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“Where’s the beef?” used to be a rhetorical question from the early 80s, but with the influx of recent ads hinging on nostalgia of once-lived campaigns, the beef and its subsequent implications are right here, in 2011. (In fact, USA Today also wrote about nostaliga today).
Fast food giant Wendy’s movement to unearth its past “Where’s The Beef” slogan not only dug up a 1980s meme with a new-and-improved TV spot featuring Modern Family actor Reid Ewing, but also followed suit in a line culture that craves the recent-ish past: Alf sat down for an interview on Good Morning America; VH1 reran Pop-Up video segments once again; Nick at Night gorges its schedule with sitcoms like Friends, The Nanny, and Home Improvement; Mike Judd’s Beavis and Butthead will giggle back onto airwaves on MTV soon.
What does this mean in the sponsorship space? For starters, The Muppets, who will release a movie this November, appear in a bevy of partnerships with brands like Wonderful Pistachio, MAC, and WME. The original Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio, turned his Dancing With The Stars stint into deals with Dove and State Farm. Tim Allen, once of Home Improvement, has worked with Pure Michigan travel, Campbell’s Soup, and Chevrolet, and is seen in a new half-hour comedy on ABC entitled Last Man Standing. Even the NFL caught on, featuring old-school, throw-back Jerseys to relive the past, for better or for worse.
As the nostalgia wave continues at full force, we’ll see more and more celebrities from our past pop up in programs and potentially, revive their careers.
Fall TV premieres began this week, bringing back familiar faces and paving way for new ones. TVLine created this must-read Fall TV premiere cheat sheet and several sources reviewed the new 2011 lineup and we picked our favorites:
TV Guide – Includes a look at the past life of Charlie’s Angels and an editorial about the supposed “Emasculation of Men” as demonstrated through shows’ portrayals of actors like Kevin Dillon in How to be a Gentleman, Tim Allen in Last Man Standing, and Dan Fogler in Man Up, all who once played rougher characters in previous projects.
Metacritic – Short, digestible blurbs of everything to come.
USA Today – Features a selection of the Top 10 new shows to watch.
The Hollywood Reporter – The sometimes beloved, sometimes hated Hollywood rag takes a more news-oriented approach towards this fall’s lineup.
E! Online – Many pictures, few words.
LA Times – An easy-to-read collection of more in-depth analyses.
Vulture (New York Magazine) – Divides its reviews into four categories: “shows we’re unreservedly excited about; show’s we’re excited about, but with reservations; shows we’re nervous about; and shows for which we harbor no hopes at all.”
Zap2It – 10 must-sees.
Ad Age takes a different approach to its fall preview, choosing to ask questions that loom in the American media consumer’s mind, including whether Two and a Half Men will still reign profitable and if cable has the power to oust broadcast TV.
So, what will you be watching?
From commercials to celebrities, parties to most valuable players, Super Box XLV has dominated conversations across the sport and marketing worlds for the past week - and we kept a pulse on it all.
In the week leading up to the big game an unexpected storyline dominated headlines: inclement weather. Despite the ice and snow, brands fought aggressively to differentiate themselves - be it a cause marketing program or consumer product.
Check out our comprehensive recap on what brands, athletes and celebrities were doing in Dallas, despite the ice and snow:
NFL Stars Past and Present
Mike & Mike talk to Larry Fitzgerald about his Target partnership (after being gifted with an array of gifts ranging from Herradura Tequila to Snickers from previous guests)
ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning served again as a go-to platform for brand messages - delivered by NFL greats, both past and present.
Two members of the 2010 NFL Hall of Fame class (and DWTS alums) were very active this past week: Jerry Rice promoted Proctor & Gamble’s Take it to the House program on Radio Row and across Facebook and Twitter, and Emmitt Smith for Herradura Tequila (with a well placed Octagon shout out on both the Dan Patrick Show and Mike & Mike). Each also participated in Hall of Fame activities throughout the weekend honoring them.
Active NFL players who got in on the action include Osi Umenyiora for 5 Hour Energy, Mark Sanchez for Degree for Men, Sam Bradford for Axe hair products, Eli Manning for Gatorade and the Sports Science Institute, Ndamukong Suh for Subway, and Larry Fitzgerald with Target and the Heart of America Foundation.
