Why couldn’t it have been…?

A couple of Depend spots – click the picture to view:

The creative is good, actually a surprise. But what isn’t a surprise – the creative is good because they’re directed by Errol Morris (born 1948):

Kimberly-Clark Launches Largest Campaign Ever For Its Depend Brand
…One of the key elements of the new campaign is a certain level of authenticity -- showcasing real people, since this is such a real issue for so many people…

Sounds like lessons from my book.

But why aren’t these spots sending you to the web site?  There are dozens of previous posts that talk about this. Here’s just one:

Snake Oil In Cyberspace
For the umpteenth time …
The Most Effective Marketing/Advertising Model For Reaching Baby Boomers: What is now called traditional advertising pushing you to an age-friendly, informative product/services web site.

I guess what upsets me about this campaign is not the campaign itself.  I like it.  I see people around my age – they’re entertaining, loose, funny. I’m wondering what the payoff will be. What a letdown.  

Why couldn’t it have been a car?  Laundry soap?  A computer?  A razor?  Anything but some age-related malady:

Use only as directed
By Joseph P. Kahn
There were glossy pitches for Centrum Cardio multivitamins, AARP supplemental medicare insurance plans, Visine … Contour Meter diabetes testers (now available in five vibrant colors!), Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel foot insoles, Flomax (for urinary and prostate problems), Wal-Mart prescription-drug services, Children's Benadryl Allergy and Sinus Liquid, Centrum Silver vitamin tablets, Boniva (Sally Field playing a nimble game of Twister with her granddaughter this time), Tena Serenity Pads bladder protection, and One-a-Day 50 Plus vitamins.

So the Depend campaign gets an A for creative, C- for marketing. 

And looking at the big picture – let’s hope that ad agencies will see these spots and realize they’re missing out not hiring people over fifty to create campaigns for just about any product or service.

Or should clients put pressure on their agencies? 

An excerpt from Advertising to Baby Boomers: