I was watching TV earlier today and came across a new commercial from Chips Ahoy! with a Wizard of Oz theme. This new spot puts the recognizable claymation-esque Chips Ahoy! cookie in the role of Dorothy- starting out in black and white in a house with the cookie calling out for "Auntie Em." Then the house starts swirling around in a tornado and we see a witch fly by the window. When the house crashes down the cookie walks outside to a very Oz-like colorful set, including the Yellow Brick Road. When the cookie begins to say the familiar line "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" a hand comes from out of the frame to snatch the cookie away (as is done in previous Chips Ahoy! commercials).
This made me think about what we have been discussing in class recently, with the idea that companies tend to go back to vintage ideas when the economy is in a downturn. I feel like Nabisco, and its ad agency for Chips Ahoy!, DraftFCB, have jumped on the vintage band wagon by trying to tie cookies to the Wizard of Oz. I especially found the announcer's line at the end of the commercial interesting- "The chocolate chip classic that's totally irresistable." The usage of the word "classic" while incorporating the brand in to a classic movie is a quick and effective way to drive the point home.
I think this just goes to show that there is an ebb and flow to marketing. Just like the economy is cyclical, so are the messages that marketers use to promote products and services. Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with putting a nostalgic spin on advertising, especially if it puts some consumers more at ease. Even when times are bad, people like to feel like they could be walking down the Yellow Brick Road tomorrow...
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