Kleenex's latest TV commercial campaign, shot by the renowned Rankin, is one of my favourites at the moment. And this time round, not only have they decided to continue with their hugely successful payoff line 'let it out', but they've also enlisted the help of a diverse mix of celebrities; an ageing rocker famed for his political activism, a pint sized popstar hailing from one of the most successful girl bands of all time, and an ex England football manager best known for sporadic sexual dalliances with fellow Swede Ulrika Jonsson.
Whilst we're all familiar with the power of celebrity endorsement when it comes to selling products, the concept behind Kleenex's casting of Bob Geldof, Emma Bunton and Sven Goran Eriksson is truly innovative. Who would have thought that the things that make you or I laugh or cry might also affect the lives of the rich and famous? Geldof laughs in the face of stern-browed businessmen everywhere, Bunton shakes off the infantile epithet of her Spice Girl days as she rocks out in private, and Sven's childhood dreams of sporting athleticism are at once scuppered and fully realised in one moment as he scores the winning goal with a screwed up tissue.
For me, the power of this campaign lies in its unashamed voyeurism; we are privy to the deepest thoughts and feelings of the very same public figures that hold their privacy so dear to them. Targeting typically hard-to-reach demographics with its universal appeal, this is advertising at its best.
For me, the power of this campaign lies in its unashamed voyeurism; we are privy to the deepest thoughts and feelings of the very same public figures that hold their privacy so dear to them. Targeting typically hard-to-reach demographics with its universal appeal, this is advertising at its best.
