After pulling more than 6 million views with its first round of humorous, Millennial-targeted “Always Open” videos, Denny’s is back with a second season. This round again features David Koechner (“Anchorman,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Office”) interviewing Gen Y-friendly celebrities as they sit together in a booth in a Denny’s restaurant. The first new video, featuring Jessica Biel, launched today. Others coming include Maya Rudolph (May 9), Andy Richter (June 6), Dax Shepard (July 11), Christina Applegate (Aug. 8) and Chris Pratt (Sept. 5). As with season one, which the chain launched a year ago, Denny’s created the new videos through a partnership with DumbDumb Productions (owned by Jason Bateman and Will Arnett), entertainment studio Electus, Denny’s advertising agency Gotham Inc. and IPG Mediabrands’ branded entertainment unit, Ensemble. The three-minute episodes are viewable on CollegeHumor.com, Dennys.com, DumbDumb.com and social media channels including Facebook and YouTube. From the campaign’s inception, the third-party media channels were carefully chosen to reach Millennials, one of several key audience targets within Denny’s overall marketing strategy –- which, by dint of the restaurant chain’s broad “America’s Diner” positioning, demands both mainstream and vertical outreach. The original creative approach also continues: Koechner asks the celebs offbeat, provocative questions, resulting in free-wheeling and often suggestive dialogues. The Biel interview is no exception: The video opens with Biel noting that she’s being filmed by both “cleavage and crotch-shot cameras,” and moves on to Koechner asking her how long it would take to get her to have sex with him if they were stranded together on Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as how she would attempt to befriend/”flirt with” a yeti. “Although many people find this hard to believe, these are completely unscripted,” Denny’s VP, marketing John Dillon tells Marketing Daily. Aside from the branded opening and closing credits and the branding provided by the interview setting (a Denny’s menu is visible in most shots), there are no overt plugs for the chain. Which, as Bateman noted in a New York Times piece, not only serves to avoid alienating the target audience, but makes it possible to get the celebs to do the interviews, as well as to avoid any question of endorsement fees. Indeed, as Dillon notes, a number of interviewees have elected to post or tweet about the videos on their own Facebook and Twitter accounts. Naturally, viewers of the Denny’s videos are given tools to readily share them on Facebook and Twitter (as well as by email, if there are still any Millennials using that ancient communications medium). And Dillon credits Koechner’s talent for eliciting surprising comments/moments that drive “shareability” for much of the viral success of the videos. “People want to be among the first to see the videos and alert their friends to moments that they find particularly funny,” he notes. While he declines to share Denny’s data on the correlation between actual Millennial visits/sales and the videos, Dillon confirms that this campaign contributed to Denny’s’ seeing an overall uptick in same-store sales last year (up 0.7%, after two years of 4% to 5% declines during the height of the recession). Dillon notes that YouGov BrandIndex Buzz scores for Denny’s among adults 18-34 showed a significant leap after the first season’s videos debuted (jumping from -4.3 to +25.4 within three weeks). Also, while these results reflect all of the chain’s marketing efforts, not just the “Always Open” videos, Denny’s Facebook “likes” (now at more than 413,000) have risen by 98% since those videos launched, and its Twitter engagement (including currently about 6,500 followers for its @DennysAllnightr handle) has increased by 78%. “We’re connecting with Millennials on an emotional, non-forced level,” he says. “The videos convey in a genuine way that Denny’s is a comfortable, come-as-you-are environment for them, as well as for people of all age groups.” And while Millennials “over-index” in terms of the demographics of customers visiting Denny’s during the later-night hours (the chain’s updated “America’s Diner Is Always Open” tagline is in no small part meant to attract the younger crowd), this age group is also a big part of the daytime customer base, according to Dillon. “Many younger people have flexible schedules because they’re in college or high school, and so have time to drop in for breakfast, lunch or a snack,” he notes. Building that awareness and comfortability factor is also paying off in younger consumers’ responsiveness to Denny’s’ mainstream menu promotions and advertising. For example, its current “Build Your Own Pancakes” promotion/marketing campaign is proving particularly appealing to Millennials, Dillon reports. Denny’s other segment-targeted marketing efforts are also yielding results. For example, its Hispanic-oriented video campaign (with unique Spanish- and English-language creative versions), featuring “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan as the “Skillet Whisperer” taming the chain’s Sizzlin’ Skillets menu offerings, pulled more than a million views within a short time frame and continue to draw viewers, says Dillon. “Those videos also significantly beat our expectations,” he reports. Perhaps brought into the fold through the “Always Open” videos, Millennials, too, have proven big fans of the Sizzlin’ Skillets items -- as well as of limited-time items within menu themes such as “Let’s Get Cheesy!” (promoted in part through social media activities like encouraging fans to share “cheesy” pick-up lines and jokes), Dillon notes.
