Wednesday, August 02, 2006

HeadOn: Apply directly to the forehead.

Have you SEEN this commercial? It's the worst ever, and even worse than that, everybody is talking about it. Even me. The only copy in the ad is rapidly repeated three irritating times.

Repetition: According to Dan Charron, VP of sales and marketing for HeadOn, the company used focus groups to test all sorts of marketing tacks. One experimental approach maxed out on repetition, and the results were incredible. The focus groups' recollection of the ad, and of the product, was light-years better than with any other method.
Yet another example of the evils of focus groups. Just because people remember your ad doesn't mean it's a good ad. I would NEVER buy HeadOn, not even if my family were threatened, because of this goddamned annoying commercial. In fact, I won't even be responsible for my actions if I see a PDQ of this product at Wally World. Which would make more publicity for HeadOn: "Crazed customer at Wal-Mart attacks product display."

4 comments:

Major Rakal said...

Oh, yes, I've seen it. It's got to be one of the most annoying yet. Right up there with commercials where the spokesman yells (like Billy Mays and his damned OxiClean).

Jason said...

Yes, I've seen that, too, and it looks like it was made with about a $5 budget.

Yes, I've seen that, too, and it looks like it was made with about a $5 budget.

Yes, I've seen that, too, and it looks like it was made with about a $5 budget.

Kindralas said...

What amazes me is how marketing people are like all agog about this because it's so brilliant or whatever.

But advertisers have done this for years, just not in mainstream television. European and Japanese advertising is shockingly filled with this crap. Also, while the 'rents might not remember, similar ads have run here.

Now, I am not in the market for a trailer, and I have not heard this commercial in nearly 10 years, but:

Bropf's has double-wides for 19,995.

Trundling Grunt said...

Chuck/Kathy - you are spot on. They are the last products I would buy purely due to their crass advertising. I suspect they appeal to the weak and deluded (Winter). I'll bet Brad has a caseload - he has a lot of forehead. Maybe 3 times as much?