SERIES 2 I EPISODE 4
abc.net.au/gruentransfer
A STUDY GUIDE by marguerite o’hara
a Zapruder’s other films Pty Limited and Australian Broadcasting Corporation co-production http://www.metromagazine.com.au http://www.theeducationshop.com.au ‘When you pull up at a petrol station, chances are there’s three or four of them within the same vicinity selling petrol for the same price, so at some point you have to build some sort of relationship with the consumer so they will choose you over the one next door.’ – Dee Madigan, panellist on The Gruen Transfer
SCREEN EDUCATION 2 We are thrilled to be given a crack at a second series, as, in some ways, it feels like we’ve only just begun to explore the extraordinary world of advertising and its ways of persuasion.
We are also looking forward to handing out more impossible advertising challenges to the industry, such as making Sam Newman a spokesman for women’s rights, or selling nuclear reactors as the must-have facility for your town.
On the eve of the premiere of the second series of The Gruen Transfer on the ABC, the show had been sold to France, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, Germany and the UK.
In 2009, TGT is back for another Curriculum Relevance ten-episode outing. Each week, Wil Watching, talking about and taking is joined by some of the best and part in this series via the program’s brightest minds in the advertising website will give students the industry, experts prepared to share The Gruen Transfer (TGT) is a show opportunity to learn about how the ideas and insights that drive about advertising, how it works, advertising really works, all within them. and how it works on us. Hosted a highly engaging format. It would by the inimitable Wil Anderson, Panellists face a series of challenges be suitable for middle and senior TGT decodes and defuses the designed to show the thought secondary students as well as commercial messages that swirl processes – and, often, the tertiary students studying marketing, through our lives, with the help of a brilliance – of advertising, as well advertising, public relations and panel of ad industry experts. as its understanding of who we are media studies. For secondary and what we want. Each week we students, the themes and issues In its first year on ABC1, TGT examine the tactics used to sell a explored relate to: notched up all kinds of records. Its particular product; it could be cars first episode had the highest rating • Media Studies or chocolate or cleaning products. ever for an entertainment debut • English on the network: Nearly 1.3 million, In a segment called ‘The Pitch’, • Graphic Design beating Kath & Kim’s 1.146 million agencies compete to fulfil a • Ethics and Philosophy debut in 2002. It regularly won its seemingly impossible brief. timeslot, averaging 1.25 million Elsewhere, ‘Consumer’s Revenge’ • Psychology viewers a week, and performed allows the audience to participate in • Culture and Society brilliantly in all adult demographics. the show by making their own ads With a racy and often hilarious on the Gruen website at
SCREEN EDUCATION 3 So, what’s new about Gruen Two? Same channel – ABC1, same time – 9pm Wednesdays, same setup – panel discussion and clips filmed in front of a live audience, same presenter/frontman – Wil Anderson, and encourage them to respond The Format same regulars – Russel Howcroft, both critically and creatively to Todd Sampson and two guests, the material, using web resources Each week Wil Anderson is joined same look and sound – groovy wherever possible for research, by a panel of industry experts from graphics and theme music, same inspiration and to create their own different advertising agencies. All mix of jokes and serious stuff. ‘When ads. have been involved in the creation of successful advertising campaigns you’re on a good thing, stick to it’, What is ‘the Gruen and are able to provide insights and in the words of a famous advertising Transfer’? sometimes-conflicting views about jingle. Like Spicks and Specks, the what they and their industry do. ABC’s popular music quiz show that The Gruen Transfer is named Apart from revealing many of the precedes The Gruen Transfer on after Victor Gruen, the guy who secrets of the advertising industry, Wednesday evenings, why change designed the very first shopping they also take part in weekly a formula that works? Besides, in mall. The term describes that split challenges, exercises, games and uncertain economic times people second when the mall’s intentionally discussions and create ads for the like certainty and continuity. confusing layout makes our eyes unsellable. The program is recorded So, what’s new and different about glaze and our jaws slacken … the in front of a live audience. The Gruen Transfer – Series 2? moment when we forget what we came for and become impulse The Program Makers With the rapidly changing buyers. We came for a shirt but contraction in the world economy, left with a Playstation, jeans and a This series is devised and produced the hard-sell just got much harder. basketball. by Zapruder’s other films, the Despite economic stimulus production company of Andrew packages, many people are The Pitch Denton and Anita Jacoby. Denton spending less on consumer goods, is the creator and star of ENOUGH conserving their money and putting This is a show about persuasion, ROPE, ABC television’s successful about advertising, how it works and interview program on air from how it works on us. Every day we’re 2003–2008, and a number of other exposed to an average of 3,000 documentary films, comedy shows commercial messages on television, and specials including The Topic radio, in cinemas, on billboards, of Cancer (1993), God on My Side magazines, newspapers, T-shirts, (2006) and Angels and Demons shoes, and the internet. Within a (2008). comic format and style, the program tackles sensitive issues such as the • Who was Zapruder, the person objectification of women and the the company is named after? marketing of unethical products – while it deconstructs the good, the bad and the ugly in advertisements.
