Competitive market

In defence of some marketers, I do acknowledge that the local car business is extremely competitive and even the “big” brands don’t seem to have the money they did 20 or 30 years ago to splurge on “big idea” ads and campaigns.

So don’t expect any part-of-the-culture tag lines like “braaivleis, sunny skies and Chevrolet” or “everything keeps going right, Toyota” any time soon.

Don’t believe me, then, quick: what’s the tag line for Kia, Hyundai, Chery, GWM….? Yep – thought so.

What we do get a lot of is shiny SUVs (because everybody and her dog has an SUV in the brand lineup) cruising through Sandton streets or Cape Winelands or Mom and Dad packing the kids in the back seats and groceries in the boot. It is very difficult to distinguish one from the other.

And it’s not only local-made ads to blame… in this case, they seem to be in the minority as car brands with global connections recycle ads from elsewhere.

Normally, that sort of thing gets up my nose – but the latest ad from Renault, for its Duster SUV, is not only clearly from somewhere else, but it features a stand-out creative idea.

It’s not a new concept to show a SUV (whether it has offroad chops or not – and most don’t) somewhere in the “wild.”

An escape

But Renault’s clever creative concept – “Leave it all behind” – uses clever juxtapositioning to make its point.

So, we see a crowded and busy office desk seemingly plonked in the middle of a beautiful valley. Next up are people in a subway carriage, all looking grim and locked into the hemmed-in urban existence. Both scenes then morph into the Renault Duster and its driver, clearly out in the real wild.

The car, the message says, will enable you to leave all that clutter, all that stress, way behind you. It’s a classic appeal to those who see their car as a way to escape, to do something out of the ordinary and to make memories along the way.

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The “New Duster” is even more striking, design-wise, than its predecessor – which built a solid fan base in SA because of its affordable price and offroad ability – and the ad showcases its lines, as well as its details, from infotainment system to drivetrain.

In so doing, the ad fulfils its dual purpose well – as brand marketing and call to action. If you’ve been thinking about an SUV purchase then seeing this ad will, at the very least, have you heading to the dealer for a test drive.

That is effective advertising – so, Renault, collect your Orchid and leave behind your bland advertising competitors…

Poor attempt at humour

Selling potions and lotions aimed at combatting the dreaded (for men, anyway) problem of impotence has always been a tricky one. It has been done before with some humour because, after all, making light of serious problems is often the first step on the road to a solution.

However, all I can say for a social media video punting “wakey wakey down there” magic muti from an outfit called Lushka is that there is a vast difference between real humour and a moronic attempt at a laugh. The Lushka ad is clearly the latter.

We see a couple in bed. She gets ideas but he clearly, is, to quote the Bible, an example of where “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

She whips out the magic Lushka tabs, hands one over and – bingo! – within minutes he’s ready for action. The “acting” is wooden – and that’s being generous.

All I can say is that if this sort of marketing works for you – rather than being an actual turn-off – then you must be a riot in bed.

Impotence is not funny and your answer to it is not funny, either, Lushka. So, you get an Onion from me.