Degree Men's Deodorant: Creative Content

For some reason, this part of the project seemed to come so easily. It had me wondering if I was missing something, or doing something wrong the whole time, but once I was able to get over those inane fears, I realized that there was no reason to worry. This was easy because I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and for once, I knew how to do it. I needed to make Degree relatable to men. With some help, I took my campaign to men in a mall, figuring this time of year, there should be plenty of them around, and used a form of marketing to get the brand out there that Robin Landa, author of Advertising by Design describes as “unconventional or guerrilla media (advertising in unpaid media that ambushes people in public or private environments).”  Of course, Degree is already a well-known brand, but if it hadn’t have been, this tactic would’ve been my strongest point. My models and I walked around in search of the typical man that could understand why Degree deodorant is important. “In marketing, participation turns viewers into partakers, into users, where they take an active role in the marketing message, which is good for everybody; it makes the message stick, it engages the user, it gives the user some control and a vested interest,”(Landa, Advertising by Design, 110). By being able to grab their attention, I was better able to promote Degree, as well as be able to involve the product users.

“People are engaged by compelling narratives. If a brand or group has a story to tell, then it will be more dimensional. Through the branding, advertising, and every point of contact, people learn the brand story,”(Landa, Advertising by Design, 56). The brand story I’ve created is that no matter what a man chooses to do with his day, he should feel prepared for anything. Whether he chooses to climb a mountain, or let’s say, spend the day in a crowded mall, he will still be ready for whatever the day throws at him.  While promoting this idea, I was challenged with the idea that Degree was in need of a brand image. To solve this, I created the Degree men. They are the antithesis of your everyday, average Joe, and are perfect for representing this product, which is the sole reason I picked them, and used their images repeatedly within this campaign. “To put a friendly or trustworthy face on a faceless brand, group, or corporation, brand icons or fictional characters are used. A brand icon is a recurring character used to represent a brand or group, (Landa, Advertising by Design, 114). By creating my brand icons, I was able to get the message out there in a different way. Holding a promotional event was a great way to engage users, and accrue new ones. I think the campaign would really be effective by holding one every season to show that Degree is a product best used in every circumstance. Of course, the Degree men would be there showing everyone just how versatile this product really is.