January 08, 2007 @ 10:45 AM
Being in branding can burn a person out the way I imagine being a Cubs fan, or a toll booth operator can. But every once in a while you see a company get it right, and you remember what drew you to this industry in the first place.
I have no idea what I was watching last night on TV, but for the first time in a long time, a 30-second spot for Kleenex of all things, captured my imagination.
(Go watch it, I’ll wait...)
Tissues = Being Sick?
Tissue branding has always been aligned with feeling crappy, dryness, misery and/or post-nasal drip. Not a good move brand-wise. Has no agency ever sat down, looked at a box of Kleenex and asked “How do we get people to connect emotionally to this product?” The answer seems so obvious, but somehow it has eluded Kimberly Clark for decades.
“But, We’re Different!”
A frequent mistake for companies desperate to differentiate within their space, is to make their message about competition. Tissue ads seem to be exclusively about how soft they are, how thick they are, how plentiful they are, how soothing their lotion is, etc… They can’t see the difference between “Why we’re better” and “Why you should care”. By asking “Why should anybody care?” JWT was able to look at this mundane product with new eyes. In branding, those are the moments I live for.
Let It Out
“Tissue facilitates emotional release.” What a concept? No, really! And if you understand the psychology of empathy in branding, you’ll appreciate how powerful these spots can actually be. Yes the commercial is filled with pappy sentimental dialogue and music. It’s not the execution of the spot as much as the idea behind the campaign that gets me so excited.
Comments
Wow, you're absolutely right. I don't really have much to contribute to article that you haven't already said, but thanks for sharing this idea. It's not everyday that we see a company succeed in targeting the consumer in a personal way, as opposed to trying to convince us of the superiority of the product.
That commercial made me want to call my mom, climb a mountain, and take a pretty girl to dinner.Beautiful.
I saw that commercial last night and thought "Wow, now there's a spin on tissue I've never seen before." Nice left-of-center thinking behind this campaign.
That commercial made me want to call my mom, climb a mountain and take Kelly Patrick Robinson to dinner.
That really IS a great ad for tissues... nothing about the product, but everything about how you should FEEL when using the product.
Perhaps lunch in a neutral location.
Wow, great find, man. Glad to have seen that ad...yet another example that the product being sold doesn't have to be the "hero" of the piece. This is about human interaction, and emotions. I love the fact that not everybody even used Kleenex, it was simply there because it felt right. It didn't even feel like this guy was pointing at it the whole time...it was just there.Loved the dog.
I hadn't even seen the commercial until now, and I already have lunch scheduled with Kelly Patrick Robinson tomorrow. Sorry guys, he's all mine! Awe, c’mon now Brian — don't cry! Here's a kleenex mister pouty-pants. No really, stop crying. I'll tell your mom.
aw. love it. and the little dog too... how do you like the tie-in to the website?(p.s. - look at me adding a comment. whoo hoo!)
Dovya, look at YOU!!! I think the tie-in is great visually, but there doesn't seem to be a real payoff yet for people who see the commercial, and then go to the site.
*CORRECTION, the site is now live, and looks like there's lots for users to do now*
Also, Kleenex doesn't allow you (me) to link directly to their pages, without first putting you through a "Where do you live?" page. So I wasn't able to link directly to all the cool stuff I wanted to share. Still love the commercial though.
There's also an american version of it (the guy doesn't have an accent) that I've seen on TV.This commercial will definitely separate Kleenex from other facial tissue companies and help people relate to the product. That's what it's all about, getting people to relate to the product and thus feeling comfortable when buying the product
I'm not trying to be negative for the sake of it here, but this advert turned my stomach when I saw it the other night. Possibly I've just become so cynical toward television advertising that I'm unable accept any form of sentiment from somebody trying to sell me something.The inoffensive pillow-rock, the careful multiculturalism, the shallow portrayal of the depth of human emotion, all coupled with a knee-jerk reaction against the idea people annoying me in the street. It really makes me switch the channel.
I'm not a cynic by default, I swear. It's probably very effective for lots of people. The idea may be something new but the execution renders it unbearable.
Haha. You're 100% right Pierce. It's still a T.V. commercial. That's why I made a point of saying - "Yes the commercial is filled with pappy sentimental dialogue and music. It’s not the execution of the spot as much as the idea behind the campaign that gets me so excited."
Have you seen the US version of it yet?
I never saw that commercial until I clicked on your link - my gf could hear it and I remarked "Hey that's the Kleenex commercial"The tissue seems more like a friend instead of a product - Never felt like I was being sold - and the US version is even better in my opinion. Excellent Ad.
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