‘Little Miss USA’ Doll Ad for American Red Cross

Like Pepsi with Milk, There’s Something Wrong Here

Some things don’t pair well. Like Pepsi with milk, or peanut butter and bacon sandwiches.

Likewise this ad for a collectable doll doesn't quite work.

The doll, called Little Miss USA, was issued by the Alexander Doll Company in the wake of September 11 in support of the American Red Cross.

Plenty of cause-related marketing appeals popped up after 9/11. This one was in the February 2002 issue of Doll Reader.

While you might associate dolls with a children’s cause, the problem isn’t the combination of patriotic doll and the Red Cross, per se. As we’ve discussed before, while ‘strategic philanthropy’ is frequently the best approach, for various reasons it may not be the preferred approach. Moreover, limited edition dolls of this type are more likely to be purchased for adult than child collectors.

The problem isn’t the offer, it’s the ad itself.

For one, the ‘portion of the proceeds’ language is weak and vague. Research shows that consumers are more likely to support a cause marketing campaign if they know exactly how much of a donation the offer will generate.

The bigger problem is the way the Longfellow quote and the body copy work against one another.

You almost need a scorecard to keep straight all the metaphors, similes, symbols, and allusions: The Children’s Hour is the dark before the light; Children are the innocents that bring joy; Dolls can bring joy and understanding to children; Dolls can also bring love to "children of all ages;" Little Miss USA embodies the spirit of American youth; Children can help us emerge from the dark hour (would that be the ‘Children’s Hour?’) into the “light and hope of tomorrow.”

At the risk of being ‘apoetic,’ if they wanted to say that brighter days lie ahead and that children... as symbolized by Little Miss USA... are the hope of those days, why didn’t they just say so?

The topper is the small-type disclaimer by the American Red Cross. “The American Red Cross name is used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, expressed or implied, of this product.” Heaven above save us from the lawyers!

The Alexander Doll Company obviously had to spend some time putting the doll together and working the deal with the American Red Cross. It’s a pity they didn’t put more time into this ad.

Batting Your Eyelashes at Prescription Drug Cause Marketing

I’m a little chary about making sweeping pronouncements, but I believe I've just seen the first cause marketing promotion in the U.S. involving a prescription drug. The drug is from Allergan and it’s called Latisse , “the first and only FDA-approved prescription treatment for inadequate or not enough eyelashes.” The medical name for this condition is hypotrichosis. Latisse is lifestyle drug the way Viagra or Propecia are. That is, no one’s going to die (except, perhaps, of embarrassment) if their erectile dysfunction or male pattern baldness or thin eyelashes go untreated. Which means the positioning for a product like Latisse is a little tricky. Allergan could have gone with the sexy route as with Viagra or Cialis and showed lovely women batting their new longer, thicker, darker eyelashes. But I’ll bet that approach didn’t test well with women. (I’m reminded of a joke about the Cialis ads from a comedian whose name I can’t recall. He said, “Hey if my erection lasts longer than ...

Cause Marketing: The All Packaging Edition

One way to activate a cause marketing campaign when the sponsor sells a physical product is on the packaging. I started my career in cause marketing on the charity side and I can tell you that back in the day we were thrilled to get a logo on pack of a consumer packaged good (CPG) or even just a mention. Since then, there’s been a welcome evolution of what sponsors are willing and able to do with their packaging in order to activate their cause sponsorships. That said, even today some sponsors don’t seem to have gotten the memo that when it comes to explaining your cause campaign, more really is more, even on something as small as a can or bottle. The savviest sponsors realize that their only guaranteed means of reaching actual customers with a cause marketing message is by putting it on packaging. And the reach and frequency of the media on packaging for certain high-volume CPG items is almost certainly greater than radio, print or outdoor advertising, and, in many cases, TV. More to ...

Chili’s and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

I was in Chili’s today and I ordered their “Triple-Dipper,” a three appetizer combo. While I waited for the food, I noticed another kind of combo. Chili’s is doing a full-featured cause-related marketing campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There was a four-sided laminated table tent outlining the campaign on the table. When the waitress brought the drinks she slapped down Chili’s trademark square paper beverage coasters and on them was a call to action for an element of the campaign called ‘Create-A-Pepper,’ a kind of paper icon campaign. The wait staff was all attired in black shirts co-branded with Chili’s and St. Jude. The Create-A-Pepper paper icon could be found in a stack behind the hostess area. The Peppers are outlines of Chili’s iconic logo meant to be colored. I paid $1 for mine, but they would have taken $5, $10, or more. The crayons, too, were co-branded with the ‘Create-A-Pepper’ and St. Jude’s logos. There’s also creatapepper.com, a microsite, but again wi...

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