Just keep breaking the rules, Come on get ready to rule

According to some people, there exists only a few simple rules when it comes to advertising – for instance, use provocative visuals and the less copy the better.

Advertising rules (or what have you) are made to be broken and well, if you break them badly, there’s not much of a recovery, your product is lost like that brand …what was it called again…?

If you do it right – it sells the product, the message and leaves the audience wanting to know more and see more. Just like a little campaign running at the moment with Cadbury and the Phil Collins drumming gorilla. ‘Google it’ and you will find a tonne of blogs and articles talking about the nature and idea behind the campaign

“…what does it mean…I don’t get it…Have you seen that Cadbury ad…I can’t stop thinking about that Cadbury TV commercial…I love it…I hate it…etc…”
The point is, these people can’t stop talking about Cadbury and it’s spreading like wildfire, exactly as they’d hoped.

I want to bring up another campaign devised by Crowley Webb for an Irish pub in New York, called Garcia’s. Its an oldie, it ran through in 1989 and it is one brilliant campaign that broke a few little rules and is worth remembering.

Each week for nine weeks in a row, a new billboard would appear in the same location, with a simple “missed connection” message. The first three sported a white typeface on a red background and sounded like the typical love-struck guy…

– “Angel in red- Saw you at Garcia’s Irish Pub. Love to meet you. – William”

– “Angel in red- Still waiting: Garcia’s Pub, Friday? – William”

– “Angel in red- I’m going broke with these billboards. Garcia’s …please! – William.”

On week four William gets a reply (red typeface on a white background)

– “Hey Willie, I’m no angel, but I do wear red. Garcia’s Saturday. -Candi”

Then back to another Red Billboard –

– “Angel in red- Candi was tempting but she wasn’t you. Friday at Garcia’s Pub? – William.”

There are a few more twists and turns before William finally gets the girl.

But, notice the boards didn’t push the ‘Weekday Parma Special’ or promise us that same boring cliche that all restaurants promise. Instead, they invite us into a story. A story where we could all play a part in.
And that is timeless marketing inspiration.

And here’s the Cadbury video, just one more time…