Ads That Speak the Language of Social Media

 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/business/media/ads-that-speak-the-language-of-social-media.html?ref=advertisingandmarketing&_r=0

This article is about how companies are using social media to their advantage when advertising.  They use the tactic known as borrowed interest.  "which brands seek to associate themselves with elements of popular culture that are pervasive enough to be familiar to the proverbial everybody"  Some examples of advertising are:

• Ads for Snickers Peanut Butter Squared candy, sold by Mars, that depict the word “like” and a thumbs-up symbol evocative of Facebook above a competitor’s product; the word “love” and a heart hover above the Snickers candy. “If you like peanut butter and chocolate,” the ads assert, “you’ll love peanut butter and Snickers.”

•   Ads for the cosmetics retailer Sephora, addressed to “a busy networker,” that promote BB (beauty balm) creams as “your new must-have status update: They prime, hydrate, treat, protect and perfect.”

•   Ads for Chock full o’Nuts coffee, sold by Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, that carry the words “social network” above a black-and-white photograph of a kaffeeklatsch during the “Mad Men” era.

•   Ads for Martha White baking mixes, sold by J.M. Smucker, carrying headlines that include “Finally, something worthy of a status update” and “Double your ‘friend’ list in just 15 minutes.”

Companies do no want to bash on social media.  They are trying to use it in ways to capture the viewers.  So, when they use an add like - “My mom hasn’t accepted my friend request yet. What could she possibly be doing?” The answer: driving in her Venza to meet friends — the nonvirtual kind — for a day riding bicycles." - it is suppose to be humorous and state that the Venza can take you places making you too busy for all social media. This is suppose to be similar to the way social media keeps you closer to people.

Do you think this is a good way to capture audiences?  Do you ever "like" a brand on a social network?