AgencySpy: MoonPie’s “Super Bowl” Ad Only Ran at Gas Stations
By: Minda Smiley | AgencySpy
In a move that couldn’t be more on brand, MoonPie got in on the Super Bowl action on Sunday by airing an ad of its own … exclusively at gas pumps across America.
To be fair, it’s a sound strategy. We assume the chocolatey marshmallow cakes are a staple at gas stations, and the ad clocks in at 80 seconds, giving patrons more than enough time to fill up their tanks and wonder what the hell they just watched.
Without further ado, here it is.
True MoonPie fans will know that this isn’t a one-off thing. The Chattanooga, Tenn.-based brand—best known for its wry tweets—has been having a bit of fun with what it refers to as #TheBigThing since 2018, when it tweeted out nine faux Super Bowl commercial scripts.
In typical MoonPie fashion, they were incredibly off the wall. Three of them were turned into actual ads the following year, all of which ran online.
This year, the brand took things a step further by elaborating on one of last year’s ads, which featured a “MoonPie Child” meeting its adoptive family. From what we can tell, MoonPie Child doesn’t appear to be enjoying life in suburbia—but hey, at least it got to enjoy its day in the sun on “hundreds of thousands” of fuel pump screens around the country.
The stunt was pulled off in partnership with full-service agency Tombras and GSTV, a network that specializes in video content at gas stations.
“When Tombras approached us, we immediately realized their idea was a stroke of genius—and not just because of the spot’s creative vision,” Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO at GSTV, said. “Brands today know it’s increasingly difficult to find moments when consumer attention is truly focused, so with an unavoidably attention-grabbing spot, and a media buy that leverages the full scale and capabilities of GSTV, it’s the perfect way to stand out.”
All of this begs the question: What will MoonPie do next? Maybe next year we’ll see a local Super Bowl buy, but even that seems too mainstream for its liking. Only time will tell.
Digiday: ‘An extension of our broadcast buy’: Advertisers are buying ads on gas station screens
People probably don’t pull up to the gas station pump to watch videos, let alone to sit through ads. But while they wait for their tanks to fill, there’s enough chance that they’ll check out what’s playing at the pump that advertisers including PepsiCo and Quicken Loans, and agencies such as Spark Foundry see GSTV’s gas station screens less as a billboard and more as another TV screen.
PepsiCo has begun to consider GSTV to be part of its video strategy as the company has adopted “more of a video-agnostic approach” with that strategy over the past couple years, said Kate Brady, head of media innovation and partnerships at PepsiCo. That shift has helped with analyzing the effectiveness of the marketer’s GSTV campaigns. “Because you have a captive, engaged audience [on GSTV], we see that to be stronger than what we might see on many of our digital video results and some of our outdoor as well,” said Brady, who declined to share specific results.
Spark Foundry has similarly reevaluated what it considers video in recent years. About two and a half years ago, the agency combined all video platforms, whether in-home or out-of-home, under the purview of its video team, said Shelby Saville, chief investment officer at Spark Foundry. That move enabled the agency to take a more complete view of the video landscape and find opportunities to extend the reach of TV and video campaigns “in case we’re not getting the reach we want in traditional TV or digital video,” she said. The agency uses GSTV to drive foot traffic for clients with quick-serve restaurants and retail stores, in particular.
The executives interviewed for this article declined to discuss GSTV’s ad rates, but Quicken Loans CMO Casey Hurbis described the company’s pricing as “fair and consistent.”
GSTV streams videos and ads over the internet to its screens that span more than 23,000 locations across the country. That internet-based delivery enables GSTV to aim ads at individual locations, which enables advertisers to use GSTV to supplement the reach and frequency of their TV and video campaigns. Additionally it works with companies like Nielsen to cross-reference credit card data from gas stations, including their adjoining convenience stores, with advertisers’ first-party data in order to pinpoint brands’ ads and measure their sales impact.
As audiences tune out of traditional TV and into ad-free fare like Netflix, advertisers are seeking out all opportunities to reach people with their 15-second spots. For these marketers, GSTV has emerged as one of those opportunities despite being historically categorized alongside billboards and bus stop signage as an out-of-home platform. “We’ve had a couple clients and teams recommend [GSTV] be used as a frequency extension if we feel like there’s an audience that’s being underserved in television,” said Saville.
