“A true friend is with you on the way down as well as the way up”

I read this quote on a small Captiva monitor as I rode up the elevator to Peppercom’s offices the other day. It is quite strange, mainly because this is copy for a Chivas scotch advertisement. Since I was a captive audience in that elevator, I read the copy again and scratched my head trying to understand why Chivas would possibly use this line based on the product that it produces and distributes. 

Are you thinking the same thing? My most immediate reaction is that Chivas is making a connection to people who are crashing in life (that they need friends). And I’m thinking that it’s because they drink way too much. But, why in the world would a spirits maker want to tie its brand to such an awful concept? Especially considering how careful the entire industry needs to be about responsible drinking behavior.

So being the curious fellow that I am, I decided to check into this further: http://www.chivasbrotherhood.com.  The Chivas Brotherhood is a testosterone-driven, male bonding site. It aims to connect the Chivas brand with sophisticated and affluent men who clearly like the finer things in life, including relaxing in cigar smoke filled billiards rooms, sipping scotch and eating a tasty steak, all while telling chummy stories with their buddies.  The opening manifesto says it all:
     “There’s a certain bond that can only be attained by a group of men…These men belong to the brotherhood”

There’s a special concierge which offers specials, contests and giveaways to its members and an “Agenda” section that highlights upcoming events that its members could be interested in attending. And, the library is a real treat because the quotes and stories are made up of such macho content that just by reading them, members are sure to grow more hair on their chest as well.

Ok, I get it. I’m a marketer. This is Chivas’ cute approach to building a deeper relationship with target men drinkers. It’s also a smart means to generate lots of email addresses to enhance the beverage maker’s growing database. All of that makes total sense. But, the ad still doesn’t. I only went to this site because the advertisement was so bizarre and was curious. I also wondered if I did my homework, would I have new blog material. Clearly, that’s now a reality.

There’s no doubt that a good ad can and should lead the target audience to do something. But in this case, I just continued to connect Chivas with “on the way down.”  There is nothing enticing or remotely positive about that.