Think

                           

James     Jul 27, 2009
Love it

Dave Stubbs     May 25, 2009
I love this campaign, but can't help wonder if it would have benefited from a more warmth. While the social media efforts attempt to get a dialogue going it feels forced and very legal-approved.

It would have been amazing if Quaker threw caution to the wind and let Larry speak (Yes, his name is Larry). I love the idea that he'd be this 18th century figure trying to make sense of modern communication, and yet come across as the capable and honest person you'd expect. The storylines would have been amazing. In some ways he could have been the perfect example of old-world advertising finding its way in a new era of brand dialogue.

(full disclosure: teehan+lax worked on Quaker Rice Snacks)

Kevin     Apr 17, 2009
I think it's a great campaign and I support a brand like Quaker Oats that tries to empower people during hard times, but when I read the line "Go Humans go." I instantly thought of something that made me look at the campaign a bit differently. Oatmeal is high in fiber and can be consumed in your diet to make sure your bowel movements stay regular. I know it's kind of gross to think of, but adding oatmeal in your fiber diet can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, which all help "Humans go." That instantly made me appreciate the campaign that much more and gave me a new outlook on the whole jetpack in the TV spots.

Jessica Berta     Apr 14, 2009
Thanks all, for the feedback...reactions to the Quaker creative run the gamut. The print spooked me at first, now I kind of like how he surprises me around town.

This discussion highlights the disconnect between traditional and digital and how hard it is to create a consistent experience across such divergent media, even when dealing with a bag of oats!

Side note: I do love my oatmeal, but I rarely eat it in the summertime. I wonder what the thinking was behind launching this as the weather is warming up?

Charles Adler     Apr 14, 2009
Great post. Honestly, I love the line "Go Humans, go!". It's simple, basic and simply inspiring. I have yet to see the large scale pieces.

Your breakdown of the campaign as a whole is certainly interesting, and I would definitely agree their integration of social tools is fairly weak. They certainly could have wrapped it into the experience of the site, as opposed to wussing out and simply linking off to it. But what's more disappointing is the fact that the campaign strikes a cord but the website falls entirely too flat.

No continuation of the story, or what the story could be. The tone is lost. The experience is unsettling and jarring. boo.

But nice print. :)

Why is there still such confusion, competition, and incompetence when translating an idea across multiple mediums.

Kelvin     Apr 14, 2009
visually the Quaker Oats campaign seems like a rip-off of the Uncle Ben's campaign from last year which featured a similar solid background and very prominent croppings of Uncle Ben's head. Both are kind of classic American pop icons whose images are rendered in an almost painterly style so to see them both given such a modern, trendy propaganda treatment has me believe Quaker is a rip off.

David Platt     Apr 14, 2009
I too found the outdoor ads rather startling and felt like it was a message from martians. the "Go Humans Go" idea alienates the brand from it's audience. Do they want to fatten us up so they can eat us? That's the message I took away.

However, I found the ads refreshingly honest in that they demonstrate how brands/companies view people, as something other than themselves.

When people form into companies/brands or cities or countries, they become different life forms. Just like cells in our body, people can't see that they are part of a larger life form.

Brands become unable to relate to people on an individual level. They only see "humans".

I can go on and on -dp

Craig Elimeliah     Apr 13, 2009
I love the creative behind this ad, it is a perfect execution of a brand empowering the people during hard times, when we get out of this recession, the entire country is going to be feasting on Quaker Oats. Well done!

ChadVavra     Apr 13, 2009
I love it! I grew up in Marion, Iowa, a town next door to Cedar Rapids where the Quaker Oats plant is located. I vividly remember the days they made 'crunch berries' because those were the days that smelled pleasant and 'Go Humans Go' evokes that for me in a nostalgic way.

I don't agree that the character should have a voice. I think the brilliance of the campaign is that the character has become the brand, the logo, the tagline, et. al. without having a voice -- 1800's or otherwise. Giving the 'Quaker' a voice dilutes the brand at this point. It would be a set up for pitting the Quaker against Chester Cheetah.

James Cooper     Apr 13, 2009
I saw the outdoor on the way back from the airport, it passed the first test - I actually looked at it, but it also passed the second - I liked it. It's not trying too hard, it's just fun. We forget that actually people just want to have a little bit of fun sometimes.



michael maurillo     Apr 13, 2009
i appreciate the fact that you actually took the time to do some "research" on this before posting. to be honest, when i read the lead-in i thought you were just going to comment on the outdoor campaign. keep up the approach. a lot more value added this way.

Re: the campaign, i love the outdoor. Actually got me thinking about oatmeal for breakfast when i saw it (in DUMBO as well, no less). The tag line made me think about starting my do off "right" and the Quaker guy instantly made the connection to Quaker Oats. So for me, it did the job.

Now I didn't go as far as you did to actually engage one-to-one. If I did, I would have shared your disappointment. Which then leads to the common response you hear about brands on twitter, "why do I want to be friends with the Quaker Oats guy?" Now I don't share this point of you. It's more along the lines of "it depends" (I know, the easy way out...). nnBut... Would Quaker had been better off not checking the social media box on this one? Just let the well targeted outdoor plan do it's job. Maybe follow it up with some good in-store geo targeting the outdoor locations. Wouldn't it be nice if you walked into Peas n' Pickles and the Quaker guy was their cheering you on again... Go Human (Jessica) Go! Micro-interactions doesn't always have = digital.

Josh     Apr 13, 2009
Perhaps this has just hit NY. I've seen a few out here in Seattle with a guy wearing a rocket pack with the same minimal typographic treatment and reference to Quaker. I didn't know what it was at first, but once I knew it was Quaker, i thought "well that makes sense". Oats equal rocket fuel for your body.

Whereas it might be just one of those old fashioned advertising campaigns (do we remember such things?) I think it has enough charm and intrigue to stand on its own. As far as your social media concerns, not everyone is completely on board with that yet. Think of the pitch meeting: So we want to have you write posts on Twitter, that sound like an 18th century Quaker man.

Client response: What is Twitter?

Exactly. Give em time.