Today I thought I’d share a couple of ads that have tickled my fancy over the course of the week. And they couldn’t be further from each other in terms of industry. One’s Insurance; arguably a difficult industry to excite people with. The other’s dog-grooming; plenty of room for a bit of fun there I think.
I don’t know what the opposite of anthropomorphizing is off the top of my head and I haven’t been able to find out using the information-super-highway I’m afraid. I was thinking perhaps ‘Beastilizing’ but I think that may refer to something much more intimate; not sure. Perhaps I’ll find out from one of my friends in Somerset.
Ones print and ones telly, but both manage to ‘do a funny’. And that’s really the main criteria to garner the much-coveted Gasp seal of approval. Something that’ll hopefully become a real ‘kite mark’ in this lovely industry that we’re in…one day…in a few years…maybe.
Anyway, we’ll start with the print ads, and a long word: anthropomorphizing. It means projecting human characteristics onto animals, and I didn’t have to look it up…honest. The reason I bring it up is because what BETC has done here is the exact opposite.
I don’t know what the opposite of anthropomorphizing is off the top of my head and I haven’t been able to find out using the information-super-highway I’m afraid. I was thinking perhaps ‘Beastilizing’ but I think that may refer to something much more intimate; not sure. Perhaps I’ll find out from one of my friends in Somerset.
Whatever the word is, BETC have projected animal characteristics onto people, cleverly indicating the high quality of the product by showing its good enough for us homo sapiens. It’s very well executed to boot.
The second ad is from The Martin Agency for Geico Insurance, and whilst it’s certainly not the greatest ad I’ve ever seen, selling insurance is a tricky brief and they’ve at least managed to be memorable. And the concept is one that has legs I think.
Perhaps the reason I feel compelled to write about this ad is that it immediately made me think of another concept. It’s an idea that I love, similar to the concept of Pinocchio, but it came from the finest mind this country has produced since Bertrand Russell, take it away Karl…
Have a great weekend.