Why? Because I Said So.
It's a phrase we hear a lot as children and teenagers. Where does it come from? Our parents, for the most part. How frustrating it is, to sit there and beg to do something and be told no. We are not allowed. Why? Because They said so.
Well, the common phrase of growing up has been put to use in other places of the world. For instance, as the marketers of a new ad campaign in Toronto. Now, "WhyBecauseISaidSo." is not a real company. The company behind these ads was unknown. So where were these coming from and what were they saying?
The ads read, and I quote.
"My son had idea's of his own. Obay put a stop to that"
"My son used to have his own hopes and aspirations. Now he has mine. Thans, Obay"
"When Amy started thinking for herself, we had to nip it in the bud with Obay".
These ads, are of a parent and a child, and a bottle that says OBAY on it. It is a green and white bottle with a single green capsule outside of the bottle. They look, like some kinda of controlling drug to put your teenagers on. This can be deducted from the fact all the children are teens, and the ad looks to be that of a drug. At the bottom, it says "From the makers of WhyBecauseIsaidSo."
When these took to the subway stations and streets of Toronto, Torontonians got concerned. In fact, people thought these were ads from Scientology and kind of had a mini freak out online and and on the radio call in shows. People started looking for the answer to what these ads were. No number, no website, no contact information at all. So where do you start? The registry of all official brand names and trade marks of course!
Obay is a deodorant brand name. However, these ads do not seem to be associated with deodorant. The website, Obay, denies any affiliation with the campaign. People searching in trade marked brand names and domain registrations didn't turn up much. All they found out was "WhyBecauseISaidSo." is not registered, which doesn't necessarily make it illegitimate.
Literally, these popped up over night. They got people talking. What is this ad for? Who is sponsoring this ad? Why are these ads here? and, What does it mean?.
Well. What do you think?
Everyone had a different idea. Many radio stations and breakfast television programs were talking about these ads. People on the subway, the bus, in offices, in schools, on the street, in the malls, and in the colleges and universities, were wondering aloud about these ads. Some people agreed with others over the birthplace, and many argued. Nobody knew for certain. But everyone had something to say about it.
Whether it's a botch up or not, Waterloo (another Ontarian city) had the same ads. However, most people didn't notice them or something because when it went onto phase two, before Toronto, everyone was asking, "What is Obay?". Their ads read "Luckily, Obay isn't real" and text underneath explaining the campaign for Ontario Colleges.
The ads for school, that were about getting parents to let their kids make their own decisions and to think for themselves, really got people thinking for themselves. Hundreds of different ideas as to where the ads came from and what they meant cropped up in the minds of the viewers. So. I went to the Ontario Colleges Application Centre website. At first I was like, "Oh, new layout . . . neat," and went to click on the tab to check my applications, but oh what is this?! There at the bottom of the screen, was a little bottle that said "Obay" and then a link titled "There are other options". I was instantly reminded of why I was actually there, and I clicked the link.
The website reads;
"When it comes to Post Secondary Education, there are options. And whether you're a teenager or a parent of one, we urge you to explore them all. University is great, but it's not for everyone.
Unfortunately, parents often only see the future they want for their kids, rather than the future that their kids want for themselves. Pressuring your children into a specific school or career may seem like what's best, but it's usually quite the opposite. It certainly won't guarantee them success, and in many cases, it only delays it. Why? Because the child is stuck in a course or school that they haven't chosen, that doesn't motivate them and that they have no emotional investment in.
If you've never considered an Ontario college education before, please take a few moments and have a look. You may be surprised at what you find."
Really, really brilliant advertising scheme. I love it personally, I think it was very clever and very true.
So. In summary, the fact that the ad had no clear cut answer as to what it meant, where it came from, or why; made it work. The campaign was a huge success. Before the teaser phase had ended, the campaign had received extensive news coverage including reports from Global National News, Toronto Star, 24 hours and NOW Magazine, as well as hundreds of other articles and blogs - all dying to find out who was behind the supposed new drug, Obay.
-BP
A proud Sheridan student.
The Website.
http://whycollege.ontariocolleges.ca/en/
