A proposition – it’s a benefit, it’s a promise

In advertising, a proposition is to promise something; to offer a benefit. With so many companies competing with their own brands of what are essentially the same items, each brand needs a proposition if it hopes to capture an audience. The Unique Selling Proposition or USP was developed by Rosser Reeves, who was a pioneer of television advertising during the 1950s. His words, “Buy this product and you will get this specific benefit.” describe this marketing concept. Reeves understood that consumers were given too much information in advertisements and streamlined the delivery for them, and in the process, increased the sales of products he produced advertisements for. Naturally, as consumers evolved, and learned to better scrutinise marketing tactics and products themselves, different categories of propositions came into use as marketing tools.

A Single Minded Proposition or SMP is the one thing – the most important thing – that the audience needs to know. While this 1950s commercial for Anacin (produced by Rosser Reeves) lists its benefits compared to its competitors, it hammers home the SMP by the end of the video; that it’s “fast“ pain relief. I admire the short animations in this advert that attempt to visualise the pain of a headache.

Today, Emotional Selling proposition or ESP has essentially replaced USP. A person’s buying behaviour is more closely linked to their brain’s limbic system (which process feelings such as hunger, thirst, response to pain, and levels of pleasure etc.) than their brain’s neocortex (which is in charge of spatial reasoning, and conscious thought etc.). Identifying a product or service’s emotional selling point is now just as important as knowing the unique selling point. Although modern advertisement relies on the theory of ESP, before it was named and capitalised on, the concept was recognised early by the businessman and Revlon cosmetics founder Charles Revson, who knew that he was not simply selling products, but was marketing “hope” (or rather, the feeling of hope) to the consumer.

Controversy – free exposure!

We previously looked at the advertisement agency Mother; now let’s look at a “banned” advert that they produced; Iceland‘s “no palm oil Christmas” television advert. It did not comply with the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) code that Clearcast requires an advertisement to do, in order to be approved for airing on television.

The advertisement is not “holiday-themed”; it’s Iceland’s statement of intent to remove palm oil from their own products. It highlights the impact of palm oil on the environment, and was deemed “too political” (due to it’s roots as a Greenpeace video).

In spite of – or rather, because of – the television ban, it quickly gained awareness and support over social media (Facebook) and by word of mouth. The controversy surrounding the ban was covered in several newspapers, such as Metro, The Guardian and The Independent, further promoting Iceland’s stance on palm oil, and the store’s image itself. Clearcast became an easy mark for negative thoughts on the whole ordeal.

Iceland’s official video even flaunts the word “Banned” in the title.

But, surely, Iceland knew – before submitting the commercial – that it would not pass Clearcast’s standards? Why then, use a retooled Greenpeace campaign video, knowing it would be deemed unfit to air? Because Iceland’s executives also knew it couldn’t be outright forbidden from public sight, and they knew that it would thrive online. It certainly propelled Iceland into the minds of the public unlike ever before. Iceland’s public image and stance on palm oil became a heated discourse thanks to this piece of media. It was a carefully calculated move.

Still, it should be noted that advertisements do have the power and potential to change the target’s mindsets and behaviour. They don’t simply have to market something, but can be used as campaigns. Iceland’s bold, environmentally-conscious move here puts them ahead of their competitors in the minds of many who realise that their everyday consumerist choices do have an impact, and also wish to take environmental conservation and sustainability seriously.

Advertisement – Creative Agencies

It’s time to look at the state of todays’ advertising industry. This is new territory to me. Across the next few entries, I’m going to look at different creative agencies; regional, national, and international, in order to better understand the function and importance of these agencies.

Advertising itself encompasses many channels (a system used to communicate or distribute information) such as radio, posters, television, online banners, online video, and so on. Some channels (videos) are more intrusive than others (bus stand posters).

So, what exactly are creative (or advertisement) agencies? A creative agency is a business dedicated solely to the planning, creating, and handling of advertisements of a client’s property. If you’ve something you want to sell but don’t specialise in marketing, then an advertisement agency is where you’ll want to take your service or product. An agency may be external and operate independent of the client, but an agency can also be an internal department of a company!

A regional advertisement agency that I want to mention is Mother. Originally founded in 1996, it is the UK’s largest independent advertising agency. The agency’s philosophy is “To make great work, have fun and make a living. Always in that order.”

Of Mother’s large portfolio, I’ve been most exposed to their PG Tips television commercials, utilising the characters Al and Monkey (who were previously used to promote the discontinued television company, ITV Digital). The commercials are typical of British humour. Mother knows their target audience, and embraces it. Yes, a number of these ads run with typical British dead-pan humour, light teasing, or satire.

Their PG Tips advertisements appeal to different social classes as they embrace the every-day (or just the mundane) that unite the nation, with narratives such as returning home from grocery shopping, or visiting a relative, to which everyone then enjoys a well-deserved cup of tea. There’s always a silly tilt to the narrative, and typical banter that resonates with the target market. (Target market meaning the consumer of a product or service.)

Now, as funny as I may find Mother’s PG Tips’ adverts, I do wonder how overseas viewers see them. Especially because the humour is tailored to the UK market; I expect the humour to fall flat to those outside of it.