Unfortunately, there are only so many simple lines to go around. Occasionally a good idea or a catchy line can innocently turn out to be someone else’s good idea or catchy line, too. Unknowingly.
Such is the case involving the “Real Food” campaigns going on right now.
Over the past year, Starbucks has adopted the campaign of “Real Food. Simply Delicious.” It adorns their napkins, menus and other marketing items to help promote their food menu that they have been trying so hard to further. The “real” aspect is representative of their low-calories and their absence of artificial flavors and other fantastic tasting evils.
Jason’s Deli has also launched a relentlessly “real” campaign to promote their healthy, natural, and organic food ingredients and options. Their campaign is “Real Food. Real Choices.” It, too, was launched over a year ago, with proudly inked menus, napkins, signage and marketing material. Even their house coffee is organic whole bean, freshly brewed coffee. And it is exquisite (try the mild roast).
I recently found this Jason’s Deli take-out bag in the back seat of my car and a stack of these Starbucks napkins in my center console. I had to take a photo of this unplanned fiesta of culinary coincidence. I do feel that the shared theme in these two brands’ campaigns is genuinely coincidental and innocent. I do not think that they view each other as true direct competitors, and frankly, when describing all natural ingredients, there are only so many words before you land on “real.” So, I have little reason to believe that one brand was cheating off of the other’s paper in this case.
However, the disappointing piece of this is that since they are in the same industry and one is of far greater ad exposure than the other, it is only natural for consumers to assume that the larger brand is the original creator. It is unfair, but yet instinctive for the average consumer to think that the coffee brand from Seattle, WA beat the deli brand from Beaumont, TX to the punch.
So if you are out on your way to work in the morning and you see someone flaunting their Starbucks Venti Skim Chai with the words “Real” boldly exposed, consider all those creative minds behind Jason’s “Real Food” campaign and know that they are right on par with your mega coffee brand. For all we know, they could be the Real originals of the line anyway.
And their coffee may just taste better, too.
- Lance LaRue, Advertising & Creative Manager at Americom Marketing Ad Agency 2010
0 comments:
Post a Comment