Coral DarbyIt’s a common refrain: the newspaper industry is in decline, and it’s true. This fact made locating archived advertisements on the internet quite a challenge. However, I persevered and managed to uncover a few gems that were truly worth examining. I focused on advertisements in national/global papers, particularly those with high ad space costs, like the New York Times, where I knew the creativity would be top-notch. Here’s a glimpse of some of the most intriguing ones I found.
Game of Thrones – New Season Debut – 2013
I was particularly drawn to HBO’s launch advertisement for the new season of Game of Thrones. The ad, featuring a spread in the Old Gray Lady, was a masterstroke. The show had a massive following, and running this ad in the leading national newspaper was awesome. I concur with the article that summarized the ad: ‘The dragon shadow was a brilliant choice for this medium, and the impact would have been completely different on the internet.’
Appeal: The excitement and hype for the new season of Game of Thrones. The ad played into the intense emotions surrounding the debut.
Objective: To build anticipation and lock people in on the debut date. The ultimate objective was high TV ratings and renewed subscribers (some people would unsubscribe at the end of each season).
Target Market: Intelligent, well-educated people captivated by the Game of Thrones series.
Call to Action: Mark your calendar!
Value Proposition: Be with us (HBO) on opening night, and you, the viewer, will be surprised and delighted with another epic episode and season.
Patagonia – Don’t Buy This Jacket – 2011
It was Black Friday, 2011 when the leading outdoor apparel company Patagonia ran a full-page ad in the New York Times encouraging people NOT to buy their jackets. Most consumers would think, wow, smart move—tell people not to buy this jacket, and in doing so, they would want it even more. Consumers were right. The ad created more brand awareness and sales for Patagonia, and sales increased 30% the following year (LinkedIn, 2024). Patagonia’s intent with the ad was to get people thinking about consumerism and holiday buying habits. This ad also launched a program that Patagonia still focuses on today: the Common Thread initiative.
Appeal: A provocative and bold statement that evoked dialogue about this progressive, leading company.
Objective: To get the public thinking about the negative effects of consumerism and how it facilitates waste.
Target Market: Affluent, well-educated individuals on both sides of the aisle who buy Patagonia because it’s a status symbol and trendy.
Call to Action: Stop and think before you purchase.
Value Proposition: We can work together to help protect the planet. Make purchases when you need to, not because you want to. Less is often more.
Surfrider – What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You – circa unknown
https://localiq.com/blog/best-print-ad-examples/ (scroll down)
I’m unsure if this ad ran in a newspaper or what year it was created. It surfaced when I searched for examples of the best newspaper ads. This ad is visually strong and would stand out in newspapers, especially if it ran in color. I could not find the creative on the Surfrider site, but I’m not surprised; the organization has been around for 40 + years, so the creative has likely been archived.
Appeal: The ad hits home. If you like sushi, there’s a good chance you will ingest plastics in your next takeout order. I just heard the other day from a CNN article that the average human ingests a credit card worth of plastic each week. Yikes!
Objective: To get people thinking about plastic consumption and encourage changing habits to protect natural environments like the ocean.
Target Market: Everyone with buying power.
Call to Action: Stop using plastic.
Value Proposition: We can work together to help protect the planet.
Norwegian Airlines – Brad is Single – 2016
https://time.com/4505709/brad-pitt-norwegian-airlines-angelina-jolie/
Capitalizing on Brad and Angelina’s split, Norwegian Airlines used this global news to promote their non-stop flights from Oslo to Los Angeles. The humor was the play on Brad being single and that by flying to LA the traveler may be able to snatch him up for a date! Another version of this ad took the approach that a newly single LA actor was seeking a partner with a “GSOH” (good sense of humor). These ads were placed in Norwegian newspaper VG, and the London newspaper Evening Standard.
Appeal: Humor for the win! People love the tongue-in-cheek approach to ads.
Objective: To leverage humor to get Norwegian clientele to book affordable flights from Oslo to LA.
Target Market: As cited before, women do most travel planning and booking. Single or taken, women worldwide recognize Brad Pitt for his charm and smashing good looks. This ad resonated with adult women everywhere.
