This is a prime example of the use of celebrity brand endorsement for the creation of brand equity. 50 Floors is specifically targeting middle aged consumers with this ad. The company knows that Home Improvement is one of the hallmark US TV shows. That show, which ran right before the turn of the century, likely holds a special place in the hearts of middle aged American consumers. 50 Floors is employing nostalgia and Home Improvements cultural equity to persuade users to change their floors. This is a smart strategy given that middle aged couples have likely already sent their kids to college and a looking to start a new chapter in their lives, a new chapter with an updated home.
Ambiguity Concerns?
One thing that worries me about the commercial is the opening line:
Hey, my name is Richard Karn and I know a thing or two about home improvement.
This is technically not a false statement because while the sentence sounds the same, he could have actually said:
Hey, my name is Richard Karn and I know a thing or two about Home Improvement.
This would suggest that he knows something about the show as opposed to something about the actual activity. Yet, this ambiguity is somehow removed through his onscreen title of “Home Improvement Expert”. Again, there’s the idea of the capitalization versus the lack of capitalization. While I enjoy the play on words and the joke behind this commercial, it’s this sort of ambiguity that lands marketers in hot water.
Do you think that this is a risky strategy? Or is it just a joke that viewers should be able to understand? Would you consider the public too sensitive or are marketers just too manipulating?