The VI Brand

8 WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

1. You can register your name and email with OU and you will receive a response with work shifts that fit your schedule at http://www.ou.edu/leadandvolunteer.html

2. Frontline Church has set up a volunteer headquarters, click here for detailshttp://frontlinechurch.tv/servemoore

3. OBI is in need of O-negative and Rh-negative blood types, you can go to http://obi.org/ to schedule an appointment.

4. Cleveland County Fairgrounds is currently one of the pet shelters, they are in need of bowls, blankets, towels, dog food and kennels. 

5. Pets also need our help – contact the Animal Resource Center at 405-604-2892 to sign up for a volunteer shift.  They are currently in need of overnight and weekend volunteers.  They are also taking donations of bleach, kennels, carriers, blankets, towels, trash bags and anything else that you can think of.

6. ALL Bob Moore Auto Group (OKC Metro) dealerships are accepting disaster response items and and basic essentials on behalf of Feed the Children and cash/gift card donations on behalf of the Salvation Army of Oklahoma City. All Bob Moore dealerships are official donation centers (closed on Sundays).

7. You can also follow these Facebook links for up-to-date volunteer information athttps://www.facebook.com/OklahomaFans andhttps://www.facebook.com/AmericanRedCrossOklahoma

8. Through Feed the Children you can sign up for specific time slots 5/22 – 5/25 athttp://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084AAFAF22A46-tornado

Blog via VI Marketing and Branding's monthly email "Good Vibrations." To sign for this, please contact [email protected]

I am so very glad to introduce you to VI Marketing and Branding's newest member of its Social Media team. Everyone, meet Social Media Strategist Rachel Prince!

- Casey Cornett

VI Marketing and Branding, Social Media Director

_______________________________________________________________

Reaching the age of “born and raised” is a very exciting stage of life to enter. The possibilities seem endless and you finally have some experience under your belt. As an impressionable undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to tour VI and I knew at that moment working for this agency would be one of my career goals. Now as a young communications professional, I consider myself very fortunate to see this goal become a reality. 

I grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma with the most supportive family around. As the youngest of five children, all of whom are only seven years apart, I always strived to be the peacemaker amongst the zoo. I like to think this is truly where my communications career began.

After graduating from Edmond Memorial High School, I attended the University of Central Oklahoma. Following in my sibling’s footsteps, I decided to declare as a communications major. UCO offered me countless opportunities to grow as a communicator and community member, and once you get to know me you’ll realize why I consider myself one of the proudest Central alumni around. I served as a member of the NSAC AAF Presentation Team, worked as the PR chair for numerous student organizations and was able to give back to the University as the Homecoming Chair. These experiences helped shape me into an individual who always values developing relationships and sees the importance in investing in a good planner.

Upon graduation I accepted a full-time offer as a Communications Director for a local medical association. My time with the association was invaluable and I am thankful for the skill set I was able to develop.

The members of the VI team have already welcomed me so well, and I am grateful to be counted among such a talented and innovative group of professionals. As I begin work as a VI Social Media Strategist, I look forward to connecting, sharing and learning with all of you. 

- Rachel Prince

Via BuzzFeed

1. EVERYTHING in this video.

2. Puppies arriving backstage.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

3. And everyone got to hold one.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

4. It was magical.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

5. No one could stop squealing.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

6. When all the puppies had to line up to...

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

7. ...go play on a puppy- and kitten-sized football field.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

8. And play they did!

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

9. Whee!

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

10. When these two puppies faced off.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

11. When this puppy peeked over the barrier.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

12. But there were also kittens! It was cute when the kitten halftime show arrived in cardboard boxes.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

13. And when the stage got outfitted with extra-fun halftime insanity.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

