MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: HOT SPOTS: HOW MEMORABLE ADS ARE MADE: MCDONALD'S, TAPE 1 OF 2 {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One of a series of seminars presented by The Museum of Television & Radio. "Hot Spots: How Memorable Ads Are Made" focuses on recent advertising produced by the Chicago-based agency, Leo Burnett Company, for McDonald's USA. Featured panelists include Kent Middleton, V.P./Creative Director of Leo Burnett; Steve Newby, Deputy Creative Director of McDonald's USA, formerly copywriter at J. Walter Thompson and V.P./Creative Director at Leo Burnett; and Richard Stoddard, V.P./Account Director of Leo Burnett. Museum curator David Bushman serves as moderator. The seminar begins with a selection of 19 McDonald's commercials, followed by a question and answer session. The following topics are discussed: image advertising vs. retail/price-oriented advertising; McDonald's image and advertising style (warm, human, relevant, sensitive to and in touch with consumers); the importance of building brand equity through advertising; advertising for "Tweens" (ages 8-14); the use of storyboards in the creation of McDonald's advertising; McDonald's "Creative Review Board" structure and how it avoids problems through a careful pre-production process involving creative, marketing, and account staffers from both the agency and the client; how advertisers are attempting to reach "Generation X;" Burger King's "BK TV" campaign; McDonald's music and sports promotions; genesis of the commercial "Showdown," which features the talents of Michael Jordan and Larry Bird; the advertising of commercial director Joe Pytka, known for his superb storytelling skills; importance of casting and consumer research in McDonald's advertising; what McDonald's is looking for in terms of creative strategy; the unique strengths of the McDonald's-Leo Burnett relationship, which dates from 1981; importance of a simple creative "idea" that can be summarized in a single sentence; the pros and cons of "account planning"; the pitfalls of exclusionary advertising, as exemplified by Burger King's campaign to appeal to "Generation X"; why baseball seems to lag behind other major sports in terms of marketing; lack of "brand awareness" by baseball management and the sport's local market structure, contrasted with the situation in the National Basketball Association; whether the recent retirement of stars like Michael Jordan, "Magic" Johnson, and Larry Bird has implications for the phenomenal success of N.B.A. marketing promotions; the Ronald McDonald Foundation and related advertising; advertising as a mechanism for improving customer service and employee morale; genesis of the "Fair Trade" spot, in which an enterprising kid trades his soccer ball for lunch at McDonald's, and "The Bear," in which a trained bear at the zoo begs for Chicken McNuggets; test marketing; the difficulties involved in introducing new products, ninety per cent of which prove to be unsuccessful.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: September 20, 1994
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:34355
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: 1:30:57
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Bushman … Moderator
- Kent Middleton … Panelist
- Steve Newby … Panelist
- Richard Stoddard … Panelist
- Michael Jordan
- Larry Bird
- Joe Pytka
- Johnson Jr., Earvin (see also: "Magic" Johnson)
- Ted Turner