Every now and then, I come across branding campaigns which make me ask “What were they thinking?” Although the question may sound condescending, I often ask it in a literal sense, trying to figure out why advertisers made certain decisions.
One particular advertising campaign that I can’t figure out is the “Land of Beef.”
It appears that the goal of this campaign is to show various “beefscapes” which I suppose are intended to make beef more appealing (see other examples here and here). However, I don’t get how they could accomplish this goal. As another blogger has asked: “How is that appetizing.” Frankly, I want my steak tender; not rock hard like a canyon wall.
Another advertisement that I can’t quite figure out accosts me on my way to the office every morning. It’s an advertisement for Manny’s Steakhouse, which arguably serves some of the finest steaks in Minneapolis (and elsewhere). The advertisement depicts a giant bull in all its anatomically correct glory with the tag line, “Manny’s: One Helluva Sac Lunch.” (Dan Kelly previously referenced this photo in his “Tasty Humor” post.) I can see how it might be funny, but again, how is it appetizing.
Now, I’m a big steak fan. I love red meat. (Is there any other kind?) But, these advertisements absolutely do not make me want to eat beef. In fact, they make me want to steer clear until the image disappears from my mind. Who wants the last thing going through their mind before taking a bite into a delicious steak to be bull testicles? Objectively viewing these campaigns, who is the target market and what is the goal? I can’t come up with a satisfactory answer for either.