14. For kittens to crawl all over.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

15. And bat at things from.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

16. These two kitten pals.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

17. All of the kittens peeking up from their enclosures backstage.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

18. This face.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

19. Kitten handlers preparing kitties to run onto the field.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

20. Kittens not being sure what to do with all this attention.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

21. Kittens in the spotlight.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

22. Kittens overwhelmed with the number of toys on the field.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

23. Actually, everything about the kitty halftime show.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

24. When confetti came pouring down on the kittens.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

25. And the people filming got their fair share as well.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

26. Then the kittens were fully confetti'd.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

27. This kitten.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

28. And especially this kitten hanging out in the corner.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

29. And then falling asleep there.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

30. OK, let's get back to puppies!

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

31. These sleepy dudes on the right.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

32. This dog mugging for the camera.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

33. And this puppy.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

34. These dogs playing tug-o-war.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

35. And whenever the ref has to intervene.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

36. LET'S TALK HEDGEHOG CHEERLEADERS!

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

37. Such as Kiwi:

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

38. When someone set a hedgehog down like this.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

39. This hedgehog's face.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

40. And this hedgehog's face as well.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

41. THIS hedgehog's face.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

42. THIS HEDGEHOG'S FACE

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

43. This lady whose job it is to make sure all the animals are handled safely.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

44. This hedgehog hanging out with a tiny football.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

45. This proud lady whose hedgehog is some kind of grand champion hedgehog.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

46. This hedgehog hanging out with a small stuffed hedgehog version of itself.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

47. This hedgehog who didn't want to wear a tutu.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

48. Hedgehogs who are ready for their close-up.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

49. The families of hedgehogs watching their 'hogs on the monitors backstage.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

50. THE HEDGEHOG CONTROL ROOM.

Image by Summer Anne Burton/Buzzfeed

51. And more puppies!

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

52. Puppies getting scooped.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

53. Shown off.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

54. PUPPIESSSSSSSSS!

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

55. Being serious about puppies.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

56. Puppies attacking puppies.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

57. Groups of puppies puppying.

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

Image by Macey J Foronda/Buzzfeed

58. And, finally, very exhausted puppies.

Written By VI Marketing and Branding's PR Director Larry "Mac" McAlister

Four million dollars is a lot of cash to spend for 30-seconds of airtime no matter how you look at it. It almost seems unimaginable, and many of our Super Blogs this week have reinforced the notion, that it could possibly be worth it. 

Well I’m here to tell you today – It is.

Despite recent efforts to turn a single ad into a campaign that gives the investment a couple of weeks extension before and after the big game, my take is the ad itself is worth the bank.

We’re talking about some of the most creative people in the world, lots of them, equipped with massive budgets, cutting edge technology, world-class talent and the biggest stage, all coming together with the sole purpose to make us laugh, or occasionally ahh!

And it works, in many more cases than not, every year.

Do you remember any Super Bowl ads from 20-years ago? If you’re 30 or older you do. If younger, ads from a decade past apply.

That fact alone, that any of us remember commercials from a year ago, 10 or 20 years ago is unheard of in today’s technological touch point world. And that my friend, is why the price tag for Super Bowl ads is meaningless – as long as you make us laugh.

Here is a look back at some of my most memorable Super Bowl ads ever.

The first two Super Bowl spots that really made an impression, or got a lot of notice following the game were the “Joe Namath Gets Creamed” (by Farrah Fawcett) ad for Noxema, and Coke’s wildly popular “Mean Joe Green” jersey spot.

From there the Master Lock “Sniper” ad, so eloquently discussed in an earlier Super Blog, the game changer – the 1984 Apple “Macintosh” ad that set a new standard and one of the all-time greats, Bird and Jordan playing HORSE “Nothing But Net” for a Big Mac Meal.

Pepsi has scored big over the years but several stand out. Michael J. Fox in the “Apartment 10G,” Cindy Crawford and the “Vending Machine” and of course the “Truck Drivers” from the cola wars days. 

Likewise Budweiser has a lineage of classic Super Bowl ads.  The Budweiser “Frogs” from 1995, “Louie the Lizard,” “WASSUP” and the Clydesdale series, beginning with the Rocky themed ‘High Five.”

Other big hits include EDS “Herding Cats,” Monster “When I Grow Up,” Xerox “Monks” and a personal favorite from Reebok, “Terry Tate Office Linebacker.”

