Ad of the Day: Captain Morgan: 10/21/2011

SM: According to this recent article beer sales are down 1.5% this year, while spirits are up 3.2%, and I have a feeling it has to do with the advertising. How many times can we see a bunch a guy standing around doing god-knows-what with beer in their hand? Spirit ads are breaking that cycle by creating brand personalities through storytelling. This ad establishes the suave swagger that I’ve come to associate with Captain Morgan. By depicting the brand icon in a narrative, the consumer can clearly differentiate the brand identity from other liquors and determine if that’s the image they want their alcoholic beverage to emulate. Although I could do without the corny ending, two seconds of guys standing around drinking is a heck of a lot better than 30 seconds. PW: The facts don’t lie: beer brands are suffering. When I think of recent alcohol advertising I think of Johnnie Walker and Jameson. But there are beer brands with great storytelling campaigns running right now including Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man In The World,” Stella’s “She Is A Thing Of Beauty,” and Sam Adams’ “Take Pride In Your Beer.” The article highlights another issue: unemployed blue collar workers. When the lites’ target audience has no money to spend, of course the sales will plummet Another issue may be healthy living trends. Dieting commercials are now specifically targeting men; all those football analysts are losing weight with nutrisystem. And, although proven not true, common folklore states spirits have less calories than beer. Maybe the brewing industry needs to try and abolish the term “beer belly.” What do you guys think? Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the inaugural Saturday Social Spotlight during which we will analyze FourSquare.