• Home
• About
• Contact

Hmmm … was that really the best use of a 96-sheet Billboard Poster? 

I’m told they call those kind of adverts “Teaser” campaigns. They’re supposed to ‘tease’ people – make people wonder what the advert is all about. Then, sometime later, they satisfy that curiosity with another advert explaining what the first advert was advertising.

The problem I have with teaser campaigns is, well, I just don’t think they tease. No one cares.

What a waste of money. If only they’d get to the point.

Hutchinson’s 3G adverts didn’t get any better either. A couple of months later they put out posters with the strap-line:

“You to the power 3”

and then another poster “Bossy3”.

If someone was trying to be kind they’d categorise those adverts under the umbrella term “branding.” I personally would categorise them under the term “money-to-burn.”

Oh dear.

No surprises then that 3G sold less phones than Threshers sold bottles of Kaliber to George Best.*

Hutchinson’s 3G realised the error of their ways. Within six months they changed their marketing tack full-circle and finally told the customer something about the product. “No monthly rental.” And then “If you top-up twice a month, you’d be better off with three pay.” It’s just a shame they didn’t start being direct sooner.

So the conclusion about writing ‘Teaser” copy… for the sake of the shareholders, please don't.

[* Threshers=Off Licence, Kaliber=non-alcoholic beer, George Best=Infamous alcoholic. But not such an amusing comparison if you had to read the explanation.]

© Jon Ireland Dip IDM, Flying Kite, 2005