MICHAEL JORDAN HANES TV COMMERCIAL

by Dan O'Day

Usually ad agencies use the word "branding" to mean "getting your name out there without expecting to be able to measure results" -- which is great for the ad agency, which can concentrate on winning "creative" awards without worrying about whether the clients are wasting their money.

Successful branding requires:

• A well-established brand name. So well-known that the brand doesn't need to be explained to the audience.

• A position to protect. For a large scale branding campaign to succeed, the advertiser isn't attempting to scale the mountain. The advertiser already is King of the mountain.

• The ability to reference the product's relevance to the marketplace without appearing desperate -- without looking as though it needs to sell anything.

• A recognition that as wonderful as the advertiser's product or service might be, it's not the most important thing in the average person's life.

• A ton of money.

The Hanes commercial branding campaign was created by people who know what they're doing.

Note how this commercial doesn't attempt to aggrandize Hanes. Not a word about Hanes being the best.

In fact, the two times the brand is mentioned aren't even in a flattering manner:

1. The "writer" suggests that Hanes pay to be featured in his movie and declares, "I'm not opposed to product placement." Many film viewers dislike product placements, and Michael Jordan doesn't say or do anything to indicate approval of them...even if in reality Hanes DOES pay for product placements.

2. The notion of "everybody just in Hanes underpants" is ludicrous. It only underscores the lameness of Jordan's seatmate.

With that line, the commercial simultaneously conjures images of people consuming (in this case, wearing) the product while scoffing at the suggestion that causes consumers to create that mental image.

And it pushes forward the image Hanes wants for its brand: Cool. Michael Jordan = cool. Michael Jordan represents Hanes. Ergo, the Hanes brand has some coolness about it.

Yes, there is such a thing as "branding." And it can work.

Before you try this at home, please make sure you have a well-established brand name, a position to protect, a ton of money...

And access to people who actually know how to create relevant, effective advertising.