marketing | brand | creative | strategy

Breach

"But when the blast of war blows in our ears, / Then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, / Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect..."
– Shakespeare, "Henry V," Act III

By this point, we were fortunate enough to have a lot of wind at our backs. We had a burgeoning legion of fans as the various brand-building efforts we put into place were beginning to work together in unison. Within the company, the Sales Department was having a high time of it as well, as sales across the different channels were growing robustly. I still remember a conversation I had with one senior rep who operated out of our Midwest office. Thanks to the strength and recognition of the brand, whenever he called a customer, they had heard about Animal. During my early years, that was not the case. Even industry insiders were talking about Animal. Our competitors talked about Animal too, but in a dismissive way–as if we were a cult, and our fans were members of that cult. To me, that was the highest kind of praise, as cults engendered deep loyalties.

After several years of print that focused on honest, gritty, and intense B/W imagery, I thought it might be time for a change. Sometimes, that impulse to change is one of the worst feelings you can have when you are managing a brand. I'd also need to consider the fact that at this point in Animal's history, it was no longer about establishing a beachhead in the minds of consumers, but rather, how to continue making progress inland.

Growing up, like many boys, I was a big fan of comic books. Every quarter I saved, I put away for as many comics I could buy at the end of the week. I can still remember the smell, when you cracked it open and put the book to your nose. I didn't necessarily succumb to the amazing powers or incredibly sculpted physiques of Thor or the Incredible Hulk. Instead, each comic book I read opened up a new world to me–one that was very different than the one I was living in at the time. The other interesting thing I remember is that I was always drawn to teams more than individuals. I loved the Avengers, X-Men, Defenders, and Fantastic Four (I just wish they could make a competent movie for once).


Instead of early Marvel, I imagined something grown-up, more realistic and perhaps darker–something you'd find in graphic novels. As a fan of graphic novels, I knew my way around the community. It didn't take me long to come across the work of an Eisner-award winning artist named Sean Phillips who lived and worked in the U.K. I pitched my ad concept and he agreed to work with me. Though I had worked on all kinds of different writing projects (from a PhD dissertation to poetry, technical bulletins to grant proposals), I never imagined I'd get a chance to work on a project like this–it was like a dream come true.

PRINT | Ad | "Misfit"


PERSONA | Marketing | GI Joe
For the story, the protagonist was a hardened, down-on-his-luck but honorable veteran. As we were building a values-driven, lifestyle brand, paying close attention to psychographics was important to me. Not surprisingly, when looking at the IAO variables, we noticed a pretty seamless match with the brand. Psychographically speaking, their mindset, with an emphasis on dedication and sacrifice, hewed closely to Animal’s. As this segment developed and grew due to our targeted marketing, we used the term, “GI Joe” to describe this customer persona. As we grew this segment, we also introduced lifestyle elements such as Animal Gear (clothing). For an example, see here.

PRINT | Online | "Stay Frosty"

Being unfamiliar with the culture (not having served) of the military, I started by learning as much as I could about the military ethos and way of life. Trained as an academic, researching and picking up knowledge was the easy part. I read everything I could online and interviewed many veterans. I put together a glossary of relevant military terms and phrases that I might eventually use in the ad copy. For example, "staying frosty" means to be alert, and keeping one's emotions in check.

ONLINE | Panels | Story Line


Like the Journey campaign before it, this one was character driven–it explored the mindset and inner workings of an Animal. Breach was also featured in print and online. The original images painted in water colors were featured in print (M&F, Flex, etc.), while the B/W panels ran online. We built a special microsite with the hopes of generating more online traffic. I was more than happy with the work Sean was doing–his artwork captured a grittiness that I thought worked well with Animal. But his water color paintings were even more impressive.

"Rise Up"


The paintings like the one above and below were run as spreads in print. Incidentally, as part of our arrangement, Sean promised to send one of the original paintings to me. When I received the original from him, I had the art framed to museum quality specs. As I write this, I can see it hanging on my wall.  The paintings like the one above and below were run as spreads in print. Incidentally, as part of our arrangement, Sean agreed to send one of his original paintings to me–I chose "Rise Up" (see below). When I received the artwork, I had it framed to museum quality specs. As I write this, I can see it hanging on my wall. 

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PRODUCT ADVERTISEMENT | Animal PM

As part of our main creative print campaign, we also deployed product ads as well. To maintain brand consistency in general as well as campaign consistency in particular, the product ads looked like seamless extension of the lifestyle brand ads. Here is example of our product ad for our sleep support product, Animal PM.

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More | When I started, we sold a product called Animal Pak. But over time, we grew a lifestyle brand around Pak. One way I knew we were on the right track had to do with the feedback we were getting about our ads and articles on the website. Instead of a product like a pre-workout, our fans would read an article before heading out to the gym. We had products, but we were selling something bigger. On a side note, I saw a problem developing. On one hand, our ads highlighted the solitary individual who lived on the periphery, marginalized but not impotent. Rather than being seen as "every man," Wrath or Machine came alive and their personas grew larger-than-life. On the other hand, we were trying to build a tangible community ("Brotherhood") of like-minded, equal individuals. In short, how did you remove sponsored athletes from their pedestals despite a growing "cult of celebrity"? How would you balance "communitas" with an individual's will-to-power, his "self-overcoming"? Managing this dichotomy was a tricky thing. But as always, if you are perceptive to the world around you, you can find answers where you least expect it. In looking back, I realize the answer lay in comic books–the Mighty Thor was still mighty, still fundamentally himself, as part of the Defenders. Having a history with superheroes provided me with another insight as well. Talking to our users, whether on Customer Service calls, talking to fans at local ABC events, or chatting with thousands of fans at expos like The Cage, I saw a simple but meaningful pattern–many consumers I spoke with also read comics books–but instead of keying in on escapism, they idealized physiques and the muscles–the symbols of strength and power. Why not develop an ad campaign that might resonate in a new way and reach a different segment?


[ To Product Campaign: Animal Flex ]