Online+Advertising+Critique

= **Online Advertising Critique** =

Geico Insurance company has utilized a very effective online advertising campaign revolving around a Caveman character from their commercials. I first viewed the Geico Caveman commercial on television, but once I looked it up on YouTube and saw that it had over a million views it peaked my interest [Fig, 1]. The advertisements are aimed at a younger to middle aged, mainly male audience, as the tag line in the ads are "so easy a caveman could do it", therefore emphasizing the ease of use of signing up for Geico car insurance. I also believe the targeted demographic is young and male due to the simple humor in the commercials.
 * __GEICO__**



From looking at Geico's television commercials on YouTube a "suggestion" box on the right of the page directs viewers to the Geico Cavemans personal YouTube account which houses multiple videos posted by the Caveman which aim to look like amateur videos created in his home. The videos do not talk about Geico, but rather are short humorous accounts of things happening in his life, that use current trends to capture audiences. For example in the video called "my new years dilemma" Caveman talks about finding an old girlfriend on Facebook to go out with. The use of YouTube is an effective strategy to reach a younger audience [Fig.2].



The Caveman campaign is furthered, as on the YouTube channel there is a note stating that you can connect the Caveman directly through his Facebook or Twitter page. The use of social networks in marketing is now a significant trend and Geico knows that it is a great way to get free advertising, as it costs no money to sign up to these social sites. This strategy has created a following for the Caveman and the Geico brand as his Facebook page has over 11,500 "likes" [Fig. 3], and his Twitter account has a humble 800. But again, this is a connected campaign, so each aspect reinforces another, as on his Facebook there are links back to the YouTube, Twitter account, and this is also where I discovered that he has a personal website.



On Caveman's Facebook page there is a link to a website,  http://www.geicocaveman.com, which is a site dedicated to Geico's caveman campaign. There are three main aspects [Fig. 4], Photo Crasher is where you upload an image of yourself and the site adds in the Caveman to your photo, Caveman Vlog is a link to his YouTube channel, and the main attraction is Caveman & Me where users upload a video of themselves holding a printed out card with Caveman on it and then you select what you want the animated Caveman to say which is then inserted into your video. A good deal of the options of what the Caveman will say have to do with sports related topics, and all of the users in the example videos are male, again reinforcing their target demographic. This site does not have any advertisements for Geico or any related information, it is solely meant to reinforce the Caveman campaign, which through other aspects, like the television commercials, will be connected to the Geico brand.



Another interesting aspect about this campaign which shows the reach it has had, is the fact that in 2007 ABC created a plan for a pilot episode of a new comedy featuring the Geico Caveman, and simply titled "Caveman". FoxNews.com claims, "it's unusual for characters from an advertising campaign to move into shows of their own, but not unprecedented" ([|Link to Article]). Therefore, if a character from a campaign has enough likability and recognizability to create a show around, there must have been something that those advertisers did right.

This Geico campaign I believe is a success at reaching their targeted demographic. They are utilizing techniques aimed at a young and male audience through the use of popular social networking and video sites, as well as through a specific website dedicated to the Caveman. The goal of the campaign does not seem to be telling a lot of individuals about Geico car insurance, but rather to get the brand name widely recognized through humor and online entertainment. I have found no statistics on how this campaign has improved profits for Geico, but it is clear that through this campaign Geico has gained attention, and placed its brand under a "cool" and "current" image. The importance of this ad is further verified by the fact that a couple second clip of it was placed in a series of memorable advertisements throughout the decades and broadcast to million of people during the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Evian is a high-end bottled water product, so I thought it would be interesting to look into how to market a product where as the advertiser you have to get consumers interested in a simple and straightforward product that has a lot of competition and can be bought for much cheaper. Unlike Geico which has a website dedicated to their product/service and then has subsequent sites for a specific campaign, Evian utilizes one slogan and campaign goal throughout all their endorcements. Evian's "live young" slogan is not only part of a specific campaign, but it is their moto and selling point for their product [Fig. 1.1].
 * __Evian__**



Evian marketers built on this idea through numerous outlets. To begin, what I and probably most other consumers first associate with Evian's advertising would be their baby dancing commercials that were on television and have since gone viral, with over 33 million views on YouTube [Fig. 2.1]. The French advertising agency BETC Euro RSCG were the ones who created this "baby campaign". This advertisement is trying to associate drinking Evian water with staying young. The music used throughout is an 80's hip-hop classic, Rapper's Delight, which is a well known song that would resonate with middle-aged and younger viewers alike.



The "live young" notion is further pursued on Evian's website. Through the popularity of the advertisements featuring babies, Evian created T-shirts with baby bodies on them that are sold through their website [Fig. 3.1]. The people at [] have even blogged about it, and users have commented about wanting one. This tactic of creating a consumer product which is built on the advertisements of another consumer product, is allowing further identification of the “live young” Evian brand.



Something else I find rather interesting, is the fact that Evian's Facebook page has just over 30,000 "likes", while Evian Babies Facebook page has close to 600,000 "likes". ([]). This comparison showcases how vital a good advertisement is in creating a full-blown campaign that spans multiple platforms, and gets consumers interested, not only in the product, but the notions that the company is selling if you buy that product.

Evian's "live young training" website is another essential aspect of their marketing strategy. You can get to this page from Evian’s main website. The site claims it wants to let the Evian babies coach you to getting a healthy “heart and spirit”. The site has games that it lets you play to see your intellectual agility, physical capacities, and mindset [Fig. 4.1]. Then they tell you your youth quotient (your age as stated by the tests) and they say if you want to improve upon your youth quotient to join the Live Young training program. By signing up via e-mail Evian then has a way to contact consumers without seeming like they have another reason to get their e-mail.



I believe Evians “live young” campaign is a great success. It is on trend right now with many other products trying to associate themselves with being green or living healthy lives. Being healthy and staying fit is something that everyone is now concerned with, and the hip and funny advertisements featuring the babies anyone could enjoy. So the added bonus of this campaign is that it will attract consumers of all ages, from youth who like the humorous commercials, to adults who may utilize the online youth training program. The campaign will not only get audiences attention, and maybe get them to sign up to Evian’s Facebook or training site, but will also get consumers reaching for an Evian when they go to the gym or need a “cool” refreshing beverage.