PRos in Training

A salon in Toronto – Split Endz – has created a series of ads that give all new meeting to the saying, “I’d kill for that hair.”

I think I must just not be the demographic for these ads. The notion of scalping someone for their ‘do and leaving them in a pool of blood does not necessarily make me want to get a haircut… it mostly makes me want to puke.

However, my much-cooler-than-me-artsy-fartsy-musician sister assures me that these ads appeal to the edgy, hipster only moved by shock value.

We often have to work with clients, products or services that we don’t necessarily “get.” But using good research and a rock-solid understanding of your target audience, you can create campaigns that have narrow, but profound appeal.

The trade off is that you may offend more people than you appeal to. You have to consider if targeting a narrowly-defined audience to the exclusion – and in this case alienation – of other audiences is worth the risk.

Yes, I realize there’s a bit of a hair theme going on today.
Thanks to Advertising is Good for You for the images.