What's a little competition among friends, right? Since the dawn of advertising, brands have found subtle and not-so-subtle ways to position their products and services against their competitors' in advertising. CPGs often refer to unnamed "leading brands" in side by side tests, Auto manufacturers sometimes directly call out a single competitor on a certain safety ranking or performance metric, and financial brokerages have been known to allude to a competitor when promoting trade costs or other account features.
But recently a few major players have declared, "Ain't nobody got time for subtlety!", and have taken a more direct approach:
Miller Lite
Bud Light's popular "Dilly Dilly" campaign can get a giggle out of the snobbiest of beer connoisseurs. And Miller Lite is fed up. These recent spots suggest even the talent and crew of the now renowned medieval campaign would opt against Big Blue when given the choice.
Or perhaps they were just doing what they had to do to prey on the desperation and thirst (literal & figurative) of GOT fans as you all countdown to April 14th.
Burger King Brazil
How far would you go for free food? Would you destroy property and commit arson? What about virtual arson?
Burger King Brazil has found the seemingly perfect intersection of people's love of fire, of food, and of free stuff in this clever campaign using augmented reality to set competitor's ads aflame in exchange for a free Whopper. What's more, they are effectively leveraging, nay commandeering, the outdoor and print media investments of their competitors and turning them into messaging for themselves.
The app promotion was created to increase adoption of BK Express, their digital platform for customers to pre-order and avoid lines.
I generally believe in a "treat others the way you want to be treated" approach. So if you're going to go for the jugular, you are giving permission for your competitor to do the same.
Happy Monday!