Coke' Misappropriates Vermeer With AI

A 3D billboard at Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo is showcases  Coca-Cola's "Masterpiece" campaign by animating Vermeer's  "Girl with a Pearl Earring" as a girl whose life purpose it is to put bottles of Coke into a pipe that leads to the vending machine for the soft drink. 

This is not "real magic TM" as the Coke video declares. It is a travesty of art that reduces a masterpiece to a Disney-style short film. 

I can just picture the thought process behind this with a discussion of the creative team that went like this:

Rich: We need something everyone recognizes as a masterpiece!

Josh: But it has to not be under copyright!

Rich: Right! 

Dave: How about Mona Lisa?

Rich Maybe, but can we find something else?

Dave: Vermeer!

Rich: What?

Dave:  ChatGPT says one of his paintings is really famous because there was a movie about it.

Josh: Oh, yeah, "Girl With a Pearl Earring." So long as that's not under copyright, it should be good. 

Rich: Yeah, any woman in a famous piece of art acting as a waitress to get you to buy Coke should work.  

High fives all around.

And so you have it. The enigmatic subject of Vermeer's masterpiece is reduced to Disney-heroine-as-serving girl to allow Coke to appropriate high culture to sell you brown-colored carbonated water filled with ingredients that are detrimental to your health.

I'm fine with a brand promoting itself and with showing off 3D effects and other high tech. But it should have gone the route of creating its own character for this rather than stealing art that is not copyright protected.

Related: 

MAJOR MARKETING MISSTEPS FROM ADIDAS, M&M'S AND COKE

New York goes New Coke

Tourism is down in New York, and the state has been attempting to leverage marketing to lure tourists back to the Empire State in general and the Big Apple in particular. 

Timing is everything

In July of 2021, I wrote about the city's $30 million campaign, “It’s Time for New York City.”  As it turned out, the summer of 2021 was not really the best time to return to the city, as many COVID restrictions were still in place, and some attractions were not even open at the time or even in the fall that followed.

But tourism plays a huge role in NY's economy, and so the it has to continue to look for marketing ideas to make it appealing. So it goes back to the drawing board and looks for inspiration.

The iconic model 

It makes sense that what worked well in the past would be considered. That's the iconic "I love NY" slogan that made my list of most memorable brand slogans.

Graphic artist Milton Glaser created this slogan with the heart in place of the word love (way before emojis became standard) campaign to boost tourism to New York State (not just NYC) in 1977.  In 2009 it became the the official state slogan and Steve Karmen's song with that title was adopted as the official state song. 

Like New Coke

Anyone here old enough to remember 1985 when Coke introduced a new formula for its soda? Here's a refresher for you from Coke itself. The company did its market research and was convinced the new formula would win over more customers, though it threatened to lose them their solid base of loyal fans.

Now NYC is doing the same kind of thing with by  transforming the iconic New York State slogan into one for the city alone with these tweaks: a change in font, replacing the "I" with "We" and swapping the heart out for different images in the video. The result that was unveiled in March 2023 is this: 

The video description proudly declares:

"We❤️NYC” is a 21st Century version of the 70’s “I❤️NY” campaign. Once again, New Yorkers are coming together to mobilize civic action and community engagement as the catalyst for a renaissance of the city and its neighborhoods. In many ways, the challenges facing the city today are more complex than in the past. Together, “WE” can tackle these challenges and demonstrate, once again, that this is the greatest city in the world."

What I love is that one of the first comments notes how tampering the Glaser's work is a mistake:

Greg Richards

14 hours ago

‪I love NYC as much as I despise this logo. The unbalanced design is a third-rate

theft from Milton Glaser’s original and is an affront to this great city.

A 3-D clip art heart? Please, please @Partnership4NYC do not use this logo. ‬

While some object to the change in look due to the font switch, I'm responding more to the change in wording. I'd say that they're missing the point in transforming the "I" to "We."  

