There’s a nice advert on French TV at the moment for fruit yoghurt. At least, nice in artistic terms. They’ve clearly studied their target market – young children – and they’re advertising to them. What is exceptionally clever is the way they’re also targetting parents with a scary statistic.
“9 out of 10 French children don’t get enough Vitamin D” (source INCA 1999). Not only is that statistic six years old, but it’s stated to make you think children don’t get anywhere near enough. Obviously dug from the archives to use in a current campaign, I’d feel more secure if it was a 2004/5 study.
Why is this important? Enter the yoghurt product they’re selling. Children in a classroom enjoying a lesson with a smiling teacher with a big model of bones and Vitamin D (a hammer) helping Calcium (the blocks making up the bones) stick to the existing bone to help it grow. Of course, eating their fruit yoghurt with brightly coloured packaging, vitamin D and calcium.
This product is made by the leading dairy product group in Europe. This is a lesson how you sell product to children. Make it in their colours, and fun for them to watch and repeat. Add statistics to play on the minds of parents – “they’re not getting enough vitamin D!” and show them a product which will provide it. With calcium for healthy bones, and vitamin D.
Advertising isn’t just about making product attractive. It’s about creating subconscious triggers (especially fears) so that you pick that product up as you go past it on the shelves. It helps even more if your kids also think of the advert.
– Daddy, can we get some fruit yoghurt?
– Sure, kids.
– But only if it’s that nice fruit yoghurt with vitamin D and the pink pack…