by Matthew Jones

It has been a magic moment for so many parents – that phone call from one of their grown up offspring announcing that they’re going to be grandparents.  Many of them might even describe it as the happiest moment of their lives.

Others may just find it annoying.

Take, for instance, the fictitious father and son in a refreshing television ad from Logitech – a publicly traded Swiss company that offers cutting-edge technology and hardware for work, play and personal communication in the digital world.

The ad, entitled “Baby Boy,” begins with the son calling his dad to announce a new member to the family.  Excited, the young man uses his new Logitech webcam to deliver the news.  Imagine the father’s disappointment – even disgust – when the “new family member” his son is calling about turns out to be a dog.  The father is clearly disappointed, and he’s not afraid to express it.  “That’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” he says of the Pug.  The two go on to argue in a very humorous, endearing fashion.

One of the elements that sets this spot apart – aside from its funny, stylish approach – is the fact that it features an African-American family.  While most marketers seem to save their African-American faces for traditionally “urban” programming, “Baby Boy” has been running with heavy weight on primarily general market advertising.  The ad was created by Ignited Minds, an ad agency based out of Marina del Rey, California.

“Whenever we have a casting call, we always look for diversity,” said Laura Peters, national advertising manager, Logitech.  According to Peters, Logitech avoids treating diversity in advertising like an afterthought – it’s actually built into the creative process.  “We want to tap into the general market out there, and the general market is (diverse).”

Peters’ ultimate concern is casting spots that work, which means diversity is just part of the equation.  Tommi Denton and Stephen Malloy, the two actors in the spot, were chosen for their chemistry and charisma rather than for their skin color.

“You find talent that’s approachable, believable and likeable,” said Peters.  “(Denton and Malloy) are very appealing to people.  They get our message out there.”

Casting can be a very subjective process, but Denton and Malloy appear to be a perfect choice as the principal characters for the spot.  The two play father and son in the commercial, but in real life they are uncle and nephew – and according to Peters, just as entertaining off camera.

“There was this banter back and forth – it was great,” she said.  “As the client, you’re not supposed to react (during auditions or shoots), but we were tearing up with laughter.  We had to edit some of it out…this is prime time.”

It’s great when agencies deliver ads their clients love, but the real measure of success is always determined by how effectively the spot plays in the marketplace.  Peters declined to give specific numbers, but she said the spot has been well received.

“It’s been very effective,” she said.  “This is the funniest spot in the campaign.  It still makes me laugh whenever I see it.  Webcam sales have picked up.  (The sales increase) has been substantial.  We were surprised at how effective the campaign has been.”

Overall, Logitech has seen its webcam sales rise more than 30 percent over the past fiscal year – a fact that has to be attributed, at least in part, to strong marketing.  The Baby Boy spot undoubtedly has been a significant part of that.

When a campaign proves itself to be that strong, you want to push it as hard as you can, and that’s exactly what Logitech is doing with its current work.  In addition to the traditional advertising venues, the digital leader is utilizing multiple outlets of the marketing mix.

We’ve been running (the campaign) in several areas.  There’s an online campaign, and we’ve been running the spot on in-flight programming with American Airlines.”

Sending a Global Message…Globally

As a global technology company, Logitech understands the importance and the role of diversity in its communication.  Like most multinational businesses, they look to maximize their investment in advertising as best they can.

“We’re not a U.S. company,” explained Nancy Morrissey, director, corporate communications.  “We market to people in almost every country in the world.  So we really try to leverage (our creative work).  We look for diversity (to help us do that).”

Of course, race isn’t the only demographic that feeds into the advertising strategy.  “We don’t (break down our customers by race).  We look at our audience in terms of demographics like income level and age bracket.  Our customers are largely male.  We’re trying to broaden our reach to more women.”

Overall, Logitech has been very happy with the "Baby Boy" spot.  From a strategic, comedic, messaging and diversity standpoint, it hits all the right notes.  Although Logitech has parted ways with the Ignited Minds, the agency that created the spot, Baby Boy will continue to run through the spring of 2006.  Potentially, Denton and Malloy will be back in the fall for another run.

“We have no plans to discontinue it.  It’s been very effective.”

Logitech “Baby Boy” Credits Director: Adam Reed Production Company: CJE Productions Executive Producer: C.J. Edwards Line Producer: Gary Kout Agency Producer, Ignited Minds: Diego Espana Creative Team, Ignited Minds: Ron Gould, Senior VP/ Executive Creative Director Mike Wolfsohn, VP/Creative Director Tim Washburn, ACD/Senior Art Director Jason Carter, Senior Copywriter Talent: Tommi Delton Stephen Malloy

The End