Case Study #2
A European Lighting & Electronics Company
THE GOAL:
Psychologics was commissioned to conduct research to help a major European lighting & electronics company make inroads in the United States. Their current advertising campaign was not successful and they sought a new direction for further advertising.
RESULTS:
Insight: The major insight here was that while GE “brings good things to our life”, our client’s brand could differentiate itself by providing a rescue fantasy from the world of darkness, albeit in a humorous way. Otherwise darkness might prove to be too frightening, being associated with fear, death, and sexuality.
This core insight about “regression in the service of the ego.” By this we mean playing in the world of darkness in such a way that one can laugh at fear -- or see the light.
The result was an award winning advertising campaign. Each of the ads dealt with darkness and fear in such a way that one could find humorous. This campaign lasted a number of years and put our client on the map.
METHODOLOGY:
One-on-one interviews were utilized. The techniques of free association helped reveal immediate deeper reactions and thoughts to the company’s current campaign. We soon learned that the campaign, while enjoyable, was too similar to the category leader GE and was thus seen as yet another GE campaign.
We had individuals free associate with the idea of light. The exercise conjured up images of goodness, knowledge, but also darkness. This revealed that the brand could help negotiate darkness and in doing so create its own unique territory.
A European Lighting & Electronics Company
THE GOAL:
Psychologics was commissioned to conduct research to help a major European lighting & electronics company make inroads in the United States. Their current advertising campaign was not successful and they sought a new direction for further advertising.
RESULTS:
Insight: The major insight here was that while GE “brings good things to our life”, our client’s brand could differentiate itself by providing a rescue fantasy from the world of darkness, albeit in a humorous way. Otherwise darkness might prove to be too frightening, being associated with fear, death, and sexuality.
This core insight about “regression in the service of the ego.” By this we mean playing in the world of darkness in such a way that one can laugh at fear -- or see the light.
The result was an award winning advertising campaign. Each of the ads dealt with darkness and fear in such a way that one could find humorous. This campaign lasted a number of years and put our client on the map.
METHODOLOGY:
One-on-one interviews were utilized. The techniques of free association helped reveal immediate deeper reactions and thoughts to the company’s current campaign. We soon learned that the campaign, while enjoyable, was too similar to the category leader GE and was thus seen as yet another GE campaign.
We had individuals free associate with the idea of light. The exercise conjured up images of goodness, knowledge, but also darkness. This revealed that the brand could help negotiate darkness and in doing so create its own unique territory.