly enough we would also still be talking about them 15 years later. I think the infamous Pepsi BLM advertisement will be one of those commercials that will be talked about for a while but not for good reasons.
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Good point!
There are a lot of those out there!
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Meaghan,
I also discussed Burger King’s “Confusing Times advertising campaign. In doing so, I also found that Burger King has an Effie Index rank of third in the Restaurants & Foodservice category with a score of 326. Effie Index ranks represent the most comprehensive global rankings of marketing effectiveness.
Another noteworthy advertising campagin by Burger King is the “Flame Grilled” campaign, which features Burger King locations that have gone up in flames. This is because Burger King is known as a restaurant with the most fires since their 1954 reopening.
This is targeted at their existing customers, as well as potential new customers, as it is making consumers aware that their burgers are grilled opposed to frying (even though this cooking method may be seemingly more dangerous, as their burgers are not the only thing be flame-grilled).
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After doing a couple Burger King analysises, it seems like they have their target audience generally set to cater towards new and existing customers. It only slightly changes when they do menu specific items such as the impossible whopper to add additional demographics.
Thank you for brining that additional information Madelynn, I had no idea Burger King Ranked so high on the list!
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