And the last few years have their share of standouts including Snickers “Betty White,” Chrysler “Imported From Detroit,” Old Spice “Man You Long To Smell Like” and of course Volkswagen “Mini Darth Vader.”

Written by VI Marketing and Branding's President Tim Berney 

This past week, I have attempted to have the same media consumption habits that I have every week.  It has been a little experiment to see if I noticed which of the brands that are advertising in the Super Bowl were promoting their spots in what manner:  social media, PR, teaser spots, etc.  Of course, my media consumption includes marketing trade publications, so I’ve seen plenty of the spots and read about what they are or are not doing to gain attention.  But, I wanted to see if they would effectively reach me if I weren’t in the industry. 

Today, I read an article that said that Toyota won the pre-game buzz with some 11+ million views of their Super Bowl spot online.  Aside from a trade article on the spot, I didn’t see anything that Toyota did to promote the spot, so I’m not sure how they got so many views (I will research it and report on it next week).  What sticks out the most to me this week is what Coke did- running their spot and allowing viewers to choose the ending, which will run during the game (which group is going to get to the Coke first).  And, that’s really about it.  I don’t fit the demo of many of the brands, I’m sure.  Nonetheless, I’m not impressed with much of what anybody else did.  Kia got me to watch their spot through a banner ad.  Audi put their ad out early in the week and I saw it- I think through a YouTube promotion.  Pretty disappointing attempt.  Again. 

What’s been on my mind all week is whether or not it is a good idea to release spots before the game.  Does it take away from the response and memorability of seeing it the first time during the game?  If so, is the related buzz that might be created leading up to the game an appropriate replacement for the lost ‘shock and awe?’  11 million views for Toyota gives us some clue.  That’s about 1/10th of the anticipated audience of the game.  Is that enough to make the effort worthwhile?  Is it too small to worry about ruining anything before the game?  I think it comes down to what people are saying about the spot, what they’re doing with it, and whether or not the Rav vehicle that it promotes got any lift this week (or the coming weeks).  It’s not just about the views.  Perhaps some of the brands had fairly elaborate strategies and promotions to engage their most likely prospect, engage them, and have plans to convert them.  I hope so. 

Today (Noon on Super Bowl Sunday), the one brand that seems to have won the week in my opinion is VolksWagen.  A spot about how a VW makes you as happy as a Jamaican.  Some pundits attempted to get personal exposure by somehow interpreting the spot as racist.  Enough media outlets gave them a soap box to create a lot of awareness for the spot- and create water cooler debate over the issue (let’s hope not too much).  VW claims that they had a back-up spot, just in case there was controversy.  While, I sort of doubt that (you’ll know what I mean when you see the spots and it’s total lack of racism), I think they did help fuel the conversation by saying they did consider the response.  Again, the media picked up on it and passed it around.  This much publicity has to be good for VW and outweighs the fact that so many have seen the ad.  Again, I’m not so sure that’s true for the rest of the lot. 

Written by VI Marketing and Branding's Creative Producer Robbie Repola

I’m a huge sports fan and I can boast having been lucky enough to attend at least a playoff game in all of the 4 major US sports as well as an Olympic gold medal hockey match; Salt Lake 2002 where the US lost to Canada. One of my fondest memories though is from January 25th, 1987 at the Rose Bowl when the New York Giants defeated my beloved Denver Broncos 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI.  What’s really interesting that there are two of us here at VI Marketing and Branding that were in Pasadena that day.

Back then there was no internet, no smart phones and no Facebook or Twitter. Advertising was mainly on the network hosting the event as it had been since television restrictions were changed in 1972 making the game a national event. And although television media will deliver this years Super Bowl from New Orleans to over 100 million viewers worldwide it’s the young upstarts like Twitter and YouTube that will change the landscape around the game and name this years advertising winners.

Here's an amazing statistic: a Nielsen study revealed that a third of people using Twitter are tweeting about content they're watching. And Twitter found that 65 percent of people are accessing Twitter via mobile devices while watching television. This multi-platform or second screen experience isn’t just changing the way we watch TV but it’s also changing the way advertisers communicate their message.

