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Week 4 [06.11-12.11] – Marketing creativity show-off


Marketing creativity show-off

I am more than sure that everyone experienced this unpleasant moment in their life when a big, loud and colorful ad appeared on TV while watching a favorite movie with excitement and pure joy. We can find ads almost everywhere – in newspapers, apps, cinema, TV, websites, billboards, leaflets, mail etc. This is unfortunately a big source of income for most of tech companies, because people prefer not to pay for software.

Some of these ads are simply not interesting, others get boring after a few displays, but there is a small group of companies, which try to reach their customers with funny and creative ideas. Moreover, most of these companies have rival brands to compete with and some of competitions go viral. Let’s take a dive into “the marketing war”.

            The first example concerns two most recognized car companies in the world: BMW and Audi. In this case, Audi declared war to BWM and lost it.


https://s3.scoopwhoop.com/anj/gjh/759128185.jpg


https://s3.scoopwhoop.com/anj/gjh/370223900.jpg

https://s3.scoopwhoop.com/anj/gjh/406510786.png

https://s3.scoopwhoop.com/anj/gjh/978620751.jpg


The second example consists of the most recognized beverage companies: Coke and Pepsi. Let’s take a look.


https://fortifiedmarketing.ca/content/user_files/2015/09/Coke-Vs-Pepsi-Halloween-Advertising-War.jpg





Coke managed to answer these attempts with this ad:





The third and last example concerns tech. Apple vs Samsung is one of the most popular ad war all times and this is just a snippet:



And Samsung’s reply made a pretty good job:




QUESTIONS:

1. Do you enjoy watching ad wars between major companies? Why/why not?
2. Do you think advertising has a big impact on a society? Can you recall some situation when you witnessed a marketing conversion?
3. Would you rather get some software product filled with ads for free or buy the same product without ads for real money? Justify your answer.

Comments

Unknown said…
I can say that I enjoy watching ad wars but only if they try to keep it on high level and be creative. Also sometimes if one company defeats the other it is probable that they may steal clients form the defeated one. It is very realistic when for example two companies produce the same level device with almost the same functionality. People may change their favourite brand easily. That is why I think that in most cases advertising has impact on a society but I can’t say it is big.
Generally I hate ads in software. If I do have to use software very often I try to get rid of ads even If I have to pay for it but when I use software rarely I just ignore ads.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for a great article. I really enjoyed BMW vs Audi war ;)
Ad wars between companies could be great and nice to watch but sometimes they're just pathetic.
I work in marketing and advertising so I know that ads have a huge impact on society. The most obvious is I think Coca-Cola and Santa Clause - nowadays Coke with Santa label is some kind of a Christmas symbol. There are a lot of jingles which most of people recognize and associate with particular brands.
When it comes to buying software - it depends. When ads are really annoying and I can't stand them although I enjoy the software I usually buy a Pro version with no ads and usually more features.
Marcin Mróz said…
Ad wars between major companies are really fun to watch(of course as long as they are made in good taste). They show healthy rivalry between the companies and how they care to persuade new customers to buy their products. As a potential buyers we feel pleased that they are striving for our attention and that in my opinion makes this kind of ads more effective than regular ones. A few days ago Samsung released new ad against Apple which is called "Growing up", you can watch it here:
https://youtu.be/R59TevgzN3k
I think it's very creative (especially idea with the guy having haircut reminding design of the new iPhone X :) ) and really hits the nail on the head.
Personally, I don't consider myself affected by ads, I always try to buy things that fit my needs most. But who knows? Maybe I am affected but I don't even realise it. :)
When it comes to buying software, it really depends on the type and amount of ads - some can be very annoying and some almost invisible.
Foodocado said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Foodocado said…
Wars between such a big companies might be quite interesting - I enoy watching them. Most of them are well designed and eye catching.

Recently Samsung released video dedicated to iPhone users and titled it "Growing up" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R59TevgzN3k .

When it comes to buying a software, It depends on how often I would use it. If I had to use it everyday, I would prefer to buy it without any ads. It can be very annoying when the advertisement pop out and you click it by accident. Unfortunetly it happens really often on smartphones.
Alicja said…
Cool post. I enjoy watching popular companies having a dramatic "beef" as much as the next guy. I believe companies create these wars, because they know it draws our attention.

I think advertising deeply influences our mindset today. Brands like Apple or Starbucks sell lifestyle and personality. Talking about Apple, they also had their fair share of marketing show-offs with Microsoft. Apple released their "Hi, I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" advertising campaign to which Microsoft responded with "I'm a PC". Apple has trolled Microsoft from the beginning starting with its infamous Mac ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-I (this ad is ironic considering how totalitarian Apple's software has become, Apple has turned into the oppressor). Microsoft tried to mock Apple with Zune's ads, but Zune itself occurred to be a flop.

