Burma Shave was introduced in 1925 founded by Clinton Odell, and Dollar shave began their operations in 2011 founded by Mark Levine and Michael Dubin. They are both of a line of shaving products. However, there are different things when it comes to commercial their products. Burma Shave used unique marketing technique by rhyming stanzas on sequences of interstates throughout America from the 1920s through the 1960s. There signs could see everywhere. Signs were placed at intervals along the road showing a line of a 4-part rhyme.
It was a brilliant idea at the time because America in the 1930s was torn by the Great Depression. It can brighten people’s sprit with cheerful and powerful rhymes in the countryside. The signs continued to bring success and became more and more humorous. With the roads got better and cars got faster, the size of the signs and the distance between them had to be increased. The signs helped make long journeys more entertaining, and people became addicted to reading them.
They forced those reading the signs to focus their attention on reading the full series of signs so that the message could be understood and savored like a good joke. Eventually, about 7,000 sets of verses were posted along highways in 44 states. The little Burma-Shave company grew to $3 million in annual sales. However, over time, America’s countryside shrank due to superhighways and faster cars, and huge billboards outshouted the little signs. Eventually, in 1963, it would become an operating division of a subsidiary at that time, American Safety Razor Products.
Nowadays, with increasing social media and internet, people can share their message through viral videos in social media. Dollar Shave Club made a video that was incredibly funny and was quite different than other video ads. It could be shared through almost 20,000,000 viewers, and a new company born in the process. Their title “Our Blades Are Fucking Great” could grab audience’s attention, too. They used the way how to wield humor to attract attention for their marketing.
The CEO Michael Dubin said “People tend to remember things when they’re musically presented, and comedy is a form of music,” “When you’re launching a new business and sharing a new idea, if you can get people to remember it, there’s obviously a better chance at success. ” In the first 48 hours after the video debuted on YouTube, some 12,000 people signed up for the service. Aside from some Google ads, there has been no other marketing. Dubin refuses to reveal details in advance, but there’s a good chance it’s going to be success their marketing.
I think the most groundbreaking media campaign was the Dollar Shave Club for its time based on my research. Their videos were spread through all countries globally, so it could make more and more viewers than Burma Shave. Burma Shave’s slogan was limited to only America and some areas. The media campaign of Squatty Potty has caught my attention and admiration. The squatty potty is a tool provides lift to legs and results in a squatting-type position rather than sitting position while moving bowels. It relaxes muscle for fast, easy elimination.
This colorful marketing video has incredibly creative concept. Using colorful stuffs and humorous element can audiences keep attention and memorable. The video could talk to its audience about a not so “palatable” topic by using a comical and a non-confrontational approach. This product became #1 Best Seller Toilet Training Potties & Seats category in Amazon. Also, a teaser snagged 20,000 social shares with no paid media in a few days. I think that the target audiences are both female and male regardless of ages. I fit their target because I am a person who is interested in YouTube and social media.
