Jameson Does Pandora Right

November 23, 2008 · Comments

Jameson AdWow! Look at this! Why am I so excited? Because this ad popped up on Pandora, the best music site on the web (and no, I don’t want to argue about that with you. I don’t care what you say.) So why is this cool? Because Jameson GAVE ME SOMETHING IN CONTEXT with the platform. They made me a playlist. I am immediately – immediately – excited about this, because it says, “Hey, we know you’re in here listening to tunes, and we wanted to mix you up some tunes while you’re here,” and it doesn’t say, “Hey! Hey! Over here! Give me your attention, damn it!”

Now, the added bonus? There’s now the word “Jameson” stuck in the front of a playlist in my Pandora, so until I delete it, I’m looking at it even when I’m not playing it. It’s subliminal-ish, and makes me smile, and makes me think, “You done good, kid.”

Compare that to the HP ad earlier that was so multimedia that it broke my connection to Pandora and I had to refresh the page. I like HP (well, I like them because of Ann Finnie, and I think their touch PC is kind of cool), but that ad made me grumpy.

So, back to Jameson. Great job, guys. Thanks for playing nicely. Whoever did that for/with you, please give them some love. They hit a home run there.

Disagree?

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  • some funny spoofs of the whole Jameson campaign.
  • Chris, good to see someone trying to break the auto-pilot that usually makes up the online ad space. This example is relevant and helpful. Too often we see online advertisers who suffer from "Need for Impressions Inertia". They either build an ad like a billboard or build an ad so interactive that you risk having a seizure while engaging it. They focus on people seeing it, rather than exploring it. They focus on a general message, rather than something of relevance.
    It is the "Need for Impressions Inertia" that shakes consumer confidence in the medium and all the brands that it serves.
  • I'm just happy it gave me yet another reason to be smug about the fact that I've been drinking it for over 20 years now! :)
  • Travis
    Completely agree! Adidas did the same thing with a Hip Hop mix a few months ago - same results - stuck in my head.
  • Now, if only Knob Creek or Laphroaig would do it.
  • so sad that they aren't available overseas!
  • Nice!

    I like it when good work is recognized.

    Very nice.

    Poor me a Jameson.

    Tim
  • Very interesting!

    I totally agree that this is brilliant. Whether or not it's "above and beyond the call of duty" can be argued, but I think it is what we as consumers at least would like it to be - interesting content, in context.

    However, I do think this kind of contextual advertising faces some big challenges ahead, as consumers have learnt to ignore traditional banners. Getting the attention back will take some time.

    The catch is of course that attempts at getting attention the easy way, as the old days, through blinking banners, bright colors etc, will only make consumers try to ignore it more.
  • Sarah Katz
    I wholeheartedly agree. Converse did a similiar, if not exactly the same, program this summer. I have the mixtape on my Pandora now - it has great songs and gave me a really positive feeling about the brand.

    Thumbs up to both Converse and Jameson (and Pandora, for that matter, for making it possible) for making something that is going to continue to be relevant to listeners after the ad is said and done.
  • That's a great angle for Jameson to go with involving the media aspect. It's a more interactive approach that I think we will start to see more of. Companies getting their names out there by interacting and offering something up to the consumers. Good job Jameson, that's my go to shot as well.

    Craig
    www.budgetpulse.com
  • Tim
    I've seen multiple companies do this through Pandora and agree that it's a great strategy overall. Not only did they grab my attention (I also added the station, even if I did pretty quickly delete it) it also got me over to check out their site and see what other cool things they were up to...
  • It shows that if you can stand out from the crowd and come up with something original you will do a lot better.Thanks for sharing.
  • Jeff Webster
    Agree with most of the above comments that this is a smart execution for Jameson. I do think Pandora deserves a great deal of credit for creating a very non-intrusive way for companies to get involved with their service via branded music channels. As a loyal Pandora listener, I only hope that more brands see this opportunity, so this service will continue forever.
  • Marc Vermut
    Chris, actually Epson did this as well and previous to Jameson (http://twitter.com/mvermut/statuses/932363248). And they seem to maintain a profile page on Pandora (http://www.pandora.com/people/epson). Though one would argue that they should actually participate in the community to maximize the benefits.
  • Nice post Chris. This is a fantastic example of a brand injecting themselves into the user experience by enhancing it. At that point it becomes content and is no longer just advertising. Nice job Jameson, but equal kudos to Pandora for embracing new stuff as a publisher. This is what we need to see more of throughout social media advertising, and exactly the type of campaigns we at Watercooler are proposing to advertisers on a regular basis.
  • Agree! It's brilliant. Advertising needs to start giving something back instead of just taking. Looks like Jameson has done a nice job of this.
  • As a longtime Irish whiskey drinker, it's good to see Jamesons doing something which is appropriate for the place it's displayed.

    Just a shame it's on Pandora, and I'm outside the U.S!
  • Couldn't agree more Chris. It's nice to see a company (and ad firm) do advertising right.

    @Matt Schultz - Why is this "what you’re supposed to do"? I disagree wholeheartedly; this is above and beyond the call of duty.

    Think about the added expense of catering each and every ad campaign to the context in which it is displayed. Even online where advertising is comparatively cheap, running a unique and creative campaign for each and every site a company advertises on would easily force it to multiply its ad budget many times over...
  • Matt Schultz
    Chris,

    I feel like you're congratulating a driver for stopping at red light; it's what you're supposed to do. Your excitement over the fact that Jameson and their ad agency get it and executed on it, seems to be more of a comment on the state of online advertising, than on Jameson's ad.

    Definite props to the agency for proposing it, props to Jameson for rolling with it, but really, we shouldn't be impressed by this, we should expect it as table stakes.

    Just my $0.02.
  • Great post Chris!
    I especially like to support sponsors on Pandora, because of the music service's precarious financial position.
    But most of the ads have nothing to do with me or why I am listening to Pandora.
    But now, I feel like it's my duty, err obligation to go and drink some Jameson.
    -Josh
  • Chris. Agreed. How happy am I to see a liquor ad that does not think a wet t-shirt contest is the way to sell booze. ok, maybe that works with a certain demographic but this is what we are talking about when we say use the technology to support creative. love it.
  • Good share Chris. Glad to hear about things like this. Other companies should consider ideas like this as well.

    makes me want to give Pandora another shot.
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