Honda Tops Latest Ads That Make News Survey
Controversy continued to be the key to success for ads wishing to make the news with Propeller’s latest survey revealing that Honda’s award winning ‘cog’ TV commercial inspired the most column inches during the second quarter of 2003.
The survey, which measures the volume of editorial coverage of ad campaigns in national newspapers, shows that Honda secured the most newsworthy advert between April and June this year. The attention was partly due to the controversy created when a pair of Swiss artists claimed that the advertising agency, Wieden and Kennedy, plagiarised a short film as the concept for the ad.
Celebrities also continued to guarantee column inches and an advert for Esure, fronted by Michael Winner, drew a great deal of attention from the tabloid press to become the second most written about campaign of the year so far.
David Beckham, who previously topped the survey in 2002 for his Pepsi commercial (see Beckham Tops 2002 Ads In The News Survey), continued to grab the headlines for an Easyjet campaign, which came in joint third, due to its unsanctioned use of the England captain’s image.
The PG Tips ‘chimp’ ads came in joint sixth after research revealed they were the most popular advertising characters ever. This tied with Sainsbury’s controversial ad containing the hotly disputed claim that checkout assistants would pack customers bags for them (see ITC Raps Sainsbury’s For Misleading Ads).
| Ads That Made The News In Q2 2003 | ||
| Rank | Advertiser | Celebrity/Campaign |
| 1 | Honda Accord | Cog |
| 2 | Esure | Michael Winner |
| 3= | Easyjet | Beckham |
| 3= | Carphone Warehouse | Maureen Lipman |
| 3= | Government | Anti-Drugs |
| 6= | PG Tips | Chimps |
| 6= | Sainsburys | Checkout Packing |
| 8= | Durex | Roger More |
| 8= | Orange | Hard Nosed |
| 8= | Easyjet | Weapons of mass distraction |
| Source: Propeller | ||
Three more controversial ads shared eighth place: the banned Durex ‘roger more’ ads, a campaign for Orange fronted by a child and Easyjet’s notorious ‘weapons of mass distraction’ ad. The survey revealed that ads that flout guidelines will usually grab the headlines (see Feature: Ads That Flout Guidelines Grab The Headlines).
Commenting on the study, Martin Loat, managing director of Propeller Communications, said: “After a string of ads relying on controversy or sex to top our Ads That Make News surveys, it is pleasing to see an ad make the headlines simply for being a brilliant ad. It is true that stories about plagiarism helped ‘cog’ top the chart, but the data from Durrants shows it was already creating a stir based on execution alone.”
He added: “Unlike ‘cog’ the Michael Winner ads for Esure may not win a Cannes award but they seem to have captured the public imagination and garnered a huge amount of awareness building publicity for the brand. This might not be what traditional ad agencies want to hear, but in a crowded market where cut through is vital, more and more clients are realising the power of extending their advertising message through PR and editorial exposure in this way.”
The Independent Television Commission recently received 126 complaints over a Halfords ad, which featured chimpanzees dressed as humans (see Halfords Climbs Down Over Chimp Advertising).
Propeller Communications: 0870 066 4608 07769 www.propellercom.com
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