Listerine's latest TV commercials suggest the benefits of using mouthwash at night.
The creative isn't all that distracting, and there's no inside joke or smarmy self-contemplating humor to wade through. Viewers are not accosted with a brand extension, differently shaped bottle, or other invented wrapper intended to draw attention when none is warranted.
Instead, the ad does two things simply, and simply smart:
- Demonstrates functionality: the spot highlights all of the nasty goop that procreates in our mouths overnight, and reminds us that Listerine kills most of it
- Creates new relevance: By using the product at night, consumers can preempt the microbial dance party in their mouths and get a running start on fresher breath in the morning
Now, Listerine can brand itself silly on those two qualities. But first it has established a connection to consumer needs and desires.
Seems like putting the horse before the cart, for a change.
It won't win awards for the creative, and it's possible nobody watching it will remember it five minutes later. And if you make the mistake of going to the Listerine web site, you'll find an incomprehensible interface, and lots of differently colored bottles that, I suspect, all contain the same glop (so the brand gurus still get to exact their measure of consumer time-wasting).
But for those consumers lucky enough to see only the TV ad, I bet they'll remember functionality and relevance. And I think that means Listerine gets them a hell of a lot closer to becoming buyers.
Now, how could this form the basis for some smart branding that would continue to move people to purchase? Imagine using social media with a purpose:
- Forget hoping that consumers will talk about the ads themselves...how about prompting conversations about gingivitis and all the other nasties that haunt mouths?
- Even if there were controversy -- do you really need to do it, does it really work? -- it would prompt more interest and investigation, and every one of those queries to Listerine could represent a potential sale
- Getting something into Internet Search to support the new relevance would help...if you look today for "use Listerine at night," you won't find one iota of info about it (not even a reference to the commercial)
- Ditto for bloggers: it would be great to get the wags wagging about the pros and cons of killing those little buggers, not about the ads themselves
- Why not figure out how to hawk a free sample that consumers could share with a loved one who usually wakes up with the Breath of the Dead?
Skip reiterating the ad creative/content on the web site, and promoting all the different colors of Listerine...how about the same color, only using it at different times?
I think Listerine could have lots of fun with this one, and focus that joy toward influencing consumers. It's just the right start to branding (or extending the purview of its brand). So it could be much bigger for the business.
For now, it's simply a smart ad.
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