Great advertising can make the difference between success and failure in the business world. Advertising can be done in a controlled environment. It's one of the least diluted communications from a business to a consumer. In this sense it can be the exact opposite of social media ...in which I am a firm believer. It's a one-way communication.
Good advertising does have a purpose in the business cycle though: the company putting out the advertisement has complete control over the message it wants to portray and thus it should be your best effort to communicate your brand to the consumer. Thus, simplicity should rule the day.
The "Poochie" effect is the antithesis of good advertising and seamless marketing integration. "Poochie" refers to a character on the Simpson's Universe: "The Itchy and Scratchy Show". Poochie is a "jive talking, irreverent, cool cartoon dog" voiced by Homer Simpson to inject new life into a classic cartoon (and plug every product possible). The character lasted an episode before being unceremoniously axed from the show for sucking too hard.
"Poochie" is representative of companies that become too enamored of capturing a new audience at the risk of changing their fundamental message of who they are. Essentially, he is the embodiment of "selling out." According to some, all marketing is selling out. Thus, those who create advertising pieces that border on art or the avant-garde are so celebrated.
Recent victims of the "Poochie" effect:
- "Claus"; Palm Centro's New Santa
- The "Oozinator" from SuperSoaker (I feel dirty just watching that by the way).
The first two examples are trying to be cool..and fail spectacularly. The Oozinator one even proves to be disgusting. The final one was due to user influence:Chevrolet opened their advertisements to interpretation...with user made videos. Chevy should have done their research more 
thoroughly. Internet users NOTORIOUSLY hate big SUVs, and expressed this dissatisfaction in video form on Chevrolet's website. Normally social media is awesome for business: just know your damn audience.
Taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone is great in advertising.Volkswagen's "Lemon" advertisement is a great past example (and was recently profiled in AMC's "Mad Men") of a company stepping outside the normal limitations of advertisement and taking a risk.
Here are 4 quick things that you should ask yourself before undertaking any sort of advertising campaign:
4. Is it unnecessarily hip/offbeat? If you are not a cool company...don't try to be cool. Seriously, just don't. You can't make flame retardants cool. Believe me I've tried.
3. Will I piss off my customer base to the point where they will no longer buy my products? I think that this is underestimated by companies...backlashes today can be furious and fast. Ask Motrin.
2. Does the commercial actually advertise what you are selling? Think large consulting commercials. I don't think they even know what they are selling.¹
1. Is it simple? Really. It is just that easy.
The best advertising, logos and design work because they try and communicate a simplistic, clear, and concise message. When companies try and sully these simple advertising and marketing ideas they get into serious trouble. It is not that hard to create great marketing and advertising products: Effortless cool. A simple punchline. A riveting image. You can create advertising that is as simple and revolutionary as the VW Lemon ad. IF you listen to your creatives and not your boss's kids. Poochie failed because he was trying too hard to please.
Consumers can smell that and WILL eviscerate you.
¹Westlink "Even we don't know what we do" from SNL.
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tagged as advertising risks, avant-garde advertising, bad advertising, claus, oozinator, Poochie, volkswagon lemon
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Hilarious. I remember that “Simpsons” episode.
Great advice, Stu, as always.
Hehe, glad you enjoyed my unique take on epic failures in advertising. Poochie FTL.
Great analogy to the simpsons. Is this the first instance of “the poochie” effect? I love the usage since it is dead on
I think people have danced around using the term…but I'm hoping it sticks. The “Poochie” effect definitely is a great way to describe advertising fails.
Great thoughts, found you via twitter. I'm not in advertising but I would agree that a one way conversation is completely appropriate/warranted with regularity.
Obviously, I've become more interested in advertising lately.
Glad I was able to interest you
. What is your twitter name?
Hmm, “if you are not a cool company, don't try?” “You can’t make flame retardants cool.” Not sure I believe that. I've seen some pretty sedate, staid products gussied up to look pretty darn cool and maybe I am not the be-all-end-all arbiter of cool but darn, it looked good to me.
Here's one example from my past — absorbents for spill response, spill containment, storm water management, leak diverters — New Pig has been making them cool for years! Their Pigalog (catalog) is a scream and who else in the industrial clean up world gives you free BBQ sauce with large orders? My son still wears his “Boarcelona” T-shirt featuring the “Olympigs.”
In other words, you can make anything cool if you are creative enough and willing to take chances.
Hmm, “if you are not a cool company, don't try?” “You can’t make flame retardants cool.” Not sure I believe that. I've seen some pretty sedate, staid products gussied up to look pretty darn cool and maybe I am not the be-all-end-all arbiter of cool but darn, it looked good to me.
Here's one example from my past — absorbents for spill response, spill containment, storm water management, leak diverters — New Pig has been making them cool for years! Their Pigalog (catalog) is a scream and who else in the industrial clean up world gives you free BBQ sauce with large orders? My son still wears his “Boarcelona” T-shirt featuring the “Olympigs.”
In other words, you can make anything cool if you are creative enough and willing to take chances.
Hmm, “if you are not a cool company, don't try?” “You can’t make flame retardants cool.” Not sure I believe that. I've seen some pretty sedate, staid products gussied up to look pretty darn cool and maybe I am not the be-all-end-all arbiter of cool but darn, it looked good to me.
Here's one example from my past — absorbents for spill response, spill containment, storm water management, leak diverters — New Pig has been making them cool for years! Their Pigalog (catalog) is a scream and who else in the industrial clean up world gives you free BBQ sauce with large orders? My son still wears his “Boarcelona” T-shirt featuring the “Olympigs.”
In other words, you can make anything cool if you are creative enough and willing to take chances.
Hmm, “if you are not a cool company, don't try?” “You can’t make flame retardants cool.” Not sure I believe that. I've seen some pretty sedate, staid products gussied up to look pretty darn cool and maybe I am not the be-all-end-all arbiter of cool but darn, it looked good to me.
Here's one example from my past — absorbents for spill response, spill containment, storm water management, leak diverters — New Pig has been making them cool for years! Their Pigalog (catalog) is a scream and who else in the industrial clean up world gives you free BBQ sauce with large orders? My son still wears his “Boarcelona” T-shirt featuring the “Olympigs.”
In other words, you can make anything cool if you are creative enough and willing to take chances.
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