Promise Marketing Blog

Is imitation the finest form of flattery? Sometimes. Check out the Sesame Street clip below. We think it’s great, even though it’s obviously a rip-off of the Old Spice commercials we wrote about in July. It got us thinking – why does imitation work in this case and not in others?

Imitation is supposed to be the best form of flattery… right? Well, in the realm of branding and advertising this only seems to be the case when the imitation is done better or in a context that is so surprising, it works. People who watch Sesame Street (toddlers) are definitely not in the market for Old Spice. Grover isn’t trying to sell Old Spice. He’s teaching about the word “on.” But he does it in a way that garners respect from people who have seen the Old Spice commercial. (Or at least makes them laugh.)

A commercial usually catches people’s attention due to something unique, a new concept, an unexpected sound or music, or a surprising image. And that is especially true for well-known brands. Once brands find a concept that works, it is respectable to stay with that idea as long as it’s kept fresh. For example, Budweiser has used Clydesdales in many ways and the horses work to their advantage.

So wanting to use another’s success to YOUR advantage makes sense. And that’s what makes copying something so appealing. In most cases, people can recognize what you copied, see how you changed it and then potentially respect your brand or want to buy your product, if you’re selling one.

But if you just copy something, it can sometimes show a lack of quality. For example, we recently heard an ad for a local car dealer that uses the same banter as the Old Spice commercial, but it just didn’t work. This company simply took what people were amused by and used that exact idea to try and sell something completely different. What was funny and original had become completely unoriginal. This shows that even though copying someone can sometimes work, it can also work against you if not done well.

Sesame Street isn’t trying to sell any product specifically, but they ARE trying to keep their brand current. And they’ve been excelling at taking current pop culture (commercials, TV, Internet spots) and using their characters to make it unique. In addition to the Old Spice Grover ad, Sesame Street created an iPod spot, a Mad Men spot and a “There’s an App for that” spot. And each one works because Sesame Street made it their own.

So what really defines good or bad imitation? Is it when it’s copying from your competition? Does it need to be made better? What are your thoughts? And what sticks in your memory as really good or really bad imitation?

Christina Steder is the President of Clear Verve Marketing and works with clients to plan, create and execute marketing campaigns.  Follow her on Twitter as @clearverve.