Bell Canada has tried its hand at Telus-style marketing, but failed miserably.
Using a beaver (our national animal), Bell tried to mimic the infectiously cute ads Telus has gained notoriety for. The two cable and internet providers may be competitors when it comes to service, but when it comes to ads, Telus still reigns.
Though everyone adores the Telus commercials and associate the company with its incredible ads, they're still not convinced to utilize the company's services.
A posting on AdFreak.com noted:
"Canadian ISP Telus has a hit TV commercial on its hands. Trouble is, it's prompting people to go out and buy toy hippopotamuses, not the company's Internet services. It's the song in the ad that has viewers enthralled: a 1950s Gayla Peevey tune called 'I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.' Not everyone wants a hippo, the commercial says. Some people want broadband. No, actually they want hippos. Toy hippos—plush, plastic, it doesn't matter—have been selling like crazy in Calgary. 'For whatever reason their kids are drawn to this hippo and this song,' says one owner of a toy store. '[Telus has] done animal commercials forever. I've never seen anything like this.'
Bell, on the other hand, was more successful.
"Despite the strong numbers, there are reasons to ask how much life the beavers have left," CTV news reported. "For one thing, Bell marketing chief and beavers booster Jim Little left for another job. And hedge and pension funds, preparing to take parent BCE Inc. private, could slash Bell's marketing budget or change the ad campaign. Bell's ad agency, Cossette Communication Group Inc., acknowledges there have been routine talks about when to fire the spokesbeavers."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Humorous Ads
- Telus-style infectious and humorous ads entice viewers to not buy their internet service, but something else.
- Marketing Budget Strategy
- Marketing strategists consider budget allocation in ad campaigns as critical factors for its success.
- Brand Awareness Vs. Sales Growth
- Unique and funny ads such as Bell's beaver ads have the potential to increase brand awareness but not necessarily sales growth.
Where This Applies
- Telecommunications
- Telecommunications sector stands to benefit from creating humorous ads to promote its services and increase brand awareness.
- Marketing
- Marketing professionals aim to create ad campaigns that can increase both brand awareness and sales growth by using a fun and memorable approach.
- Retail
- The retail industry can take advantage of the popularity of Telus commercials by finding complimentary items to sell when customers become drawn to these ads.
