Super Bowl

Victoria’s Secret Gets Everything Right

26 Jan 2015  

Every once in a while you see a marketer make it all look easy. The advertising delivers a benefit. The communication generates interest. People respond. This week, Victoria’s Secret provides an example. The brand is making all the right moves as it heads into the Super Bowl. Let’s review some of the brand’s recent activity.

Capitalized on a Super Bowl opportunity

Victoria’s Secret wasn’t planning to advertise on the Super Bowl this year. But the brand learned there was an open spot late in the game. On December 19 the brand signed on. I suspect with the soft demand this year, the Victoria’s Secret team secured an impressive discount off the official $4.5 million price for each thirty-second spot.

Minimized the production cost

Super Bowl advertisers often spend millions of dollars creating an ad. Victoria’s Secret didn’t. The company pieced together existing footage and produced the ad in-house. Apparently they shot only one new scene.

Announced the ad with PR and a teaser

On January 21, Victoria’s Secret revealed that it would be advertising on the Super Bowl. This news generated an enormous amount of publicity and discussion in social media. The company also released a teaser spot featuring models in football uniforms. This ad already has more than 1.4 million views on You Tube, and more than 6,000 likes. Here it is:

 

Released the Super Bowl spot in advance

Victoria’s Secret ran its Super Bowl ad on January 26 on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” This move generated more discussion, shares and likes. Here is the spot:

Embraced the brand

Victoria’s Secret is sticking with its equity. The brand isn’t trying to be shocking or funny. The Super Bowl ad builds on the brand’s long-standing imagery. Perhaps most important, the spot should drive sales; Valentine’s Day is coming up. Getting people thinking about romance and Victoria’s Secret is important. Every one of these moves is smart and strategic. Sometimes a marketer does everything right.


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