SCREEN EDUCATION 4 5. Would a program that takes 12. How do you think the major a critical look at advertising change in the global economy be likely to be shown on in recent months and commercial television? increasing awareness about climate change might impact 6. What is ‘marketing’ and how on the advertising industry? is it related to advertising? 7. Collect three print ads from Episode 4 magazines or newspapers (not Each episode of The Gruen Transfer print classifieds but ads that packs a number of regular segments feature a product or an idea) off buying products like cars, into the half-hour, linked through Wil and bring them to your next furniture, whitegoods and clothes. Anderson’s introductions and jokes. class for analysis. Changes in spending priorities The regular panel includes Russel and less money circulating are 8. What do community service Howcroft, from George Patterson certain to have an influence on announcements, such as Y&R, and Todd Sampson from the advertising industry and in the government campaigns Leo Burnett. first program of the second series, about energy use and global some of these consequences of warming, road safety and anti- Each week they are joined by others how we spend are already being smoking campaigns (e.g. the working in advertising. This week it’s reflected in advertisements. Gaining black balloons ads), have in Dee Madigan, a freelance creative, our attention and bending our common with advertisements and Rowan Dean from EuroRSCG. will to spend just became more promoting products? Dee appeared in Series 1 while challenging. Rowan is a new face on the Gruen 9. What do you think is the most panel. You can read about all the important part of devising panellists appearing on the program a successful advertising Student Activity at the Gruen website
SCREEN EDUCATION 5 • Is the style of slightly risqué Fuel Fact Box humour used in this ad part of its appeal? Petrol advertisements rarely mention the actual product. • What do you think is wrong with this ad, if anything? Petrol companies now want to position themselves • Are there any other ads for undies as energy companies so it’s important for them to that you have seen that you think be seen as part of the solution, not the problem. Student Viewing and manage to combine sex appeal, wholesomeness and humour to Demand doesn’t change much regardless Discussion Activities sell underwear? of price fluctuations.
A. What’s Wrong with B. How Do you Sell? Exxon Mobil is the world’s largest oil company followed by BP (British Petroleum). this Ad? This week’s featured product is petrol, a product that has been less This week’s ad is from Australia BP now prefer to be known as bp, ‘Beyond frequently advertised in recent years. and features two well-known good Petroleum’, playing down both the imperial Similar to the product discussed in guys of Australian sport, tennis star connotations of British Petroleum and implying a Episode 3 last week (water), petrol Pat Rafter and cricketer Michael much broader concern with different forms of energy. is petrol as water is water, so how Clarke. The ad also plays with the Nine years ago they changed their name although do you ‘build a relationship’ with commonly seen practice during ninety-three per cent of their investment is still in oil the consumer so they will buy your and gas. Their logo is a flower and their corporate tennis matches for players to brand? Can you ‘green wash’ selling colour is green. put a second ball in a pocket, fuel such as petrol? up their shorts or skirt and even In 1997, when BP ceased membership of a in their undies. What the panel say about selling committee that was sceptical of climate change, petrol – how hard is it to say This is a ‘celebrities’ ad with their share price and profits rose. ‘Choose Me’? a difference. Wil Anderson opens the discussion Loyalty cards and shopper dockets are two ways Todd and Russel comment on by asking what has happened to the petrol companies can acquire brand loyalty. technical aspects of the setup that petrol ads of a generation ago like are not believable i.e. would a tennis the one we see a clip of – ‘bouncy, One survey suggested a third of consumers are loyal ball drop so neatly into the front happy, bright and bringing us a to a brand, one third are loyal to a site e.g. always of someone’s undies? Is there too better life thanks to good clean fuel.’ buy petrol in Essendon or Manly and a third of much space for a tennis ball to fit consumers make a decision on price. Russel and Todd try to explain why snugly in there? such advertising is no longer used Todd thinks the issue is the idea to sell petrol. All the petrol in NSW comes from the same place but itself of undies being ‘active’. all petrol companies do their own formulations so Russel Howcroft: they can create different products. • Do you think this ad is an effective Twenty years ago this product way to sell undies? Shell is about Innovation and Technology – premium [petrol] was considered low petrol for your car’s performance, Caltex about • What qualities do Rafter and involvement, so what advertisers convenience and their shops and BP is the ‘Green’, Clarke have as sports stars that and marketers did was try and up environmentally friendly petrol company. might make them good choices the involvement by using emotional to promote this brand? advertising. Now it’s no longer low involvement but high involvement, so we’re looking for rational messages in order to advertise.
