Narrative Assets

Wraps...Schmaps..Just Give Me A Good Old Fashioned Hamburger!!!

Why is it that, in spite of all the hype for nutritional foods in fast food advertising..that I still crave a good old fashioned hamburger?

Recently we took a road trip to attend an out of town funeral. Tradition dictates that we stop at the numerous "truck stops" along the way to grab some dinner and/or a coffee and donut. The stops offer lots of choice in fast food fare and most of the biggest names in fast food are there. Once you enter the stop, you're bombarded with signs advertising the latest and greatest in nutritional food fare - wraps, yogurts, salads, low cal this...low cal that.

In spite of all this choice, why is it that 99% of the time I always seem to walk away with a hamburger and fries? My body would be happier with the salad..but there's something about the taste of a hamburger and fries on the road that's irresistible. Funny thing is...we don't eat a lot of this stuff at home. So what is it about road trips that makes me want to eat junk food?

Here's what I think:

1) The food represents a sort of greasy comfort food - something that reminds me of summertime BBQ's and weekends at the cottage. I want to relive the story and emotions the burger represents

2) The experience of a road trip implies adventure and by eating a greasy burger and fries, I'm reliving a small part of the rebel in me by chowing down on something that isn't normally part of my daily diet. It's as if I'm saying "to heck with all this advertising"...I'm going to eat what I want!

3) A road trip means "away from home" and this implies living by a different set of rules

So...what do you do differently on road trips that you wouldn't normally do at home? Do you follow nutritional guidelines when away..or do you adopt a sense of careless abandon, crank up the tunes, and live life to the fullest?

Chow down everyone!

"Lights, Camera, Action!" - How Advertisers Use Movies to Sell Experience

In this month's issue of CAA magazine (Canadian Automobile Association), there's an ad for the association's Battery Assist program that features a photo of an old "Motel" sign sitting above the roof of a rather withered and ageing motel. The sign bears a resemblance to the type of motel one might see in a movie like Psycho or some other Hollywood thriller.

What's unique about this ad is the advertisers ability to put us in the picture through effective use of words and visuals. Most people can identify with the story in the ad through their experience and interaction with characters in movies. The copy and visuals serve to bring us closer into the experience, and as a result we remember the ad through our interaction with it.

The copy (resembling handwriting on a postcard) reads: "Ever feel like you're living in a movie? Picture this: The oldest, weirdest motel you've ever seen, and us, out front with a dead battery. For my part, I didn't know what we'd do. Then, the leading man at reception called CAA Battery Assist for us. Nice. They installed a replacement on the spot. Ready to go, we drove off in a cloud of dust while the motel man waved goodbye. Just like a scene from some crazy movie."

What is it about the movies that we find so engaging? Why is it we can identify with the plight faced by characters in a movie? Why is it we're so eager to forget our troubles for a while and lose ourselves in the experience?

Advertisers have been quick to capitalize on storytelling elements to sell products. The ads we remember the most are those that relate to us on a "human" level. We're drawn in by people who experience emotion, as we can identify the plight of those people by comparing their situation to our own. Their challenges become our own, as we're drawn into the 'mini-plot' or core emotion found in the ad. The challenges faced by characters in the movies become the same challenges faced by all of humanity.

Advertisers who have effectively used movies or elements found in movies (ie. storytelling) to sell products include:

• BMW Mini (mini-films placed on web)
• Oldsmobile (to advertise their "Silhouette" minivan - copy reads "Go places you've never been before...Movies have taken us places beyond our imagination. Now you can take those movies places you never thought possible with the Silhouette Premiere - the first minivan with a built-in video entertainment system")
• Max Factor (described the story of Max Factor and how he created the make-up industry by focusing on glamour in Hollywood - tagline read "Max Factor - the man who made up Hollywood")
• Tim Horton's - frequently uses stories that cater to viewers emotions (ie. the hockey Dad who shows up at his son's hockey game later in life)
• Budweiser - "Hank's" attempts to become a Budweiser superhorse to the tune of Rocky in the Superbowl ad

Where else do you see movies (or elements found in moviemaking) used in advertising? Do you find it's an effective way to sell product? Why or why not? Are there certain products where the use of movies or moviemaking elements are more effective?

Ritter Sport Chocolate "Dares Us to Be Square"

While enjoying Toronto's all-night outdoor art extravaganza "Nuit Blanche" this weekend, we were happy to see that one of the "exhibits" involved heavy doses of chocolate. The happy incident occurred in Toronto's trendy Yorkville area where we were literally stopped in our tracks by the words..."What's your colour?"

The question was a tie-in to a new promotion for Ritter Sport chocolate where participants are given a card asking "What kind of Ritter Sport Friend are you?" The response to the given scenario determines which colour of chocolate would be best suited to you (the scenario asks how you would react to a friend's decision to offer you a mood-boosting Ritter Sport chocolate bar).

I immediate chose the "yellow" response to the scenario (which was to grab it out of your friend's hand immediately to enjoy the treat!) and was subsequently offered several decadent samples of Ritter Sport chocolate wrapped in yellow packaging. Apparently, my choice of yellow means that I am a playful friend - always looking for a good time (can't argue with that one!)

On an evening that was so full of noise and interactive exhibits, the Ritter Sport promo found a way to stand out from the clutter. It was amazing to see the pure joy of the chocolate participants as they crammed the chocolate squares into their mouths!

This type of engaging promotion is in line with Ritter Sport's brand profile as it defines itself as the "chocolate concept with a difference." Ritter Sport realizes that innovation is a top-priority for brand success to continue. Participants are encouraged to learn more about the product by clicking onto www.rittersportfriends.com.

As for me, I'm sold. I enjoyed Ritter Sport before, but now when I make my purchase, I wonder what my choice says about my mood and personality that day. Ritter Sport has managed to personalize the brand experience, and that's not an easy thing to do in the marketing world.

What colour are you today?

Time IS the New Experience

A recent Toronto Star article suggested that the latest status symbol of the upper middle class is not stuff, but people. For those living a harried lifestyle who are able to afford it, hiring people to do those pesky day to day chores can free up a lot of time to do other things.

As financial planner Sylvia Sarkus says, "I am buying my sanity." The idea of having "staff" to do work previously done by households is nothing new. The rich and well-to-do have always been able to afford it. For those with more modest means, the increased competitive environment means people are working longer hours to make ends meet. Free time becomes a luxury that can be bought, for a price. The cost of relaxation takes on a value indicative of this faster paced lifestyle.

According to sociologist Stephen Katz, a Professor at Trent University in Peterborough, "the new status symbols are time and experiences."

I'm wondering if people who work in "Concierge Services" could now be called "time brokers." Perhaps time will become a commodity - something to be traded as people buy "shares" in it.

Is Time the new experience? How does our perception of time vary in 2007, as opposed to how we saw it 30 or 40 years ago?