The art of advertising a recession

By now, we're all aware of the global financial crisis, and few people seem to have the answers to make it all seem better again. While there was a short burst of advertising that seemed to be in complete denile of the impact on consumers, within the last few months we've seen companies go to exceptional lengths to incorporate it into their messaging in advertising efforts.

Like all things in communications, this can have both strong positive and negative impacts on what they're trying to say, and lessons to be learned in each.

The "we know you're broke" approach-
Months ago, I was watching TV when an advert for Qwest, a major phone company, came on. As anyone who has followed my blog knows, I believe that Qwest has had a history of near-misses in their advertising, and while its nice that they want to acknowledge what's happening in the economy, this approach is by far the worst way to attack consumer worries. The general concept is somewhat simple. It shows everyday folks in the process of "cutting corners", whether it be using magazine perfume samples to freshen themselves up or using the windshield squeegee provided by most gas stations to clean their car. The conversation then diverts into cutting their bills by switching to their service. (a clip doesn't seem to be available. Sorry!)
The problem here is that you're calling out the consumer so heavily and making them regret their own financial efforts from the top. Essentially, you're calling people cheap and then asking them to give you money. Its a contrasting philosophy which seems lacking to me.

The somber approach -
A step up from the "we know you're broke" approach comes the somber approach. The commercial that comes to mind is a savings company spot that features a very motley crew of family members, spanning several generations, sitting around a large table and eating dinner together. They are laughing softly, and the atmosphere is very relatable to most families. Then the father, a gruff looking man asks for everyone's attention. He explains that things at work have been difficult, there have been layoffs, and they're not sure what's going to happen. Then he asks everyone to understand and help in tightening their belts a bit. Then he says "but we're going to get through this together", and as the spot fades to black, the company logo comes up, reitterating his message. It is very serious, and yet it feels truthful and compassionate, which are both good signs. Sadly, they decided to forego any real company messaging, and as you can tell, I remember the spot a lot better than I remember the company's name. Still, it is effective... but not as effective as it could be.

The "comeback" approach -
This is a recent addition to the recession advertising pool, and is probably one of the more effective. The first I can remember for this style was a few months ago when Ford asked the nation to "put on their rally caps", offering this as a challenge to be overcome, apparently in a Ford with your baseball cap turned inside out.


Now, I can appreciate the idea behind it but for the large population of people who don't watch or don't like baseball, the idea is completely lost. Still, the spirit is right, empowering both the consumer and by proxy, the car company.
Then within the last week, Southwest Airlines raised the stakes of the approach with their commerical campaign "It's on".


Though considerably more open than a baseball reference, the simple challenge and confidence of two small words asks the consumer to rise to the challenge, and that the airline will help them get there. To me, this is extremely strong in terms of the right kind of attitude.

The "money where our mouth is" approach -
While some companies are willing to simply talk a good game in hopes to inspire future purchases, others have stepped up to the plate with deeper advertising that includes financial benefits to the consumer. Whether it be the Denny's Grand Slam breakfast giveaway, KFC's great grilled chicken giveaway through Oprah, or Hyundai's continual efforts to "reward the customer", with efforts that include payment protection, vehical value protection, and most recently an offer of paying the buyer up to $500 a month because they advertise for the company simply by driving the car, the idea is to offer an investment in the consumer in hopes the consumer will inturn invest in you... and I think that's brilliant.

Nothing in advertising is ever going to be as sexy as free stuff, and positioning it as being in this tough time together is brilliant. Even the most prideful of folks have a hard time turning down a free meal, and for a company to do it in the spirit that they care and want to help only fosters positive images of the company. Even after the vast underestimation of the turnout for KFC's deal, thousands have now tried the chicken that wouldn't have otherwise, and even in that, the campaign was successful.

So what does it all mean?

We're in tough times, for sure. Everyone knows it, and we're done pretending that the worst is over or that the problem doesn't exist. Still, successful companies have come to realize that this is NOT the time to cut back advertising, but rather, it is a time to retool their messages appropriately. With companies going under every day, their must be renewed emphasis on driving the consumer to choose you, by almost any means necessary. Understanding your consumer has always been a cornerstone of effective promotion, but it may be more important now than it ever has before. By offering the consumer a sentiment they can relate to, an inspiration to rise up, and maybe even offering them a hand, you can help guide them to your company in a time when these choices may be the hardest to make.

It's advertising in a recession, and it is an art.