Blame Feta

What's wrong with the 30-second spot? Why is advertising doomed? Can Advertising Agencies ever regain their Mad Men glory days?

All of the blame and all these answers can be distilled and summed up in a single word and a single piece of cheese: FETA (or Failed Engagement Through Advertising)

Actually it's not just an acronym, it's literally about the cheese, as you'll see from this full page print ad which appeared in People magazine (don't ask)

Here are 5 reasons why I'm not sure too many people will be "making a change for The Feta" anytime soon:

1. "Make a Change for The Feta" - what does that even mean? It's a lazy headline which telegraphs the creative brief in the worst possible way. We need people to change their behavior and purchase habits from regular cheese - Cheddar - to feta cheese. So let's just tell them to change. That should work. "The Feta" - it's not "The Macallan". Enough said.
2. The obligatory product shot which truthfully makes me lust for tomato, lettuce or cucumber. Not so sure about the white, fluffy stuff. What percentage of the average People magazine reader has even tried Feta before? 
3. 30% fewer calories seems to be the one - and only - proof point. No comparison charts. No additional points about taste. Nothing.
4. No call-to-action. No samples. No incentive. Nothing.
5. No website URL. Just the flavor-of-the-month facebook.com/Athenos wihout a single reason why anyone would want to friend, like, fan, follow or learn more about Athenos Feta cheese.

Personally, I LOVE Feta. LOVE LOVE LOVE Feta. I'd eat it exclusively as my Cheese-of-choice if I could. So it pains me to have to take a pot shot at the delectable 30% less caloric gift from the Greek Gods. It's really not about FETA at all, but instead about the lazy choice to invest hard-earned and increasingly scarce marketing dollars into a traditional print (and other paid media) campaign and what I can only assume (how would I know based on a small-type italicised URL?) to be a highly superficial, non-functional and/or utilitarian and decidedly anti-social activation program or commitment.