Looking at Two Commercial Campaigns and How Effective, Impactful They Are

Just how effective are commercials and just how impactful are they?

Commercials are paid advertisements used by companies to promote their products and services or to serve as outlets for campaigns and advocacies. It helps convey the message it’s trying to send and market the product or service to the audience.

Let’s take a look at two commercial campaigns that were talked about by the masses due to the ways they try to deliver their message and just exactly what was the response from the public after.

TITA JULIE, FRESH AT 40

Screen captured from Julie’s ad

Julie’s Bakeshop celebrated their 40th anniversary and released a quite interesting ad that carried an important message: #StopTitaShaming.

The campaign of stop shaming titas, a Filipino term for aunt, was showcased visually as the scene opens up with two middle-aged women in the gym and then some random male gym-goer decided it was a good idea to call them out for working out while stereotyping them with comments regarding how women in their middle ages are perceived as “old” or “incapable of doing other things that isn’t the norm for their age” and specifically pointing out to their cutics and going to the market. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman dressed in Julie’s signature yellow and red color, called him out being a tita shamer and started turning him into bread dough and slicing him, who’s now a dough but continues to shame-talk, in parts and put him in the oven, completely turning him into a pandesal.

The message was also conveyed verbally, “Dati, abs lang niya ang pandesal. Ngayon, buong katawan na. So stop tita shaming.” and the commercial ended with “Kasi fresh pa rin kahit 40 na.”

Julie’s 40th anniversary commercial made its rounds on the internet with mixed reviews from the public. It’s not the typical Filipino commercial we usually see on TV because Julie’s commercial is laced with its own uniqueness and the feedback was either positive or people claimed it was “weird” and/or “disturbing” for them. The brand obviously wants to hold the audience’s attention through their unique way of delivering the #StopTitaShaming message.

The commercial was quite jarring and it got people talking. Everyone has their own impression towards the brand after that commercial. I read a few negative takes online, saying the commercial makes them want to stop buying from Julie’s. Some were entertained by it, including myself, and didn’t mind at all. To me, personally, commercials like this are fun and it’s like a breath of fresh air. Bottomline is that the commercial held the attention of the audience whether they liked it or not in the end.

GREENWICH “TAKE HOME BEST SELLERS”

Screen captured from Greenwich ad

The brand promise was quite vague to me but after rewatching the commercial for the third time, I was convinced that the brand promise Greenwich was trying to get across was ensuring the audience that the food they’re showing in the tarpaulin were indeed their best sellers. From their pizza to their lasagna, the commercial delivered the promise both visually and verbally.

Two employees of Greenwich held up different tarpaulins during the different variations of the Take Home Best Sellers commercial. The different tarpaulins also show different best sellers of Greenwich. In one variant, the tarpaulin showed the Lasagna Supreme with the Hawaiian Overload while the next variant showed that of the Lasagna Trio with the Delicious Duo Overload.

The two employees also comically deliver the message by saying “Greenwich, take home best sellers!” in a comical way.

Greenwich’s Take Home Best Sellers commercial showed how the unskippable ads on YouTube can sometimes be frustrating when we are immersed in watching a video and an ad pops in the middle. The Greenwich commercial, however, made the six-second ads look fun and bearable. The employees act apologetic and address the fact that the viewer probably knew about the ad already and that they are sorry for repeating what they were advertising.

It leaves an impression of appreciating Greenwich for a short yet fun and entertaining commercial. Based on the feedback online, it left a good impression among viewers and it drove some people’s cravings and made them want to buy or order a Greenwich pizza.

Commercials can have a lasting impression on people, be it positive or negative. Either way, it all comes down to the company feeling the effects. It can either boost sales or not, it can also either earn them constant criticism or earn them praise.