In a move that should have seemed obvious years ago, Philips Norelco is using the onset of the NHL Playoffs this week to celebrate the “Playoff Beard,” an NHL tradition that calls for players (and many fans) to forego shaving until they are eliminated from the contest to win the Stanley Cup. “[Playoff beards] provide an awesome backdrop to talk about the brand, our products and the point of differentiation, which is [that] we make real tools for real guys,” Shannon Jenest, public relations director for Philips Norelco, tells Marketing Daily. “We know that when guys are growing their playoff beards, they’re serious about their facial hair.” To further the promotion, the company has enlisted former hockey All-Stars Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano to “face off” in some sort of beard growing/measurement contest. Jenest was coy about details, but a teaser video uploaded to YouTube touts the return of the “legendary long-time hockey rivals” to “be a part of history” in “one final match.” “In hockey, both players and the fans are equally engaged with [playoff beards],” she says. “The players are a big part of the story but the fans are going to be a big part of the story as well. [Roenick and Modano] will be participating, but fans will also be part of the mix.” Meanwhile, on a local level, Philips Norelco has partnered with five teams (the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators) for some in-arena activations during the Playoffs, such as a photo booth that includes bearded cut-outs for fans to take pictures at games, and a branded “Pro Beard Cam” that will showcase beard wearers in the crowd during games. A Facebook contest will also give fans the chance to enter a sweepstakes to win 2012-13 season tickets to one of those five teams, Jenest says. “There will be stuff going on on Facebook to elicit friendly competition and prizes as well as a way for guys to document [their beards],” she says.
Farmers Insurance is launching a new campaign featuring its partnership with Marvel's “The Avengers.” Developed by advertising agency RPA, the campaign features actor J.K. Simmons as the illustrious Professor Nathaniel Burke, with his usual six sidekick agents dressed up in homemade Marvel’s The Avengers costumes touting “We’re the superheroes of insurance!”“Being associated with the much-anticipated Marvel’s The Avengers gives Farmers advertising super powers, ” said John Ingersoll, vice president, advertising of Farmers Group, Inc. in a release. “This opportunity lets us have some Super Hero fun with our established University of Farmers characters and shine some Hollywood limelight on our brand.”In the TV spot, directed by Roman Coppola, Professor Burke and the agents explore the similarities between being a Super Hero and being a super agent. The spot continues with a lighthearted exchange between Professor Burke and his agents, dressed in do-it-yourself costumes representing each of Marvel’s The Avengers’ characters: The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye. It will launch on April 16, on premium prime-time programming including “Dancing with the Stars,” “2 Broke Girls” and “Biggest Loser,” and will run on cable networks that resonate with Marvel’s The Avengers fans, such as AMC, Comedy Central, TBS, TNT and Discovery Channel. Integrated creative will also run online on ABC, CBS and Hulu. A print ad by Marvel Custom Solutions recreates the TV spot in comic book form and will run in select Marvel comic books in May and June. A two-minute and 30-second behind-the-scenes video interviews costume designers, the prop team, and the super agents about incorporating Marvel’s The Avengers into the University of Farmers spot. To extend the campaign on Facebook, six hand-drawn “how-to” diagrams will be posted to help fans recreate the Marvel’s The Avengers costumes as seen in the TV spot.The behind-the-scenes video will live on Farmers’ YouTube channel and will be posted to Farmers’ Facebook page with the six “how-to” diagrams.
For 10 years now, Brooks Sports has positioned itself as the shoe for Happy Runners, and in its new campaign, it’s using whimsical new imagery to bring the experience of its shoes to life. “We know from our research that Brooks that appeals to people who identify themselves as runners, the people who are first to raise their hands when someone asks, 'Do you run?’,” Heather Snavely, director consumer marketing at Brooks Sports, tells Marketing Daily. “And we know we reach them at all levels, whether they’ve been running under a year or for 16 years. So we wanted to tell them about the experience of the shoe in as artful and compelling a way as possible.” The new ads, from the Great Society in Portland, Ore., support three of its core shoe lines: For the Ghost 5, which features extra cushioning, ads demonstrate the soft landing. For the cushioning shoe Glycerin 10, the ad illustrates floating through a run. And for its Cascadia trail runners, ads show cute woodland critters. To reach these core enthusiasts (as opposed to the many people who run to stay tuned up for other sports), Snavely says ads are running in endemic publications, including Outside, Women’s Running, Trail Runner, RunnersWorld and Running Times, as well as digital banners in RocketFuel, RunnersWorld and Running Times. Sponsorship of the Rock and Roll Marathon, the most popular race for beginners, also helps connect with newer runners. Brooks says it is well-positioned to capitalize on the recent resurgence of running. “Participation in running was up 7% last year, and our business was up 36%,” Snavely says. That follows strong growth in the prior year: The total number of U.S. runners in 2010 was 49.4 million, a 13% jump from 2009. And 28 million of these are lacing up more than 50 times a year, an 8% increase, and 18 million are taking to the streets, trails or treadmill more than 100 times per year, (up 12%). Of the $17.5 billion spent on athletic and sport shoes in 2010, running/jogging shoes accounted for $2.4 billion, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.* She says it’s also building its awareness, even against behemoths like Nike. “Our 'Pure Project’ campaign, which we introduced in October, was ranked No. 2 only to Nike, by the Running Specialty Store Retail Sales Survey.” * The story has been amended since being posted.
