J H I Blog

If you’ve turned on your TV, read the news online or flipped open your morning paper, you, like me, have been bombarded with nothing but repeats of the same doom and gloom message from the media about the state of our country and the current financial crisis that we can all officially (I think) call a recession.

Luckily, we Americans are a hopeful and enterprising lot, which is what a lot of marketers are betting on as they try to appeal to consumers trying to do more with less.

Here is a quick list of recent campaigns trying to shed a ray of hope through the dark clouds.  Here at JHI, we’re more than ready to put our shades on.

Pepsi, Refresh Everything. The world watched as Pepsi launched their “refreshed” logo on New Year’s Eve in Times Square.  Here is the video just in case you missed it.  And, check out www.refresheverything.com, where just in time for Obama’s Inauguration, visitors can upload a “Dear Mr. President” video.

Allstate, Back to the Basics. Same spokesperson, same “are you in good hands” message with a new “back to the basics in life” theme.  The commercial does a great job of connecting with viewers by touting a “remember the good old days” message.

Coke, Open Happiness. Known for many a happy message, such as “the Coke side of life” in the past, Coke is going toe-to-toe with Pepsi with a new “Open Happiness” slogan. No new creative to show, but be on the lookout in the next couple of weeks.

And, in news from Ad Age, Budweiser plans to run three Super Bowl spots featuring their famous Clydesdales.  Talk about a company that recently went through a lot of change opting to go with the tried and true, a reminder to people that even in tumultuous times, some good things can stay the same.