Great Product, Great Site. Who Knew?

So what’s going on in this Dansko ad? Not much. Apparently just advertising for the sake of advertising.

You undoubtedly know Dansko for their famously comfortable shoes. The ad assumes that you do know, and merely wants to provide an intriguing artistic reminder.

But again, what’s going on? It takes a little while to figure out, assuming you have nothing better to do.

We see a kitchen scene. Why? Think hard. Because you need to wear comfortable shoes while standing on your feet for hours in the kitchen, dummy.

However, the blurred lady in the picture presumably is not wearing her shoes. Looks like she’s taken them off and perched them on the counter. No, that’s not the counter, it’s just part of a cute3-D effect. They’re actually resting on the band of color at the bottom of the page.

The lady’s figure is blurred to convey that she’s rushing around too fast for today’s high-speed digital photography. If you look closely, you see she’s apparently carrying a platter of sandwiches.

Below that is the headline: “SHARE.” I call this the headline because in my book, the largest word or words in the ad constitute the headline — same as on a newspaper’s news page.

But defenders may insist that the complete headline is “What matters, I keep. What matters most I SHARE.”

Huh? What’s that got to do with shoes? She shares her shoes with her friends? That’s carrying friendship pretty far.

But now we’re getting closer to deciphering the message.

She shares her favorite food with others because that’s one of the things she cares about most. And she also shares her enthusiasm for Dansko shoes because they’re just as important to her.

Why so important? Never mind. This isn’t just advertising…it’s creative advertising.

Beneath the logo, in small white letters where no one will notice them, is actually a fairly good selling line: “Not your only shoes, just your favorites.” But why? Well, you know why. It’s because they’re so darned c———e, that’s why.

Below that, in tiny 5-point lowercase white type, is the URL: dansko.com.

So I went online, and what did I find? To my amazement, an extremely sophisticated, effective site that does a great job of selling Dansko shoes and making them easy to shop for and buy. Among its features:

• The history of the shoe, and how its secret was discovered in a little shop in Denmark. A story that immensely strengthens the brand’s reputation for legendary comfort.

• Currently featured styles. Click on one you like and see an X-ray view of its layers of construction and the component material, benefits, features and advantages. (Hey, have they been reading this column?)

• Search Footwear tool. Click on women’s, men’s or kids; pull down the size menu and select yours; check whether you want clogs, dress shoes, sandals or boots; check your preferred color and click! There are your Dansko choices. Click again to show them in a different color.

• Shop Finder enables you to display your nearest retailer two ways: Just type in your ZIP code or click on your location on a map of the United States.

• Q&A answers such questions as: How can I order a particular style that my dealer doesn’t carry?…How should I care for my Danskos?…etc.

• Do-good Dansko activities reported for customers who like to feel their purchases are socially correct. For example, Dansko employees are given time off with pay if they want to help build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

As I have frequently stated, I honestly do believe in brand-image advertising of a commodity product. (By that I mean advertising designed to influence the buyer’s choice of one of a number of similar or virtually identical branded products or services. Almost all vodka is the same. Most banks are the same. But effective — yes, creative — brand advertising can lend them likable or trustworthy “personalities.”)

And when a commodity product has a real story to tell or an actual service or involvement opportunity to provide, the advertising can and should go beyond the typical flat claim and metaphorical image (say a photo of a peaceful landscape coupled with “Our brokerage firm can give you peace of mind.” Ho hum).

Today’s advertiser Web sites offer an unprecedented opportunity to expand the communication that’s possible in a print ad at virtually no additional cost per reader. In such cases, adequate display of the site’s address obviously is imperative. Even more valuable is inclusion of a reason or reward for going there.

But the truly widely neglected opportunity today lies in taking a quantum leap beyond that: Selling the site and selling the brand equally and simultaneously.

Unfortunately, too many advertisers commit a double flub: poor image building and poor URL display, with no reason for the reader to log on. Then, when they do log on, they may find a Web site with little relation to the print ad that brought them there. The site director and print advertising director live in two different worlds.

In my makeover, I decided to turn Dansko’s double flub into a double whammy: Combine the product’s unique selling proposition (legendary comfort) with the extreme attractiveness and usefulness of Dansko’s site.

W

My headline and subhead do both. And comfort is spoken about in the headline, photo caption and body copy.

The shot of the founders and the caption provide the brand with a history which makes the claim of comfort more credible. At the same time, the vehicle they’re in and the forest background tie in nicely with the reference to trailblazing in the headline.

The shoes pictured at the bottom make an important visual statement to readers who think Dansko makes only clunky clogs, not dressy shoes. (Yes, they make clogs…but not just clogs.)

The main copy underscores this point by noting the availability of more than 100 Dansko styles and the choice of many color and material variations.

And even if you know Dansko, I’ll bet you didn’t know they make shoes for men and kids as well as women. My makeover copy mentions that, too.

So without subtracting from brand-image building — indeed, while adding to it — I’d guess my ad would sell the Web site maybe 1,000 times more effectively and produce maybe 10,000 times more sales, either right away or eventually.

What’s your guess?

THOMAS L. COLLINS ([email protected]) has been a direct marketing copywriter, admaker, agency creative director and co-author of four books on marketing. He is currently an independent creative and marketing consultant based in Portland, OR.

Find more Makeover Maven columns at http://directmag.com/opinions-columnists/makeovermaven/.