GSTV has been looking to capitalize on ad buyers’ interest in opportunities to offset TV viewership declines by angling to compete in the annual TV-and-video upfront marketplace. This year the company has had more than two dozen meetings with advertisers to pitch for their upfront budgets, according to GSTV CEO Sean McCaffrey. In those pitches, the company has talked up the 93 million adults in the U.S. that it claims it reaches every month, as measured by Nielsen, — up from 75 million adults in 2018 — as well as the TV-like qualities of its ads that play at full screen with the sound on between videos from media companies such as Cheddar, First Media and Chive TV as well as sports leagues like the NFL and NHL.
One question that GSTV faces as it angles for advertisers’ TV and video dollars is whether people are actually watching its screens while they pump gas. And it appears that people do watch. The company performs eye-tracking studies and consumer surveys to measure viewership. In a pitch deck that GSTV has shared with advertisers and agencies this year, the company claims that 86% of people watch or listen to the screens. For PepsiCo, the question of GSTV’s viewability has not been an issue. The company has conducted brand recall and purchase intent studies for its GSTV campaigns, and the results of those studios “make us confident that it’s working,” Brady said.
While GSTV may seem to be an odd fit in the upfront consideration set, it has been able to merit consideration alongside TV networks and digital video platforms. “When we go into the upfronts, GSTV has historically been one of the partners where we make an annual upfront investment,” said Casey Hurbis, CMO of Quicken Loans. He has been buying ads on GSTV for at least seven years, dating back to when he was an automotive marketer at Fiat Chrysler Automotive and where he said GSTV was viewed as a cable network. “I’ve never really looked at [GSTV] as an out-of-home placement. I look at it as an extension of our broadcast buy,” said Hurbis.
AgencySpy: GSTV Launches Internal Creative Studio IGNITE
By AgencySpy
Yet another client has taken things in-house.
GSTV, the national digital video network for gas stations, developed its own creative service called Ignite.
Ignite will offer original content specifically designed for the platform as well as modification of existing content for the GSTV platform. It will also provide creative consultancy services for brands and agencies on how best to reach audiences on GSTV.
“Our goal as a national video platform is to be a true partner to brands and agencies. Building Ignite, a dedicated agency for creating content in our unique space, allows us to customize and solve true brands’ marketing challenges and increasingly drive business outcomes by helping tell stories in compelling and unexpected ways,” GSTV president and CEO Sean McCaffrey explained in a statement. “The new internal creative offering will work with brands looking for original content or to modify content for the digital OOH platform.”
“At PepsiCo we have worked with the GSTV team and our agency partners over the course of multiple campaigns to understand how best to scale our brand campaigns and assets on GSTV,” Pepsi Beverage director, media Kate Brady added. “We’re excited to see them launch Ignite and know the impact their expertise has provided to make our campaigns more successful each time.”
GSTV’s dedicated content includes its Word of the Day and Hot This Week series. Ignite has produced a GSTV Summer Road Trip series highlighting different locations which will launch on July 4 and run throughout the summer travel season.
“As a network, we’re constantly developing new and unique content touchpoints with our audience,” GSTV vice president, marketing Jessica Armstrong said in a statement. “The goal is grabbing—and keeping—their attention, and the creative and production talent of the Ignite team, combined with intel from our brand partners, helps make that happen.”
So what kind of content will this new entity churn out? Here’s the sizzle. Does your business feel threatened?
The Drum: Four Unexpected, Data-Driven Media Buys For Quickly Boosting Sales
By Sean McCaffrey | The Drum
Of all the topics that come up in my conversations with brands, agencies, media and data/analytics partners, how to quickly boost sales is always a common one. Even though most brands plan their media spending annually, every marketer should have a deep bench of partners they know have a higher likelihood of driving sales without the long lead. Oh, and that can leverage the most relevant data resources on the market.
For brands wanting to know who they can call today to have a data-enriched campaign running tomorrow (or maybe next week), with a degree of certainty that they’ll see some lift, read on.
