Old Spice Guy Inspires the Canadian Woman

Or at least The Awesome Canadian Woman – a recently launched social media campaign by Upper Canada Soap. The star of the campaign is a two-minute quirky video (conceptualised and developed in-house) that is definitely going to get the social media buzz the company is after. I think it is a brilliant idea but they could have done a lot more with it!

The important question is will the buzz translate into product purchase? Quirky and funny advertisements often get “shares” and “likes” on social media but does that mean the ad is doing its job? Is it effective?

I’ve been entertained by commercials many times, shared them with friends and even commented on them on several forums – but I do not frequently buy their products. On the other hand, a dry and utility-driven ad, such as RBC’s commercial, compelled me to switch banks! The content of the RBC ad was very simple, without comedic lace and frills. It brought my attention to a problem with my bank that nagged me, but the bank had never actively tried to change, or offer a solution. The RBC message was definitely received and did what all advertisements only dream of doing… it compelled me to act. It took me less than a week to deliberate and switch banks.

In this battle of emotional versus rational driven advertising, IMO:

Funny and popular ad = 0

Boring and educational ad = 1

Do you feel the same way?