Celebrity Endorsements Are Far From Terminated
“Dylan! I’ve decided it’s time for me to move back to Austria.” This is the opening line of Realestate.com.au’s new big bang campaign starring Mr Action-Hero himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it is brilliant.
The reason this campaign works is that it has been well planned (six months of planning in fact) and well executed. The gamble of using such a huge Hollywood star has paid off with a witty tongue-in-cheek campaign “Australia Lives Here” milking Mr Schwarzenegger’s similar sounding home country of Austria.
The advertisement which saturated Australian TV screens at the prime time spot of 6:20pm last Sunday has been estimated to be seen by approximately 2.7 million viewers. What makes this time frame so crucial is that this is also the time when most people are sitting down, watching TV while also surfing the internet on a digital device.
The ad itself was engaging, funny, short and well structured. However, when using a big name like Arnie, the buck can not stop at one single advertisement. There must be a strategy to ensure that this branding opportunity is utilized to it’s full potential.
Here’s the Chasers:
They made it matter: They put Arnie on prime time for everyone to see. If you are investing in a celebrity to endorse your brand, it has to be seen or you may as well not do it at all. When structuring your campaign ensure you keep the end result and costs in mind whether it be billboards, magazine advertisements or television advertisements. If you blow all of your budget on purely getting the celebrity and non left to showcase it, it can be a lost cause. Obviously viral campaigns are very effective but they need to have something else in place to compliment them and reinforce the message.
Website & social media updates to compliment the campaign:Go on, take a peak at www.realestate.com.au and see who is taking up 80% of their homepage. Make sure you keep scrolling down. You can also meet ‘Dylan’ Arnie’s assistant. Everything you see on their website is reinforcing their brand, their campaign and the new ‘faces’ of their brand. If you didn’t happen to see the advertisement but did happen to jump on their website for real estate related searches, you will very quickly be introduced and immersed in their new campaign. Also check out their domain name and notice there’s another nod to their campaign in the website address. Their social media platforms have also been re-canvassed and a buzz with all things Arnie.
The campaign has been created for viral effect. Arnold Schwarzenegger is very very famous. It will not just be Australians watching this commercial and campaign. With the clever dialogue, this will be a favourite to watch even if you’re not looking for real estate in Australia. It can be enjoyed on many levels of entertainment (and youtube viewing).
The campaign is still going: In order for a campaign to have a positive impact, it needs to stay in the forefront of peoples minds. This can be done through repetition, advertising across different mediums (print, sponsored links, television, radio) and also by giving the campaign a beginning, middle and end. This advertisement is the first in a series of clips made for realestate.com.au. This is a clever way of engaging an audience and taking them on a journey while quietly reinforcing your brand and popping a few of your key selling points in there.
Celebrity endorsements can work and if done correctly with a clear direction and strategy, you can make a lasting impact for your brand. It doesn’t matter how big or small the celebrity, if things are done right, you’re brand will be the ultimate (action) hero.
If you are thinking of starting a new campaign and need assistance, give us a call today.
Hasta La Vista Baby.