WHAT’S A NICE PRODUCT LIKE YOU DOING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?

It was a long ago copy exploratory for Anacin. (A copy exploratory is where the ad agency is in crisis mode and the entire creative department pitches in to come up with new ideas. It is more panicky than a new business pitch, because here the business is yours to lose.)

You can read the exciting details about my good idea for the TV campaign in my book, pages 134-138. But it is the print executions I want to discuss. My plan was to put my tag line, with no other copy, in places no aspirin ads had gone before. Sections of a newspaper, for example, that were inherently headache provoking, such as the real estate pages. There, among all the listings for homes and apartments—filled with prices and decisions guaranteed to be nerve racking—was the simple message, “What would you give for some Anacin right now?” and an image of an Anacin bottle. Or picture the same graphic and slogan in the midst of the help wanted section. Or the stock market pages. Or the financial section.

What brought this all to mind was a recent blog of Drew McMellan’s that had a graphic of a product with very unexpected, but brilliant shelf placement. Head to his page to see for yourself, and maybe print the picture and paste it on your computer for inspiration.

My question for you, as usual, is to how you can adapt this thinking for your Phufkel. Is there a media buy or product placement or any other kind of creative twist that you can use for yourself? Is there a blog you can link to that seemingly has nothing in common with yours, till you get the light bulb moment? How about an ad for a stain remover in the restaurant section?

How about you think of some for yourself?

Comments

[Drew McLellan]

Jay,

Did the client buy the idea? (Which was right on the money, in my opinion!)

Drew

[Jay Heyman]

Drew,
Though I agree with you that it was a good idea (thanks) it was a little too outlandish for the agency I worked for at the time to realistically consider. (one reason I opened up my own shop!)
Jay