To hone the list, I’ve put recency in the crosshairs, which means we’re not talking about TV, mobile, social or any of the usual suspects. Why recency? Recency theory holds that ads are most effective when they air “immediately before the time of decision” per Nielsen. Brands shouldn’t overlook recency when considering where to place media, especially if making the sale is their immediate goal.
Paul Macaluso, chief executive at the fast-growing quick-serve restaurant Krystal, told QSR Magazine last week that recency is one of the most important elements of restaurant marketing.
“We need to be in front of people when they’re thinking about food or when they’re hungry. It’s just not TV anymore,” he says. “Certainly not predominantly TV anymore.”
Sometimes the simple answer is the right one. Here are a few to consider.
Intersection’s Link kiosks
With a monthly reach of 44m (Source: Geopath), anyone walking the streets of New York or London has seen a Link kiosk. It’s the sleek digital obelisks that offer beautifully displayed content, free wifi, phone calls, device charging and tablets for local search. These are savvy technologies that are only growing in number.
And given that almost every major retailer, QSR/fast-casual, finance, travel - and so many other business categories - sell in New York and London, Link is a recency goldmine. In these urban markets, you can combine recency with proximity - consider a promotion for financial services. Link makes sense for consumers who are directly outside or blocks away from the institution.
Cinema
Cinemas present a unique option among this list because moviegoers are a captive audience, unable to opt-out. They’re sitting down, noshing, and relaxed because all they’re doing for the next 90 minutes is watching a flick. It’s an opportunity for a brand to say hello and ask for their consideration.
With the evolution of the movie theater to include reclining chairs and alcoholic beverages, consumers may be more likely to arrive on time, snacks and all. And for theaters located inside shopping malls, viability goes up further. Monthly reach is 25m and 15.1m for National CineMedia and Screenvision, respectively (Source: Nielsen Media Impact, Sept 2017).
Walmart’s WMX and Kroger’s ClickList Ad Platforms
You’re on Kroger’s ClickList website, or walmart.com searching for cereal, and a sponsored ad shows up for something you’ve bought in the past with a deal if you buy two. Recency doesn’t get any more recent, and advertising here should be a no-brainer for brands selling, or thinking of selling, in either store.
Why is this media buy “unexpected?” Amazon’s AMS/AMG are so well known at this point; I want to call out Walmart’s WMX and Kroger’s ClickList, newer platforms that have the same kind of advertising options (or will). Various news outlets have reported that Kroger is selling ad units and developing a programmatic platform. WMX, by contrast, came around just after AMS and AMG.
There is sure to be a lot of upside for brands that get in early and develop relationships with these platforms, invest, and learn how to take advantage of them early. Hint for media and advertising agencies: if you can help brands do this, you’ll win. The substantial growth brands have seen on Amazon, and the cottage industry of agencies and media companies developing Amazon-specific service offerings is a clear sign the same is sure to happen for WMX and Kroger.
A significant player in the space, Walmart’s WMX sees a unique monthly reach of 103.3m thanks to Walmart.com traffic (Source: comScore, Feb 2018). Kroger's reach data is not yet available.
GSTV
Self-promotion alert, but here’s why it matters. GSTV is the new name for Gas Station TV, a data-driven, national video network delivering targeted audiences at scale across tens of thousands of fuel retailers (BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon-Mobil, Kwik Trip, Speedway and more). This format reaches one in three Americans monthly, and know from research that people who are fueling up are very often on their way to buy something else. I could go on, but know there are plenty more reasons to consider GSTV.
All of these businesses have access to best-in-class third-party data resources. They offer all the trappings of du jour digital offerings, without the risk that an off the cuff remark from a celebrity will send stock prices plunging.
And, most importantly, they reach consumers at natural times when a purchase is a likely outcome, times when audiences are potentially in a buying mindset. While there are plenty of media formats disrupting consumers at all other times of day, doesn’t it make sense to reconsider the options that aren’t as disruptive?
Thoughtful application of these unique media offerings could mean a big difference for brands who leverage them appropriately. And in a marketplace rife with fraud, brand safety, and so many other issues, it pays to have tools like these at your disposal.
Sean McCaffrey, is chief executive officer at GSTV