Food for thought: The spy who sold out
Forgiving a pretty face
Facebook to agencies: how will people share your story?
Is “The Pitch” an accurate reflection of our industry?
‘Tis the season to hard sell the ties that bind. But it’s rare that you find holiday ads as contentious as the Spence Diamonds work, currently bedecking Toronto’s transit shelters. It’s hardly surprising for diamond or jewelry companies to use couples as their primary targets, but to actively – even gleefully – initiate a psychological flame war with singles is a bold move. To say the least.
I’d just cracked open Wordpress to document my sputtering indignation when a fellow Gripper casually offered up their interpretation: That without the help of Spence Diamonds, your relationship is hanging by a thread. I sat, stared, and realized that this ad is a verbal optical illusion – by turns inclusive and manipulative, and flippant and divisive.
I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Rye
December 6, 2010 @ 11:34 am
It seems to me that this is a complete 180 to their radio campaign, which focuses solely on the act of showering your one true love with the gifts they richly deserve.
Radio says give her a ring and she’ll love you forever.
This says don’t, and she’ll leave you.
I wonder why “alone” is written in the band; doesn’t that imply that she’ll bail on you even after you give her the ring?
As with all Spence outdoor, this is confusing as hell. At least this one I can give props to for being at least a little insightful; look up “we’re all about the carats” if you’re interested in seeing where the bar for this campaign is set.
Mark Daye
December 6, 2010 @ 11:36 am
The problem might be the choice of language. well that and the poor execution. It could have inspired a moment of reflection and appreciation for your partner with an invitation to take the relationship to “the next level” what with the holiday spirit and all. seeing this on a bus shelter just makes waiting for the ttc that much colder and longer.
Sabrina
December 6, 2010 @ 11:40 am
While I think this is a terrible ad, along with the Spence radio spot Rye referenced..
I wonder if we are misinterpreting it. Is Spence saying it sucks to be alone, and so you should buy a diamond ring and then you won’t be?
In any event, I’m not interested in their product, so the ad was ineffective to me.
Angela
December 6, 2010 @ 11:40 am
Immediately thrown off by its off-centred image and grammatical error in the copy “It Sucks (sucks should be lower-cased) to be alone,” I get the impression that Spence Diamonds is not as ‘classy’ or ‘high-end’ as I believe a jeweler should be. In my opinion, the insight is all sorts of wrong. It’s making me think that (my s/o) is forced to buy an engagement ring (any engagement ring at that) so he can benefit from not being alone, whereas the insight should be that I deserve a Spence Diamond, because I’m that great of a girl. The tone is harsh and making what is typically a magical moment, a desperate one. This was a huge risk because it is a very unconventional direction, which I give them kudos for but I don’t think it works or effective at all.
Tweets that mention Is this ad effective? « Big Orange Slide -- Topsy.com
December 6, 2010 @ 11:48 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sabrina Scott, Angela Luong and miranda, Grip Limited. Grip Limited said: Today on the Slide: Is this ad effective? http://bit.ly/fb5Frh [...]
Michael Trapani
December 6, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
Simple answer: This ad is not effective. The ad makes me not want to walk into a Spence store. Will I want to buy a ring from jewelery store that represents itself in such a low class manner and demeans the sincerity of my relationship with my significant other? If I truly love my potential fiance and am willing to spend the kind of money it takes to buy a diamond ring, then what I expect from my jeweler is a certain amount of class and thoughtfulness. Spence has completely missed the basic insight into the target market. However, if there target market are people that would buy diamonds from the back of a van; then they got it just right. An unconventional approach is good but not if it the effect is harmful to the brand and becomes a barrier to walking into the store.
Brook Johnston
December 6, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
Love the giant ‘It’.
Sara Vinten
December 6, 2010 @ 2:23 pm
Still trying to decide who this ad is targeting…
Is it aimed at unmarried people who are already in relationships? If so, I’m pretty sure it’s trying to say, ‘propose now or die alone.’ Perhaps, in a really twisted and misguided way it’s trying to make the attached feel good about their relationships while hinting very obviously that one should through a diamond into the mix to make it that much better (barf).
Or is it pressuring the unattached to rush out blindly and get hitched to the first available person that crosses their path? If this is the case, then whatever happened to all that ‘treasure your significant other’ messaging they’ve been feeding us over the radio? Pretty inconsistent brand voice to say the least.
King Shredder
December 6, 2010 @ 3:17 pm
Any engagement ring from me would certainly have “alone” engraved on the inside of the band. Seems legit.
Devin
December 6, 2010 @ 4:14 pm
Pretty lame, and it seems a lot of people agree that it degrades the image of the store.
