If you've been in this business long enough, you're bound to have come across a look-alike and/or sound-alike advertising campaign from competing brands. In fact, many times the creative ideas and concepts are almost identical. It's as if the same creative teams worked on them. It happens in all product categories. It is especially noticeable in categories that are intensely competitive with huge media dollars behind them.
This creative coincidence is currently playing out with the battle of the "istas." The brand combatants - Target and T.J. Maxx. As with everything in retail today, it's all about saving money and extending the fashion dollar.
T.J. Maxx is betting the holiday season on the "Maxxinista" It is built into everything they're doing in communications - T.J. Maxx - Where Fashionistas become Maxxinistas. The "Maxxinista" is everywhere - throughout the site, Facebook, Twitter. It is executed well creatively by having a memorable ring to it by driving name recognition for T.J. Maxx. I can't see people connecting emotionally with being a "Maxxinista", but it does raise the consciousness of the T. J. Maxx brand. It has a way to go before it surpasses the line that T.J. Maxx used for years - "You get the max for the minimum at T.J.Maxx."
Target, long known as the retail brand that has made it "chic to shop cheap," has their own "ista" campaign in play. Target thrives on the anti-Wal-Mart shopping experience position, appealing to a segment of the American populace who hate shopping at Wal-Mart. Their "ista" offering this season is based on being a "Frugalista." They're treating "Frugalista" as a guerilla-type communications tactic within their style boutique on www.target.com. They use style guru Nina Garcia as the spokesperson for outfitting the new "Frugalistas"!!! The executions feel scripted and appear forced. The people seem reluctant to being identified as "Frugalistas". After all, frugal is sometimes construed as an ugly word.
I can imagine the accusations flying between these two retailers about copycat ideas. That pressure extends down to the agency partners. There is nothing you fear more in this business than hearing the dreaded - "I've seen that idea before." There's an old saying that there are no original ideas, only ideas that have been reworked or redone. This couldn't be further from the truth. In over a 30-year career, I've seen creative people work passionately, hours upon hours, developing conceptual ideas. It is all about the idea.
Is it a coincidence when campaigns like the "istas" happen? Both make perfect strategic sense - market climate driven, the need to save money, yet personality laden with women wanting to be stylish. Two agencies and two brands came up with a similar creative approach to arriving at the same selling idea. It happens more than you'd ever think in the advertising business. It will be fascinating to watch these two campaigns play out over the holiday season. Which one provides the most sales life will be the ultimate metrics test. Does the "Maxxinista" fashion appeal win out or will the frugality of "Frugalista" carry the day? The consumers will decide, as they always do.
I had a similar reaction when I saw the new John Jameson Irish Whiskey spot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOydQFJdx1k. It feels that the strategy behind the spot, and even the execution at points is a direct lift from Dos Equis' "Most interesting man" campaign.
The "man's man" storyline and narration about these characters seems too similar to be completely independent. Not to mention the end shot of Jameson walking up the beach with the barrel looks like an exact scene taken out of the Dos Equis campaign.
Both campaigns seem to be raising awareness (or at least search volume); googling "the most" brings the XX campaign right up near the top of the most searched terms, and "John Jameson" immediately shows 6 results about the TV spot.
Maybe John Jameson IS the most interesting man in the world, and only drinks Dos Equis when he's not sipping his own.