SCREEN EDUCATION 6 Todd Sampson: Russel and Dee recall BP having Ad 1 is for Shell and follows a tried Smurfs and also a range of books and true formula illustrating power When the environment entered the for small children. and performance, featuring a Ferrari. stage, it immediately zapped out [the earlier style] because if you’re on the • What other companies use this Todd: wrong side of environmental issues, form of advertising – connecting Shell sponsor Ferrari and as it is the last thing you want is singing and the primary purchase experience illegal to sell cars by promoting their dancing and laughing … to something fun for the kids – to speed credentials, but not to sell ensure kids will relate positively to If this sounds like confusing petrol, Shell use a race car rather a brand and stay loyal? ‘adspeak’, it probably is. Basically than a real road car in their ad to get petrol is no longer a neutral product • Have you noticed any petrol around this. as its use is emotionally connected stations using such a strategy in to ‘global warming’ and other their shop and through advertising environmental issues. Energy to attract customers? companies want to appear to be • What other products play on doing more than selling petrol. childhood memories to build Russel: ‘Petrol companies now product loyalty? struggle with whether they need to • How does your family decide promote their brand or not because where they will buy petrol and the whole issue for them is about which brand they will choose? distribution, and location is what matters.’ Looking at some petrol/ In response to Wil’s rhetorical energy company ads question – ‘Don’t we just choose To see whether there is much what is cheapest and closest to us?’ difference in how petrol companies – the panel offer ideas about how advertise, we are shown a number petrol companies can differentiate of ads from different multinationals themselves in the market. trying to bring their brand to our Dee Madigan explains: attention.
When you pull up at a petrol station, How do brands differentiate chances are there’s three or four of themselves? them within the same vicinity selling petrol for the same price, so at some point you have to build some sort of relationship with the consumer so they will choose you over the one next door.
BUT HOW?
Todd describes a study Shell did, using hypnosis to test their markets. What they found was that your first experience with a petrol company is as a child with your parents; so petrol stations started having more fun things for kids at petrol stations.
SCREEN EDUCATION 7 Dee insists that the amount of money fuel companies spend investing in renewable energy is nowhere near what they spend on marketing.
Russel argues that they need to be profitable to be able to invest more Russel explains that ads like this money in exploring other methods of one show petrol companies trying obtaining energy. to position themselves as energy Todd believes it’s fine for fuel companies [rather than just petrol companies to promote their green wholesalers] because they want to credentials because the truth of their be seen as part of the solution, not actions can readily be tracked on the problem. the internet which he characterises Dee Madigan responds that this is as ‘the ultimate truth serum’. despite the fact that they’ve spent • Do you think it is possible to the past two decades funding find out the truth of what fuel climate sceptic research. companies are doing with their Rowan Dean explains how BP profits, either online or through resigned its membership of a reading their company reports? committee that funded sceptical • What role should energy climate change research in 1997 companies be taking in investing when the writing was on the wall in green energy, given that oil is and the evidence supporting man- a finite resource and responsible made climate change becoming for contributing to greenhouse Russel: ‘This is Shell’s Grand Prix overwhelming. BP’s share price and gases? ad used in countries to promote the profits rose. Shell brand when the Grand Prix Ad 3 is from Chevron, an American Dee suggests that ‘green washing comes to town.’ energy company. Their ads have can really mean that the amount been revoiced for the Australian • Who is the target audience of money you spend telling people market and one includes a shot of for this ad? you’re green is usually inversely the Sydney Harbour Bridge. • What image is being associated proportionate to the amount of with Shell petrol? money you spend being green’. Wil mentions that Chevron don’t have petrol stations in Australia, so Todd: Ad 2, also for Shell, takes an why advertise here? altogether different approach. This Petrol companies do need to recently launched newspaper ad take responsibility for helping the is based around the company’s environment; but the problem is that research into renewable energy fuel prices fluctuate and demand sources. It mentions hydrogen fuels doesn’t change so they can’t say use and wind farms but also talks about more petrol because they don’t need extracting fuels from woodchips, to … but they do have to be part of algae and straw. the solution.
