Did you happen to catch Mike Rowe’s PureTalk commercial before it was yanked from the networks? If you missed it, make sure to watch it here, then come back to me.
It’s one of the most brilliant campaigns I’ve seen in a VERY long time. In fact, it worked SO well that Verizon pulled some mafia moves to get it taken down (more on this in a minute).
For now, let’s break down what makes this commercial SO powerful.
- A trusted celebrity. Mike is one of the most trusted influencers in America and has a personal brand so spectacularly valuable that companies will pay millions for him to endorse their products for a reason. When he endorses something, people listen and people buy. As you all know, I had Mike speak at our Boot Camp and recently had him keynote the Titans of the Industry Awards Gala in December. What you see IS what you get—a funny, engaging, easy-to-work-with pro who is guaranteed to please.
- It starts with a POWERFUL story. The ad starts out with Mike telling the story of a U.S. vet, Clint Romesha—who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his heroic acts in Afghanistan—as well as his book Red Platoon and the interview he did with Clint on his podcast.
- He ADMITS it’s a commercial for PureTalk. Calling out the “negatives” is a trust-building strategy that far too many advertisers miss. Mike says, “Yes, this is a commercial for PureTalk, but relax, it will be over in seconds, and you might even like it.” That’s all that’s needed. It’s genius.
- PROOF. Mike shows HIS cell phone to demonstrate he’s not just a paid celebrity endorsing a product he doesn’t really believe in just to collect a check. He shows that HE is using it for his own personal reasons, which include being fed up with Verizon, saving money, and being on a reliable network—but ALL carriers say that. They included it in the ad because you need to at least show you can deliver the core product extremely well.
- He then delivers the MOST IMPORTANT point of differentiation. He says he switched because he wanted to work with a company that actually stands for something, and he continues to talk a bit about how PureTalk is supporting our U.S. veterans like Clint Romesha.
I highly encourage you to learn that it doesn’t take a lot of money to beat a bigger, stronger, and more well-funded competitor. I will also remind you that while the services you sell must be good, REAL differentiation will come in the form of culture, standing for something, affinity, or another intrinsic value. Look for yours.
Now, back to Verizon and what they did in response to the ad.
Did they double down on their advertising, coming up with a clever response to the commercial like other advertisers have done in the past? Did they reexamine their customer care and services to ensure they were providing outstanding value to retain their clients and stay competitive? Did they lower prices? Offer to donate to a similar charity?
No, none of that.
They threatened to withhold their advertising dollars from the networks running the ad. I’d like to say what kind of move that is, but I’ll keep it classy and say this:
Oh, Verizon, you watched Mike Rowe—the unpolished, Dirty Jobs, blue-collar legend—give props to Medal of Honor recipient Clint Romesha for his heroic actions in Afghanistan via a patriotic commercial for PureTalk … and your first thought was:
“Not on MY watch.”
Then you proceeded to throw the corporate equivalent of a childish tantrum, attacking the only thing you could: the media networks running the ad, threatening your media partners who had absolutely nothing to do with the strategy or making of it.
Bro. You have BILLIONS of dollars for advertising and some of the highest-paid consultants and executives working for you—and your BEST response is to bully the networks to block a simple ad from reminding people they have the option to pay less for cell service while supporting a veteran-owned and led company?
That’s not “good competition.” It may also hurt your brand. Better to just let the commercials run and find a better way to compete.
In response, Mike posted this 1-800-BULLY ad.
I hope PureTalk dares again to “spit in the eye of the village witch,” as they say, and find other ways to use this in their advertising.
Next week, a secret about village witches…
Image: Courtesy TheRealMikeRowe/Facebook
