Quiznos Singimals Need More Training – The Jingles That Jangle
Quiznos commercials say “mmm” but make you say “hmm,” like the creepy talking
oven ads. Or “ugh,” like the bizarre singing rodent commercials from a few years ago.
You’ve probably seen (and, perhaps unfortunately, heard) the Quiznos singing kittens commercial (“5, 4, 3… 5, 4, 3…”). What has this new annoying horror been inspiring you to say to the TV?
And yes, it’s irritating. Yes, it’s very irritating. And no, it’s not going away. In fact, great news: It’s the first salvo of a full onslaught to the senses campaign! Now you can enjoy two more spots of aural waterboarding, featuring more grating music and more off-pitch singing. But apparently some love it. It’s catchy, and it’s in fact viral.
I’ve had car alarms go off and fit in perfectly during these commercials. What bothers me most isn’t that they’re all jangle and no jingle. It’s that I’m supposed to like being annoyed. As the old Chinese proverb goes, “The journey to hell begins with a broken mute button. The journey to heaven begins with a $4 Tasty Torpedo.”
Mention the singing kittens commercials and most people will have a visceral, violent reaction.
Sure, you’ll have people talking about Quiznos. You might even have some dissenters who
like the songs. But what bond is the sandwich chain forming with potential customers? The
only bright spot I can see is while the songs are way more jangle than jingle, I’ll admit I’ve
found the songs stuck in my head. And when someone mentions the commercials, everyone
joins in the conversation. This campaign might be a whole new level of viral
marketing – extremely contagious and unpleasant, with symptoms appearing immediately.
To up the viral ante, Quiznos is running a user-generated video contest: Create your own “5, 4, 3” video and you could win $5,000 or other prizes.
Smart move – at least the people who love the… off-beat… commercials are going to jump at the chance to make their own. And they’ll share the videos with friends, to annoy friends into voting for them, both to stir up votes and to let their freak flags fly.
Even if I hate these Singimals torturous commercials (and I do), I’m still talking and
writing about Quiznos. Still, just because Quiznos is top of mind, don’t expect to see a big sales spike a la the old, despised “don’t squeeze the Charmin” commercials.
At least they conveyed a related, compelling benefit. Plus, no obnoxious warbling.
So what’s it going to be for your brand – is your brand creating relevant, likeable content with pass along value like the Old Spice bodywash campaign? Are you delighting customers with jingle jangle instead of punishing them with jangle jingle?
