Comments on: Somebody in West Bygod gets it

By: Richard B Barger ABC APR

Richard B Barger ABC APR — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:08:11 +0000

Well, I “get” it. I understand Rick’s POV, of course, but, just like those who don’t like the approach, others like it.

Is it too “cute”? Depends, doesn’t it, on what their research says and how their specific target publics reacted in tests and how well the campaign helps them meet their measurable objectives?

If it works, it doesn’t matter that Rick wouldn’t use it; if it doesn’t, then my opinion is of no moment.

I guess it would be too “over the top” for the “Don’t come to West Virginia” crowd to really go out on a limb with something like [insensitivity alert!] “Blacksburg is in the other Virginia; you’ll be safe here!”[/alert]

By: Sam Smith

Sam Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 03:37:20 +0000

Nothing personal, Rick, but this is one where you’re simply wrong. The very idea of going to WV on vacation is a joke to most - really, if the Clintons and Wal*Mart hadn’t elevated Arkansas’ national profile WV would still be the butt of EVERY hillbilly joke in America. So the only way to credibly promote around that is to begin by acknowledging that yeah, we know the stereotype. Establish common ground with the audience, and in doing so, you de facto demonstrate that, by the way, maybe you aren’t like the stereotype would suggest.

This buys you a fresh look, and that’s exactly what you need.

Are there better campaign ideas out there? Maybe - probably. My suspicion is that there’s ALWAYS a better idea that nobody came up with. But that doesn’t diminish the fact that this is a campaign that helps a state address its image problem. I’ll be interested in checking back in a couple years, because I expect this campaign to prove my point in measurable tourism dollars.

(And there was no “analogy” to Menu Foods. I was noting that people who think a certain way tend to manifest in a particular set of ways.)

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 02:18:38 +0000

When I’m badmouthing advertisers, I usually am badmouthing how in the pocket of their agencies they are; this West Virginia Tourism ad might be exhibit A of dumb campaigns they’ve been convinced to use by their agencies. Sometimes I badmouth agencies for not understanding their clients and only wanting to win awards; this ad certainly sounds tilted towards the awards shows, and not to the clients business.
The typical reader of those ads would look at the headline, think for maybe 0.1 second, and conclude, “Okay.” They then make plans for having their vacations in other states.
Smith’s analogy to the Menu Foods crisis is false in that, until the advertising ran, no one had any reason to avoid going to WV for their vacation: no one ever died from going on vacation in WV. The ad gives its : WV doesn’t want them.
I suspect that there’s some kind of politics going on here: the WV Tourism Director will get a lot of flack from the tourism industry for this ad, but since (I guess) he’s appointed not by WV tourism businesses but by the governor, he’s probably pretty insulated from those pressures. Maybe the WV Tourism Council is funded by a tax, and he’s trying to get rid of it–this ad could do that. Maybe the Tourism council supported the loser in the last governor’s election, and this is the way of the winner getting back at the industry for that support.
While there’s a lot of dull and unoriginal travel and tourism advertising, doing something stupid isn’t the cure for that, and Smith seems to confuse “stupid” with creative.

By: Sam Smith

Sam Smith — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:39:45 +0000

No, but it’s a good question.

By: Jana Schilder

Jana Schilder — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:20:38 +0000

Any idea how many IABC membrs have anything important to do with advertising of products and services?

Andhow many have anything to do with corporate advertising, perhaps even knowing what the diffrence between corporate advertising and product and service advertising is?

BAK