So I was corrected in my assumption that celebrities weren’t a “selling point”, if you will, for Orbit commercials (Thanks, Angelina!) I have to admit, I was a little disappointed to find that out, but I guess corporations use celebrities to sell/endorse their products eventually.
Anyway, I did some brief research on Wrigley’s website, specifically in the “Corporate FAQs” and “Environment, Safety and Health” pages. Here’s some info from the FAQs:
- “The vision of the Wrigley Company is to have WRIGLEY BRANDS WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF EVERYDAY LIFE AROUND THE WORLD.”
- “Outside sources estimate that Wrigley brands account for approximately 60% of the total chewing gum product unit sales in the United States. Globally Wrigley brands account for slightly less than half of the total chewing gum sales.”
- Factory tours aren’t allowed, simply because the facilities aren’t equipped with glass gallery walkways to separate tourists from the dangerous manufacturing machines. So, to find out exactly how it’s made, you either have to take their word for it or get hired in a factory and manage to sneak in some sort of recording device.
As far as the ESH page, there is quite a long manifesto declaring their affiliations with several organizations, namely Britain’s EnCams [http://www.encams.org/home/] and the Technical and Further Education Institute of New South Wales [http://www.tafensw.edu.au/]. They also list various guidelines they follow to ensure the protection of their workers and an environmentally friendly… environment. Whether these “rigorous guidelines” are followed or not, I have yet to find out, but will soon.
Sadly, none of this seems to come through in any Orbit commercials, which is quite a shame. (Or maybe it does and I’m too thick to realize it!) In any case, the first thing to examine will be their claim that Orbit is proven to whiten teeth (based on an 8-week clinical study, apparently).
Orbit Gum Double Analysis part 1
April 6, 2008
In order to make up for my lack of an AdJournal last week, I’m doing two this week. (Not to make up the grade, mind you, just to meet quota, so to speak.) I’m fairly certain I won’t get both up by the deadline, but I’ll definitely get one up. So! Ad number one, “The Cheating Husband:”
Image/Sound: For the majority of the ad, there is nothing that truly identifies this as an ad for Orbit gum. As I gathered from the module on image and sound, lots of commercials use particular images and/or sounds to build recognition of and familiarity with the campaign, if not the company. Near the end, the spokeswoman, Vanessa Branch, comes on screen, along with her catchphrase of “Fabulous!”
Accompanying that is the familiar fanfare for these commercials. The ad ends with the slogan, “A good, clean feeling, no matter what.”
