Drinkin' Songs

I usually don't pay much attention to the ads on Pandora until they interrupt my jam session at my desk, after which I violently rip my earphones from my ears and curse about how advertisements are out to ruin my life for a good minute or two. Silently, of course.

But all that changed when the ad for Shiner Bock enveloped the background of the screen. There was no sound to interrupt my musical flow, but an interface that definitely caught my attention. I am sure that my variety of country artists (mostly from Texas) and computer's cookies had something to do with the placement of this Shiner ad *wink wink* but regardless how it got there, I think the execution for this brand is on point. It is both interactive and fun...because the truth is, most interactive ads are not fun. When you click on "Click to Listen" it adds a Pandora station called "Shiner Drinkin' Songs" to your list. With a simple click of the mouse, you are magically transported back to your favorite college dive bar (and desperately trying to ignore memories of the bad decisions made thereafter...). By combining the elements of drinking, music and a good time, Shiner Bock is able to connect to consumers at a deeper level. They go beyond just flashing a bottle in your face and give you a simple brand experience that is memorable. Even if country isn't your genre of choice, you are a music listener and you can still appreciate the value of a good "drinkin' song."

While Shiner has made this seem rather flawless, it is easy for a brand to screw up on an execution like this. Online placement is something that many brands take for granted because they are blinded by the "cool factor" of the medium (sorry Gillette, but I am not thinking about shaving my legs while rocking out to P!NK's "So What"). Pandora has become increasingly more popular in the past year and at least in our office, is the music vendor of choice during the work day. It is available online, at home and by mobile device. It provides variety and customization which is exactly what consumers are looking for in an online radio site...so why does it matter that Shiner has taken this placement for it's ad? Because it cuts through the clutter by being relevant to the consumer and it allows for further interaction with the brand. The station stays on my list as long as I like, and I can listen to it regardless of whether or not the Shiner Bock ad is still the feature on the site.

Shiner Bock isn't the only one that has used Pandora to get consumers to interact with their brand online. A new NBC show to launch in the Fall called Journeyman also featured a background interface ad on Pandora that allowed consumers to click to add a "Journeyman" station to their list. A little different than Shiner Bock's station, the ad also provided listeners with an option to pick a hits list from specific times that the character travels in the series such as "Hits from 1987 - 1992." A nice spin on the branded channel option that ties in with the story line of the show's time traveler and gets consumers interacting with their brand.

I hate to be redundant, but it seems that simplicity rules this week in my book. Brands who overextend themselves or try too hard to make similar online executions like this work are just ignored. Brand experience must be authentic to be noticed, especially through online executions when we are constantly fighting ads all over our favorite pages. When it is relevant to the brand, it will be relevant to its consumers. Kudos to Shiner for breaking through the clutter of ads on Pandora to get my attention.

Now, while some of my favorite songs are coming across my queue I flashback. All because Shiner Bock threw a jukebox on my screen.