When the brain decodes a puzzle, even a simple one, there’s a little reward. Marketers have sometimes used this to good effect – see Puzzles Boost Brand Recognition and Marketing to the Infovore. Watch this commercial from Schick for its Quattro TrimStyle for Women razor:
You probably didn’t “get” the imagery at first, but after a few seconds no doubt it kicked in. The camera work and editing isn’t particularly subtle. (If you didn’t get it at all, watch it again while thinking of English slang for the various areas where one might employ the product in question.)
In this case, the Aha! solution doesn’t relate directly to the brand or product name, so the branding impact might be less effective. What do you think? Is there a neuromarketing benefit here? Is the Schick ad an effective ad? Will some be offended?
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March 20th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I thought it was very clever. However, I don’t know if it really hits their target market? This might fall into the same category as a beer commercial that is very funny but fails to sell more beer. I’ll remember the gist of the commercial but soon forget the brand.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
AHA!!! After watching that 3 times I finally got it, very interesting indeed!
March 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I kind of agree, Ryan. The joke, pun, or whatever is cute, but does it make Schick memorable? On the other hand, if I saw the product in the store I might remember its unique-looking design.
Roger
March 21st, 2009 at 3:22 am
Maybe the ad attract women in searching this schick razor at a store because of ist design. For the brand the ad was not so effective and the momentum of hair design comes not at once.
March 21st, 2009 at 10:48 am
Interesting that I’s see this today. I was pondering this very problem after seeing a competing product that has it’s own “soap bar” attached to the razor. I just wondered how that would work in tight places. The commercial provided an alternative answer to that question, but then I’m not exactly the target audience.
March 21st, 2009 at 11:30 am
I have to agree with Ryan and Roger. It is cute, but not really memorable for Schick.
I might tell my friends about the commercial because it is funny, but I would just tell them that it was a commercial for a razor. It wouldn’t occur to me to tell them the brand name.
If I were going to tell someone about a chihuahua in a commercial, I would call it the “Taco Bell chihuahua”.
March 21st, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Hmmm… looking at the beautiful women leaves no time to notice the shrinking plants.
I’m pretty thick-skinned when it comes to advertising, so I don’t see it as effective.
I don’t think any one would be offended.
March 21st, 2009 at 6:49 pm
My first thought was wondering if they chose abnormally thin women to go with their “trimsytle” razor. Unfortunately, the use of these women will probably trigger anxiety and /or hostility and interfere with the perception of tree morphing of shrubbery, not to mention the branding effort. Bad taste or bad choice of shrubbery, however, as using the more common term will hardly endear women.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Take another look and pay attention to the shapes of the ‘bush’-es. You might find something familiar about them?
March 30th, 2009 at 11:35 am
It would be more memorable if there were a flowering shrub that had been trimmed a bit too much maybe completely.
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I found it funny that the first people who commented here were guys (and they had a hard time catching on). I suspect it might be much easier for a woman to get the reference – and the commercial is clearly targeted at women.
If guys don’t remember it/don’t understand it, it almost makes the ad even more valuable. Clever