L.. O.. L.. A.. Lola…. Explain this to a Media Planner
Posted: December 17th, 2007 | Author: admin | Filed under: blogservations | 2 Comments »
This little ad-diddy from Coca Cola seems to capture some of the spirit of the times: 1) people working remotely via technology, 2) old things coming back and becoming popular (The Kinks’ song Lola), 3) micro/ephemeral fame (the kid in the ad) and true, enduring fame (Coca-Cola and The Kinks) and 4) a kinda ambiguous relationship with privacy (check out the kids’s facial expression at the close) …. However, what really touches on the spirit of the times is not the content of the ad, but how I came across it. Explain this to an
old-line media planner/buyer.
My 10-year old boy (that’s actually him in my profile photo) came home from a birthday party and immediately wanted to "go on Limewire and find this song that we were just listening to on Julian’s iPod"
The song was a a parody of Lola called Yoda. We decided YouTube was a faster bet than Limewire… more instant gratification. So, we (he, his little bro (6) , and I) gathered round the laptop (hearth) and found a video of Yoda.
It was funny to them… then I told them about the original Lola.. so we YouTubed it… and the first video returned was this ad.
We’re not drinking Coke for the holidays… but the 6-year-old spent his Chanukkah gift certificate on a Kinks album—in a music store, BTW.
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That coke ad is abhorrent. The Kinks had to re-record their single version of "lola" and change "coca cola" to "cherry cola" so the BBC would play it.
Now Coke uses the song to sell their shizit.
The ad really is abhorrent… but not because it disrespted a song but rather your kid didn’t run out and purchase a Coke product! Instead, he went out and bought the album containing the song! If you as an adult were to do that, I’d be saying "How many bottles of Coke could you have purchased with the money you spent on the album?"
Sure, it’s a wonderful and amusing commentary on the times…. but it’s NOT doing it’s J-O-B which is to sell fizzy drinks to thirsty mobs!!!
One of the most "successful" ad flops in history was the Nissan ad with Barbie and GI Joe. An adorable mini-soap opera played out in 30 seconds as a hard driving Van Halen song played throughout. People LOVED the ad, but Nissan sales FELL as a result. The problem: There was no call to action.
Advertising’s primary goal is NOT entertainment (though usually those are the ads that win awards). If an ad is entertaining AND sells product… then the entertainment factor is a definite plus.
What was the message? Drink Coke and your privacy will be invaded? Drink Coke and you’ll be inspired to do stupid things which will be put on display for the world to see?
Sorry… I’ve been tainted working with business owners who don’t have the cash to spray away on ineffective advertising campaigns.