I would like to say that this book illustrates what I have learned as a student at the VCU Brandcenter. But I don’t think that’s possible. I could never put on paper the lessons I’ve learned while a student there. Instead, this book contains some of the work that I have done as a student of the Brandcenter. My hope is that it reflects at least a fraction of my growth. As you may have guessed, I decided to leave out the work that crashed and burned, which didn’t leave me with a lot. I can say, however, that every time I have failed, I have fallen more in love with this industry. I understand just how hard it is. My goal is to continue to learn and grow. Hopefully that growth will come from success rather than failures. Chris McVay
Transcript
I would like to say that this book illustrates what I have learned as a student at the VCU Brandcenter. But I don’t think that’s possible. I could never put on paper the lessons I’ve learned while a student there.
Instead, this book contains some of the work that I have done as a student of the Brandcenter. My hope is that it reflects at least a fraction of my growth.
As you may have guessed, I decided to leave out the work that crashed and burned, which didn’t leave me with a lot.
I can say, however, that every time I have failed, I have fallen more in love with this industry. I understand just how hard it is.
My goal is to continue to learn and grow. Hopefully that growth will come from success rather than failures.
! • ! Learned to understand brands, judge creative and think strategically
! • !Managed campaigns for brand like RyanAir, X Games, Heineken, Jockey, Dr.
! ! Pepper, TOMs, Netflix and many more
! • ! Learned that good enough is never enough, and hard work doesn"t matter if the
! ! idea sucks
! Virginia Commonwealth University
! Richmond, VA · graduated 12/06
! • !Major: Strategic Advertising
! • !Minor: Spanish
! • !GPA: 3.7
! • ! Led a team to design a campaign for a new national retail clothing store
! • !Received the faculty award for the School of Mass Communications
! Cobra Engineering
! Brand Strategy Consultant (student)
! Yorba Linda, CA 12/08 – 4/09
! • !As a student, designed a marketing strategy to increase sales of Harley parts
! • !Created and distributed a survey to analyze shopping habits of Harley owners
! • !Conducted one-on-one interviews to understand the Harley culture
! • !Developed a way of speaking to the very skeptical Harley customer base
Ruben Postaer and Associates, RPA
! Account Planning Intern, Acura
! Santa Monica, CA 6/08 – 8/08
! • !Researched affluent car buyers
! • !Created a newsletter on affluent markets used to brief the luxury accounts
! ! department. The newsletter focused on wealthy consumers in emerging
! ! global markets. It was especially valuable to the agency because they were
! ! actively trying to increase the number of luxury accounts.
! • !Helped to analyze and present findings from focus groups
! • !Researched and identified new trends in consumer spending, saving and
! ! banking habits for a new-business pitch
! Battlefield Ford Jeep
! Pre-owned Vehicle and Jeep Salesman
! Charlottesville, VA 6/05 – 1/06
! • !One of the monthly sales leaders and leading deal closer
! • !Consistently qualified for sales bonuses
! • !Assisted all Spanish-speaking customers
! • ! Learned that anything can be negotiated
! Heidelberg, Germany · Charlottesville, VA · Tucson, AZ · Santa Monica,CA
! Buenos Aires, Argentina · Richmond, VA · El Paso, TX
! I once heard someone say that in a thousand years, when people look back at us
and ask what factor had the most influence over art and culture, the answer will
clearly be advertising.
! Not only do I want to be a part of what makes our culture so unique, I want to be a
part of what drives business today. Plus, it"s so much fun.
Contact:
Schools:
Homes:
Goal:
Jobs:
I think I’m allergicto walnuts
RyanAir Campaign
The taskThe rumor is that RyanAir, a discount
European airline, is coming to America. Transatlantic flights, they claim, will start as low as $14.
We thought it would be fun to create a campaign to introduce RyanAir to the states. We were right, we had a lot of fun.
BackgroundRyanAir is a super-cheap airline in
Europe. Their fairs are so cheap that they make hitchhiking look like a rich man’s game.
In order to cut costs they only fly to out-of-the-way airports. Also, their planes are littered with ads. While their tickets are
extremely cheap, they charge for everything. If you want to check a bag it’s $25. If that bag weighs more than 20
kilos it’s an additional $25. Sodas are $6.
At one point the CEO, Michael O’Leary, once announced that they
would charge to use the bathroom. The next day he revealed it was a joke;
all for publicity sake. The point is, if you’re just trying to
get somewhere as cheaply as possible, RyanAir is the way to go. That said,
RyanAir isn’t for most people.
The competitionWhen you look at ads for other airlines,
it’s almost laughable. Everyone seems to want to talk about the experience - spacious seats, friendly staff, quiet cabins. But the truth is no one flies because they want to get on a airplane, no matter how nice it is.