Call to Action: Book your cheap flights before the seats are gone.
Value Proposition: Affordable transcontinental flights.
KFC – FCK Ad – 2018
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/kfc-fcking-clever-campaign/1498912
I hope no one is offended by my Kentucky Fried Chicken ad selection. If so, please accept my sincere apology. I wanted to share this example of brilliance because it accomplishes so much. Amidst a chicken shortage (#ChickenCrisis) within the UK, KFC does the right thing on many levels and utilizes humor to address their issue head-on and avoid a PR nightmare.
According to KFC’s agency’s research, 71% of all people in the UK eat at KFC at least once a year, and 24% eat at KFC weekly or monthly. They needed a creative ad that would speak to the masses. Leveraging a little foul language and humility and owning their mistake, KFC ran these ads in the Sun and Metro newspapers. “Guided by the three ‘H’s humility, humor, and honesty,” the campaign went viral, and people loved that the chicken restaurant made fun of the fact that they were out of chicken.
Appeal: A corporate giant using humor to admit to an error, making the brand and the people behind it more real.
Objective: Avoid a crisis by proactively confronting the issue and apologizing to their customers.
Target Market: Price-sensitive individuals and families throughout the UK who frequent fast food restaurants and have a penchant for chicken.
Call to Action: KFC wants its customers to know ‘we messed up’—so essentially, please ‘forgive us’.
Value Proposition: We are human too!
References:
Gray, D. (2024). Vol. 20: Patagonia’s Fight Against Black Friday [LinkedIn post]. LinkedIn.
CNN. (2022, October 31). Study finds humans may consume a credit card’s worth of plastic every week. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/31/us/microplastic-credit-card-per-week/index.html
Great ad selection Coral!
I have also struggled to find Newsprint ads this week because they are scarce nowadays. Your selection would not show that you had struggled, given how well done/effective they are! The Game of Thrones one was my favorite, because as the article says, how cool is a dragon flying over the page and it is a dragon. The Norwegian Airlines one stuck out to me the most, I recently found one of their ads for my blog post and they seem to honestly just kill it with their marketing. They saw an opportunity and took it in an unpredictable situation. The way companies can come up with such good ads within a day or sometimes hours of trending news blows my mind. Lastly, the “What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You” advertisement would cause me to stop in my tracks and reevaluate my life choices. I love sushi, but I also care about the environment and my overall health. Seeing what I am eating and learning that not only do my actions impact my food, it would cause me to never want to use plastic again. While I understand ridding yourself of all plastic can be hard, the advertisement would cause me to try and invoke change in my life.
I can’t wait to see what ads you choose next week!
Hi Coral,
I don’t watch games of thrones, but I know there is a whole following thats crazy over it. An addrumming anticipated is always a good move to build up eager fans between season so that they don’t loose interest. i think Patagonia was clever with their reverse psychology marketing. People love to do the opposite of what their told not to do, especially if to not buy something they love. Its the “why would the company say that about their own jacket,” that brings the intriuge for people to inquire about the message behind the ad. Surfrider was insteresting for the simple fact that I did not know that we swallow about a credit card worth of plastic every week. I love sushi and I am not sure I was ready to learn these facts. I think that the KFC ad is hilarious. I also think they did a good job using humor to confront a real issues and be honest with their customers. We all make mistakes right. I think being open about the issue as quickly as possible is the perfect way to ” get in front of the ball.” Great job on your analysis this week.
Hi Tonya,
Thank you for your comments! I hope I have not ruined sushi for you. It’s one of my favorite foods of all times!
I am so glad you chimed in about the KFC ad. I thought that was so clever and so relatable. Plus, it was a brilliant PR move.
Cheers,
Coral
Coral,
I was thrilled to see that your first print ad of choice was for Game of Thrones. I am a huge fan and have seen the series a few times now. I would have to do some follow-up research, but from my understanding Game of Thrones has had some of the highest records for new season premieres. I must say the shadow of the dragon is quite unforgettable. Additionally, the new spin off series, House of Dragon (new season coming this summer) reaps the benefits of Game of Thrones marketing and followership.
