Welcome to the first edition of “A[d]s Seen in Miami.”
As you may or may not know, I live in sunny South Florida. This means I spend a lot of time in traffic (according to the latest report about 69 hours a year). And in this time, driving 5 mph for 50 minutes twice a day and 5 days a week, I tend to pay special attention to my surroundings.
The ads near the highway are pretty great distractions. I’ve seen so many I love and hate, so I thought I’d share about them on here every once in a while.
Miami is a bustling city, a tourist destination, and an international business hub. Those who advertise here are fighting hard for our attention. We’re no Times Square, but we have such a diverse population that it mustn’t be easy. Every once in a while, there’s a gem, and my little marketing heart smiles.
So, who gets an honorable mention today?
Hialeah Hospital – We’ve got your back. And hips. And knees.
This is actually the ad that inspired me to start this series. When I saw it, I was talking about it for weeks. Not only is it clever and funny, but it was highly unexpected from the city of Hialeah.
Now, if you’re not from South Florida you may not know much about Hialeah, but it’s pretty notorious here. This (physically) tiny city is home to about 230,000+ people that are 73% Cuban or Cuban American and 94% overall Hispanic.
Hialeah is truly unique. It’s an ideal place for Hispanic immigrants because everyone knows Spanish. I once went to a KFC there and as I ordered in English the entire time, the cashier was responding to me entirely in Spanish. The same KFC that became known for being the only KFC with a secret Flan on the menu.
It’s safe to say that Hialeah Hospital’s target audience should be this 94% of Spanish speakers. The ad is also placed in the middle of Hialeah.
The problem is, “Hialeahns” are likely not to understand the ad – even translated. So, maybe they aren’t targeting them at all. It could be a part of a plan to cater to a younger or English-speaking audience. The youngest millennial at this point in time is 23 and likely not to have back pain. The purpose of this ad literally keeps me up at night as I try to figure it out.
Postmates – When your only food allergy is cooking food. Postmate it.
This one was near the Biscayne area and probably in other parts of the country. It gets an honorable mention for also being hilarious.
If you live under a rock, Postmates is a food delivery service. Clearly, this ad is meant to cater to those who hate to cook (cannot relate).
There’s always talk about how millennials can cook or hate to cook. Young professionals also struggle to find the time to make a meal after work, especially if it’s for more than one person.
Either way, it’s funny and eye-catching and makes me want to order from Postmates just to thank them for this.
Air Around the Clock – Your wife is hot. Better get your A/C fixed.
And I couldn’t finish the inaugural A[d]s Seen in Miami post without this one. I’ve seen this everywhere in South Florida, then I googled it and realized how popular this ad is. People love it. It’s even ended up on meme pages, so you can say it’s gone viral.
I’m a sucker for tongue-in-cheek humor. This raunchy ad makes me smile every time I pass it. Imagine being at the roundtable discussion for this marketing campaign.
In conclusion, these marketing teams deserve a raise. Ads are about storytelling – whether it’s a funny story or not (I just prefer funny). It goes beyond just listing your business and your phone number. We’re constantly inundated with images, so it’s important that you stand out in the noise.
Check back to see what other ads have done just that!
Emily Alicia 