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We are in the era of selling by not selling. And, like
people, I appreciate it when brands just are who they are and leave it up to me
to decide if it works for me or not.
Which is why I love this ad from Southern Comfort. On paper
it doesn’t work: Fat guy wearing a Speedo and business shoes walks on the beach
to get a drink while a song about “you gotta be me” plays throughout. That
shouldn’t work. But it does because it’s all about being “comfortable” with
whoever you are. The dude walks with purpose and he has a moustache that lets
you know that he’s always like this.
And then there are the shoes. The shoes! What’s the story
there? Is this an impromptu sojourn on the beach? Does he not believe in
flip-flops? Are they $1200 shoes and he just doesn’t care?
The fact that there is no dialogue makes it all the more
compelling—it’s a simple story that’s easy to understand. You understand it,
even with the sound off.
And speaking of the sound off, there is this ad called “Hope
and Change”. That Dad Guy sent it to me and suggested I watch it on mute. I did
and it’s a pretty good Obama ad. Except that it’s by the GOP. Whoops. In this
era of sports watching, where a lot of times you’ll see a commercial without
sound, and DVRs, where you just see the images as you fly on by, it’s a big
mistake for any brand to just show the competition. Also, when you do put the
sound on, you get, “would you try creating jobs by creating debt”? Isn’t that
what a business loan is—taking on debt to increase business? Weird.