The ad that stood out the most to me was Surfrider. There is something so unsettling about seeing the food you eat regularly as plastic. The creators objective was met i.e., get people talking about plastic use and encourage them to stop using single use plastics/plastic in general. Admittedly, I would argue that this ad is more successful in the short term versus long term. While I do make effort to be more environmentally aware, there is definitely room for improvement. Sadly, when the craziness of life sets in many folks aren’t thinking about how much plastic they are or aren’t using; myself included. To see actual change, this type of ad needs to be at the forefront of media constantly and in every outlet i.e., radio, television, streaming services, social media, print, murals, etc. Afterall, plastic has a lot of influence in our life so we should care more.
Meaghan mentioned on her blog that she was inspired by your format and I agree! It’s clear and concise – easy to follow and understand!
I look forward to reading more. Cheers!
Macie Cruz
Hi Macie,
Thank you so much for your comments! I LOVED GOT and someday I will rewatch the entire series (maybe after graduating from this program, lol).
I found the Surfrider ad to be really powerful too and I fully agree with you. The message needs to be front and center on a consistent basis because we all can do better – me included!
Lastly, thank you for commenting on the format. The layout I use helps me keep my mind on track with similar thoughts as I process various ads.
Cheers,
Coral
Coral,
Your ads were great but I want to focus on the Patagonia ad. This ad reminds me a lot about the most recent Purple mattress ads. Their ads tell you why you should not buy their mattress, the comfort, durability, and guarantees are some of the reasons. This mind-trick so to speak makes the consumer want to prove the company wrong or go against the grain. For Patagonia this is the same idea, their message of don’t do this, leads the consumer to wanting to prove them wrong and buy anyway. Personally, this advertisement works well for sales, but I often find myself wondering if this bridges the line of ethical? I know Patagonia has a campaign to support good consumer behavior but their main concern as a goods provider is profit? I know I am opening a giant discussion but ads like this always make me think.
Hi Ivan,
Thank you for your response and your comments. I fully respect where you are coming from and believe that when integrity is in doubt, the onus is on the consumer to dig deeper and determine if this is a disingenuous move or a sincere move. Fortunately, I spent a semester interning at Patagonia during my undergrad years, and I was able to witness their contributions. To this day, they donate millions of dollars to organizations and nonprofits trying to combat climate change. Are they perfect? Definitely not – but through my personal research, they are a company I choose to believe in.
Best,
Coral
I am so glad to hear that first-hand connection! I have skeptics of my organization’s marketing as we are non-profit and am used to the second guesses quite frequently. I think many people view large companies give back as a checkbox, and often times they are right, but I am glad to see that Patagonia is truly trying to make a difference, thanks for sharing!
Coral,
I enjoyed your ad selection, especially highlighting how a little reverse psychology, like telling folks not to buy your products, increased sales. I am sure the message was genuine, but the after-effect resulted. KFC’s using humor in the UK was a smart move. I think that most people understand nothing is perfect, and sometimes things are out of our control, regardless of how big the corporation is. You can’t serve chicken if there aren’t chickens to be served! Hopefully, no one was offended by KFC. When I think of American fast food culture, KFC is right up there with McDonald’s for me and is iconic in that manner. It is also interesting to learn how much KFC is consumed in the UK. It must be cluckin good!
Coral,
I also had trouble uncovering noteworthy newspaper advertisements. In the end I persevered as well; however, through my search, at times, deciphering whether or not the advertisements were actually depicted in a newspaper or if it was just a print advertisement on some other medium. One of the best examples I found was also the KFC “FCK” advertisement. This advertisement was a quite simple and a great use of making light out of an unfortunate situation through humor (while likewise acknowledging operational mistakes and mishaps).
Another key advertisement that you discussed was Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” advertisement. Although, I did not come across this advertisement in my search on the formation of my own posts, I have seen this advertisement before and used it as a marketing strategy example in a previous course. This was a great way to spread their message of sustainability and responsible consumerism.