A few years ago, analysts were predicting that online video would rise at the expense of TV advertising. While the annual fight for Super Bowl spots is proof that television is still an effective platform for reaching the masses, the popularity of video on the web is something that cannot be argued. And though they are two entirely different mediums, the parallels between online video and TV may not be as far apart as one might assume, according to a new advertising campaign recently launched by footwear maker Ugg.<\/p>\n
Ugg is perhaps best known for its catalog of unisex boots made of sheepskin. The brand, which got its fashion inspiration from Australia or New Zealand, take your pick, realized it needed to make its products more attractive to men. However, there was a problem: mainly, its long standing reputation for producing furry boots designed for women. To shake that perception, the brand hired international advertising agency M&C Saatchi, and brought in Tom Brady, NFL Pro Bowl quarterback and a real man\u2019s man, as its celebrity spokesperson.<\/p>\n
In an interesting turn of events, Ugg decided to measure response by running a video of its advertisement on YouTube a week before debuting it on TV. Coupled with aggressive marketing from the PR side, which revealed that the spot would run during the first Monday Night Football game of the year, the video helped build up a decent amount of anticipation, while the TV spot itself was instrumental in drawing men to its website and Facebook page, destinations that were respectively designed to showcase and allow consumers to purchase the brand\u2019s complete line of men\u2019s products.<\/p>\n
To say that combining TV and online video in an integrated marketing strategy turned out to be a smart move on the part of Ugg would be an understatement. Not only did the initiative help the video generate more than 200,000 views on YouTube, it also helped the brand increase its following on both Facebook and Twitter. Brady\u2019s record-setting performance in the Monday night game didn\u2019t hurt Ugg\u2019s advertising efforts, either. The Michigan Wolverines alumni threw for 517 yards and four TD strikes to lead the New England Patriots in a 38-14 victory over AFC East rival Miami Dolphins.<\/p>\n
The pairing of Ugg and Brady ended up being a winning team, but some pundits are still jokingly questioning the brand\u2019s level of endorsement quality in the masculinity department. Referred to by some as the \u201cgolden boy\u201d of the NFL, Brady is often poked fun at for his flowing locks, impromptu flailing-arm dance moves and other traits you wouldn\u2019t necessarily associate with the \u201cmanly man\u201d one might picture stomping around in a pair of boots made for the rough and rugged. Nevertheless, the team struck gold, and gave us another example of multichannel marketing done right.<\/p>\n
What do you think? Is Ugg\u2019s marketing to men a move in the right direction or an \u201cugh\u201d-inducing misstep?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A few years ago, analysts were predicting that online video would rise at the expense of TV advertising. While the annual fight for Super Bowl spots is proof that television is still an effective platform for reaching the masses, the popularity of video on the web is something that cannot be argued. And though they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2171],"tags":[408,1183,1182,1181,1180,1179,757],"class_list":["post-1689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beyond","tag-youtube","tag-ugg","tag-tom-brady","tag-super-bowl","tag-saatchi","tag-nfl-pro-bowl","tag-online-marketing"],"yoast_head":"\n