• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, September 21, 2017

Every year I marvel at how much marketers spend on a 30-second spot in the Super Bowl. Last year it was about $5 million for 30 seconds of ad time.

Five million dollars. For a 30-second ad. To hawk a product that most people probably don’t need and might even be better doing without. Geez Louise.

More recently I’ve been thinking about how the world seems to be tearing apart, what with the catastrophic storms and earthquakes that have permanently altered the lives of hundreds of thousands if not millions of people.

And I think about the one SB ad that has resonated the most with me over the past several years. It’s the Colgate ad with a simple message not to waste the precious commodity of fresh water. A reminder to turn the tap off when brushing your teeth and the millions of gallons of water that would be saved if everybody did it. Very brilliant work.

Ever since, I buy Colgate products whenever I can.

And I think brands have a great opportunity to gain fans and customers by following Colgate’s example in light of recent events.

Not just in the upcoming Super Bowl, but across all their marketing channels whatever they may be. And don’t get me wrong. I realize that many brands have stepped up and created relief programs for those that continue to suffer in the Houston, Florida, Mexico and Caribbean areas.

An aside: That border wall Trump wants to build? Estimated cost is $70 billion and $150 million to maintain annually. Think about what better use that money could be put to helping to repair the damage of recent calamitous events.

Anyway marketers and agencies, here’s a nudge to  put on your thinking caps to ponder ways to help all those recently devastated by some of the worst natural disasters in the last century. And while you’re at it think about ways to shift opinion on how best to spend those billions Trump wants to spend building that ridiculous wall. Kudos to those already on the case.

Okay, I’m hopping off my soapbox now. Until next time!