Option 1: Start with one, burn it out

Do you remember Mazda’s “Zoom-Zoom” commercials? They’ve always showcased a clip of their newest vehicle driving down a windy road and finished with someone whispering the phrase “zoom-zoom.” So why did they stop airing this ad? Simple, the campaign was over-aired. There’s a fine line between heavily used, and just downright annoying. This campaign was used since 2000.

Mazda is currently gearing up for its new “Game Changers” campaign. According to Advertising Age, Mazda will be showcasing professional athletes “who did things differently, which resulted in them rising above their competition.” Mazda’s idea behind this is to provide an analogy of how their company and products are different from other car manufacturers. I assume they won’t mention their 2010 premature clutch failure that many other companies didn’t encounter…

Option 2: Start with one, add others, create the perfect mix

GEICO is on the opposite side of the spectrum from Mazda. Not only have they managed to promote multiple campaigns at the same time, but their original gecko campaign is still being used. The world famous GEICO Gecko first aired in 1999 claiming “a 15 minute call could save you 15% or more on your car insurance” (I miss this eye licking lizard.) Although the gecko looks different and has a different accent, he still says the same line.

It’s important to note that in 1999, GEICO didn’t plan on running all of their current campaigns. Caveman, the pig, talking money, “I’ve got good news,” etc. They realized their gecko ads were on the verge of being annoying (or were annoying depending on who you ask) and they took action. While running multiple campaigns at the same time is generally not recommended, when you have Warren Buffett backing you ($1 Billion  - yes BILLION - spent on advertising in one year), everything changes. This being said, GEICO’s campaigns are successful for five (5) reasons:

  1. Resources
  2. Repetition
  3. Focus
  4. Simplicity
  5. Diversity

When is the right time to move to a new campaign?

Read on in our next article (coming soon to a blog near you).