A Fetching Conundrum

But not unable to type, apparently.

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Things to note about the above trip through kitty fantasy land via canned food-product:

* The cat can open cans with its mind.

* Purina products are the actual portal to Narnia. Forget wardrobes.

* The jovial dancing turkeys, cows and chicks. I can only assume they are present in “adventureland” because they are also present INSIDE THE CAN.

* The lyrics: “Exciting your cat, day and night, with endless enchantment. It’s the magic Friskies makes happen everyday.” Am I missing something? Doesn’t endless enchantment for a cat normally mean scratching the back of your favorite chair? Or chasing a rubber band around the house?

Now I understand it is really easy to Monday Morning Quarterback others’ marketing efforts. I also understand that I have never had a cat. Maybe cat owners really believe that the canned food they serve their pet transports them to a magical land of adventure everyday. Clearly I am not their target market. But I’ve never claimed this blog to be unbiased, or even really that professional.

I am a pet owner by proxy, and grew up with dogs. I more than understand how pets become a part of the family. Yes, at the holidays my dogs at home get mini-Thanksgiving dinners complete with gravy. And yes, they wear sweaters and watch TV on the couch with us. And you might think that is weird. HOWEVER, never in my entire life have I put down a bowl of food for them hoping it would excite them with endless enchantment. Or that they would be able to run through fields of turkeys and cows and ride straw boats shaped like fish. Nor would the thought of that possibility drive me to make a purchase for my pet.

So here is my conundrum. When marketing to a pet owner, from what standpoint do you want to motivate them? I think what Pedigree has done with their branding is on the right track. Become a pet-friendly corporate culture, contribute to non-profit efforts to find shelter dogs loving homes, provide a healthy product to consumers and their dogs.

But maybe that is thinking too small. And maybe the “Adventureland” spot is employing the exact method of creative problem solving that we spoke of so often in our class with that name last semester. Am I too quick to criticize? It certainly stands out from all of the other pet food ads. My question is, did it work? My tentative answer: not really. To me, it is just silly and slightly disturbing. Maybe I’ll buy a cat and change my mind.

Thank you to Ms. Morro for pointing this gem out.

I hate them.

Except - I kind of love them.

Why? because for the past (almost) 24 years they have told me I should. DeBeers has done their job well. They are the reason we see diamonds as a symbol of love. Perhaps one of the most consistent and successful marketing campaigns ever, and not something that can be overlooked.

But let’s not mince words. I will want a ring. A large, beautiful, personal, enviable thing. But I swear to the god of all things sparkly if he goes to Jared or Kay I might say no. **Disclaimer - by “he” I am referring to future hypothetical husband, not a current anyone**

This year’s holiday commercials seemed worse than previous years. I give you Kay Jewelers Love’s Embrace…

What exactly were they going for with this one? Lifetime movie? Romance Novel? Horror Movie? Now I understand that the nature of the diamond business is and always has been: make the woman want one and the man buy one. But the above commercial is just ridiculous beyond belief. When my roommates and I saw it for the first time we laughed until we cried. Does anyone in their target market really watch that and say “If I have that diamond, my husband/boyfriend/whatever will look at me with adoration and plan elaborate surprises around the holidays.” If so, I would like to meet you and have a pretty serious conversation, and then find out who your pharmacist is.

All joking aside, if the formula didn’t work, the ads wouldn’t be around. My question is why? Why do they work? I can’t wait to see what Valentine’s Day will bring us.

There are only two diamond ads that have ever had any effect on me other than making me question the mental stability of females in the United States. The first being the “Women of the World, Raise your Right Hand,” campaign.

Women can buy themselves diamonds - truth. Do they? No. So while I appreciate this ad - so much so that I remember it several years later - my guess is that the traditional cheesy approach generates a great deal more revenue. I could be wrong. Hopefully I’m wrong.

I love the above ad as well, yes - it is formulaic with very few differences to the ones I was chastising above. But here is why it worked on me - this one is genuine. This is something that we could all see happening to us, or a story that a friend could tell us over lunch after the holidays. It is relatable, and realistic, but it still sells the aspiration of getting that little bit of sparkle from the man you love in an unexpected way. Which apparently is what every woman wants at the holidays. I would hazard a guess that this is what there should be more of…

Not surprisingly Kay and Jared are both owned by Signet Jewelers - a company whose sales have been falling for the past year. Although not as drastically as one would expect given what has been going on in the global economy.

Yes, bring on the “Diamonds are horrible, they are responsible for deaths, corruption and are not even close to being worth what they are sold for.” I realize all of these things, and if I wanted to go into detail on what ring I would like from future hypothetical husband I would tell you that my large, enviable, beautiful ring will not be a diamond. But I don’t. That is another post for another blog by another girl.