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Franco & Co. Blog

Tags >> financial services

Santander - Now with Jenson Button

Posted by: TonyFranco on Mar 12, 2010



The Formula 1 Season is about to begin, with all eyes on the McClaren dream team of Hamilton and Button. And guess what, Santander is going to feature Button in their latest advertising. This offers another creative challenge. What will he do in the ads? Will he just stand around with nothing to say or do, as Hamilton did ? Will they appear together. Can't wait.

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Santander Advertising. What's the Point of Lewis Hamilton?

Posted by: TonyFranco on Feb 9, 2010





Over the past few weeks I’ve been trying to work out what role Lewis Hamilton is playing in the Santader advertising and have come to the conclusion that he’s a waste of space. In the latest ad, there’s a kid asleep in the car, the bridge they are crossing turns into lego....and Lewis Hamilton just happens to be standing by the road. And that’s it. He doesn’t say or do anything. He’s just there.

I can imagine what happened. The newly formed bank needed a global communication vehicle to promote awareness and chose motor sport and its fresh faced star Lewis Hamilton. It also provided lots of opportunities to travel round the world watching Formula 1 races for the senior bods.

However when it came to exploiting this new asset in a meaningful way it all falls apart. I don’t blame the ad agency (unless of course they were the ones who recommended him). What’s Lewis Hamilton good at? Driving fast. What else is he famous for? His Pussycat Dolls (ex) girlfriend. What’s he  got in common with financial services? Can’t think of anything.
 
Mmm...not a lot to go on.

Key lessons for me. 

1. If you want a brand spokesman, choose someone who has some relevance to the  brand and the category. 2. Give him / her a meaningful role in the communication strategy

Better still, focus instead on trying to create a distinctive brand idea rather than taking the lazy route of buying a celebrity to build your brand

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