Brand safety has met a defiant foe in 2017. With a vacuum of political unrest consuming all facets of media, brands have had to steer through mine fields to avert unintended brand alignment. Although blacklisting and averting politically charged content through brand safety tools can help brands evade these situations, some companies have chosen to follow an alternate path. Rising above the madness by not simply avoiding the conversation, but joining it.
It is these change agents that have chosen to use the challenging 2017 landscape to reignite their brands’ core values. It is the time for companies to remind consumers of where they stand.
Below are 3 great examples of brands using advertisement as a platform to uplift consumers through positive brand messaging.
Coca Cola – “America the Beautiful”
A throwback from 2014, Coca Cola chose to resurface their “America the Beautiful” ad. This ad proved to show where Coca Cola stood in 2014 and where they aim to stay in 2017. Promoting unity in a beautifully constructed story line, rung in by a chorus of different languages singing a tune we can all connect to. Coca Cola stands as an international brand with prowess and recognition in a variety of different countries. Their diverse audience is where their strength lies. This is brand messaging done right. Staying true to their core values and reminding Americans that diversity makes America beautiful.
Cadillac – “Dare Greatly”
Protest is a theme most advertisers run from. However Cadillac, not only takes this topic head-on, but flips our perspective. The company chose to highlight the positive stories that are overshadowed in our current political chasm. These stories may not always make the news, but they define American values and have been key in our history. In serving this brand story, Cadillac successfully honed into its reliability as a century old brand that understands the people they have helped carry along the way. They dared to remind their audience that although we’re not the same, we can be one. And did a great job doing so.
Budweiser – “Born the Hard Way”
Budweiser taps into their founder’s history and beautifully illustrates the backstory behind their brand. Although a heated topic in today’s political climate, immigration has been the base of the American dream. Budweiser stands as a symbol of this, and does superb job in invoking an emotional connection to their founder’s American dream in his journey to brew the “King of Beers.”
With these ads in the forefront, cultural context is shaping up to be a prevalent aspect of media in 2017. As a brand, it is time to evaluate where your values stand. What is your role today and how can you add value to the conversation? As a marketer, align your brand with meaningful content that tells a deeper story. Stay true to your value propositions, but dare to inspire. Ask yourselves: what makes my company different and what is my audience going through?
Own your voice, be authentic, and remind your audiences that you stand behind them so they can stand behind you.
A R T U R O S I G U E N Z A S A M U E L S
Media Account Manager
