GM has been running ads based on the song “Come and Get,” encouraging people to hurry in because “it's going fast.” I suspect GM actually hopes people don't know the song, since the real subject is a fool and his money.
Hewlett-Packard is trying to convince companies that HP's products help build a stronger brand. Of all the ingredients that go into brand building, I wouldn't put computers and digital imaging devices anywhere near the top of the list. I can't imagine a chief marketing officer exclaiming, “We've got to build and maintain our brand. Quick, buy some computers and printers!”
Thinking outside the box is great—so long as you don't lose sight of the box.
Make war, not love?
From their metaphors, marketing people seem more interested in battling competitors than in wooing customers. This is a huge mistake, especially when communicating with a technical audience such as engineers.
There is large disconnect between advertising folk and the engineers they try to sell to. Engineers like facts, read graphs, understand specifications, and have a deep distrust of empty hype. Ad creatives are usually 180 degrees opposite engineers. Graphs are boring, specifications are an unfathomable mystery, and boasting of world-class, best-of-breed products sure beats the harder work of proving it. If you’re going to ask your prospects to “Come and Get It,” make sure there something there they actually want.
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