Manizesto

Have you noticed this?

It seems like lately more and more companies are using their logo as floating personalities in their TV advertising campaigns. There’s three I can think of right off:

“I’m Thinking Arby’s”: Arby’s was one of the first to introduce floating logos in 2006 with their “I’m thinking Arby’s” campaign  that featured a logo that floated over people’s heads to illustrate their tagline. The campaign is leaps and bounds above Arby’s previous attempt, the truly dreadful Oven Mitt nightmare that cost the company more than $85 million (almost everyone disapproved of the campaign, some hated it).

In case you have somehow haven’t seen these ads yet, check out the floating Arby’s logo here. 

Orbiting “O”: Next to jump on the bandwagon was travel website Orbitz, who just this year began airing ads showing an orbiting version of the “O” from the company’s logo with dollar signs, miniature hotels and airplanes thrown into the mix. The ads depict a person who has used Orbitz to arrange their travel and get a great deal. Unlike the Arby’s ads, though, people in the Orbitz spots seem to be aware there is a logo floating over their head, but don’t seem to mind it. Check out one of the ads here.

Crystal ball logo: The latest to join the ranks of logo floaters is Bank of America, who takes a different approach with their series of ads that show the Bank of America agricultural-flag logo floating in random places. Random passersby then look into the logo and see their dreams coming true. Presumably the message is that the bank will be the tool that  can make that happen. These ads thankfully don’t have the logo floating over people’s head. See one here.

Why are companies doing this? Any ideas?

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