The Perfect Ad—Yogi and the Duck
Posted by Scott Dunn on September 19, 2008
What are your favorite current ads? A lot of my young students answered that question with the Chic-fil-A “Eat More Chikin” campaign. (Others chose products and ads that I’m not familiar with. I guess those advertisers know who their target is not.)
I had to suggest my choice, and here it is, and why:
In case you are one of the few who hadn’t seen it—
- Yogi Berra is in the chair and admonishes the barber not to cut it too close—“Do you think I got that insurance?”
- The barber asks, “What insurance is that, Yogi?” A dialogue ensues between Yogi and the Aflac duck, thatincludes the memorable lines “The one that you need when you don’t need it,” and “And it gives you cash, which is as good as money.”
- The duck leaves the shop, with a trail of mystified customers.
I think this is a classic, because:
- It uses a recognizable and likeable celebrity. (It’s risky to use famous people, because they sometimes they fall from fame, some consumer groups don’t like them, or the connection with the product is vague.)
- The central point is the benefit of the product.
- The conversation is low key and short.
- It is funny. Why do I think it’s funny? Because I’ve seen people laugh.
- It lasts. This is at the least its third year.
Back to the “Eat More Chiken” ads. It has legs—tt lends itself to other related materials. It is centered on the benefit of eating chicken. It has a memorable charm.
We ask you to nominate the best of the current ads. (Or, if you prefer, What makes them click, what makes them timeless?)
Oh, before we forget. The Aflac/Yogi and the “More Chikin” ads have the most important attribute: they (at least apparently) have sold a lot of insurance and chicken sandwiches.
George Lemmond