Not only will the majority of advertisers include hashtags in their ads this year but many of them are purchasing promoted tweets and trends around the game to ensure that people watching/talking about the game are also seeing their message on the second screen. 

Groups like Toyota are using Twitter to turn their Rav4 ad into an interactive experience and even Budweiser, which has staunchly held out, is finally jumping into Twitterverse asking its followers to vote on a name for their new baby Clydesdale.

YouTube is already capitalizing big time as the early release of the Superbowl Sunday’s biggest draw, the commercials, have become the new standard. Its take will only get bigger as it will release its Ad Blitz channel — where you can vote for your favorite commercials this time with some notable additions over previous years. 

“(We’ve) added a slew of new social and gaming components to make the Ad Blitz YouTube channel the perfect big game companion whether you’re on your laptop, smartphone, or tablet,” said Youtube in its blog, from a “touchdown dance GIF generator” to the ability to connect your social accounts and “see a real-time visualization of which team is winning the internet.”

The water cooler area today is certainly buzzing with questions of how will these early debuts change things .. one things for sure, the ad game is changing; last year 34 out of the 54 advertisers debuted early. This year, it looks like almost everyone is jumping in early. YouTube states that last years Superbowl advertising early birds averaged 9.1 million views vs the 1.3 million views the folks who waited received. It’s reports like this that have groups like Budweiser and Coca Cola pre-releasing a mix of commercials and social chatter aimed at building excitement while still protecting some game day surprises.

Written by VI Marketing and Branding's Creative Director Steve Sturges

I grew up with NFL films. Every Saturday afternoon I'd sit in front of our console TV and watch Steve and Ed Sabol deliver their rendition of a famous NFL championship game - written in classic, over the top prose. Their words and film production help make phrases like "the frozen tundra" and techniques like super slo-mo imagery popular and the norm in today's high-tech, fast-fact society.

What I miss from those days is the anticipation of that show every week, highlighted by the Sabol's masterful way of telling the story. It seems as if that attention to production detail, the arc of the main story have been abandoned in favor of the incessant drum of inane side stories and the "money shot" of these amazing new HD cameras. It's never more evident than Super Bowl week, when an army of media converges on the Super Bowl city and ends up doing features on Joe Flacco's dog or Kaepernick's tattoos. All in a failed attempt to fill our TV screens with compelling stories. Is this what we've become? A society more interested in Kaepernick's ink than our own stories?

By VI Marketing and Branding's Public Relations Director Larry "Mac" McAlister

Back in the day - five to 10 years ago - companies used to spend $1.5-2.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl spot in hopes it made enough of an impression to be the office water-cooler talk the next day.

Now Super Bowl ads have campaigns. And we all know that public relations drives campaigns. Companies that spend a huge portion of their yearly marketing budget on a single telecast want “buzz” about that Super Bowl spot before, during and after the game.

And the PR pros, in concert with the companies they represent are delivering. Super Bowl ads come equipped with user-generated content, teasers and contests, multiple endings and may be produced in longer one, and even two-minute formats. 

Not only does this extend the lifecycle of the spots through social media sharing, it also provides hooks for the PR machine to push to mainstream media, which in turn cranks up more social media activity. Buzz abounds.

Some stats (From SF Ad Agency Venable Bell): More than half of Americans will re-watch the commercials, while 40 percent will share them, predominantly through Facebook. About 68 percent of Millennial generation respondents said they plan to share their favorite ad.

The study also said 42 percent planned to search for commercials to watch in the week or two before the Super Bowl, and 32 percent were likely to discuss the best commercial the next day. Further, 13 percent overall, and 21 percent of Millennials, said they would pay 99 cents to watch Super Bowl commercials.

This year, the PR guys are working overtime. Volkswagen’s “Get in. Get Happy” ad has created the most traditional media buzz, being discussed on virtually every national media outlet over the past two days. The government of Jamaica issued a statement. I saw it covered on Good Morning America this morning and I only get to see the first 10-minutes.

Socially, Mercedes “Kate Upton Washes” ad has the most views to date, followed by Volkswagen and Toyota’s “Wish Granted” ad featuring Kaley Cuoco. Doritos on Coke, each with different contests also register high on the social media meter.

