Challenge me

I just got home from my last Concepting class (this post was SUPPOSED to publish at 5:15 pm). Today, we found out which products would be the subject of each of the three campaigns we are required to complete this semester. Each student brought in a list of 40 products (10 luxury, 10 low-involvement, 10 service, and 10 large/durable), and from it Dev chose 3 for us to work on.

Here is my list of 40:

LARGE DURABLE

1. De'Longhi Portable Air Conditioners
2. NordicTrack Treadmills
3. Big Green Egg Grills
1. Doesn’t require lighter fluid
2. Ceramic walls
3.  Fuel efficient
4. No grease flare-ups
5. Charcoal can be reused
6. Can be used year-round
7. Won’t rust
4. GT Urban Bicycles
1. http://www.gtbicycles.com/bikes/urban/city
5. JumpSport Trampolines
6. Thule Carriers and Racks
7. Tivoli Stereo Systems
8. Tempur-Pedic Mattresses
9. Bullfrog Spas
1. http://www.bullfrogspas.com/
2. Sustainable
3. Jet Pack feature that allows for the rearrangement of jets per individual preferences
10. Toro Electric Hedge and Grass Trimmers

LOW INVOLVEMENT

1. Ace Elastic Bandage  
2. Bic Wite-Out
3.  Krazy Glue
4.  Saran Wrap
5. Airborne
6. Oral-B Floss
7. Off! Bug Repellent
8. Tums
9. Band-Aids
10. Sriracha Hot Sauce

LUXURY

1.  Spanx 
2. Prana Yoga Hiking and Lifestyle
3. Karen Walker Sunglasses
4. Hermes Scarves
5. Missoni Home
6. Tag Heur Watches
7. Giuseppe Zanotti Shoes
8. Vertu Cell Phones
9. Frontgate Outdoor Furniture
10. Louis Vuitton Luggage

SERVICE

1. Princeton Review Test Prep
2. Match.com
3. OpenTable.co
4. MTA New York City Subway System
5. Weight Watchers
6. Spotify.com
7. Yellow Cab
8. Monster.com
9. Orkin
10. Netflix

The products that are listed in bold were some of my favorite options before today's class. The products that are listed in maroon-colored type-face are the products Dev (my Concepting teacher) chose for me to work on this semester. To be sure, they are...

The Big Green Egg Grill

Airborne

Princeton Review Test Prep

I really wanted to do Princeton Review, and Airborne I'm pretty non-plussed about. However, The Big Green Egg Grill? There's my challenge. A student in last semester's Concepting class tried to advertise for The Big Green Egg Grill as well, but "failed" (Dev's own word choice). Not only will my work and progress be compared to that of the past student, but I MUST make GIANT improvements upon both.

After Dev chose the grill for me, I realized an inherent dilemma with which I will be presented upon beginning the process of advertising for this grill: it's a gimmicky product overflowing with features. Without even seeing the other students work, I know that in order to produce something better, I will have to de-gimmick the grill and be careful not to over-do it on the product benefits/features. I will need to keep my campaign simple and unpredictable, and of course relatable/truthful.

For which product will I design my first campaign? Hmm... 

The challenge is on.