The Brand Exchange Dance Makes Brands Bland
Acknowledging all originals ideas are taken, brands are now turing to other brands to help there own brands. The Pillsbury doughboy is now appearing in Sprint commercials. The Maytag repairman was in a GM commercial last year and the Taco Bell dog has been in Geico ads. Sure, this is temporarily funny but as Leo Burnett's Chief Creative Officer Cheryl Berman asks, "Am I supposed to make a phone call or am I supposed to buy some biscuits?", it's a risky move for brands.
Marketers have been messing brands and their icons for the past ten to fifteen years that trying to figure out what the original brand stands for is not as easy as it once was. This brand dance approach to advertising is just another lame attempt at being creative at the long term expense of a brands worth and meaning to the consumer.
