Ineptitude
I went to the Watson's website and took a catalog of what they sell. They sell bars and barstools, pools, spas, patio furniture...you know basically around-the-home, hosting-guests kind of things. They have commercials that run regionally with the "Watson's girl" usually walking around in a bikini and whatnot, sort of trailer-trash attractive, whatever.
So, it makes me scratch my head much in the way that people who have dandruff scratch their head when I see the Harley-Davidson commercials. Take a look at their website and they sell...motorcycles--of course, like I had to even look, right? However, the local Harley-Davidson commercials throw about three models into their ads and always end with, "Our girls are hotter than that Watson's chick."
I've always wondered...what exactly does Watson's and Harley-Davidson have in common for the motorcycle company to engage in some sort of ad war? Is Harley-Davidson saying, "Don't go to Watson's and buy a spa...go to Harley-Davidson and buy a motorcycle!"? This isn't Wendy's and McDonald's. This is Wendy's and Emma's: The Superlative Florist. They have run these ads for awhile now, and it's become their tagline, as if motorcycles are inherently a better purchase because of the relative hotness of girls they stick in their ads compared to the girl that Watson's places in theirs.
I'm just confused, is all I'm saying.
posted by Chris @ 4/11/2005 01:09:00 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Not having seen either, I'm just going off of the post, but there are a few rational reasons for Harley to engage in that activity.
First of all, it sounds like this Watson's commercial is a sort of local pop-culture phenomenon. I'm basing this on the fact that "Watson's Girl" appears to be a term in general circulation in the Watson's target market. Sort of like Empire carpets in Chicago.
Harley is attempting to free ride off of Watson's established trademark, the "Watson's girl." And I bet that it is working.
Harley has advertised with, let's call them "cycle sluts," for a long, long time. Not directly, but through their clientel, in Biker mags, etc. So, they have a loose, non completely gratuitous connection to trailer-trashy sex appeal. They are attempting to link "Harley Cycle Slut" with "Watson's girl" so that people start associating the two. As Watson's is not a direct competitor, if Harley contributes some free advertising to them it doesn't concern them.
It's not so much of an ad-war, as it is the Harley dealer engaging in ad-parasitism (or, more generously, symbiosis, although because Watson's invested resources in developing the trademark in the first place, Harley is closer to a parasite).
Yo Chris...remember our conversation last night? Well the Kennel has a brand new film review up...and it's a recent film too. Enjoy, because some of those jokes are in there just for you!
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