People fly because they’re going somewhere. In fact, most of the people we talked to just wanted the cheapest flight, no matter which airline.
The targetRyanAir is not for everyone. They don’t
fly to major airports, the seats are cramped, and there are no free amenities. But to some people, what’s a few hours in a tight seat if it means a weekend in Rome?
Our campaign is targeted at the traveler, not the tourist. The tourist is far too concerned with his in-flight meal and his hotel accommodations. The tourist, however, just wants to get there.
This allows us to forget about the flight, and talk about the destination. RyanAir is a traveler’s best friend, it allows him to go anywhere.
RyanAirCampaign
Travel toolsSince RyanAir is a traveler’s best friend, we wanted
to make some tools to help him find his way around Europe.
On the homepage we included a link to a section called “Sleeping in the Park.” It features videos of a traveler visiting different cities that RyanAir services. He gives tips on how to get by on less than a hundred dollars a week. The idea would also lend itself to books.
PrintWe can’t ignore the fact that RyanAir’s prices are so
low. We have to talk about the price. We thought a good way to slip in the price would be to take out an ad in another language in American travel magazines. The ads would be for real places in cities you’ve never heard of. Next to the ad would be an ad from us telling you how to get there.
RyanAirCampaign
GuerillaRyanAir is cheap. What if we had street performers
with signs begging for a few extra bucks to make it back across the pond?
Social MediaTo connect our travelers, we wanted to create a way
that they can share stories and memorable places. Our website will feature a place for travelers to upload their favorite out-of-the way destinations, the kind of stuff you’d never find in a “Lonely Planet.”
Then we created a phone app that would allow travelers to leave messages for each other with barcodes. If you’re walking through Prague and you stumble upon a barcode, scan it. One of your fellow travelers has left you a note. Maybe there’s a party.
RyanAirCampaign
GuerillaPart of the travel experience is eating food you’ve
never heard of. We thought we should go to NY and hand out bags of some weird-looking food. Inside will be a flier announcing RyanAir’s arrival.
I’m an assistant scoutmaster in troop 761
Eukanuba Campaign
The taskOur goal was to take Eukanuba, a
premium dog food owned by P&G and give people a reason to buy it.
The problemEvery dog food brand in the world
already says the same two things, “We use the best ingredients,” and, “Our nutrition is the best.”
It makes sense doesn’t it? What else is a dog food going to say? Quality and nutrition are the price of entry.
We had to find a way to set Eukanuba apart from the best.
Know your targetTo figure out what to say to our target,
we started by listening to what they had to say. We kept hearing the same concern over and over again. “How do I know I’m doing what’s best for my dog?”
We found people who were spending more on health insurance for their dogs than for themselves.
We identified a new target, rather, we found a new way to look at our target. We call them Dog Worriers. These are canine-owning individuals who feel extra responsible for being good, effective dog owners. They seek knowledge, ask questions, and care care care.
Our SolutionGo from edible to educational. Make
Eukanuba into the dog-owner knowledge center.
PrintOur print ads were designed to identify
some of the concerns dog owners have, and direct them to the Eukanuba website where why can find out the answers.
PoopCatching our target when he’s
worrying about his dog the most is key. To catch our target at the park, we decided to sponsor doggy bags.
Signage on bag dispensers, as well as on the bags themselves, can feature helpful facts and advice about dog ownership. Plus, who else can say they put an ad on a bag for picking up poop?
DoggypediaWhat better way to be known as the
center of information on dog ownership than to, well, create a center for information on dog ownership.
Eukanuba
CHANGING SPORTS AND CULTUREThe challenge was to write the story of the X Games. I needed to define just how the the introduction of this new form of sport has changed. This was one of my favorite brand stories to write because I was able to see that the only thing that has changed over the years is the way that people interact with the brand. While X Games has added, dropped and changed some of its games, the real story is the way that the games have changed the way we look at the word extreme.
CULTURE! Within the world of nontraditional sports, the X Games have helped to validate feelings of so many skaters and snowboarders. For years they had been looked down upon as a nuisance. They poured so much of their time and energy into a sport that garneredno recognition.! The X Games changed that. Not only were they finally validated as true athletes, but they were able to see their sport grow. They were finally able to have idols like Tony Hawk and the Condor." This didn’t mean that police took down “no skating” signs, but it did mean that they had a place that they could go to socialize with others like them. The X Games provided validation within the community of skaters, BMXers, and snowboarders alike.
COMMUNITY! For years, snowboarders were looked upon as the miscreants of the slopes. Skateboarders were punks with no regard for civility. The X Games, however, have altered public perception. Today, there are more snowboarders than skiers. And skateboarding is the fastest growing sport in America." While the X Games have helped make extreme sports more acceptable, that isn’t to say that action sports don’t have along way to go. Many cities, for example, still outlaw skateboards on public sidewalks." Love Park, in Philadelphia was once considered an international hotspot for skateboarders. Some of the biggest names in the sport made their first drops from the park’s granite walls. Today, however, skating there is illegal.
