Does a Dreamy, Abstract Ad Need to Be Accurate?
My Canadian friend Bill (a fellow member of the Cognoscenti), who embraces accuracy and precision in everything he does, sent me a scan of this VISA Signature ad.
It's a beautiful ad showcasing a dream-like view of the 18th hole that VISA says is on the Pinehurst Course #2.
The ad lists 27 things that you and I should want to do while we're still alive. Most are abstract things like "paraglide" while some are a bit more specific such as "climb Mount Everest".
Bill's observation is that the ONE thing they chose to illustrate from the list is "Play Pinehurst No. 2".
Problem is, Bill knows golf. He knows that anyone who follows the game would remember Payne Stewart's famous fist pump at the U.S. Open in 1999 took place on the 18th green at Pinehurst No. 2.
The beautiful, dreamy image in the VISA ad is the 18th at Pinehurst No. 4. Entirely different course.
Because Bill values accuracy and precision (and knows golf), he is disburbed by the ad. Many people would never know that it's the wrong course and would just take the ad at face value.
The agency should have known that there are golfers in their audience who know the difference between the courses at Pinehurst. After all, they are going after the affluent readers of magazines such as Wine Spectator.
Hmmm. What do you think?
Mrs. Brandingblog thought this might be of interest to my readers. I think it's a hoot! (or a toot).