While traditional ‘lean-back’ TV may be strong among U.S. viewers, a growing number of consumers have interest in -- or have already adopted -- multiscreen smaller device habits. A new 2012 survey found that 57% of people are interested in multiscreen video services, up from 48% in 2011. The study comes from Toronto-based QuickPlay Media, a provider of video to IP-connected devices. Another 35% have reported trying a mobile TV and/or video service, with 27% saying they currently use new video services. 43% of current users consume mobile TV and video at least once per week; and 23% have daily usage. Much of this activity is relatively new: 72% have been mobile TV and video users for a year or less, and 81% say they watch more video on multiscreen devices than a year ago. But not all advertising messaging is making an impact. Only 20% recall viewing ads on their device while using a mobile TV and/or video service, and 81% say there is a lack of advertising variety. Good news for social media services: 74% are interested in viewing mobile TV and/or video channels that integrate sites such as Facebook or Twitter. The big preference for specific programming is for TV episodes -- which tallied a 38% score. Sports was next at 28%, followed by news at 19%. Live programming scored well -- preferred by 51% of users -- with a 30% score for sports, 21% for TV episodes, and 34% preferring an on-demand format.
Americans are downloading more video every day, and brands are putting more and more money into monetizing those views. Our continuing shift to mobile gives video an extra boost of accessibility. No longer are consumers tied to TVs and PCs -- they have video to go on their tablets and smartphones. Now, thanks to Apple, we can add three million new iPad owners -– a mere weekend’s worth -– to that pool. So why aren’t we making video really work for the industry? As we speak, 91 percent of video ad spending goes into pre-roll, the 2012 equivalent of a static banner ad. Sure -- pre-roll does its job to bring the sight, sound, and motion that display ads generally lack. But with one-dimensional targeting, forced view, and limited scale, it falls embarrassingly short of delivering on or advancing the true potential of digital video advertising: to take what’s great about television – the most engaging medium, hands-down and add to it the targetability and measurement that advertisers desire and deserve. How do we get there from here? First, we need to help the brands and agencies we support reach the audiences they need. But we can’t do that until we move beyond basic demographic- and genre-based targeting. The most effective display advertising is contextually relevant to the content of a page, and the same holds true for video advertising. Until we can offer video ad targeting that leverages the full breadth of digital data, we’re selling ourselves short. Finding the right content I’m not talking about repurposing television spots that your brand happens to have overspent on. A hit television commercial does not an engaging online video make. Brands need to recognize the differentiated qualities of top-performing online video ads and tailor their creative to exploit the medium’s advantages, by keeping video ads short (15 seconds max), sharp (engage me!), and simple (one brand message per spot, please). How the ad is delivered As entertaining as a video might be, no user wants to be forced to watch it. And with pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll that’s all we’ve got: forced-view advertising. If we want ads that can deliver qualified views to demonstrate real engagement, we need to put the user in the driver’s seat. Even pre-roll that offers choices to viewers has been shown to increase ad effectiveness. Add to that the new video formats from Tremor Media and other firms that are bringing an immersive experience, and you’ve got video ads brands can bank on. Where's the ROI? The beauty of digital, as we all know, is our ability to measure to our hearts’ content. But pre-roll falls desperately short on this front, and all we get is a completion rate. It tells us that shorter ads fare better -- especially if they’re interactive -- and that the content behind the ad is compelling to the viewer. But it reveals nothing about the effectiveness of the ad or the user’s engagement with the brand advertised, We should be able to tell advertisers how long a user spent watching a video, what they did afterwards, whether they shared the ad, and what the impact was. As Brian Mandelbaum wrote recently: “It’s time that the accountability and transparency of traditional broadcast buys find their equivalent in the online world.” The issue of scale One reason that advertisers love TV is its mass reach. Because there’s not a lot of video ad inventory, it’s hard to reach scale right now with digital video campaigns. Brands often need to make a tough decision: should we go for reach and compromise quality, or sacrifice scale to protect our brand experience? The problem is there’s lots of demand for premium video advertising, but not enough premium content to meet that demand -- so ads end up on sites with low-quality, user-generated content that doesn’t reflect well on the brand. For video to realize its full potential, the industry needs to make a more concerted effort to respond to the needs of agencies and marketers. Where do we go from here? So where do we go from here? We need to see video solutions that bring together the best of television and the best of digital: a targeted, relevant, measurable, brand-safe advertising experience. While we’re at it, we also need to do a better job of educating brands about the potential of video advertising -- so that when we build it, they will come.