When's the last time you thought about celery?
Probably been a while, right?
But it just might make you a better marketer.
Watch the older TV commercial above for the Pick-n-Pay grocery store chain.
There's nothing fancy about the spot. It's just a single scene shot at a noisy loading dock, followed by a still image with the logo and jingle sing.
Yet, I think it's remarkably effective.
The spokesman focuses on one topic - Pick-n-Pay's celery. He lets us know that it's fresh, crisp and delicious, and then supports that claim by telling us what the store's professional buyers look for when selecting celery:
Pale green, glossy stocks of medium length and thickness that are brittle enough to snap easily. The inside of the stalk should feel smooth.
Not only does that description show that Pick-n-Pay applies specific standards to buying celery, it also lets the audience know what to look for when buying the vegetable.
Then, the spokesman provides interesting, applicable tips, stating that celery leaves make a great flavoring for soups, the outer stalks are best for cooking, and the inner stalks are best eaten raw.
Within 24 seconds, he had me genuinely interested in a product I'd previously never even considered.
I found just this one "explainer" commercial from Pick-n-Pay, but I would love to see an entire series of them. The campaign would be a perfect example of what I referred to in our blog post "Giving vs. Taking: A Fresh Approach to Advertising" - investing long-term to provide your audience with information they can apply, putting their needs first.
That type of advertising generates interest, builds trust and encourages customer loyalty.