Written by VI Marketing and Branding's Cinematographer/Editor Matt Lowery

A lot of things stand out when I think about why I love to watch football. What I want to talk about here, however, are the things that don’t stick out; the little things I take for granted when I watch a game. Things that happen in the background that dramatically affect my ability to watch and enjoy a game on TV. I’m speaking of things like the number of camera angles available, the placement of those cameras, sideline microphones, motion graphics that analyze replays- stuff of that nature. Let’s call the sum of these elements “Production Value”.

Production Value in modern sports improves exponentially each year, and I would argue that it’s the single most important factor influencing our enjoyment of televised sports- more than who is playing, more than our fundamental enjoyment of the game itself. If that statement doesn’t sound right to you, watch a couple minutes of high school game film.  If an NFL game looked like this, you either wouldn’t watch it, or you would watch it and enjoy it less.

In the Production Value equation, there are too many variables to address in a single blog post, so I’d like to focus on an item I feel has changed the way we watch the game as much or more than any other element. I’m talking about the 1st & 10 Graphics System, otherwise known as the first down marker, still-otherwise-known-as “that yellow line that tells you where the guy with the ball needs to get to”. I’m not going to into depth about how the system works; several fine folks have already done that elsewhere. Instead, I’d like to simply pay homage to a technical masterpiece that often gets taken for granted.

Think back to the early 1990’s. Can you remember how stressful life was before the yellow line? I mean, did Emmitt get the first down or not? We had to wait for the chain gang to find out, for crying out loud. The CHAIN GANG! (which is the most hardcore job title in the NFL while being, at the same time, the most boring job - which I think is funny). We had no idea what we were missing. Then came the yellow line. With the yellow line, we didn’t have to guess. We didn’t have to worry. We knew exactly how far the dude with the ball needed to go.

But it’s more than that. The fact that the yellow line has become so ubiquitous, so taken for granted and universally adopted, is the greatest argument for its importance. For me, it has become an extension of the game. It’s most valuable characteristic is that we don’t think about it, we simply expect for it to be there. It doesn’t draw attention to itself - it merely enhances our enjoyment of the game. That’s what great production technique should do. It should make the thing it is applied to (a football game in this example) more entertaining, while at the same time being transparent enough that it doesn’t make a spectacle of itself. This is the magic of cinema and television.

The yellow line made its debut on September 27, 1998. New York Times reporter Matt Lake notes that “a 1999 Harris poll found that 92 percent of football fans wanted to see the virtual first-down strip in future broadcasts." And so they have -- since that first broadcast, by ESPN, all the sports networks have hustled to adopt the technology.”

Written by Partner/Creative Director Steve Sturges

I'm a list hound. Riddled with ADD from birth, I dig information delivered in memorable, bite-sized chunks. Top 5s, 10s, Rankings, Best and Worst. Can't get enough. 

So for all you fellow list-ophiles, here are some noteworthy first and lasts happening during Super Bowl week. 

First: Super Bowl for Colin Kaepernick – the 49ers sensational young QB

Last: Game for Ray Lewis – the Ravens LB who redefined the position

First: Super Bowl for New Orleans since Katrina

Last: Super Bowl for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets – their name changes to the "Pelicans" next year 

First: Team to arrive in the Bayou – San Francisco

Last: Official time they kept official score of the Bud Bowl – 1997 – Budweiser bested Bud Light 27-24

First: Super Bowl halftime hosted by Beyonce

Last: Call for Beyonce's career (SB Halftime is usually hosted by singers on their way down)

First: Super Bowl head-coached by brothers on opposing sidelines

Last: Time we are hopefully exposed to the NFL's farce of an all-star game - the Pro-Bowl (NFL is threatening to pull the plug – I agree)

Written by VI Marketing and Branding Public Relations Director Larry "Mac" McAlister

Volkswagen rolled out one of the most popular, and widely viewed Super Bowl ads of all time with its “The Force” ad featuring a cute kid as a mini-Darth Vader two years ago.

