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Hey, no need to thank us for the primo intel…

By: Mike Vangel and Brooke Omar

But even though the industry’s fundamental purpose is to convince shoppers to buy a product they may not actually need, such persuasion can be done in an “ethical and tasteful” way.

Wow. This from someone at our very own University of Missouri—on the need to launch an “Institute for Advertising Ethics.” (Read the whole article here.)

Really?

Have they been watching too much Mad Men?

You kind of expect the denizens of academia to turn over rocks looking for signs of rot in business and society, but this really does look like someone trying to “Super-Size” a non-issue. Quick–someone grab the ShamWOW! and clean up this mess before it gets all over the carpet. Not that anyone really needs carpet. Let’s just talk-up the benefits of dirt floors and we can eliminate the need for the Electrolux and the Scrubbing Bubbles, too.

Are Americans really a band of zombies hypnotized by clever copywriting and subliminal messages? (Are you thirsty?) Are consumers today—armed with instant access to consumer-generated product information and social media tools—really victims of the advertising industry?

Really?

Here at VANGEL we eliminate the guilt and angst associated with such a tawdry industry, by choosing our clients carefully. We ask: Who are they? What industry do they represent? Do they have a solid reputation for product and service excellence? Will we be proud to represent them?  If the answers to any of those questions leave us in doubt, we walk away.

That’s how we maintain the “ethical and tasteful” standards we want the industry to reflect.

In the past year, we’ve been proud to help House of Brokers strengthen their brand in the local marketplace. We’ve created a public service campaign for First Chance for Children about the importance of reading and talking to babies. And we’ve made it easier for the underinsured in our community to find a medical home with our work for Family Health Center.

But come on. Do you really need a house to live in? Do you really need to read with your baby? Do you really need quality medical care?

Please, people from the Institute of Advertising Ethics: don’t assume you know what we need. Unless you’re selling us ShamWOWs. Everyone needs one of those.

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(Confused? Here’s some context.)

In 2009, nonprofit organization First Chance for Children came to VANGEL with a challenge:

Develop a public service campaign to reach young, low-income mothers about the importance of reading and interacting with their baby.

Research shows that reading, holding, talking, and playing with a baby directly affects the language and cognitive skills that prepare that child for school success.  That’s why First Chance for Children is dedicated to parent interaction as part of an early education system that helps every child arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed.

In order to understand our target audience, VANGEL and First Chance for Children conducted two focus groups. Specifically, we were looking for information that would steer the strategic direction of our public service campaign and ensure our creative execution resonated with the audience.

The focus groups revealed some interesting things about this group of mothers:

• They are very aware of the importance of reading and talking to their babies.
• Their biggest barrier is time. Interestingly, participants’ idea of how much time it would take to make a difference was one hour a day.
• They do not want to be preached at. Participants indicated they would like to be “shown” the message, not “told what to do.”

Based on this research, VANGEL developed a campaign that reminds mothers that just a few minutes can make a difference.  We chose our messengers strategically, as a way to “show” rather than “tell.”  The result is two 30-second television public service announcements, “Just Five Minutes” and “When I Was a Baby,” supplemented with radio ads and bus boards.

VANGEL is proud to work with First Chance for Children. And we’re proud of this just-completed campaign.  Thanks to Columbia-based Boxcar Films for some beautiful footage, and all of our local actors for a job well done.

If you’re looking to reach a particular target audience in an effective and compelling way, give VANGEL a call.

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