SCREEN EDUCATION 8 Rowan: ‘BP put an aloe vera plant in • Would this style of advertising every BP outlet worldwide as part of work today? Why or why not? their greenwashing campaign.’ C. The Pitch Ad 4 from BP shows an ad spruiking Fair Trade Coffee and Wil wonders In this popular segment, two why. advertising agencies are challenged to create an advertisement to sell Dee points out that drivers often the unsellable. want a coffee. This week’s challenge: to make Rowan says that coffee has a better synchronised swimming popular profit margin than petrol so petrol amongst young boys. companies need to make money The agencies are represented by Rowan: ‘They’re spending their from their attached shops. Dale Rhodes from Rhodes Wingrove money on cable TV or in the quality Russel believes it’s a real mistake in and Alex Fenton from Fenton press read by businessmen … marketing terms to put your price up Stephens. they’re talking to the corporate front out on the street. sector, to decision makers.’ After describing their brainstorming Is advertised price your family’s • processes and initial ideas, we are Dee: main reason for choosing to buy shown the final ads and, along with petrol from one outlet rather than They’re repackaging their image the panel, invited to judge the best another? ’cause they know people are less one. How do you sell synchronised likely to complain about petrol prices • Does the quality of the coffee or swimming to young Australian if they think the company is investing other products sold at the shop males? in geothermal energy … they influence your choice? Dale Rhodes’ group asked depend on public perception. • Do discount vouchers influence themselves what synchronised Todd thinks energy companies are choice? swimming has that teenage boys envisioning a future where we’ll use want. This ad features a female • Does the helpfulness and renewable energy but maybe they’re synchronised swimming team friendliness of the staff not doing this fast enough. going through their paces with an influence choice? Russel continues with his assertion What kind of service is now that they need to make money while • offered by Service Stations? Dee’s objection to their marketing is that the consumer is misled Finally Wil asks the panel for their into believing they are doing more thoughts on the dangers to a investing in alternative energy than brand in there being a credibility they are actually doing. gap between its actions and its advertising. Further to the greenwashing discussion, the panel discuss Todd believes the best way to kill changes BP has made over the a bad product is to advertise it years to appear green, some successfully, because they will of them overnight, others more be found out. gradually. Ad 5 is a Caltex ad from 1961. 1) Name change • What values are being 2) Corporate colour promoted here? 3) Logo • What product is being promoted?
SCREEN EDUCATION 9 emphasis on leg splits. The text line Wil opens this discussion by asking saying that the company is is ‘Synchronised Swimming – it’s Todd how the company that markets comfortable with the product, and wide open’. this product would have responded. that this is really important as an indicator of how seriously they take Doe sex sell or is blokey humour Todd says that: the problem. the way to go? 1) The management of the company But … how do you now promote the Alex Fenton’s group asked would go to the report to try and product; can you simply change the themselves what it is that really understand it and ads or do you also need to change governs the thinking of fifteen-year- 2) Do nothing, deny, admit or the product? old boys and do they follow their distract. heroes or their hormones? Rowan believes they’ll have to stop Todd suggests doing nothing is using the puffing cheeks images. The second ad is both more densely never a good option when there packed with images and jokes and Todd thinks they’ll need to change is a health scare associated with faster in delivery. In ‘putting down’ the formula and go to a low-alcohol use of a product. more traditionally Aussie Boy sports content advertised on the pack. such as rugby, this ad suggests Dee thinks they could get a credible Secondly they’ll need to come out you’d do better with less effort by person such as Dr. Karl to reassure with a different tasting product that becoming a ‘Wattle Pants Man’. people the product is less ‘explosive’. is safe. • Which ad do the panel choose Next week on Gruen, they’ll be and for what reasons? Could change label and find launching a charity for those a different use for product. super-rich execs now facing • Which ad do you think was more smaller payouts, asking if humour engaging? Russel agrees that it’s pointless to can work in a child abuse ad and put your head in the sand and hope • Was either ad likely to work in seeing if they can recover Magda’s it will go away; that it’s better to get selling synchronised swimming missing kilos. on the front foot and be fast and to young males? accurate by responding, preferably • How would you sell a sport more immediately. Student Activity traditionally associated with males Wil explains that a few weeks such as boxing or rugby to young later Listerine took out full page Reflecting, Collecting, women? ads headlined by the message Exploring and Creating D. Ad of the Week ‘Your health is our priority’. The ad stressed the heritage of the product 1. Thinking about the The mouthwash bad taste and its extensive testing, finishing big issues with an invitation for anyone with This week the panel look at what Panellists on The Gruen Transfer concerns to call on a toll-free happens when your smooth- sometimes disagree about the role number. Nowhere in the ad was sailing brand crunches into an and responsibilities of advertisers. cancer, the C word, mentioned. iceberg as has happened recently In Episode 4 of this series, there is a to Listerine. In December 2008, Dee and Rowan agree that you discussion about the responsibilities a paper published in the Dental would not mention this word of energy companies to invest in Journal of Australia claimed there unless you have to by law (as with alternative energies and be truthful was now sufficient evidence that cigarettes) … that you have to be about how much of their budget mouthwashes containing alcohol very careful in your response and they allocate to this aspect of their increase the risk of oral cancer. not over-react. business. Most mouthwashes contain alcohol, Russel points out that the Managing Greenwashing (making your but most obviously Listerine, which Director has signed this statement product and priorities as a company accounts for seventy per cent of the market.