This year, VW is delivering a completely new concept in a one-minute spot that with the price of commercial airtime, the cost of producing and promoting the spot and a social media teaser will run the automaker close to $10 million.

In total, 2013 Super Bowl advertisers will spend as much on the Super Bowl as they would spend on a seven-game World Series.

That kind of money, easily most companies largest marketing expenditure of the year, brings serious pressure to deliver. Think game-winning kick with months of strategy, revisions, production, second thinking, more revisions, more second guessing. Then instead of six seconds, the kick takes 30-seconds to two-minutes and a couple of days to know if the game was won or lost.

Each year Super Bowl ads become legendary or flop – or even worse, go largely unnoticed.

The high stakes of the game put pressure on everyone involved, but there are other factors that send the sales of Tums rocketing in marketing shops all over North America.

Gildan, a private label clothing maker will launch its brand wide with its first ever Super Bowl ad. With annual revenues of about $2 billion, Gildan will be on the same field with Coca-Cola that pulls in about $47 billion a year.

Even Mercedes-Benz, a veteran Super Bowl advertiser, is switching gears this year, going after a younger market for its new lower-priced Mercedes. Enter super-hot supermodel Kate Upton and a $10 million spot (airtime, production and promotion) and Mercedes will try to prove once again, that on the big stage – sex still sells.

Super Bowl ads are not only watched, but judged by everyone from critics, to journalists, to consultants to marketing peers, to water cooler quarterbacks.

“Super Bowl ads are scrutinized to within an inch of their lives,” says Robert Thompson, professor of pop culture at Syracuse University. “Super Bowl Sunday would not be Super Bowl Sunday without the commercials. I can’t think of any comparable cultural phenomenon.” 

And above all else, that brings the pressure home.

Written by VI Marketing and Branding's Creative Writer/Producer Clay Miller

During Super Blog week, we’re examining Super Bowl marketing through various prisms: technological, creative, demographic, and more. Today, we’ll take a look at the politics of race surrounding Volkswagon’s new Super Bowl ad.

First, a disclaimer: As a strong advocate of improved race relations, I believe absolutely in the need for mutual sensitivity and understanding in our nation’s ongoing racial conversation. But sensitivity must be tempered with honesty.

In America, we often act as though acknowledging racial differences is tantamount to racism itself. It is not. And denial is never an effective remedy for any problem. 

In today’s blog, I do not intend to reveal some magical formula for racial harmony.

I do intend, however, to deconstruct the argument that’s Volkswagon’s Super Bowl ad is racially insensitive, or worse, flat-out insulting to African-Americans. If I had even the slightest hint that it contained negative insinuations or generalizations about blacks, I would be attacking it, not defending it.

My views do not represent those of VI Marketing and Branding.

For this year’s Super Bowl, Volkswagon has created a humorous and uplifting spot. Unfortunately, it may never see the light of day. Why? Because it is allegedly racist and insulting to African-Americans. 

The gag is simple. As co-workers grouse and groan on their way to work, the protagonist, an archetypal white guy named Dave, begins speaking in a Jamaican accent. His demeanor is the polar opposite of his fellow co-workers’. He’s upbeat, indomitably optimistic, and infectiously cheerful.

As the workday progresses, Dave transforms the dreary emotional vibe of his workplace by delivering peppy maxims in a Jamaican accent. And finally we get to the payoff. Dave’s inner Jamaican was born during long drives in his Volkswagon Beetle.

In the final scene, Dave and two co-workers drive up in his red Beetle. His older white boss and Asian co-worker have adopted Jamaican accents of their own. Their mirth is contagious and unrestrained. As the Partridge Family’s “Come On Get Happy” warbles in the background, the scene concludes with a call to action: “Get in. Get happy.”

You can view the ad here:

Barbara Lippert, a white editor-at-large for MediaPost.com stated on Good Morning America that “… This is so racist... They’re showing happy people because they have black accents… It’s just saying that black people are happy.”

Charles Blow, an African-American contributor for CNN and columnist for the New York Times concluded, “I don’t like it at all. It’s like blackface with voices. I don’t like that.” This is the mere tip of the critical iceberg.