The brilliance of "I" is that it is absolutely inclusive because there is no dependence  on another to feel the same way you do. In other words, "I" encompasses "we," while "we" doesn't include every "I."

Instead of recognizing that, the campaign is referencing a platitude from the pandemic about being "in this together" that ignores the  very different experiences people of different classes had at the time.

One class was stuck with no school open for their kids while they had to work, while another just took their laptop to the Hamptons or wherever they felt safer and were able to pay for private school if their public schools stayed closed like the onesin NYC.

Also the examples offered are kind of lame when you have to say something like you love $1 a slice pizza, though now it's $1.50. Inflation is really not a cause for loving NYC.

While this campaign shares the same flaws behind the New Coke fiasco, the people behind it will not have to admit their mistake the way Coke did when it had to bring the old formula back. NYC is still there and accessible to those who want to visit even if they hate the campaign.

P.S. After I posted this, I see that there are many others who really don't love the new NYC slogan.

Related: 

Don't just aim for different
Major marketing missteps

What the Little Prince teaches us about marketing

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Uncommon Content: User experience should not be a joke, but it is

Uncommon Content: User experience should not be a joke, but it is:   This post was just going to feature a joke, but it became slightly more complicated as a result of my search for a written account of it. ...

Mary Poppins' Guide to Gamified Marketing

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and - SNAP - the job's a game.”

Those words of wisdom from Mary Poppins are backed by science that finds that when people are interested and engaged in a subject, they enjoy a shot of dopamine to the brain. Marketers can capitalize on that effect when utilizing gamification to engage customers and deliver a fun experience that associates warm and fuzzy feelings with a brand.

Home decor and shopping get gamified

 Design Home: House Renovation  is the name of the game. That offers an irresistible combination of video games and shopping.

Some of the pieces can be purchased virtually for the game alone. But the real big money would come through buying actual sofas, rugs, tables, etc. for one’s real life home. And that would be quite the payoff for the affiliated sellers and brands.

This is marketing that doesn’t feel like marketing because it draws the shopper in through active play. To get players even more motivated, it offers“Daily Design Challenges.” There is also a social aspect to it with  voting on rooms and the possibility of borrowing from friends through the Facebook connection.

FOMO or an addictive component is also baked in with the possibility of advancing levels, gaining access to unlocked rewards, and the  promise of discovery of “brands and trends,” as well as the “new pieces added every day.” 

Generating excitement for new offerings

Building on brand loyalty is fundamental for sustained business. When you add in a crossover with another brand associated with play, you can add some fun to that fundamental strategy.  

Adidas did that in partnering with LEGO for a range of products. 

This past spring, when it introduced its  Adidas Ultraboost DNA X Lego Plates shoes, priced at $200. While the collaboration alone generated buzz, LEGO pushed for even more engagement by sharing ideas for customizing the shoes on the “adults welcome” section of its site. 

See 6 incredible ways to customize your LEGO® adidas Originals Superstar for ways sneaker collectors, designers, and just creative people who wish to share their passions on their feet found to use the shoes as a medium for imaginative arrangements. The idea is to inspire others to follow suit, engage more with the shoes and the possibilities inherent in connecting LEGO bricks.

Promoting products via virtual games

  Speaking of LEGO and gamification, the brand aims to engage kids with a section of its site showcasing LLEGO® video games available for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch™ and other consoles.. Those are searchable by theme, which also leads to all related products.

For example, the  Star Wars will direct you to the Rise of Skywalker game, where you could choose to be on the light or dark side. It also leads you to a view of the many LEGO characters and sets within the Star Wars universe. The same holds true for other themes for which there are many sets available. 

LEGO also offers a range of apps, some of which are specifically designed to bridge the virtual game and the physical world. Among these offerings is what is called “EGO Hidden Side,” which promises live participation in a ghost story that can involve  a number of players.. 

Playing the game of FOMO

For its 25th anniversary, Pokémon collaborated with OREO to Issue a limited-edition collectible cookie that generates FOMO.  The 16 distinctive Pokémon designs are promoted as collectible, motivating customers to buy multiple packages to be sure they get them all. 