Radio Row
Radio row also provided brands an opportunity to maximize exposure, as celebs and players alike made the rounds to promote various projects. Those who made appearances include:
Texan Hospitality
Marisa Miller runs her route at the 5th Annual Direct TV Beach Bowl
Many brands took advantage of influencers being in town and hosted hospitality events throughout the week. On Saturday, Pepsi & Gatorade hosted a dinner with Archie and Peyton Manning; MasterCard utilized Jerome Bettis and SI's Peter King for a Sunday morning pre-game chalk talk; and Time Warner Cable got in on the action, hosting a chalk talk featuring ESPN's Trey Wingo. On Saturday, DirecTV hosted the 2011 Celebrity Beach Bowl featuring 30+ celebrities including: Josh Duhamel, Taylor Lautner, Jesse Palmer, Hayden Panettierre, and Matthew Morrison. The event also included a free Maroon 5 concert.
Other brands who activated events and parties included: Audi, BudLight, GQ, Grey Goose, and Axe. Each brand capitalized on engagement opportunities with their respective hot spots hosting parties each night. Here’s a look at who attended and performed.
What's Next
The Class of 2011 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame was announced, and two players sure to see their marketability rise are Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders due to personal appearances, memorabilia and PR programs around the induction and enshrinement. We recommend both do DWTS, should the opportunity arise, as we have seen what it has done for other NFL greats, and the impact is undeniable.
It remains to be see, but we think the biggest winners to come out of last night will be Aaron Roders and Clay Matthews. Matthews already has a deals with Suave and Rodgers was featured in this year's God Milk? ad alongside Hines Ward. In today's USA Today, Rogers appears in his very own Got Milk? ad and Matthews appeared in his own one-page Suave ad. Rodgers will be featured in the classic "I'm going to Disney World" spots this week. Both Rogers and Matthews are sporting clean, good-guy images and with this epic Super Bowl win, look out for more endorsement deals in the coming months.
Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews celebrate as the 2011 Super Bowl Champions
For a look at last night’s ads, check out our full overview here.
Here is a link to this morning's USA Today Money section where I provide some celebrity strategies for small businesses (plus there are some great tips from others).
In addition to my comments in the story, here is Octagon First Call's 10-step cheat sheet when considering talent for your marketing campaigns.
Define what marketing success is to all your marketing agencies. It is important to understand this so that you can research talent that can deliver these particular needs and goals.
PS...make sure to check back soon as we will be writing and tweeting daily in-and-around the Super Bowl & Oscars.
Santa is a unique brand ambassador that can be double- and triple-booked without a question.
In November/December Santa's attributes put him in a class without competition when brands are considering a company spokesperson:
A couple years ago, we wrote a piece for USA Today on the man in red's marketability and it still rings true in 2010, with smart marketers and brands reigning in the marketing power of the Clause:
Happy Holidays from Octagon First Call!
PS...on my drive from Washington, DC to Michigan last weekend, we saw Santa on 23 billboards for 23 brands!
Gary Strauss has a great article on the cover of USA Today's Life section about the opportunities that Dancing with the Stars has generated for contestants. He (smartly) observes that the show has become a career-builder for celebrities who have experienced a career slowdown or those who don't traditionally appeal to popular culture.
Not only does the show revitalize acting careers (as Strauss mentions), the show's contestants consistently become more marketable during and after the competition. Season after season, a few breakout stars are able to increase their marketability. Why? With an average of over 20 million viewers on Monday nights, the celebrities substantially expand upon their fan base and become integrated into mainstream media. And with two airings per week, the stars stay top-of-mind and are easily recognizable to the public. The show also delves into the personal lives of the stars- giving fans the opportunity to get to know (and love) the stars' personalities. And, former dancing stars are bookable/relevant in and around each season of the show, not just the season that they appear on.
Because of this, we have done and will continue to do deals with competitors. Just this past week, we enlisted Shawn Johnson to help promote InterContinental Hotel Group's "World's Biggest Bed Jump" in New York City's Bryant Park. We expect the Olympic gold medalist to continue to leverage her success on the show with other marketing opportunities and possibly even a book deal.