BUSINESS! The Xbox, XTerra, and Pringles Extreme would not exist if not for the X Games. Well, at least they would have been given better names. The popularity of the games have led to some rather lazy marketing ideas." It’s as if marketers believe that everyone under the age of 35 wants everything to be extreme. Then the only thing left to do is to figure out how big to makethe “x.”" Aside from the growth within extreme sports industry, the X Games have influenced other industries as well. One of the best-selling video games of all time is Tony Hawk’s Underground. While the game doesn’t bear the X Games name, the popularity does reflect consumer’s attitude towards extreme sports." The prevalence of “x” in marketing directed towards younger generations reflects just how much influence the X-Gameshave had.
X Games Brand Culture
The Challenge" Make something that action sports enthusiasts can get behind.
The Problem" You can’t just make an commercial and expect skateboarders and surfers everywhere to buy your stuff. If anyone is weary of marketers, these guys are king.
Our Solution! Use our giant corporate power to fight for something they believe in." Around the country signs are popping up more and more, “Skating Prohibited.” Cities are writing laws, rails are coming down, kids are getting fined.! These ads are targeted towards British Airways for their recent decision to ban surfboards on their planes. Stickers and wild postings will be handed out at events around the country.
X Games
I almost destroyedVan Gogh’s Sunflowers
when I was 4
The task Create a new brand of perfume. The trick is that the brand
image behind every perfume is created long before any flower petals are crushed.
The inspirationIt was obvious that our perfume had to be different, but as we
worked we quickly realized that we would have to do more than ‘reinvent sexy’ or ‘redefine chic.’ We wanted to do something that would actually be meaningful.
As we looked at other perfumes, we realized that almost all perfume brands were, well, shallow. We refused to believe that a perfume couldn’t speak to more than one dimension of womanhood.
wellAfter exploring what it truly means to be a woman, we realized
that the brand should celebrate and inspire the life-giving nature of womanhood.
The inspiration for our brand came from the stories of an African Goddess named Oshun. The goddess of beauty and rivers, Oshun is responsible for nourishing all those within her reach. We thought that the most under-appreciated trait a woman carries is her ability to nourish.
More than an imageCelebrating the life-giving, nourishing qualities of womanhood is
a lofty goal for a perfume. We wanted to make sure that the brand was more than just a shallow image.
Since Oshun symbolizes giving, we made Well into an opportunity for women to give. For every bottle sold, Well will donate a portion of the profits to providing clean water to Africa.
well
If I weren’t in advertising,I would have become a chef
Our taskCreate a new board game for Hasbro. Make the rules, design the board and then market it.
Selling nostalgiaAnyone who went to elementary school
during the ‘80s has played Oregon Trail on the computer. With its simple graphics, kids learned a little history and a little critical decision making. Gamestop.com called Oregon Trail, the most addictive, most enduring and most memorable educational game ever.
Yesterday’s Oregon Trail players are today’s young parents. For them, the name itself brings back countless childhood memories. They cherish the game for its entertainment value, as well as what it taught them.
We knew that if we could make a game that was true to the original computer game, parents would buy it to share with their families.
PlayingIf you’ve played the original, then you know
the basic concept of the board game. Players make their way west following the pioneers on their way to Oregon. Along the way they reach
landmarks which teach them about the history of the trail. They are also forced to practice decision-making skills - like what to do when they have run out of supplies.
MarketingOur distribution model also added to the
brand. Each year Barnes and Noble hosts over 100,000 game nights across their 800 stores. The educational nature of Oregon Trail would make it right at home staging such an event.
Our viral campaign featured widgets that people can download to play the original game on their desktop.
People in New York, as well as other cities, would be surprised to witness covered wagons making their way down city-streets passing out free games.
Fans would be invited to create and upload videos of themselves making some kind of Oregon Trail-inspired trek.
Oregon TrailBoard Game
Hemingway ismy favorite author
Why are we advertising?" People have been using the same cleaning products for years without any thought about what it’s doing to the environment or their homes. The alkalis, acids, phosphates, bases, alkaloids, and all of those other caustic chemicals sold by the gallon at supermarkets can technically be classified as toxic waste. They’re ruining the environment. In fact almost 70 percent of streams in the US contain detergents and disinfectants. We aren’t just trying to sell Method. We’re doing our small part to save the environment.
What is the objective?! Raise awareness of the dangers of using traditional cleaning products, and the advantages of using Method.
Who are we talking to?! Mostly women. They are about twenty-five to forty-five years old and are at least middle-income. They probably have children and live near urban areas.
