Spuds Mackenzie for Bud Light – Click image for larger view
This cute character was known as Spuds Mackenzie and was the most recognizable living figure in the mid-80s. Budweiser spent $50 million on ads, products, videos, giant blow-up figures and you name it. Now, the media landscape has changed. People will take photos like these and share them all over the internet. What looks like a photo shoot for tens of thousands of dollars is now done by a photo hobbyist or Youtube star. The “Spuds” ads were eventually pulled and the more current “drink responsibly” campaign was adapted. But why you may ask, after having such an adorable figure running your company that caught on so well all over the world? Kids around age 12 like to experiment and start pushing the limits. Word got out that many kids were idolizing the cute idol, wearing shirts, buying products as kids are the most susceptible to advertising. Obi-Wan Kenobi once said, “the force has a strong influence on the weak minded”. Kid’s minds aren’t weak but they are not fully developed and urge for a sense of self thus latching onto popular items in pop culture to feel accepted as psychologist Michael A Britt, PH.D says in episode 258 of his podcast episode titled,5 Reasons Why You’re addicted to your Phone.
The shift toward digital ad spend happened in 2017
Advertising budgets have changed significantly as well, with a large portion being focused online from mobile apps to websites, to video content and social sharing. It is the perfect media landscape and consumer reward system to create a vicious cycle of advertising success. The large firms including Verizon, Procter, and Gamble, JP Morgan, Disney, Loreal spend over $1.7 billion per year on ads. Most of their ads now go to digital but it is very close to the market spending of TV advertising. In fact, with TV ad spending decreasing year over year, it is was predicted that digital advertising would surpass TV advertising in 2018 (eMarketer) and the results were actually far greater and faster for digital spending. It was 2017, not 2018 that proved to be the year that digital ad spending surpassed TV ad spending, ahead of market predictions. The most popular ad spending is for mobile and is expected to increase dramatically in the next few years.
Digital ad spend surpasses TV ad spend in 2017
The media landscape has changed. You don’t have to spend billions anymore to be successful but money always helps. Viral videos and stories occur every day, there is no “magic formula” for a viral video. There are certain things you can do to increase views but viewers are getting savvier about link-bait and its attraction doesn’t last long. The best content is good content. Spuds was appealing because he was cute, out of the box thinking that related to the average consumer and even kids (bad idea). Spuds was warm and inviting, friendly, who doesn’t like seeing a happy and healthy dog so long as you aren’t allergic.
So how would you advertise today with $50 million? Leave a comment below