Would I rather buy a software without ads or get a free one packed with ads? I don't have anything against paying a fair price for a good product. What I dislike more than ads is when a company does not charge anything for a product, but purposely makes a product so badly documented that you are forced to either spend days on figuring it out yourself or pay for their consulting services (a common free software licenses' pain) - but it's a different story.
Unknown said…
1. I enjoy watching ad wars as long as they are fair. What I do not like is when companies steal 3/4 of their product from their rival, add some features the other doesn't have and then brag about being better. This I personally hate. The ad war between Audi and BMW (Even though, if I remember correctly, a part of it was fake) was really enjoyable, and it was not really lost by any of the manufacturers, they both have a point.

2. Ads tend to have a big impact on society, but not in terms of showing off products and their specifications, but in terms of bonding with the customer. The most successful ads are those, which have emotional (positive) impact on the viewer. We all laugh about the coca-cola Christmas ad, but then again, it is very positive, we associate the product with the ad, and we're happier to buy it. This is the true power of ads.

3. Generally, for apps which I use rarely, free with ads is OK. Apps that I use all the time or at least daily, I prefer to buy and have them ad-free. (For me) The ads are annoying, no matter how small and discreet they are. Lastly, I'd always like to pay the developer/company, simply as a reward for making an app I enjoy using, and that is why I really respect developers who make free apps and only accept donations from the ones who enjoy the apps (which in fact turns out to be a very profitable way for making apps).
Zygmunt Z said…
Advertisement wars are very popular right now. I like watching when companies try to be one step ahead of their rivals. Unfortunately sometimes they are very brutal and usually it might end with a scandal. But I like when the ad is made with class. If we can say that we enjoy watching ads then I must say that my favourite type are car manufacturers advertisements, especially those made by Porsche. By answering at your first question, I must say that I like ad war between Apple and Samsung. Samsung recently published a very cool ad which somehow sums up their ad war from last few years and shows how both companies' products developed through years. Link to the advertisement below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R59TevgzN3k

I also don't think that advertising products by companies is meant to create an impact on society, maybe to some extent. As Emil Wegrin said, it is more to create or maintain a bond with customer. They are meant to make a positive impact on the viewer. This is where Porsche also has done a great job. Links to my favourite ads below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sWPHKU1XZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtdsmFuk_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8GoFSM8Wis

Finally, I don't mind free application with advertisements in it, as long it is not fierce advertising which does not allow you to use app which you have installed on your phone.
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
Frankly speaking, I enjoy watching ads made by Nike or Adidas, because a lot of football stars are involved in it and this really looks fantastic. This one seems to be the best for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frwep1T9AO4
In fact, this advt doesn't oppose any other company, but anyway it's legendary. At this moment I have no idea about ad wars except these two examples,which were given by the autor.No doubt ,that if I tried to look for such ads, I would find it.
Obviously, I like such ads, because they're definitely more attractive, more emotional, more expensive(financial means) and as a result we can take it in easly.
Ads have huge impact on customers especially in food industry. Only great job of marketology may help companies to sell us something.
Well, I would like to point out Spotify. I'd rather pay 10 PLN for using the app without any ads than to stand all irritating ads.
Unknown said…
Ive had 2 iphones. The 5s and 6s. All three were spectacular, very simple and easy to use. Software was fluid and camera weren't that bad either. However while having a lot of security is a good thing it limits your download capabilities. You can't download anything from the web unless you have an app or something. But when you jailbreak your iphone, thats a different story. Its so much better and more usable and defo interactive. :)
1.I love it because it's indeed creativity war.
2.Advertising has big influence on society because most of them shows us how we should live (using advertised product of couse). We can see it everywhere: on TV, On the Internet, in newspapers, on the streets... SO we can say that we are some kind of society of advertisements.
3. If we are going to use the software for a long time I would pay for version without ads. We are going to spend a lot of time using this software and ads will waste a lot of our time. I hate wasting my time (and time is money!) so it's better to me to pay for not having ads.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Personally I don't care about advertisements and although I've heard about the concept of ad wars before it's the first time I've seen some examples. There is nothing good or bad about this whole phenomena. Just another day in a late stage capitalism society, where life and feelings are nothing but resources in a constant fight for revenue.

