Remember those long distance commercials from the 90s that left us with a lump in our throats? The long-lost daughters calling home to dad. The couples reunited across seemingly uncrossable distances. The embarrassed TV watchers swiping tears from their cheeks?
Yeah, those ones.
What made them compelling was the story. The archetypes welling with happy emotion. The everyday hero stories that we all want to be a part of.
Jump ahead to 2008.
In an advertising environment of dropped calls, sweaty athletes and gloriously glossy hair follicles. AAA responds with their own everyday heroes; with compelling, authentic stories that we can all see ourselves in.
The campaign - from AAA Ohio and SBC Advertising - launched this month. It's told from the perspective of real tow truck drivers. But delivers something much larger: the story of their brand – literally, the true essence of service and membership – found in neighborhood driveways, in busy parking lots and in the cabs of tow trucks, with real people just talking about their jobs.
The result is great TV. Watch the spots here. But, don't blame me if you get a little teary on the Ant ones...
Why I love this approach:
AAA is up against two of the toughest challenges aging brands face: commoditization and sinking relevance.
People think: Oh, I already have this with my insurance or new car.
People think: My car won’t break down. I don’t need it.
Keeping ahead of the market, AAA aimed its operations and marketing strategies at refreshing the market perception of AAA.
Operations: Upgrade the ‘product’ we’re selling. People don’t have time to be towed. They want to be fixed and ‘stay on the go.’
Marketing: Anyone in any car can need AAA. The most common calls aren’t for breakdowns, they’re for keys locked in cars, dead batteries, flat tires, etc.
You can see the results in this campaign.
It shows that members are as likely to call for everyday goofs as real emergencies and demonstrates that most problems are fixed on the spot - no need to tow.
But, more than that, it brings to life a level of service and community that I hope will define the brand going forward.
Nice spot. I thinks it really puts a human face on the company but I doubt that it is very catchy.
Posted by: Christoph | March 25, 2008 at 06:07 PM
Yep... These spots are a great example of a company's perceived sincerity. I really like the way that they were able to tell a common story in an uncommon way.
Posted by: Philip Downer | March 22, 2008 at 02:44 PM
It's a nice spot, warm and credible and obviously puts a human face on the company. But I doubt viewers are going to be "tearing up" at the spots -- unlike the long-distance spots you mention, here the focus is on the service person not the people being served. Again, not to say it's not an effective spot; it is, just in a different way.
More ad commentary at http://craigmcnamara.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Craig McNamara | March 13, 2008 at 02:05 PM
Thank you Advergirl. Damn proud of these spots. Never could have happened without our friends Jimmy Greenway and Michael Nadeau from our production company, Art & Industry. Not to mention our client, Kent Rambo from AAA, for having the backbone to do spots that are talking to his customer, and not screaming.
Posted by: Lance Dooley | March 12, 2008 at 10:56 PM