The OREO site  warned fans of the cookie or the game that only some the limited edition packages will have  all 16 version inside. And to truly complete their collections, they will have to buy enough to even obtain the “super rare Mythical Pokémon.”  

I Infusing new life into an old product 

Mary Poppins using a magic snap to clean up the room

Gamification elements like AR can also be used to revitalize interest in a product that is usually not front-and-center of a person’s cooking experience. Table salt is a good example of that.

Nearly all of us use some in cooking and baking but don’t think all that much about the brand involved.  Morton Salt wanted to get their attention, particularly as more people were taking up cooking at home when not eating out during the pandemic.

 

To that end, the brand introduced an integrated marketing campaign across all channels combined with QR codes on labels to activate an AR experience. That idea was to give customers  “several fun and educational ways” to engage with the brand. 

You can see the short video about it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1091572674646934

For a warning about how just jumping on the gaming bandwagon can backfire --as it did for Coke -- see Major Marketing Missteps from Adidas, M&M's, and Coke

Related: 

Don't just aim for different
Visualizing the customer journey

What makes content marketing effective
What the Little Prince teaches us about marketing

Visit WriteWayPro.weebly.com  Like and follow on Facebook and on LinkedIn

Sustainable Loyalty: Reaping the Rewards of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

 “It’s not easy being green,” a fact that Kermit has bemoaned. But for brands that do it well, it can foster greater customer loyalty.

Brands jump on the circularity bandwagon

Circularity is the name of the game of keeping products in use rather than throwing them out. For the clothing market that means avoiding the wastefulness of  fast fashion in favor of clothing that endures for many uses and that applies sustainable practices in production and recycling. 

The online consignment shop, thredUP,  shifted the paradigm of thrift shopping from trawling through racks in-store to scrolling through options on your phone or PC. In addition to making buying pre-owned clothing that much more convenient, it branded it as not just economical but socially responsible, as it explained on a blog post:

Here’s the facts:

-Fashion will drain a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050.

-26 billion pounds of textiles are dumped into global landfills each year.

-A single T-shirt takes 700 gallons of water to produce.

Here’s what we can do:

-Consume less.

-Reuse more.

-Choose used.

Over the years, thredUp has partnered with popular brands that gain a halo effect from participating in the resale market due to its green cred. Brands like Adidas are even using their partnership with it to launch their own Give Back initiative xclusively on their own branded app. 

Clothing for a better future

One of the brands to embrace sustainable standards for clothing is Primark. In the Primark Cares section of its website, it details its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint in production and increase the longevity of its clothing. 

As Primark explained in  Love Your Clothes, Love Your World:

“When it comes to fashion, durability — how long a product lasts — really matters. It’s not just about getting better value for money by keeping your clothes longer, it’s about improving our impact on the planet so there’s less waste.”

For proof of progress, Primark said it would be working with WRAP and will follow a "’Target, Measure, Act’ approach, where businesses set targets, measure their impact and track progress, both on an individual basis and towards national targets” for the UK.

,Primark already uses recycled or sustainably sourced materials in 25% of its clothing lines. It has pledged to increase that to all its product lines by 2030. 

The brand’s CEO, Paul Marchant was quoted i the ncorporate pledge,, saying. “ Our ambition is to offer customers the affordable prices they know and love us for, but with products that are made in a way that is better for the planet and the people who make them. We know that’s what our customers, and our colleagues, want and expect from us.”

Gaining by losing a million pounds

It’s not just the clothing industry that is concerned with going green. The beauty industry has also woken up to the imperative to reduce waste..

 One way to make it happen is by cutting out unnecessary packaging. That’s what e.l.f. recently announced in sending out an email with the subject line, “e.l.f is committed to sustainability.”

It promised that it was shedding unnecessary waste in its packaging. “Say Goodbye to 1,000,000 Pounds of Packaging” was the way it phrased it, and it illustrated that point with an image and a gif.