The interpretation of Volkswagon’s spot as racist rests on several glaring fallacies. Let’s examine the gross oversimplifications and logical fallacies that underpin the racism argument:

Fallacy Number 1: All Jamaicans are black.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Jamaica. The population is overwhelmingly black, but not absolutely so. I met Asians, Indians and whites during my stay. Unsurprisingly, they all had Jamaican accents.  Here’s a YouTube interview with a white Jamaican. I think he would be astonished to learn that he has a “black accent” as to opposed the accent, or more properly the dialect, of his home country.

Fallacy Number 2: There is a such thing as a universal “black accent.”

The idea that the Jamaican accent is some kind of universal “black accent” is absurd.  African-Americans, Spanish-speaking black Hispanics, and other black cultural groups would beg to differ, as do I. There is no universally adopted language, dialect or accent for the world’s widely distributed and culturally diverse black populations. Even within the United States, there is no single “black way of speaking.” African Americans from various regions employ qualitatively different norms of pronunciation. Listen to a sampling of hip-hop music from both coasts and from the South. You don’t have to be a linguist to pick up on the differences.

Fallacy Number 3:  Black people are racially and culturally monolithic.

Many Americans think of Africa as vast, racially homogenous continent. It is not. There are literally hundreds of ethnic groups in Africa, and many more black ethnic groups distributed widely across five continents. They do not all look or speak alike. Their skin color, facial characteristics and morphological traits are widely varied.

Northwest of Australia, there is a group of islands known collectively as Melanesia. Its inhabitants are black-skinned, and nearly all of them have blond or red hair. Among the Melanesian people alone, there are over 1,300 languages. They are not archetypal black people and they do not speak with a “black accent.” These are fairly easy propositions to deduce, since there is no such thing as an archetypal black person, nor any such thing as a universal black accent.

Fallacy Number 4: There is only one form of English.

Americans speak a distinct form of English. The British do too, as do the Pakastanis. There are over 50 recognized forms of English, including Caribbean English. In fact, the idea that Jamaicans speak with an accent at all is culture-centric and suggests that Brits and Americans wield cultural hegemony over the English language. Caribbean English is as valid as any other. Speaking it does not connote inferiority.

Fallacy Number 5: It is “racist” to imitate the accent or language of another culture or nation.

Accents, vernaculars, and regional dialects are facts of life. They have been the subjects of observation since at least the time of the Romans and probably before. Comedians, actors and casual observers often speak in imitation of foreign accents to get a laugh.

Is this an inherently racist behavior? Is a white American imitating an Irish accent an instance of racism? Is an African-American imitating a Jamaican accent inherently racist?  Is an African-American imitating an Irish accent racist? I would argue that none of these are instances of racism.

What is it that is so especially racist about Volkswagon’s ad? The questions answers itself.

Finally, I would like to conclude with empirical, quantitative evidence that Jamaicans are in fact happier than Americans. Meet the Happy Planet Index. The Happy Planet Index purports to quantify the happiness of each nation based on life expectancy, experienced well-being and ecological footprint. You can view it here: 

http://www.happyplanetindex.org/data/

I’m not arguing for the validity of such a model, but I would like to point out its results.

On the Happy Planet Index, Jamaica ranks sixth. The United States ranks 105th. This confirms the experiences I had during my stay in Jamaica. Despite its high crime rate, scarce resources and crushing poverty, the general happiness of the population in undeniable. Everywhere you look, people are smiling and laughing.

Written by VI Brand Manager Jacquelyn Shannonhouse

For years now, we’ve been writing about the importance of placing Television ads in live programming to avoid the DVR. With over 111.3 million viewers last year, the Super Bowl is obviously the ultimate opportunity to take advantage of a captive audience. That said, the question isn’t whether or not people are going to see this spot?  The question is: Is the $4 million price tag worth it?

According to NBC, over 50% of the available ad space for Super Bowl XLVII was already sold in May of last year. That means that a number of advertisers looked at ratings for 2012 and said “YES!”

