/ \ o every dedicated watcher o Mad Men ioiows, advertising is built on the genius of ideas, Inspira-L A O tion can strike

from any corner (and in every flashback). And beware: Even the greatest ideas are fleeting. Bui every now and then, an idea comes along thai changes the game for good. Yes. the campaign generates huge, instantaneous buzz and moves plenty of productbut it also stands the test of time, infiltrating the culture in subtle ways for decades to come, "It doesn t happen often." says Bruce Vanden Bergh. advertising professor at Michigan Stale University, becau.se it takes a combination of the right people wiI h the right skills, the right climate and luck." And sometimes, it takes nothing less than a breakthrough. Selling dianunds during the Great f)epression. charging more for a spirit no one can identify blindfolded, pitching a tiny car during the era of chrome and finsall of these campaigns made FMrepreiwur's list of 10 brilliant marketing ideas. The list spans more than 70 yearsfrom pre-TV to the YouTube era. Just don t get upset when y(u learn how you vc been manipulated. Its (he nature of the business. In the words of Don Draper, Mad Men's tortured lead. "What you call love was invented bv guys like me." he says. "To sell nylons."

brilliant marketing ideas

10

FROM RADIO DAYS TD YDUTUBE CLIPS,

10
By Jennifer Wang

CAMPAIGNS [THAT CHANGED EVERYTHI^'^

Marlboro Man
BACKSTORY: Incredible as it seems. iMarlboro cigarettes were marketed for decades as a premium filtered cigarette for women. That ail changed in 1955. when Leo Burnetts advertising firm reinvented the smokes with the most masculine of icons: an American cowboy. BRMKTHROLfGH: Image advertising. The Marlboro Man wasn't just a hugely successful trade character, Cody says, the campaign was also Ihe first example of "image' advertising. "No attributes of the product were mentioned, bul the campaign appealed to white, male individuals who perceived a connection with ruggedness and masculinity." Whatever controversy came later, the ads made Marlboro the bestselling cigarette in the world. LEGACY: If you're ever boggled by the behavior of brand-conscious youth. know Ihat it started here. Those Abercrombie dudes could be the Marlboro man s grandsons.

'A diamond is forever'

BACKSTORY: Diamond prices were sinking fast in 1958. so De Beers mining company enlisted ad agency N.W. Ayer & Son to help reverse the trend. A year later, it launched the "diamond is forever" campaign and brazenly proniitted the idea that every marriage required the gilt of bling. And plenty of it: It also invented the "two months' salary" spending rule. IRKAKTHROIJOH: A slogan that transcends the campaign. "It created sentimental meaning for the product ihiil resiMiated with people." says Michael (-ody, communications professor at the University of Southern California, adding that the phrase is so entrenched that some people don t know its commercial origins. LEGACY: Tapping emotions. Think Nike's "lust Do It" and Mastercard's "Priceless."

'Does she . . . or doesn't she?'

BACKSTORY: in 1957. Foote. Cone & Belding invented the Clairol girl, a wholesome girl next door with a shocking secret: Her hair color might be fake. A series of ads for tints and dyes posed the titillating U&A: "Does she ... or doesn't she?" ("Only her hairdresser knows for sure.") BREAKTHROUGH: The shock ad. Bob Oarfield calls it the birth of "shockvertising," campaigns that generated bu7,7. by lapping into the sexual revolution. Of course it worked: Ten years later, annual sales of hair coloring rose by more than $] 60 million. LEGACY: Sex sells (no kiddingbut someone had to figure it out). "Does she" paved the way for Brooke ("Nothing comes between me and my Calvins") Shields and l';iiii {naked for PETA) Anderson.

Entrepreneur + February 2010

49

'Think Small'
BACKSTORY: The diminutive Volkswagen Beetle wasn't an easy sell in 1960. the era of major chrome and fins. So the Dnylf Dane Bernbach agency did something unheard of at the time: It paired a copywriter with an art director to create the campaign. Volkswagen's revolutionary "Think Small" ads featured a tiny image of the car surrounded by acres of white space and a few words about "our little car." BREAKTHROUGH: Synergyand risk taking. "It showed how breaking wilh the norm could also change culture." says Michael Belch, a marketing professor at San Diego State University. Small became sexy." Adds former Adverlism^ Age editor lonah Bloom: "It's about the guts to be different and take huge risks with your message." LEGACY: Embrace the product. Honesty and risk-taking can pay off bigjust ask Avis. Its "We try harder" campaign flipped a No. 2 ranking in its favor.

