Blog/Video: Creative Ad Placement

Back in the old days it wasn't unusual to have TV shows named after Texaco or Mutual Omaha. Over time the common belief was that a program lost its credibility by being so blatantly branded. Well, as the saying goes, "everything old is new again!" In fact, we are taking such advertising concepts to all new levels.

These days we have "Budweiser Half Time Shows," athletes where logos on their uniforms (e.g., the AFL), ads are plastered all over arenas and stadiums, I can't even use a public restroom without finding an advertisement on the wall!

They are trying to get brands on everything since consumers are making it so difficult for businesses to get their message across. Consumers are cynical. They have their favorite channels lined up in their mind and at the first sign of a commercial, they change the program. Similar things happen on the radio, I'm afraid. It is even worse for newspapers, which are so plastered with ads they often end up on the bottom of a bird cage before a single word is read.

One new airline, Skybus, has allowed companies to plaster their ads and logos virtually every where on the plane (including on the back of the uniforms on flight attendants, I've heard). This is an innovative way to keep prices down.

7-Eleven, however, has really taken the cake. Every Chicago White Sox game begins at 7:11 this season thanks to a $500,000.00 check from the convenience store chain. In addition to reminding people of the brand every time a sports and news station announces the time a game begins, the buzz surrounding the advertisement has lead to thousands of links (over 70,000) in a Google search and I have seen it repeated on national news programs around the country (see the example above).

In this demanding business culture we know one thing for sure -- companies are going to have to be creative to get noticed. 7-Eleven is leading this charge.