Pure advertising

Wieden+Kennedy is back to doing what it does best; advertising that is confidently understated and has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.

These new ads for Ivory soap are a great example of moving in the opposite direction of the rest of the category by honoring the brands "99.44% pure" heritage in a voice that's as contemporary as it is jaded.

This is classic Wieden. Right up there with their This is SportsCenter and the original High Life Man commercials.



The lesson here is just because your product isn't "on trend" doesn't mean it can't be successful.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a figment of our imaginations. It's a myth, a hope, a trap, a day that will never come.

There are thousands of hypothetical tomorrows. There is only one today.

Use it wisely.

Big things brewing at MillerCoors

If I'm reading this clip from Ad Age right, MillerCoors may be about to ruin the best thing it has in its portfolio.

Mr. Long (Tom Long, CEO) said MillerCoors intends to make its craft business (Leinenkugel's, Blue Moon, etc.) "much, much bigger," noting that it needs to "transform to meet those consumers needs" of "these fuller, bigger-tasting beers."

MC's craft beer portfolio works precisely because it isn't big. It's seen as different, interesting and special. Limited advertising means people "discover" the beer and can make it their own.

I can understand their desire to grow the most profitable part of their business while watching their flagship brand fall by nearly 15% last quarter, but they need to be careful here. The brand graveyard is full of regional and niche beers that have attempted to become national players.

Anybody remember Schaefer or Stroh's?

Sure it can be done. But it will take real marketing savvy and a deft hand, neither of which have been evident in any form of Miller or Coors marketing for the past 20 years.

If I were a member of the Leinenkugel family, I'd be worried about my legacy.