jtherkal: The best male-targeted shampoo commercials ever made. Isn’t it? No. Isn’t it? Yes. If you’re going to talk to me about shampoo during a football game, find a way to do it without showing some guy soaping up in the shower. You asked with your eyes, Trent. You asked with your eyes.
It’s possible I have beard dandruff. Can it treat that? A.
jtherkal: Not long ago we rated a Dove shampoo ad, and we rated it poorly. Most advertising targeting females, especially in the beauty industry, is entirely forgettable. This one is not. It delivers the message in a funny, memorable way. Someone out there understands that girls are smart enough to get jokes and that when people laugh, they remember. This may suffer from a slight case of “forget what product it’s for,” but overall I think we’ll start seeing more and more ads that target girls in this way. In my opinion, it’s smart. A-.
sjbooher: Hahahahahahahaha. Very funny, like TBS! “No she did not just do the crazy head twirl, girlfriend! Hell-to-the-naw!” Everything he just said, but downgraded a little more because of the lack of product focus. B.
jtherkal: This is a pretty typical shampoo ad for ladies. My question is, do any of them stand out? To me, this is about as forgettable as it gets. Generic music, weak voiceover, lame graphics, average model. I am somewhat intrigued by this “repairing serum” they speak of. Tell me more about that. D.
In related news, guys have no idea how to buy shampoo. My brother once came home with a drug-store brand shampoo named “Tangerine Tickle.” I think his the decision making process that resulted in that purchase would be an interesting case study. For me, anything that says “shampoo and conditioner” seems to work. And anything in a bright green or blue bottle appears to be a more effective shampoo. Packaging is everything.
sjbooher: Interesting (or horrible, you make the call) side note… jtherkal used to, and may still, use shampoo for his entire body — not just his head hair. No soap, just shampoo. Anyway… what about all that sleek, shiny hair shown? And what about that precious “repairing serum” or whatever they said? Boring, that’s “what about”. This does seem to like every other shampoo ad, so that cannot be good. At least they are showing the product and I know what is for — somewhat of a rare commodity these days. C-.
jtherkal:
Every year you get at least one advertiser during the Super Bowl who thinks, “No one else is targeting women, this is my chance to have them all to myself.” I have no idea if this works or not, but I like the thinking–millions of women stuck on couches, forced to watch football, diddling with their hair wishing someone would pay attention to them. Perfect time for a shampoo ad! Unfortunately, this year’s woman ad kind of sucks. It didn’t feel “big” or “fresh” enough to compete with the other ads around it. I guess it has star power, but I don’t think you can ever clearly see their hair. And isn’t that what you want to show off with shampoo? I mean, if life was reduced to three colors and desaturated, we’d all look awesome. D+.
sjbooher:
Yeah, it felt like they spent all of their money on the placement and on the stars and then just threw the rest together. And is that second picture really Shakira? The other two were recognizable, but Shakira is known for her curly hair, which does not come across at all in that portrait. I’m also never a fan of “hiding” the product until the end. C-.