Comment by Michael B. Moore on July 2, 2011 at 8:44pm

Corona has launched another television spot in its “Find Your Beach” campaign for its Corona Extra brand.  It strikes me as a strong ad.  It doesn’t blow anyone away with either an outrageously creative idea, over the top comedy, or even particularly hard-hitting copy.   It doesn’t include any celebrities.  It probably won’t win any awards.  But, it does precisely the things that TV ads should do very well and,as a result, it definitely caught my eye.

Good advertising must do five things things well.  First, it must deliver a strong, strategic message that emanates from solid consumer insights.  Obviously, this campaign seeks to build on the beach/fun/carefree/vacation imagery around the Corona brand.  Beer advertising is typically high on imagery and this spot doesn’t disappoint in that regard.  

Second, there must be a “Big Creative Idea” (BCI).   We all get bombarded by thousands of commercial messages a day.  To “stick”, not only must messages be relevant and compelling in content, but it certainly helps if they are packaged within strong, creative ideas.  The big idea in this ad is that no matter where you are - even in the mundane confines of a full airplane - you can be immediately transformed to your favorite tropical beach with Corona.  The visual of being in the plane and then on the beach is a really nice BCI for the brand.

Third, in the ad the brand mustn’t be overshadowed by the BCI.  This is sometimes more difficult than you’d think.  Unfortunately, ad agency creatives seem to get carried away by focusing a bit too much on the BCI.  In this instance, there’s no doubt that this is a Corona ad!

Fourth, there should be some compelling ‘emotional hooks’ to further leverage the strategic message and BCI.  Corona Extra has already established a great starting place as the brand that takes you to a tropical beach!  Doing so from the confines of an airplane further reinforces that fundamental benefit.  It positions the product as a veritable oasis from the drudgery of day-to-day life.  

Fifth, both the product and the brand should be presented as the pay-offs of the ad.  In this instance, the protagonist not only gets refreshed physically and mentally by the beer, but Corona Extra also accomplishes the greatest male challenge on the planet: getting the girl!  What more could you ask of a beer, right?  :-)

In sum, while perhaps not a superlative work, it certainly seems both “on strategy” and executed well.  It gets a solid “four stars” as being an effective piece of advertising.

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