SCREEN EDUCATION 10 appear to have a real concern • How is it possible for the average 2. Discussion point with environmental issues and consumer to know the truth Truth in advertising or at least not sustainability) is a term often used of the environmental claims for really big untruths. to characterise this activity. a particular product? Read the article below about an ad • In tight economic times, would • Do you choose products that for Coca Cola.1 you as a company manager claim environmental responsibility, choose to appeal to the such as unbleached toilet • Do you think the ACCC has consumer’s hip pocket and offer paper and other paper products a role to play in at least pointing lower prices and more value for that may be recycled or from out the inaccuracy of some money, or would you pursue a sustainable forests, or less advertising claims? strategy of pushing your ‘green’ polluting cleaning products? • Was Coca Cola a bit unlucky to credentials, whatever these might Does the price of such products be taken to the ACCC for using be, for your product? Choose a need to be comparable with other false claims about a product? product and outline your strategy products for you to make such and reasoning. a choice? • Research the 2007 Ribena case where two New Zealand fourteen- • As a group, identify and describe • What is your attitude to year-old students discovered any ads you have seen recently ‘greenwashing’ claims? Are the claimed Vitamin C content of that push the ‘value for money’ you, like Dee, a bit cynical, or Ribena drinks was not quite true. angle and any others that do you think they are at least promote green credentials. trying to raise awareness?
ACCC slams Coca-Cola ads featuring Kerry Armstrong as misleading
COCA-COLA has been forced into an embarrassing backdown after the consumer watchdog slammed as misleading ads featuring Kerry Armstrong that claimed the soft drink was not a cause of obesity and tooth decay.
The ads, which ran in magazines in October last year, featured the actor under the headline ‘Kerry Armstrong on Motherhood and Myth-busting’.
The ads declared as myths the fact that Coke makes you fat, rots teeth and is packed with caffeine.
Health interest groups greeted the campaign with outrage, but the drinks company backed the ads with a second in the series claiming that it was not a contributor to a number of social health concerns.
‘We felt it was time to state the facts and help you understand the truth behind Coca-Cola,’ the ad said.
But consumer watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today ordered a national corrective ad campaign, saying that Coca-Cola South Pacific had blatantly mislead consumers with the ads.
‘After seeing the Myth Busting campaign the ACCC was immediately concerned about the misleading messages it was likely to send to consumers and in particular, to mothers who are often the decision makers about family nutrition,’ the ACCC said in a statement.
‘Coke’s messages were totally unacceptable, creating an impression which is likely to mislead that Coca-Cola cannot contribute to weight gain, obesity and tooth decay. They also had the potential to mislead parents about the potential consequences of consuming Coca Cola.’
The company will have to publish corrective ads in newspapers across the country, as well as running corrections on its website.
Coke said it had not meant to mislead consumers and had worked with the ACCC to create
the corrective ads. SCREEN EDUCATION 11 3. The Gruen Website Now in its twelfth edition, this http://laurelpapworth.com/australia- is a basic text which covers all save-our-advertising-industry/ Go to the Gruen website at
abc.net.au/gruentransfer
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SCREEN EDUCATION 12