AzkoNobel’s Canadian paint brand CIL Smart has launched an advertising campaign and Facebook contest based on the notion that men are turned off by feminine-sounding paint names.
The contest, which launched last week, invites consumers to visit a CIL Facebook page and come up with a more masculine name for at least one of the paint colours displayed. The existing names of the colours include “Ballerina Slipper” and “Flowerbox Pink.”
Entrants who submit a new name receive $10 off their next CIL Smart paint purchase at Home Depot. They also become eligible for a grand prize of a $10,000 home theatre, which will be awarded to the contestant whose entry earns the most votes from visitors to the Facebook page.
Advertising support for the contest includes a three-and-a-half-minute YouTube video that depicts a CIL representative showing various paint chips to men and women. Men are shown to dislike colours with feminine-sounding names, yet react favourably when the same colours are shown with names such as “Skin Around Scab” and “British Teeth.”
Alison Goldman, marketing communications manager for CIL, said the campaign was geared to youthful consumers.
“We’re really aiming to get a younger crowd engaged in the painting process,” said Goldman. “In the past, CIL’s been seen as a rather traditional brand.”
Goldman said CIL’s campaign stands in contrast to competitors that have been more focused on highlighting certain product attributes.
“There are some battles that paint companies are fighting over, like built-in primer,” Goldman said. “That’s a battle that we feel is probably not the one that’s going to get us further in the future.”
CIL is also running a French-language version of the contest with separate prizes.
The contest and advertising campaign, which also includes print and transit shelter creative in English and French, were developed by Toronto agency Reason Partners. There is no French version of the YouTube video.