Absolut Vodka
BACKSTORY: The product was clear, flavorless and more or less indistinguishable from any of its competitors. But the agency TBWA's clever use of the bottle's shape and name made Absolut Ihe first breakttut premium vodkaand inspired barloads of imitators. After nearly 30 years, Absolut Vodka is one of the longest-running campaigns in history, and still going strong. BREAKTHROUGH: The absolute power of advertising. It's stunning, actually, that these ads moved millions of Americans lo pay more for a product Ihcy couldn't identify in a taste test. "It's ilso proof." Bloom notes, "ofadvertising s ability to create value in a commodity marketplace." I.IGACY: Sometimes it's all about the sizzle. With a campaign that's infinitely riffable, Absolul continues lo innovali* with the times (there's an il'honc

Beauty Mist pantyhose

BACKSTORY: To sell Hanes pantyhose, the Mullen agency famously recruited Hall of Fame quarterback (and playboy) |oe Namath. The 1974 TV commercial panned up a pair of smooth, nylon-clad legs that turned out to belong to Broadway )oe: "Now. I don'l wear pantyhose, but if Beauty Mist can make my legs look good, imagine what they'll do for yours." It was justa matter of time before sales of pantyho.se outran sales of stockings for the first time in the U.S. BREAKTHROUGH: Celebrity endorsement. Namath wasn't the first celeb to hawk prrwlucts. but the success (and controversy) the ad created showed the power of (he right celeb. LEGACY: Cue the athlete endorsement, George Foreman and Saltn, O.J. Simpson and Hertz. Michael Jordan and just about everything.
SO Entrepreneur + Februaty 2010

'1984'
BACKSTORY: Apple's "1984" was a single commercial, broadcast during that year's Super Bowl. But Chiat/Day's interpretation of C.eorge Orwell s post-apocalyptic novel was more effective lhan most large-scale campaigns. The concept: A roomful of drones stares al a large screen where an authority figure bleats propaganda. Suddenly, a strange woman bursts into the room, hurls a hammer al Ihe screen and smashes il lo bits. The scrolling text: "On January 24. Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1 984 won't be like 1984." liRKAKTIlROUCH: The noncommercial tommercial. It introduced Apple l o t h e world as a rebel and game-changer, an identity that lingers despite its huge presence today. "The commercial didn't explain the product or any of its benefits," hloom says, "bul instead promised a lifestyle change, freeing you from the tyranny (it your operating system." It also helped niaU" Super iiowl ad lime the most expensive on television. Y: A new annual short-film festival (aka commercial breaks during the Super Bowl). nREAKTHROUCH: Viral marketing, "t was unexpected and unsponsored, but it ojxined up eveiyone's eyes to the potential clfect (if viral videos." says San Diego Stnte University's Belch. Indeed: Saturation media coverage at almost no cost? We'll take it. LEGACY: Is it content or advertising? ('ome up with something cool (or crazy) eni>ugh. iind custumers will look for you. See Dove s "Keal Beauty" i:uii[aign. or lUir^er King'.s "Subservieiil Chicken."

The Coke geyser

BACKSTORY: Drop Mcntos mints into ii 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke, step back and watch the thing blowphysics teacher Sieve Spangler's hokey demo became an Internet phenomenon in 2005. spawning an unbelievable number of page views and copycat videos. A couple of guys even recreated the Bellagio fountain with Coke/ Meiitos eruptions. Thing was. sales of Menlos and Coke hit the roof, too.

Dancing in the Tube 'Change we can believe in'

BACKSrORY: Barack Obama's bid for the presidency was also a lesson in groundbreaking grassroots marketing. In addition lo the instantly iconic poster and slogan, there was skillful use of the web and social media, from early discussions with Ratebook liiunder Mark Zuckerberg to responding to negative reviews online and uploading Haltering clips to YouTube. BREAKTHROUGH: Social marketing. AiiAge readers voted Obama the "2008 Marketer of the Year'before he won the White House. 'It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that Ihe campaign underlined the advent of a new era of social marketing." Bloom says. 1.1-,GA(;Y: Twilter, I'acebook and who knows what next. Whole hoods has 1.6 million followers on Twilter. Victoria's Secret used Facebook to promote its Pink line to college students.

10

BACKSTORY: In January 2009. Saalchi & Saalchi launched T-Mnbiie s "Life's for Sharing" campaign, which included flash mobs (that is. groups who assemble briefly in public to perform some kind of aclion). In this case, it was a smartly choreographed dance routine in ihe middle of a London Tube station. The video became a YouTube phenomenon. BREAKTHROUGH: Too early to tell. But after tens of millions of page views on YouTube, there s nci doubt that commercializing Hash mobs works. LEGACY: YouTube required, (iul talk about knockoffs: Trident gum's flash mob did Beyonce's 'Single Ladies" dance in the middle of Piccadilly Square. 9
FntR-preiiciir + February 2010 5I

Copyright of Entrepreneur is the property of Entrepreneur.com, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.