Making An Expected Statement In An Unexpected Way

Tweet

Everyone expects the market leader to say they're the only brand that really matters.  So when Cornerstone was asked to help our client Tyler Pipe make just such a point, we took the opportunity to make the expected statement in an unexpected way – with a touch of humor.

Tyler Pipe is the largest domestic manufacturer of cast iron pipe and fittings for waste, drain and vent applications. They compete with two other smaller U.S. manufacturers and a number of foreign imports. Boasting the largest distribution network and the widest product line, they truly are the producer other companies try to copy.

But while that's the expected story their leadership qualifies them to tell, it isn't a message most readers will find particularly interesting. So to disarm the audience's tendency to avoid messages they already know, we used some quickly recognizable visual stereotypes to generate an instant subconscious aversion to the risk of choosing cheaper alternatives whether the intended audience read a word of the copy or not. We created curiosity with the headlines. Stated an audience benefit in the subheads. And kept the copy short but seasoned with enough specifics to make a point. Finally, we left them with a reminder that "anything less...is less".

Two ads were developed to promote Tyler Pipe to plumbing engineers, contractors and dealers. The first featured the headline "Low Price, High Risk" and pictured a seedy character selling bargain watches and plumbing couplings to emphasize the risk of using low-cost components instead of a quality system engineered for the highest value at the best price. The second, headlined "Small failure, Big Problem", depicted the embarrassment someone could bring upon themselves by specifying cheap couplings not tested to the same standards met by Tyler Pipe.

Read "Both Ads." (download a pdf file)

To talk to someone about developing this type of brand communication for your company, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.