To me, it looks like someones unemployed nephew wanted to get into copywriting and went with the first thing that came to mind – how crappy their lives are.
Michelle
December 7, 2010 @ 10:52 am
I didn’t see it from the male point of view at all, actually. I realize that in their eyes men buy rings for women at Spence, but what this screams to me is “If you don’t have a man, you’re alone”.
I think it’s in poor taste, either way. Not to mention how budget it looks.
Kate
December 7, 2010 @ 11:05 am
This ad will result in somebody’s divorce.
Rawbie
December 7, 2010 @ 11:48 am
Whoever approved this needs to be “alone” for a while…
Tanvi Swar
December 7, 2010 @ 1:53 pm
I know they are targeting men, but…it’s very unclear. As an advertiser in the making, I know very little about making proper ads, but even I know that this really does not work! How was it approved? Who is the agency behind this? Or is it an “inside job”?
blake
December 7, 2010 @ 2:06 pm
I Hate this ad, and couldn’t believe it was real when I first saw it.
I already disliked Spence’s odd logo and their annoying radio ads, but this takes things to a whole new level of dislike. Bad, bad design skills. Horrible message. I don’t have the patience to dissect how many things are wrong with the message they are conveying. I personally feel taunted for currently being single. Thanks, jerks. I’m also pretty old-school; I still think marriage should happen when two people love each other and want to make that commitment, not when they just feel pressure from our society to not be “alone”.
Any future ads they ever put out will just “ring” as insincere and hypocritical to me now.
blake
December 7, 2010 @ 2:16 pm
That is, any ads they put out in the future being all lovey-dovey and respectful will only remind me that they just want money and will pander in any way to get it. A good brand respects itself, you know?
omar
December 7, 2010 @ 2:27 pm
IIIII TTT
IIIII TTTTT
IIIII TTT
IIIII TTT
IIIII TTT’S
NOT GOOD
PERIOD
Soleil
December 7, 2010 @ 7:10 pm
Thoughts that ran in my head upon seeing this ad:
- Tacky.
- Message sucks.
- Don’t like diamonds in the first place.
- Hate it.
Soleil
December 7, 2010 @ 7:22 pm
Even worse, just found this excerpt online, which is from one of their radio spots:
“…Some things in this world are mass-producible. But not love. It’s made from the twinkle of the January stars, the smell of fresh Strawberries and the laughter of children.
That’s why each Spence Diamonds is mined from the heart of Love mountain by a team of Teddy Bears and puppies, before being nestled in a bed of pure white dove feathers and carried by a pair of Cherubim to our showroom! Show her you’ll love her forever with an Eternity Necklace!”
meg button
December 8, 2010 @ 12:15 am
What if the objective was to make people talk?
I’ve seen this ad on multiple blogs, facebook, twitter, etc. Haven’t seen the real ones in the bus shelters.
I’ve remembered that the ad is about Spence and they sell engagement rings. Whether I like the ad or not, it got a message out to me that I would otherwise not get.
Jenny
December 8, 2010 @ 4:10 am
It looks like subliminal sex to me.
The typography is laid out like that because the words are in the shape of a penis. The ring is a vagina. The alone part is on the ring because it represents penetration.
Not sure if this logical in any way, but perhaps it is implying that being alone = no sex = it sucks, therefore -> buy a ring -> secure a girl -> sex.
Or maybe I’m looking into it too much, but that’s what hit me first about the odd layout.
Jenny
December 8, 2010 @ 4:12 am
Effective though? Who knows, but I’m not the one who needs to buy a ring.
blake
December 8, 2010 @ 9:28 am
I’m not sure if the awareness generated is worth it if the majority of people decide to avoid buying your stuff because of it.
Still, I thought the radio spot about puppies etc at least sounded cute and cheeky. Not this ad, though.
Zeina Dghaim
December 11, 2010 @ 8:20 pm
I created an Ad that counters Spence’s Ad. I think their Ad is horrible and ineffective. You’ll know why when you see my visual response. Let me know if you’re interested in viewing mine. Cheers! Zeina
Melody
December 14, 2010 @ 12:27 am
This ad sucks! I really didn’t think it was possible for a retailer in this category to be so completely out of touch with life and love. They have offended human dignity itself. How could they be so insensitive and dismiss the fact that so many people are alone, often by tragic circumstances of loved ones who have died from cancers, diseases, war, accidents and suicide…suicide rates rise this time of year often because of loneliness and despair.
