One of the side effects of the consumer generated media revolution is that it has highlighted the authentic voice. By that I don’t just mean the authentic voice of the consumer. Brands can have authentic voices which, when done well, is the voice of the consumer. They can related to what they are seeing and hearing from the brand. These are usually supplied by ad agencies. Here are three examples of ads currently in rotation, tell me which sounds more like something you might say.

Here’s a relatively new spot for Miracle Whip:

“We are Miracle Whip, and we will not tone it down.” Yeah! Fight the power! Tim Siedell captured my reaction pretty well also. Do twenty-somethings use Miracle Whip? Sure, who doesn’t? It’s a great product, tasty. But I don’t associate it with ‘awesome times with my super awesome friends.’ Further, I would think super-cool twenty-somethings might find this ad not representative of who they are or at least not how they think about Miracle Whip. I think a Chief Cultural Officer (See McCracken, Grant) is in need here.

Compare that to this Tostitos ad:

That’s my life. At the supermarket, comparing ingredients, thinking about my frenemies. My life is not some wild, crazy fun-fest like in that Miracle Whip ad. The actress is cute, but not unapproachably so. She’s not perfect (she has some issues in fact), but she’s not beneath us either. 

Now let’s check this spot from Dos Equis. This campaign really hit well with people. Yes, it’s very clever, but listen to what The most interesting man in the world says at the end of the ad:

Here’s what Slate says in a review of the campaign:

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the most interesting man, in marketing terms, is his ambivalence toward the advertised product. “I don’t always drink beer,” he says. Whaa? “But when I do,” he adds, almost offhandedly, “I prefer Dos Equis.” Double whaa? Generally, a brand icon will be an all-out cheerleader. Imagine Tony the Tiger admitting that he doesn’t always eat cereal for breakfast, but that when he does, he tends to eat Frosted Flakes, like, most of the time. Doesn’t have quite the same impact as “They’re Grrrrrrreat!”

Now, let’s go back to the other side of the spectrum again. Here’s an ad for Hanes with some pretty big star power:

Yeah, these guys talk about undershirts, highlighting specific design elements no less. Charlie Sheen’s career is based on his cool, ladies’ man persona, so why is he a complete dweeb in this ad?  It just rings hollow, and for me, a Hanes guy, this ad is a disappointment. I’ve been wearing undershirts for a couple of decades now. I don’t know that I’ve ever discussed them with somebody else, certainly not in public. Why not have these guys in the locker room at the country club or something. At least provide a reason for them to speak about the product that makes sense to me, the consumer.

I think brands need to move towards the more naturalistic, or at least honest, approach. Sure, there is still room to do fantastic creative, but shouting at the consumer, or making ham-fisted efforts to wedge in the product are a tough sell.