Monthly Archives: September 2024

by | Thursday, September 26, 2024 · 8:02 am

Follow that Boot!

It’s one thing to put up a billboard to get drivers’ attention. And some cars even have billboards and marketing messages on them. Think busses, taxis, trains with wrapping containing a message. We’re used to seeing that kind of marketing, and it certainly gets attention, but it isn’t exactly ‘engaging’ people and keeping their interest.

It’s on an entirely different engagement level though when you can actually get your product to drive down the street and greet people. Yes, folks, three dimensional rolling signs are what we’re talking about. Especially the L. L. Bean Bootmobile just in time for the fall’s hunting season!

Like its counterparts the Planters Nutmobile, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, and the Batmobile (ok, not the Batmobile but you have to admit it’s attention-getting), the Bootmobile travels around the nation bringing ‘surprise and delight’ where ever it goes – such as giving out free trinkets and buying ice cream for everyone at a local market.

It’s a unique promotional vehicle. The first of three Bootmobiles drove off the lot in 2012, racking up 350,000 miles and visiting 25 states. If it were an actual boot, worn by a person, that person would have to be 143 feet tall with a shoe size of 708. The body and engine of the boot belong to a GMC Sierra and uses 12-strand braided mooring rope for its shoelaces.

This boot won’t fit in a closet – perhaps a garage.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students about out of home advertising. What do they see?
  2. What types of marketing outdoors gets their attention.
  3. Show the L.L. Bean Boot mobile website: https://events.llbean.net/index.html
  4. Video about making the mobile-boot: https://youtu.be/jsUxl_9AzeU?si=lX0RRy6W0rJjJwmA
  5. Take a look at Turtle Transit website: https://turtletransit.com/
  6. Show Wienermobile website: https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile/
  7. Show the Nutmobile website: https://www.planters.com/nutmobile/
  8. Divide students into teams. Have each team select a consumer product that could use the branded vehicle promotion.
  9. Have teams design the vehicle and put together a promotional tour and schedule.

Source: Kurutz, S. (20 August 2024). A shoe that goes 65 mph. New York Times.

Leave a comment

Filed under Classroom Activities

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | Tuesday, September 24, 2024 · 7:57 am

Finally – A High-Heeled Sneaker

Innovation takes many forms – it can be a technological breakthrough that helps to change  how the world communicates. Or it might be a manufacturing change to reduce waste. Or, innovation can also take a common problem and solve it using an entirely new experience.

Let’s take a common problem like, say, uncomfortable high heels. And now we apply innovation to deliver  a new solution to solve the problem. Something along the lines of making high heels that are as comfortable as a sneaker.

Easier said than done, as found out by entrepreneur Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. Making a high heel as comfortable as a sneaker required changing the shoe design and manufacturing process in an industry long dominated by male designers and owners (who don’t wear high heels).

So what do we get when crossing a stiletto heel with a comfy sneaker? We get Sneex, a new luxury hybrid stiletto. After all, women already wear sneakers even at formal events, so why not a luxury brand to wear? And, yes, just because the word ‘sneaker’ is involved, it doesn’t mean the shoe is cheap. The luxury shoe retails for $395 – $595.  There are only a handful of styles and colors, and the shoe is only in whole sizes 5-11.

Shall we wear it for a run or take it to a gala?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students about their shoes and satisfaction.
  2. Show Sneex: www.sneex.com.
  3. Show video about the product: https://youtu.be/qhHUB9FUJcI?si=22Dp_5N9qqUhO6cV
  4. Discuss the four marketing strategies.
  5. Discuss setting SMART objectives.
  6. Which strategy is being used for this product?
  7. Divide students into teams. Have each team write three objectives for the strategy selected.
  8. Next, have the students define a target market and develop a targeted promotional campaign.

Source: Encinas, A. (28 August 2024). Sneex: Neither a heel nor a sneaker, a new shoe that is dividing the people. USA Today; Jackson, H. (19 August 2024). Spanx founder Sara Blakely wants you to run in (sneaker) heels. Vogue; Spanx founder Sara Blakely introduces Sneex, a sneaker-heel hybrid starting at $395 a pair. People magazine; other news sources.

Leave a comment

Filed under Classroom Activities

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | Wednesday, September 18, 2024 · 7:51 am

Learning from Winners

Advertising, design, global marketing, innovation promotion,

Cannes Lions awards are among the most established awards for marketing, advertising, and creative professionals. The international competition includes three rounds of viewing, voting, and discussion and includes thousands of international submissions.

The juries are comprised of 29 industry experts, representing 15 different markets. The judging consists of four stages: viewing, voting, discussion, and awarding trophies. The jurors review entries and score such as to compile a short list. This list is then reviewed, finalized, and debated.

Among the top winners in this year’s competition:

  • Audio & radio: Specsavers
  • Health and wellness: Dramamine
  • Health Grand Prix for good: UN Women
  • Outdoor: Magnum Ice Cream
  • Social & influencers: Cerave

The top three creative companies:

  1. WPP
  2. Omnicron
  3. Interpublic

Top creative brands of the year:

  1. Coca-Cola
  2. Heineken
  3. Apple

To win a Grand Pix isn’t easy. According to the Cannes Lions Award Map 2024, the campaigns must have a high level of craft, experience, engagement, strategy, creative ideas, and going beyond the brand purpose.

What does your ideal ad look like?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: How many different types of can they recall?
  2. What specific ads can they recall? Why?
  3. Discuss with the class the different forms of advertising.
  4. Show the Cannes Lions Awards Web site: https://www.canneslions.com/awards 
  5. There are a number of different categories of campaigns/awards. Choose one category to examine (ex: outdoor).
  6. Videos compilations of award-winning campaigns: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/06/21/cannes-lions-2024-watch-every-grand-prix-winning-ad
  7. Divide students into teams.
  8. Assign each team a different campaign to review and analyze.
  9. Have each team debrief their analysis for the class. Have the class vote on their favorite(s) and least favorite(s) campaign. Why were these selected?

Source: Kiefer B. (1 July 2024). See the Grand Prix winners of the 2024 Cannes Lions. AdWeek; other news sources.

Leave a comment

Filed under Classroom Activities

Tagged as , , ,