.

 

There’s a double advantage to reducing excess waste from packaging. Of course, it generates less waste of paper and plastic. But also the lighter weight means greater efficiency in transportation and fuel consumption. 

Finding new approaches to make clothing and beauty products more sustainable is a win-win. One win for the planet and another win for brand loyalty. That's why it’s a good bet that  we will see many more brands communicating their pledges to improve their environmental impact.  

Related:
Don't just aim for different
Visualizing the customer journey
What makes content marketing effective
What the Little Prince teaches us about marketing





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A is for Apple and APIs in the ABCs of BNPL

 Digital technology and integrations between banks, fintech, and retailers are not just changing the how but when of payments. As a result, the way consumers pay for their purchases includes an increasingly popular option called buy now, pay later (BNPL).

Taking out a loan for a purchase as small as $35, which is basically what BNPL is, would never have been considered in the past. It would have been far too cumbersome for both consumers and lenders. But thanks to the prevalence of application programming interfaces (APIs) in the financial industry, the process is now as easy and seamless as a credit or debit card transaction.

Nearly every major retail store and site now offers customers the option to pay with a BNPL. The players in that space already include the Swedish fintech Klarna, as well as the US-based Sezzle and Affirm. The name behind many store credit cards, Synchrony, also has its offering, and now even bank-branded credit cards like Citi and Chase, as well as Amex, give their customers the option to use BNPL.

The space is heating up even more with Apple’s announcement that it would offer its own BNPL called Apple Pay Later through a subsidiary of the company that has obtained lending licenses.

Use of BNPL has exploded, accounting for $100 billion in retail purchases in 2021, up from $24 billion in 2020, as reported in Fintech Times. The forecast for the market indicates that the trend is here to stay. The global market for BNPL is expected to hit $3.98 trillion by 2030 with a CAGR of over 45%, starting from 2021, according to Allied Market Research.

Read more in The Way We Buy Now: The ABCs of BNPL The title is a nod to Anthony Trollope and my immersion in Victorian lit back in the day.

Why You Should Allow Customers to Pause Marketing Messages

 Glad to see major brands are taking my advice to enable customers to opt out of themed promotions.

Now that I'm on DoorDash's email list, it wants to use any and all occasions to market to me, including the upcoming holiday of Father's Day. But someone at the company realized that such messaging may not be appropriate for all customers and that it would be a nice gesture to ask before pushing out promotions around that theme.

I especially appreciate it this year because I did lose my father just last month. That doesn't mean I feel upset by Father's Day marketing, but I can imagine some people would be.

Last year I wrote about the email I got from ShopRunner ( see The Pause that Refreshes Marketing Relationships) that drew enough of my attention to warrant a click (very rare for me, I assure you). Its subject line was “Skip our Mother’s Day emails this year.”

For those who clicked the preference to pause, it explained that the pause on Mother’s Day communication doesn’t mean that it is pausing all marketing messages -- only the communication linked to that theme. As I noted, it's really a smart move that reduces email fatigue and the irritation of spam. It also lets you hear directly from your target market what they consider irrelevant.

People can have any number of reasons to find Mother’s Day messaging a pain, whether it is merely irrelevant or a sad reminder that they’ve  lost their mothers or mother-figures or their children. Linking a brand with those negative associations is not the way to make people like it better.

I said this then: "I think this is such a great idea that it should be applied to all occasions marketers like to seize on for messaging: Father’s Day, graduations, back to school, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, etc. To really show customers you care let them pick what occasions they’d rather not hear about."

It makes sense, right? Certainly, DoorDash got that message, though the company probably paid some consultant huge sums of money to get the guidance they could have had for free by reading my blog last year.

Related posts:

Think Marathon Rather Than Sprint When Planning Content Marketing

7 Ways to Grab Customer Attention in Subject Lines

Major Marketing Missteps from Adidas, M&M's and Coke

Ryan George shows Best and Worst Marketing Practices

Churchill's Guide to Writing