...and they're exactly right.This week's update in advertising comes on a more sincere note by the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS). The ad features eight young adults with Down syndrome explaining when it's appropriate to use the word sorry, and when it's not. For example, they say it's okay to say sorry when you ate someone's pizza, or stole their girlfriend, but you should never say sorry when someone's child has Down syndrome.
The goal of the campaign is to shift the conversation from pitying families impacted by Down syndrome, to celebrating them. In addition to the full YouTube spot, CDSS created a series of six second pre-rolls that will air before videos that mention the word sorry like Justin Bieber's "Sorry" (song still bangs by the way). Speaking of, CDSS also released a Spotify playlist of songs including Sorry to gain traction in their campaign. Last year's campaign brought in 115K views on YouTube, and I believe this year their potential is far greater. The campaign should experience a huge lift Wednesday, March 21st, as it marks World Down Syndrome Day! Until then, let's dive-in to this week's WOW Blogggggg *hits falsetto* Target: The target of this campaign is males and females under 30 years old. This is because their ads are wrapped around music that is mainly listened to by younger generations, and also with their use of Spotify playlists. Insight: Professor Matt Funkytown Stefl always says, "Advertising doesn't have to suck" and I think that's an important takeaway for this campaign. Marketing for a good cause such as this can often be difficult. The message has to feel authentic and meaningful. When you've got the message down, however, you're still only half-way there. CDSS's vehicles of showcasing the campaign were very creative to reaching a younger audience through strategic YouTube placements and Spotify playlists. Brand Idea/Positioning: CDSS's goal of this campaign was to speak softly and carry a big stick by showcasing a light-hearted video with a powerful message. Their goal is to position the campaign in the mind of their audience whenever they hear of a family impacted with Down syndrome, and remember it's no place to apologize. Objective: The objective of this campaign is to make a meaningful difference by changing the stigma around Down syndrome. I imagine a lot of people would otherwise have no idea this was an inappropriate thing to say to a family welcoming a child with Down syndrome into the world. However, the ad serves as a gentle, lasting reminder. Strengths: The campaign is clearly rooted in strength. All of their materials are ready for World Down Syndrome Day, and they will experience huge exposure to their campaign. They managed to convey an authentic message without appearing standoffish. Before this campaign, I had never considered using Spotify for advertising, and that in itself is genius. Weaknesses: It's hard to critique a worthy campaign such as this. However, the criticism I would offer would be to expand their target range from young adults to adults starting families. I imagine most of the scenarios where people are saying sorry for having a child with Down syndrome comes when expecting or existing families are talking- yet this campaign seems centered around a younger audience. That said, I am very exited to see where this campaign goes. Overall Rating: ★★★★★
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Welcome to the Work of the Week blog. Here, I will be taking modern examples of advertising, breaking them down and analyzing them from a marketer's perspective.
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