RATIONAL APPEALS 217Slice-of-life ads feature the product being used in a real-life setting, which usually involves
solving a problem. Th e eff ectiveness of this type of ad is attributed to the fact that the product is
shown in a real-life context that the target group can relate to. An example would be a family
putting picnic hampers, blankets, toys, etc., in their new Mercedes space van to go out for a picnic
on a Sunday aft ernoon. Another example shows a boy playing soccer with his friends, then he
comes home with his clothes so dirty one would think they will never be clean again. Fortunately,
the boy’s mother has Dreft , which cleans the clothes without a problem. Although slice-of-life
advertising is used quite oft en, research shows that such ads are more likely to cause irritation.^43
Dramatisation advertising is rather similar to a slice of life. Both fi rst present a problem and
aft erwards the solution, but a dramatisation builds suspense and leads consumers to a climax.
Th e diff erence between a slice of life and /or a drama (which just tells a story) and a dramatisation
lies in the intensity. Th e AlldaysTanga campaign is an example of a dramatisation. A young woman
is dancing on a stage amid a large crowd, wearing extremely close-fi tting clothes. Suddenly, in
front of everyone, her panty liner gets dislodged, causing her a lot of embarrassment while
other girls make fun of her. Th e spot ends showing several other girls dancing without any
worries. Th e solution becomes obvious in the base line ‘Should’ve worn ALLDAYS TANGA’.^44Wash&Go, the mid-tier shampoo leader in the Balkans market, became crushed between a stronger than ever
premium tier and an impressively large low tier. In response to this situation, other mid-tier competitors launched
premium ingredients-based variants. Wash&Go decided to do the opposite: it launched Wash&GoReviva, a nettle-
based variant. The nettle ingredient had already existed for more than 30 years in the market and was especially
popular among low-tier users. Importantly, all existing nettle-based shampoos were priced at least four times
cheaper than Wash&GoReviva.
Wash&Go was the only shampoo brand that positioned itself on an ESP. Capitalising on this heritage and on
Balkan women’s desire to have enduring appeal to their partners, Wash&Go launched an emotional campaign that
dramatised how women can hold on to their men. The ‘Best of Traditions’ campaign made a humorous comment
on old, absurd rituals and superstitions to keep a partner, presenting the nettle extract as the only solution to keep
your beloved one. The campaign objective was to increase sales volume by 25%. The appeal resonated very well in
the target group, surpassing the sales objective by 210.6% in Bulgaria and 88.3% in Romania. The company
received a Bronze Euro Effie for its ‘Best of Traditions’ campaign.^45BUSINESS INSIGHT
Wash&Go is the best of traditionsM07_PELS3221_05_SE_C07.indd 217M07_PELS3221_05_SE_C07.indd 217 6/5/13 3:01 PM6/5/13 3:01 PM