JWT’s AnxietyIndex is designed as a place to discuss how brands and consumers are responding to the global recession. With daily content updates, AnxietyIndex.com includes contributions from around JWT’s network, offering a truly global perspective.
One of the Super Bowl’s standout commercials was from Denny’s, with its recession-friendly “panicky poultry,” as The Wall Street Journal put it. The spots featured chickens— from Mount Rushmore to the Oval Office to outer space—screaming their heads off. Why all the screaming? Denny’s was announcing its second annual free Grand Slam breakfast this Tuesday. Since it includes two eggs, a whole lot of egg-laying would be necessary.
The ads declared, “Great day to be an American. Bad day to be a chicken.” It’s nice to hear that it’s good to be an American, especially in uncertain times like these. Denny’s message touches recession-minded viewers by lightheartedly suggesting, at least you’re not a screaming chicken.
The marketer that might have been most expected to at least tacitly address the recession was CareerBuilder, but its spot avoided serious undertones, portraying an office that takes casual Fridays too far, with employees running around in underwear. The site missed an opportunity to connect with job hunters and inspire them.
We just wrote about the irony of multinational big-box retailer Office Depot casting its lot with the little guy in a somewhat shameless bid to tap into populist zeal. By contrast, Miller Life will run regional Super Bowl ads that showcase a more authentic effort to align with the Main Street America ethos.
“This year the brand is giving its Big Game commercial to deserving small businesses from around the country,” reads Miller High Life promotional copy. “The ad … reinforces that Miller High Life isn’t just about brewing a good, honest beer at a tasty price, it’s about helping others live the High Life as well.” Spots will highlight four businesses (Loretta’s Authentic Pralines in New Orleans, etc.).
A teaser ad cleverly positions this Super Bowl advertiser as standing apart from “those big muckety-muck companies [that] prance out those fancy-pants commercials.” The tone is spot-on, as is the approach (positioning the effort as socially responsible). And it’s the perfect time for a brand that has long cultivated a blue-collar image to play on populist sentiment.
It’s not just consumer brands that can find opportunity in crisis; a government can do the same, which is what Brazil pulled off when it won the right to host the 2016 Olympic Games. The victory is being used to reaffirm to the Brazilian market that domestically, the crisis has already gone away and to show the world that Brazil has weathered the crisis relatively unscathed. With a promise of U$12 billion in investments and a well-developed and tight presentation, the country showed why it should be the first Latin American nation to host an Olympic Games. Maybe this deserves a gold medal in a global crisis.
With the contribution of Bernardo Kirschner.
What screams value more than an unlimited quantity at a fixed price? Given today’s ultra-value-conscious consumers, the “All You Can …” offers are increasing, and they’re no longer limited to crab legs. JetBlue did an all-you-can-fly for a month, for $599. The Epic Pass in Colorado allows for unlimited skiing at six mountains, also for $599.
Since selling tickets to Detroit Lions’ games is a challenge—a local depression, the nation’s highest unemployment, the first 0-16 season in NFL history—the team has launched an “All You Can Eat Seat.” It includes the game and as much junk food as a fan can stomach, for the same price as last year’s ticket alone.
Since this won’t damage the Lions’ brand, it’s a good idea, as it shows that the organization is trying to make the experience more affordable for downtrodden fans. That counts for something around here right now.
Warrior Lacrosse gear is the best; it’s created by real lacrosse players and used by top professional and collegiate players. As a result, this Michigan-based company is the market leader in performance lacrosse equipment.
So what does a brand do when it already has a hefty portion of the pie? Grow the pie by making the sport bigger. To that end, Warrior Lacrosse sponsors clinics for kids getting interested in the game. These cost just $25 (vs. a norm of about $250) and include daily lunch, stick and T-shirt.
The recession has hit many higher-income households hard, so generating goodwill and interest in a “rich kid” sport among non-traditional participants is a great strategic move (in addition to offering something very positive to at-risk Detroit kids). Much like Henry Ford’s revolutionary $5 daily wage once helped create Model T buyers, clinics like these form Lacrosse players. Once kids get hooked, they’ll be prime Warrior target consumers, ones already exposed to the brand in a good way.
Warrior isn’t just looking for customers, it’s creating them. Very smart.
Chinese sports brand Li Ning has launched a Web site, iRun Club, dedicated to runners across China. Not a new idea, as Nike launched Nike+ quite a while ago, but two factors make this initiative look promising. First, Nike+ has never achieved real momentum in China due to its high-end positioning—joggers tend not to have the money for Nikes or an iPod. So this site is more likely to resonate with Li Ning’s target consumer. Second, it comes at a time when consumers are beset by increasing anxiety due to the economic climate. Its slogan, “Just run, and be happy,” is a perfect pitch for people looking to de-stress in this volatile time.
In the global financial crisis, an alternative market in fakes (shoes, watches, electronics, etc.) is flourishing. In Argentina, Adidasis fighting back with a bit of humor, showing how bad these replicas can make you look.
A soccer team in coming-apart-at-the-seams shorts and shirts becomes a peculiar dance company. It’s a clever and funny spot that gets serious at the end by noting that pirated goods are manufactured under poor working conditions using inferior material. Buying faux Adidas will not only make you look ridiculous, it will make you socially irresponsible.
How did brands tackle Super Bowl XLIII amid these tough times? For the most part by allowing viewers to suspend their anxieties—at least for the evening—by sticking to levity as they usually do rather than attempting a serious tone. Pepsi showed us that “every generation refreshes the world”; Coca-Cola encouraged us to “open happiness”; and Budweiser’s Clydesdales brought familiarity coupled with fresh storylines.
Amid laugh-out-loud (think Dorito’s) and groan-worthy (think GoDaddy) antics, there were only a few reminders of the gloomy reality beyond the game: E*Trade’s talking babies referenced the rough economy and tanking 401Ks and urged us to “take control.” There was a noticeable absence of domestic auto makers amid an onslaught of car ads. And while they gave us some of the best ads of the game, the presence of CareerBuilder and Monster was a bit disconcerting coming off a week filled with layoff announcements from several major companies. Sure there are more people on the street, but are there any quality jobs to be had? Something to think about over our free Grand Slam breakfast at Denny’s.
It’s not just consumer brands that can find opportunity in crisis; a government can do the same, which is what Brazil pulled off when it won the right to host the 2016 Olympic Games. The victory is being used to reaffirm to the Brazilian market that domestically, the crisis has already gone away and to show the world that Brazil has weathered the crisis relatively unscathed. With a promise of U$12 billion in investments and a well-developed and tight presentation, the country showed why it should be the first Latin American nation to host an Olympic Games. Maybe this deserves a gold medal in a global crisis.
What screams value more than an unlimited quantity at a fixed price? Given today’s ultra-value-conscious consumers, the “All You Can …” offers are increasing, and they’re no longer limited to crab legs. JetBlue did an all-you-can-fly for a month, for $599. The 
Warrior Lacrosse