It is estimated that over 115 million Americans will tune in this year. 50% of these will watch Super Bowl Ads more than once, and 86% will share Super Bowl commercials via Facebook.  Numbers like that make it hard to disagree. But, I still think it's a gamble. 

For starters, when these companies signed on the teams were unknown. Since the Ravens and the 49ers aren’t exactly the most famous NFL franchises these days, I’m doubtful that viewership will exceed last year’s record number.  Do advertisers get some of their money back if they don't hit the mark?

Another thing to consider is the growing number of companies who leak their ads prior to the big game. Take the Volkswagen ads from last year as an example. VW ran what they called a teaser ad on ABC during primetime, nearly 3 weeks ahead of the Super Bowl. They posted it on YouTube later that night and attention grew virally in the weeks that lead up to the game (below).

As a lame follow up, they threw away approximately $3.5 million to run this spot during the game (below).

Is association with the Super Bowl really worth $4 million? Think of all the other marketing tactics you could execute with a budget that size. Including, several placements in primetime a few weeks out. (I don’t know about you, but I don't check the list of paid Super Bowl advertisers in order to validate a spot’s relevance.)

Written by VI Marketing and Branding's Public Relations Director Larry "Mac" McAlister

Outside of many high profile crisis communications efforts, possibly no public relations campaign has been so large, and so successful over the past four decades than that of the Super Bowl.

Heck, the name itself is enough to get the upstart PR hack who coined it a one-way ticket into the public relations hall of fame.

Known as the AFL-NFL World Championship until Super Bowl III, the game has gone from 61,000 fans and a limited television audience to an American de facto National Holiday. It didn’t get there without decades of some of the finest PR work seen this side of Michael Jackson, who by the way, was the first individual artist to perform a Super Bowl halftime in 1993.

In the process of turning Super Sunday into one of the biggest party days of the year, the NFL has become America’s pastime, flying by Major League Baseball and the NBA, both of which languished under poor reputations during most of the NFL’s rise. You tell me who had the best PR guys on the streets.

What great PR has done is create an event that transcends the sport. There are not 111 million (US) and 167 (worldwide) football fans out there. It’s about the event. Ads, going for about $4M per :30 spot are must see TV. And halftime, this year Beyonce, is no time for a bathroom break. Super Sunday ranks only behind Thanksgiving for the most food consumed on a single day.

Written by Partner/Creative Director Steve Sturges

Do you really like the Super Bowl ads? Really?

No, this is not another blog about why I think Super Bowl ads are so "super". Or my top 10 Super Bowl ads of all time. Like most of you, I watch the commercials during the SB every year with the hope and expectation that I'll see something amazing and groundbreaking. Lately, I've been disappointed.

To me, an ad better do more than make me smile. It better stay with me, long after it leaves my screen. Especially one that spends more than the GNP of Lichtenstein to appear on air for 30 seconds. Whatever happened to engagement first? If you're paying a gazillion dollars (yes, I believe that's the literal asking price to buy 30-seconds of commercial time on this year's Super Bowl – 1 Gazillion), you better have a higher calling than to simply entertain your audience.

By VI Marketing and Branding's President Tim Berney

How powerful of an advertising venue is the Super Bowl telecast?  Almost every year, the Super Bowl propels a lesser known brand forward.  GoDaddy.  Apple’s MacIntosh.  Apple’s Ipod.  E- Trade. But, one brand always stands out in my mind when we discuss the brand recognition that can be achieved from an ad during the big game:  Master Lock.  Remember the spot where a guy fired a high-powered rifle and sent the bullet straight through the lock, but it didn’t open.  Then he walked up to it and pulled on it and it remained locked.

For years, I thought that Master Lock was a significant advertiser.  That spot was as memorable to me as anything Coca Cola was doing at the time.  So, obviously I saw the spot fairly often. 

As it turns out, Master Lock spent almost their entire annual ad budget on airing just one :30 spot during the Super Bowl, for 21 years in a row.  Just one spot per year.  Of course the spot has to be memorable, which master Lock’s was, albeit not all that creative.  But, someone at the company made the decision that one Super Bowl spot was worth more than dozens elsewhere, for the same amount of money.