As many have said before me the true power of ads lies in us being affected even when we try to resist. Although I don't watch TV and use adblock all the time I still know that probably many of my decisions where influenced by marketing tricks. When it comes to software that display ads, then I just block them and when they try to convince me to pay or disable my adblock I just put them on my blacklist and never visit them again.
Magdalena Popek said…
I love watching such wars as they are always funnier and more eye-catching than regular adds! I love CocaCola - Pepsi wars. Once they used the same graphics with just different text on it (I don't know if you mentioned it, because half of the images can't be loaded. I'm a bit dissapointed as this is the most interesting presentation for me so far). [https://fortifiedmarketing.ca/content/user_files/2015/09/Coke-Vs-Pepsi-Halloween-Advertising-War.jpg]
Even though many people say they don't pay attention to adds, actually we all do. I can't believe there is a person who has never ever looked for a product they saw on a TV or even checked it because they saw it.
It depends on type of adds (pop-up, at the bottom of a screen, etc) and the number of them. Sometimes I use some apps so seldom, I actually don't feel the need of not having the adds. If I used them often or needed to stay focused on work, not on adds, I would buy the no-adds version.
Unknown said…
I like to watch advertising wars between companies. because for me it's funny. I think the ads are needed. With ads we almost all know what this is for a company called samsung. Personally I prefer buy software. I know that I have the guarantees and it is legal
Yevhen Shymko said…
Marketing war is fun. It is pleasant to watch if done right. Unfortunately even the biggest might come to far. For example Burger King attacking MacDonald was okay for some extend but when they made it too aggressive it just starts to push away even thou i actually enjoy BK more.
Advertising actually shape our world perception. You've been told you whole life what food to eat what car to by and what you need to have to be happy. Advertisement come to that level of sophistication that they use emotions instead of trying to show you features of the product. I think we all saw Cola' Christmas ad.
Unknown said…
I don't enjoy ads at all but I don't mind ad wars. That's because it is different than a common mindless ad (like those with washing powders, oh god.), wars are more intelligent and far more creative, often simple but funny. I remember when Sony made fun of Microsoft when MS announced they would charge money for reselling/lending used games on X ONE whilst on PS4 such limitation doesn't exist. It was a while back but Sony made this in reponse to MS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA
Short, simple, funny, spot on.
And of course advertising has a huge impact on society. The more consumerist society the bigger impact. Critical thinking is in dire need in order to stay assertive and sane.
About software filled with ads, it depends on how intrusive those ads would be, more than half of a screen covered in ads? No thanks. One ad in a box every 10th time opening app? Fine.
I really enjoy watching ad wars between major companies, it’s so entertaining. It shows creativity of advertisers, and it can be some kind of art. I think that advertising have a huge impact on a society, let’s be honest we often buy product just because we’ve seen it in a tv commercial. Some commercials have even bigger impact on society, because their elements like phrases come to everyday jargon.
Andrzej Gulak said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Funny, different and completely out of this world. Maybe if there were more commercials like that I would spend some time watching it and not blocking it all the time. I think the best ad war was between Media-Markt and Saturn all the time in Poland. The funny fact in all that was that the both had the same owner - Media Saturn Holding :) So do not believe in everything you see in TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40WsOmDI4WU
Vyvyan said…
Watching ad-wars between major copanies is funny. It's better way to show product than just "another silly ad in tv". Advertising has big impact on a society. I know a lot of people who buy a product because it have "super ultra ad in the Internet" and they think that they need that item. Personally, I'm buying things that are important and I rather check specifications than just buy something because it was in tv.
Unknown said…
Could you respond to 2nd and 3rd question?
Unknown said…
I didn't observe ad wars before, except the big war between pepsi and coca-cola. I really enjoyed the ad wars in this article. I think the war between audi and BMW was a fun game in doing them for those who produced this ads. Do ads have big impact? I think it depends on the medium on which they reach out to customers. In TV they have a real good impact. But some ads on youtube very small. I almost involuntarily close them. If I would earn a lot I could paid for product instead of watching ads. If ad is presented everybody pays the same price regardless of their salary. When I have to pay I get treated better than those who earn less, because I have much more money than those who are poor.
Maciej Główka said…
I really like watching such ad wars. Such wars puts some creativity and fun in boring world of adverts. As a developer, I'm up to date with war between apple and samsung. Few days ago there was strike from Samsung side, here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R59TevgzN3k
I think advertising make enormous impact on society. Even if we don't see it, we will probably choose something (for example detergent) we saw in TV rather than unknown one.
I would choose free product with adverts. I'm not a person, who buys everything he saw in advert. I also rather stay with products I like and know, that are good rather than new ones I'm not familiar with.
Unknown said…
In fact I don't really like advertisements. I usually know what I need and advertisements doesn't have strong influence for myself. It is so annoying while I am watching TV and movies are cut by adverts about loans mixing with ointment for hemoroids. But I am aware that it is not possible that suddenly all of adverts dissappeard and becaouse of that I can appreciate companies which create interesting and fascinating commercials. It is nice when they treat it like an art.

