[OTLS]: New Orkin Pest Control Ad 'Fakes Out' TV Viewers.
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2000
Crawling Cockroach Sparks Powerful Consumer Response;
Drawing for a New TV to Reward One Consumer "Got" by Campaign
Even though a new television commercial from Orkin Pest Control is not an April Fools' Day prank, consumers deceived by the ad say the joke is on them. The 15- and 30-second spots, entitled "Fake Out," feature a cockroach crawling across the screen that, according to some consumers, looks very real. In fact, some viewers have broken their TV sets trying to kill the virtual pest.
As the ad begins, it appears to tout a new brand of fabric softener. Unsuspecting viewers are soothed by unremarkable images: white fluffy towels blowing in the breeze and a 30-something female caressing a soft, clean towel against her cheek. But as these images lull the audience into complacency, a large cockroach crawls across the screen as if on the viewer's own television. Only when The Orkin Man interrupts the commercial to kill the pest is the "fake out" revealed.
Response to the new advertisements has been overwhelming. One woman threw a motorcycle helmet at her screen. Another hurled a shoe at the set. Other reports of people fooled by the image are coming in to Orkin's Atlanta headquarters and branches across the country. Many have called to praise the cleverness of the ad.
"Consumer reaction to these spots is unlike anything I've ever seen," said Michael Lollis, executive creative director for J. Walter Thompson in Atlanta, the advertising agency that created the spots. "A commercial is successful when it can create an emotional reaction that will spur consumers into action, and with this campaign, we have definitely gotten the viewers' attention."
The concept for the spot, a new approach for Orkin, is called "borrowed interest" advertising because it attracts a product's target audience and then grabs its full attention with an unusual twist. With the crawling roach, the ad succeeds at triggering what J. Walter Thompson calls "the ick factor" among consumers; the ad reminds people of what they feel when they see pests in their home and that Orkin can solve pest problems.
"The playful tone of these advertisements is a complete departure from our previous campaigns," said Steve Danuser, vice president of Marketing. "While our Orkin 'Exterminator' and animated commercials have been very popular with consumers, these new ads are evoking consumer response unlike any ad campaign we've ever done before."
Since the ads began airing in early March, there are indications of success for the company; early reports show marked increases to Orkin's 800-800-ORKIN number, with calls both pro and con.
The commercial, which can be seen mostly at night, is part of a $10 million national ad buy. The spots appear on all major networks and select cable channels, including CNN, Lifetime, The Discovery Channel, A&E, TNT and The Weather Channel.
"GOTCHA!" ORKIN REWARDS ONE VIEWER
To have more fun with the campaign just in time for April Fools' Day, Orkin is announcing the "Orkin Got Me" contest, encouraging consumers to write and tell how the commercial "faked them out." Orkin will hold a random drawing of all entrants in the campaign, and award the winner with a new television. Consumers can send their responses straight to Orkin's Web site at www.Orkin.com, or mail postcards to "Orkin Got Me," c/o Ketchum, 999 Peachtree Street Northeast, Suite 1850, Atlanta, GA 30309. Deadline for the contest is April 30, 2000.
No purchase necessary. Entries must be received by April 30. Offer void where prohibited by law. Subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Prize: One winner will receive a new television set. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. No exchange or substitution of prize is authorized.
For the name of the winner, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to "Orkin Got Me," c/o Ketchum 999 Peachtree Street Northeast, Suite 1850, Atlanta, GA 30309. Vermont and Washington residents need not include return postage.
Atlanta-based Orkin Pest Control is a leading provider of pest and termite control services throughout the United States and Canada. Founded in 1901, the company has more than 400 branches company-wide serving 1.6 million customers. Orkin Pest Control is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc., which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ROL). |
