Brands That I Would Miss: Billboard Memory Test

Brands That I Would Miss is a blog series that focuses on brands that emotionally connect with their audience and would be missed if they were to disappear. The blog series will conclude at the end of the FUSE conference in Miami, where our co-founder and managing principal, Aaron Keller, will be speaking on what a world would be like without brands. Follow along with Aaron, Kitty, and Maddi as they explore the trouble statistic "Consumers would not care if 73% of all brands disappeared" on the FUSE in Focus blog.

I’m going to be honest, I don’t remember most of the brands I have seen or heard from in the last few days.

I remember a total of 4 brands I see on my drive into work, and I know I am receiving messages from at least 20 on my drive every day. That’s slightly less than 20%.

I remember:
A YMCA billboard on 5th street.
A Chipotle ad on the side of a bus stop close to the billboard.
A Taco Bell billboard.
A rotating billboard that features latest TV show that are airing.

I have a few thoughts on why I remember these ones, along with brands that I don’t mind seeing.

1. This one sticks out to me not because of the ad that is there now, but what used to be in that spot. A Love Your Melon billboard was there before, featuring a very long-haired, beautiful model. Why, if you are a company dedicated to supporting kids with childhood cancer, would you mostly use women with long, beautiful hair in your ads? It seems insensitive. I get it: it’s a lifestyle brand, attractive models sell things better, and maybe it would seem like exploitation to feature the kids the brand actually helps? Maybe this is just me. Let me know your thoughts.

2. It features a very large burrito so naturally it catches my eye.

3. It took a couple of times before I realized that the ad was for Taco Bell, and I only found it because I looked specifically for a brand. Taco Bell’s latest ad campaign is using funny memes, which are clever and great, but you have to look really hard to find the Taco Bell logo. When it comes to billboards, a brand has .4 seconds to make an impression, and if you don’t know what brand it the ad is for, isn’t that a waste of money? I love Taco Bell, but in my opinion their social media is what they should be pouring their money into and not billboards, because they’re absolutely crushing it.

4. I don’t have any strong opinions on this one.

It’s important to note that the brands that I like interacting with and hearing from are not because of billboards or any other ad, but because they demonstrate authenticity and compassion through grassroots campaigns, social media, and killer customer service. This is why out of all the brands I receive emails from (and I get A LOT) the only ones I consistently open are from Patagonia, Birchbox, and So Worth Loving.

Other brands I like hearing from.
Dove
Airbnb
Chipotle

What are brands you like hearing from and why? Which ones would you care if they disappeared from your life?

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