
I have learned a valuable lesson in recent months. Only ever be nice about other people's campaigns. They are like other people's children - they may look odd or behave badly as far as you can see, but to their parents they are beyond reproach.
And so it should be: making ads is hard. Overcoming all the challenges set by clients, the regulators, researchers and link-testers is gruelling, and anyone who gets anything on-air should be applauded.
So, well done to Bernard Matthews and Isobel for getting this campaign on-air and double congrats for getting the brand onto this list. It is clearly not a big spender next to the regulars here, so obviously Bernard Matthews is doing something right in its creative communications. For me, though, the bit that is right is the strategy; the execution trails somewhat, but I'll come back to that later.
The challenges facing Bernard Matthews are clear for all to see, especially if you have just watched this ad. People think turkey is for Christmas, it's hard to cook well and Bernard Matthews is a slightly naff brand.
The solution of getting a celebrity chef to talk about how great turkey is, and side-step the brand entirely, is solid thinking. If turkey sales rise, the leading brand of turkey products will rise. Makes sense.
Perhaps a little too much of the strategy is showing as each key point is reeled off, almost as if read from the brief, but that's a small criticism and, as I say, I don't say anything nasty any more.
However, I am struggling a bit to say anything that nice about the execution. In truth, I find it hard to watch: it feels just too forced to be comfortable. Marco Pierre White is clearly now a hired gun for tired old family-favourite brands. Does anyone think he actually likes Bernard Matthews' products or Knorr's stock pot things, really? Testing credibility like this is, ultimately, never a good thing for a brand.
Then there's The Trip-inspired set-up. That was a great TV show because we all enjoy seeing equals, friends and sparring partners locked in banter. But MPW and Martin Kemp? Again, really? It seems the Spandau man's role is simply to be a-bit-of-alright for the middle-aged, pre-packaged-meat-buying mum at whom this ad is aimed. Precisely the sort of mum who never saw The Trip.
Maybe I'm getting all a bit 'Soho' here. We have a clear strategy, an ongoing campaign of MPW meeting famous people to talk turkey, and evidence from this survey that ads with celebs, however badly acted or miscast, are liked, noticed and will shift products all day long. Bootiful.
Adwatch (13 April) Top 20 recall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latest | Apr-06 | Brand | Agency/TV Buyer | Recall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
rank | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | -2 |
Moneysupermarket .com |
Dare/MediaCom | 46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2= | (–) | DLKW Lowe/Carat | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2= | (–) | Barclays |
Bartle Bogle Hegarty/ Walker Media |
44 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | (–) |
Big Communications/ MediaVest Manchester |
42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5= | (–) | Asda |
Saatchi & Saatchi/ Carat |
40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5= | (–) | Morrisons | DLKW Lowe/MEC | 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7= | (–) | DFS | Uber/Brilliant | 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7= | (–) | Colgate Total | Y&R Paris/MEC | 39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | (–) | NatWest |
M&C Saatchi/ MediaCom |
38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10= | (–) |
RKCR Y&R/ Walker Media |
32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10= | (–) | Network Rail |
M&C Saatchi/Walker Media |
32 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10= | (–) |
JWT London/ Mindshare |
32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13= | (–) | Homebase |
Leo Burnett/ Mindshare |
31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13= | (–) | The Co-operative |
TBWA\Manchester/ PHD Rocket |
31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | -1 | Tesco |
The Red Brick Road/Initiative |
29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16= | (–) | Fallon London/PHD | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16= | (–) | Bernard Matthews | Isobel/Initiative | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (–) |
JWT London/ Mindshare |
26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | -13 | Dreams |
re-production/ Starcom |
25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | (3=) | Sainsbury's |
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/PHD |
24 |