What do we know about them?" A few are already champions of the green movement. The majority are only somewhat concerned with the environment.
Green, by the way, doesn’t necessarily mean protecting the environment, sometimes it means protecting their kitchen and bathroom.
What single message do we want the target to take away?! Method cleans, not poisons.
Why should they believe this?" Method cleans without all of the poisonous chemicals that big business dumps into their products. In fact, all of Method’s products are safe enough to pour down the drain. Our products are designed to clean your home, but we, unlike the big guys, remembered that you have to live in your home once you’re done cleaning it.
Brand tonality and attitude.! Clean, fresh and organic feeling but never condescending. We teach being green not to be preachy, but out of concern for the well being of your family.
MethodCreative Brief
I won the fourth-gradescience fair
GEICO Creative Brief
Why are we advertising at all?! GEICO is the 4th largest auto insurer behind State Farm, Allstate, and Progressive, but they are the fastest growing insurance company in the category. Advertising and brand recall are at their highest levels, especially with the younger demographic which is strongly made up of first-time insurance buyers. By focusing on this yet untargeted segment, GEICO has the opportunity to increase market share and get life-long customers.
What is the objective of the advertising?•Drive consumers to the website and phone for a rate quote. •Increase retention rates by extending the positive relationship past the initial sign-up.•Get consumers to recommend GEICO to their friends.
Who are we talking to?! First-Timers - Adults 21-30 who are buying car insurance for the first time." First-Timers have just entered the real world and with it comes real world finances. They’ve been under their parents guiding wings for years, and car insurance payments are their first wake up call. They find themselves lost in a sea of insurance questions.
What insights do we have about our target that will help us? In their new independence, First-Timers want to prove they can do it on their own, and on their own terms. First-Timers are confident in their own ability. Don’t you
dare tell them otherwise. Failing is not an option. Asking for help is even worse. They don’t want to be talked down to as though they are back in high school getting a lecture from their mom. They like having choices and feeling like they have a hand in the decision. They chose their college, their major, their spring break trip destination, their grad school, or their new job.! Right now they see insurance like the Magic 8 Ball they used to play with when they were younger; they ask a question, shake it, and just pray the answer is what they want to hear. They need something they can understand." They don’t have much money. Price is king. They like to shop around, but they don’t want to waste a lot of time doing it. Whatever they do needs to be quick and to the point; no beating around the bush. They live by the plug and play mentality; everything should work straight out of the box. All they know is that they need something hassle free that fits their budget.
What’s the single most important thing we want the audience to take away from our communication?“GEICO fits this stage of my life.”
Why is this relevant to them?•“GEICO speaks my language, none of that fancy insurance jargon that goes right over my head. •GEICO knows price is most important to me; they cut out the middle man to make it cheaper. •GEICO knows I like having choices, so they allow me to customize packages and payment options.
•GEICO knows I am an unique and my generation is diverse, so they market to my uniqueness. •GEICO has my sense of humor to make me laugh. •GEICO is not my parent’s insurance. It is mine.”
What is our brand personality? It’s like chatting with your clever companion, the friend you always go to for advice; the friend that always tells it to you like it is; the friend you love for their honesty; the friend that doesn’t take life too seriously but knows when to buckle down and be smart. ! We want to be authentic and not forced. We understand we are a car insurance provider not a rock band. Rather try to intrigue them and keep surprising them.
GEICO gets me
My cat is named afterthe Argentine revolutionist,
Che Guevara
The assignmentGo to a Wal-Mart, look at the cooking oils, make a
recommendation based on other grocery stores in the area.
The competitionThis particular Wal-Mart was located on the upper-class
side of town. It is across the street from a Fresh Market and a few miles from Whole Foods. I had to find a way to make Wal-Mart relevant to high-class shoppers.
Wal-Mart couldn’t be more different from Fresh Market. Not only is the price point completely different, the two don’t even carry any of the same brands. Almost every facing in Fresh Market is a different SKU. Wal-Mart, on the other hand, dedicates almost 12 feet to a single SKU.
The shopperWhile most upscale Fresh Market shoppers would rarely
visit a Wal-Mart, and visa versa, across the spectrum of shoppers, there are some who could be convinced to make the switch; in fact, they may already be visiting both stores.
My recommendationWal-Mart makes its money through volume. Fresh Market
on the other hand, specializes in variety and high margins.We saw some potential on the shelf carrying Wal-Mart’s
house-brand vegetable oil. While this is likely Wal-Mart’s top seller, we thought that it probably does not need 24 facings.
Instead, we proposed that Wal-Mart remove a few of those facings and replace them with a few high-margin specialty oils. Specialty oils will not take sales from generic oils, but they will keep boarder-line customers from going to Fresh Market to get their food.