Wars between companies are example of creative promotions their products. It will be funny to see something on Warsaw's streets. For example war between Audi and BMW which was mentioned by author of this article - not offensive, funny way to flick on the nose to business competitor.

Of coure advertisements have influance on society. Statistically people hard believe in commercials and unrepeatable promotions. I can't remember when I was witnessed by commercials because like I mentioned at the beginning I have a distance for any kind of advertisements. I am kind of person which read a lot about products which I want to buy so it is hard to trick me.

I prefer to pay for product and have it than seeing adverts all the time. How can I justify my answer? It is like that and that's it. ;)
Unknown said…
Some ad wars are funny, some of them are not. It's hard to tell without the context, because there can be some hidden clue or regional context. I cannot recall now the ads from US, but without knowledge of the US market it was not funny at all.
There are multiple adverts, that have a huge impact on people - for example Apple had ads, that were showing it's hardware as some Holly Grail of the smartphones or notebooks. And companies, that have money for advertising it's products can be the only ones, that are known to group of customers. And they will buy only the known products, what will generate income for the company, and so on...
As for the product - or software as it was written in question - then... It depends. For me advert-rich free product I use once in a while would be better than the software I must purchase but without any ad. Ads can be real pain if they are very aggressive and common, especially in software used frequently. But still - it depends on the construction of the software, it's frequency of use and how pushy adverts would be.
Tomasz Morawski said…
Well, I don't mind watching warring companies, but I wouldn't say I actually enjoy it. Happily, companies wars also have a good side - it forces them to produce even better products, so usually it's beneficial for us, customers.
Of course, ads have a huge impact on our society. A lot of modern sayings and phrases are based on advertisements. I'm not sure if it's actually helpful to increase conversion, though. Nowadays people know that most of ads are pure lies and the only role of their is to remind society that advertised products still exist on the market.
Regarding the third question - it depends. If the ads are not invasive I don't really mind. The problem is if it affects the "flow" of application. If ads cause problem, I prefer to use premium counterparts.
Unknown said…
To be honest, ad-wars are the only kind of ads which I voluntary watch on YouTube (as I did in the case of the ads posted). I enjoy them because they are usually funny and require some effort to understand them. Ad wars require from marketing specialist and copywriters to be very creative and sharp-minded. Another interesting observation is that there are not many ad wars on polish television as far as I am concerned I can’t really recall any interesting ad war targeted to polish market. Most of the ads in polish TV are just boring and simply irritating.
It is obvious that advertising has a significant impact on society. I think that nowadays everyone is experiencing marketing conversion while surfing on Internet. We are just surrounded with special offers and advertisements based on e.g.: website visitor behavioral analysis.
There is no simple answer in my case, when it comes to software products which I use every day or very often I wouldn’t be able to accept ads and would rather pay for version without ads. If it is about a product which I would use rarely or it would not be let’s say “critical” for me, then I can accept free version with ads.
1.War "BMW vs Audi" made me laugh.
2. Does it? Of course. It suits this article about sneakers. The biggest impact of advertising is that many people wants to be recognized for what they buy. That is why most of us buys brand new clothes, why we prefer BMW over Fiat, we drink coke and ask for APAP instead of painkillers.
3. It depends, i dont mind ads on some platforms like player or vod as i am using them not often. It changes when it comes to Spotify, i can't imagine to go back to free user after i paid once. But sure, there is more changes than just getting rid of ads.
Unknown said…
Personally I hate ads. It's horrible what is happening today on tv and internet ads. Today when I enter some website suddenly 5 ads pop up. I think that ads have big influence on people. It makes people stupid. Very often advertising has nothing to do with products on ads.
Ads are rarely imainative and creative.
Patryk Pohnke said…
1. I think such marketing wars are funny, but continuations of such on internet forums between fanboys of both brands are even more hilarious.
2. Advertisments have huge impact on consumers. They determine how is brand/product seen by clients. If a marketing strategy is good, you can even sell regular product for a premium price.
3. In fact, I would like to have a choice. It depends on a product. When you want to use something from time to time probably the free product with microtransactions is better.
I like marketing wars. In the big picture it's just two dogs barking at each other with no real reason to bite, yet it's satisfying to watch how they're at least trying to invent some interesting way to convince me to buy their product and not from the competition.

In terms of free/paid stuff with ads/none it depends. Most of the time ads are not annoying enough for me to consider spending huge amount of money on a product, as in my mind everything is always too expensive, but on the other hand if I'm using something often and I like it, then I always consider buying full version of it, just to support the developers and/or company that manufactured it.

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