Isn’t it at this time of year we’re supposed to be more compassionate for those who are alone and reach out to them? Think about the people in your life who are alone and missing someone dearly…would you dare say “It sucks to be alone” so callously and ignore their pain? This is absolutely the lowest, most demeaning ad I’ve ever seen. Shame on Spence, the people working there and the idiot who created this who thought there was even an ounce of a good idea here.
I won’t bother commenting on the poor design and execution…there’s really no point. It’s pathetic on all levels. Advertising 101 folks, if you’re going to use a media vehicle that reaches the masses, be sure the message is appropriate for the masses.
David Pylyp
December 14, 2010 @ 6:06 pm
While we are quibbling about effect and merit.
Who’s ad? Spence Diamonds Message Sucks to be alone
Effective? Were discussing it!
That to me is a home run,
But what would I know
Zeina Dghaim
December 14, 2010 @ 11:12 pm
I agree with you Melody.
This Ad is ineffective and ignorant, not only does it demean individuals that are ‘alone’ within their own right or for the right reasons, but it also demeans the constitution of marriage and essence of love. I’m sorry, but I don’t need a ‘diamond ring’ to feel loved by anyone. Spence Diamonds message is repulsive. It certainly turned me off.
As it is there’s enough pressure on people, in particular, females, they are constantly pressured to get married and have kids. Yes, maybe this is an ethno-specific issue, but this Ad is adding insult to injury for those who maybe have just left an abusive partner or ended a very bad marriage or relationship.
Sometimes it’s completely healthy to be alone. There is no sense of inadequacy or shame in this.
Whatever happened to being in love and finding the one that you connect with on more than just one level? Why are people being forced to settle and now this state of mind is being commercialized and pasted on bus stops?
A Diamond does not signify anything special in a relationship. I don’t know how or who started this unhealthy relationship between diamonds and love. But in the past, a simple silver or copper band signified commitment.
The diamond BAN campaign is on! The genuine love campaign is on!
Sadly, people are incapable of discerning right from wrong, I guess we are simply bringing awareness to this issue – this Ad is wrong and people have a choice in the matter ‘of being alone or with someone’.
Zeina Dghaim
December 14, 2010 @ 11:34 pm
The mother of a very good friend approached me not too long ago and asked if her daughter (my friend) is a lesbian. I answered ‘no’, (she’s not, and even if she was, that’s perfectly normal). Point being, I asked her mom what possessed her to ask me such an intimate question. Her answer: “because she’s alone, she has nobody and she’s been like this for a while”
Reason my friend is single: she’s hasn’t met someone who’s worthy enough.
Spence – tacky advertising (crappy quality to say the least)
Diamonds on rings, I don’t like- Leave them in their natural and raw state
I know so many people that are shocked by this Ad and have added Spence on their blacklist. When/if they get engaged, potential customers? I think not.
I guess Spence didn’t think hard enough that people who are ‘alone’ are in fact their future clients.
How do you think my friend feels about this Ad, especially when her mom is constantly attacking the dignity of her ‘aloneness’? And questioning her gender identity and sexual preference because she’s ‘alone’?
We pay a high price for being single, for wanting to find our inner peace, or simply, the ONE. I refuse to surrender to this pseudo-sophisticated, symbolically disoriented image of a diamond on my left finger. The Right Hand Counts Campaign is on!
Join the movement.
zeina@nusommedesigns.com
Karl R
December 15, 2010 @ 6:51 pm
I will be in the market for an engagement ring in 2011, and this advertisement convinced me that Spence will *not* be getting my business.
It’s incredibly tacky.
she
December 15, 2010 @ 9:14 pm
Hey,
I saw these ads around Toronto as well but I didn’t get a picture. I was hoping it would be okay if I stole the picture you posted for my own blog entry. I can link your website if you’d like.
http://shedoesntloveit.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/dear-spence-diamonds/
Babs
December 20, 2010 @ 1:14 pm
Just because something goes ‘viral’ or ’social’ doesn’t mean it’s a success or effective. It doesn’t guarantee a conversion to sales.
IMHO, this has the opposite effect. Yes it gets people talking, but many responders in this forum have said it would cause them to avoid buying something from Spence. Well done Spence.
Ad = dud
Brand perception = bigger dud.
Andrew
December 20, 2010 @ 4:18 pm
If this a current ad, then it is actually playing to the statistics that people feel most lonely around Christmas and New Year’s and are more reflective of their friendships/relationships or lack there of.
Ina
December 22, 2010 @ 11:34 am
I was having a really crappy day, on my way home from work, it was freezing, I was tired. Then I saw this ad while waiting for the bus. All I could think was, thanks, Spence Diamonds for making my day just a little bit worse, jerks! Then I got over it because it’s just a stupid ad, but they have definitely lost me as a potential customer.