Advertising campaigns

In order to successfully make the public aware of its service and products, a company or business must launch an effective advertising campaign. We could discuss what theoretically makes a good marketing strategy, or we could single a few of them out. For instance, there is the 1993 'Got Milk?' advertising campaign by . The campaign, which was created by the Goodby Silverstein & Partners agency, has been credited with increasing milk sales in the state of California, but not the rest of the country. However, it is one of the best known ads and slogans in the United States, and even the world.

Another example comes from pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer. Once they realized the true potential of Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate), they pulled out all the stops in their quest to make it a household name. First, they eschewed the term impotence for the more user-friendly erectile dysfunction. Then, they got the Vatican's seal of approval, as well as that of other religious leaders. The next step was getting a few personalities behind the product, and they did so with Pele (Brazilian soccer player) and Bob Dole (American politician). Today, the name is everywhere; there is a Viagra car in Nascar, there is Viagra Online, and who knows what else the future has in store.

The past two examples refer to extended campaigns, but can one single television ad accomplish as much? Hard to say, but if there ever was one that came closest, it is the '1984' that unveiled the Apple Macintosh computer to the world. Based on what was already a revolutionary work of art (Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, as well as the film that it inspired, directed by Michael Radford), this was a groundbreaking commercial that served to introduce a groundbreaking technological advancement.