Shampoo: one of the most regularly used products benefits are being questioned by consumers.  Regular shampoo contains high amounts of sodium laureth sulfate, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and other harmful chemicals that most consumers can’t even pronounce, let alone understand.  Having these chemicals dries hair out and can be damaging.  Shampoo marketing has been misleading, as shown in ad campaigns such as Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioners claiming to be a healthy moisturizing option for those with dry hair.

Companies such as L’Oreal have come up with products such as EverClean Cleansing Conditioner to fit consumer demand for more natural hair care products that won’t strip hairs natural oil. This is a method of increasing product value to consumers and offers a new target market for L’Oreal.

I think that this product has a lot of benefits for consumers and  offers a more ethical way of advertising.  It advertises and emphasizes the truth; the cleansing conditioners ingredients are free some harmful sulfates and chemicals used in most other common hair product brands.  The Hello Hydration ad is preying on the uninformed and easily influenced audience by skipping over important details about what is actually in the product.  Of course this is not the only misleading hair care ad, there are countless ads that seem to offer the same thing without informing of the harsh ingredients.  The question is: when is the line crossed of strategic omitted information and simply not telling the truth? I believe that it is up to consumers need to inform themselves about what is in products, but I also think that ads should work hard not to misinform and prey on the the uninformed.

http://site.thegreenlifeonline.org/2012/04/30/finding-a-safe-shampoo-and-what-ingredients-to-avoid/

http://lifefactopia.com/beauty/Is-Shampoo-a-Waste-of-Money/

A typical advertisement for new movies coming to theatres involve a similar format starting with context, plot and a hint of the climax.  Leaving a cliff-hanger entices consumers through the learning process. They get a little taste of what the movie will be like and buy into the idea of the film and go see what happens.  Remade movies, however, have a more difficult time sparking interest in consumers, especially those who have seen the original and know the story.

The famous novel “Carrie” by Stephen King was originally turned into a film in 1976 and remade in 2002.  This creates expectation about what the new 2013 version will be like.   Those who have seen the previous movies might be less interested, decreasing the size of the target market. The marketing strategy for the latest Carrie remake takes a different approach then the cookie cutter movie trailer.

To get awareness of the movie out, marketers set up a prank in a New York coffee shop.  A moving wall, falling desks and pictures were set up prior to the prank which involves an male actor spilling coffee on a female actors laptop. The female actor proceeds to freak out about the spill and it looks as though she threw the male actor up the wall with her mind, knocked over tables and shattered pictures with her scream.  The effect on onlookers was huge; some choosing to run away, others brought out camera phones and filmed the scene.  However, its overall effect made an impact that no one in that shop, or anyone that saw the youtube video will soon forget.

I think this extreme marketing method effectively catches consumers attention and their interest, prompting them to see what the stunt was all about. Through word of mouth marketing, more and more people hear about the prank and become interested then simply seeing a regular commercial for an upcoming film.  Having a youtube video of the prank also broadens the population impacted by this marketing scheme.  Having a differentiated marketing strategy helps the Carrie movie remake position itself as a unique, must see movie.

‘Carrie’ Telekinesis Prank (Stunt Video)

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/08/carrie-telekinesis-prank-shocks-coffee-customers

http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/435555/VIDEO-Scariest-prank-ever-Coffee-shop-customers-terrified-by-hidden-camera-Carrie-prank