And many other stars have capitalized on their experiences after performing on the show... After charismatic performances in season three, Mario Lopez has gone on to hosting (Miss America, Extra and America's Best Dance Crew), writing (Mario Lopez's Knockout Fitness and the upcoming Mud Taco) and endorsing brands (Ronald McDonald House Charities, Reebok and Pepsi among others). Since winning season seven, Kraft has tapped Brooke Burke as the new face of Jello's sugar-free "superfruit" flavors. Just For Men rolled out a new ad campaign featuring Emmitt Smith after his successful run on the show. Even Cloris Leachman has experienced newfound fame and has recently released an autobiography (Cloris: My Life), starred in a PETA advertisement and started her own clothing line.
Julianne Hough for Juicy Fruit
And, just as Strauss indicates, the hosts, judges and professional dancers also benefit from the show's popularity. Julianne Hough is perhaps the most recognizable of the dancers and has parlayed her fame into a successful country music career, recently winning an Academy of Country Music Award. She can also be seen singing and dancing in Wrigley's Juicy Fruit spots. Co-host Samantha Harris stars in TV commercials for Palmer's Cocoa Butter. And "Jared The Galleria of Jewelry" used Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Edyta Sliwinska, Alec Mazo and Shalene Archer Ermis in a spot as competitors in a championship ballroom dance setting.
With the career and marketing opportunities that the show creates, the quality of contestants will continue to rise. Each season, we look forward to seeing the new cast and predicting the most marketable of the bunch.
All eyes are on Tiger Woods with golf's most prestigious tournament, The Masters, kicking off this morning. Yet, you won't find an ad featuring Woods in today's USA Today. Looking to capitalize on the hype surrounding the tournament, Titleist bought out the entire "Masters" bonus section of the paper. With three full page pages dedicated to Titleist's sponsored athletes (and smaller ads throughout the section), Tiger's face is noticeably absent because of his high-powered Nike sponsorship.
Last year's winner (and another Nike athlete), Trevor Immelmanis featured in a full page ad for ESPN's newly-acquired coverage of the tournament. Unfortunately for Nike, Immelman's branded hat is off in the picture (though his caddy has the famous Nike Swoosh on his shoes).
Tiger Woods celebrates a victory
While Nike may not have a strong presence in the paper, don't expect the sports behemoth to go unnoticed this weekend. With ESPN and CBS following Tiger's every move throughout the tournament, they will get plenty of free airtime through Tiger's and other Nike-sponsored athletes' branded apparel.
Laura Petrecca at USA Today has a nice wrap-up of the 2009 Super Bowl ads and viewers' responses. She was kind enough to mention our blog post that covered all of the the celebrity appearances throughout the commercials.
In addition to the recent news that Taylor Swift will headline her first tour starting April 23, she has also teamed up with Jones Apparel Group's L.E.I. fashion line to develop her own line of inexpensive sundresses. The dress line starts at $14 and hits Wal-Mart stores this month. She will also appear in Jones Apparel Group's new spring and autumn ad campaigns.
Taylor Swift's ad for her new LEI sundress line at Wal-Mart
ABC will announce the cast for season eight of Dancing with the Stars on Sunday. Host Tom Bergeron will announce the names throughout their primetime lineup (which includes Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters). If tradition holds true, expect to see a few of the cast members' careers pick up after the show ends. Check back here for our most marketable picks early next week.
We have always talked about the success of ABC's Dancing with the Stars alumni (e.g., Emmitt Smith, Joey Fatone, Lisa Rinna, Mario Lopez, Drew Lachey, Jerry Rice, etc). Of all the reality shows, it is #1 in giving celebrities a jump start on a second career.
And now the NBC's Biggest Loser is taking a run at the most successful reality show as it relates to product placement and licensing. Survivor and The Apprentice had a few seasons head start on the weight loss show, but tides have turned.
As Theresa Howard points out in USA Today this morning, the show has 10 marketing partners including first-timer General Mills. Plus, the Biggest Loser has licensing partnerships with juicers, fitness balls, grills, books and even a fee-based website which, get this, charges close to $20 a bunch and has 50,000 subscribers -- $12mm in just website subscription alone!
The Biggest Loser host Allison Sweeney and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels
Who else benefits? Clearly show trainers Bob Harper, Jilian Michaels and show host Alison Sweeney.
Thanks Laura Petrecca for including First Call in your USA Today column today. Here is the link to check out today's article about using Santa Claus in marketing.
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