Robin Hood Flour Ad MEMORIES Gets Attention

At this time of year when many are finding good cheer in the kitchen - baking or eating – how fitting to see those wonderful TV ads from Robin Hood flour. They get our attention and make us smile with the simple chatter of two young children in the kitchen - a little sibling rivalry and love all rolled into one. The featured ad this year is MAKING MEMORIES, where we see two animated children, idly chatting in the kitchen as children do about nothing in particular. The little one, Andrew, makes you want to hug away his fears, while his older sister, Elizabeth manages to do so with ease in a way only a sibling could – so subtle and endearing, managing to wrap Robin Hood flour into the warmth of the moment. Let’s hope Robin Hood keeps this campaign going and perhaps adds another episode in the future!

So what is it about those Robin Hood Flour ads and this campaign that gets our attention and engages us in this magical world of baking? First the ads are different and stand out in the barrage of other ads that we ignore. The adorable animated children that surfaced in 2005 are becoming almost a tradition in themselves – an animated short-film-of-sorts that gives us a glimpse into the lives of these two children, Elizabeth and Andrew. Watch and enjoy as Robin Hood flour helps create memories for these kids while also reminding us of days gone by. For detailed information on how the campaign was created by Redrover Animation Studios Ltd. for Smuckers Canada, (owners of Robin Hood flour) and their advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather Canada, click here, http://www.richardrosenman.com/project/?cid=72 , and to read about Robin Hood flour’s marketing approaches go to this previous post http://mktgcliks.blogspot.com/2009/11/robin-hood-creates-baking-experiences.html.

Robin Hood Flour - Making Memories http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy6eSgVS1uw&NR=1



Robin Hood Flour - Giving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk9iUn8K2Oo&NR=1



Robin Hood Flour - Teaches Us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRbDwat5tL4

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Gap Logo Redesign – a look back

Now that the Gap redesign logo fiasco has died down and the iconic clothing retailer is getting on with what it does best - selling classic, traditional and well-styled, American clothing, let’s take a look back at the logo crisis and give Kudos to the Gap for pausing to see what all the fuss was really all about - messing with the identity of a brand steeped in classic Americana - a little dodgy to say the least. Take note, logo changes of iconic brands need to be subtle, almost imperceptible to the public, a mere nudging in the right direction to reflect current times. You can subtly revitalize a brand without taking away its heritage with a radical redesign.

So what were they thinking at the Gap? The purpose of redesigning the Gap logo was to capture a more modern brand image in line with store redesigns and new product introductions. The Gap wanted to reflect a more modern brand to consumers and turned to the logo as a way to communicate. The learning - be cautious when changing the insignia of iconic brands. Consumers are often emotionally attached to these brands, and their logos can pull at special memories such as a first pair of jeans, teenage friends, or that special shopping trip with a parent.

The background - on Monday October 5, 2010, the Gap announced a logo change at www.Gap.com, resulting in negative articles on Advertising Age and the Consumerist. This fuelled a flurry of negative reactions to the redesign in the mainstream media, on blogs, and on social networks such as Facebook with parody accounts surfacing on Twitter with @gaplogo, @oldgaplogo, and @craplogo. A saucy new website, http://www.craplogo.me/ mocked the new logo with an online logo-creator where visitors could instantly create spoofs of the new Gap logo.

A week later, rethinking its approach and responding to consumer backlash, the Gap announced its decision to revert to its old logo. The impetus; passionate comments supporting the old logo, over 1500 Facebook comments on the Gap page, and a flurry of negative comments on Twitter and in the mainstream media.

Watch this 6 minute video clip on CNN which summarizes the Gap logo redesign and comments on the issues. http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/business/2010/10/12/qmb.gap.logo.cnn

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