The Shane Company

Every once in a while, I pickup on an advertisement that I think is rather ingenious from a marketing stand point. I wish that I had a recording of the one I heard today, but it was from the Shane Co. and it went something like this:

Dave: Hi Bob. I’ve been looking for something special to give my wife who is expecting our first child.

Bob: Congratulations! That’s a great idea. Giving a gift to a newly expecting mother is a popular and long-standing tradition. I’m sure she will really appreciate that.

Dave: Do you have any ideas of something that I could get her?

Bob: At the Shane company, we have a wonderful selection of blue and pink sapphires. Unlike the sapphires you get at other stores which are made in a factory, all of our sapphires at made over millions of years and hand picked by me in Bangkok so that we are sure to have exactly what you’re looking for.
…
Announcer: Now you have a friend in the sapphire business, the Shane Co…

There was more to the ad then I remember, but they way they influence someone’s thinking about the product is fascinating. First, you’ll notice that Bob never asks Dave any questions. Instead, he acts as an oracle for Dave’s questions, encouraging him along the way. Second, he frames the husband buying a gift (jewelry) for his expecting wife as both popular and long-standing. While I’m sure that this is done, I’m pretty sure this hasn’t reached the likes of valentines day etc. But now the husbands with the expecting wives are thinking, what am I missing, I better get on that. Then, he turns to the sapphires which are the colors (blue for boys, pink for girls) and differentiates the Shane Co. as the ones that were naturally made (just like the children your wife is expecting). The ad had even more text, but it was very persuasive at converting a niche market (husbands about to become dads) into a group that needed to buy their wife a gift and strongly influenced where they would do that.

Anyway, if I get a chance to actually put the text in somehow, I’ll do that. I did find this add very good and influencing the perceptions of the target market and to do so very naturally.