Question

As an account executive for an advertising agency, you have been assigned to a new client, a company that has developed a new energy drink. As you begin development of the creative strategy, you are considering different types of ad execution formats and tonality:

a. Comparative advertising

b. A fear appeal

c. A celebrity endorsement

d. A slice-of-life ad

e. Sex appeal

f. Humor

Outline the strengths and weaknesses of each of these appeals for advertising the new energy drink.

Answer 1

a. Comparative advertising - can highlight the advantages of your energy drink as against competitors. The weakness is the competitors may also use the same to show your drink in poor light.

b. A fear appeal - A threat to the public and installing fear can create curiosity for the drink. However, so may just adhere to the fear and never accept your energy drink.

c. A celebrity endorsement - This is the best way to endorse the energy drink. Celebrities have much fan following and an ad with their favourite celebrity can increase sales. However, if the celebrity is marred in controversy (like Tiger Woods of golf), there can be negative side effects.

d. Slice of life add can create a mass appeal to show the benefits of energy in the drink, but the weakness is that some audience can think that there are drugs (or illegal substances) in the drink.

e. Sex appeal - Will not do anything and will target only a particular age group. Young kids and older generations may be left out of the customer base

f. Humor- Is again another very good thing as humor creates a lighter moment in everyone's hectic life. Once the audience connects with the humor, the brand can create a brand image in the minds of the customer and create loyalty.