Will Gillingham

Listen to the “Space Raccoons” ad: Link

“Space Raccoons” is a radio ad that won a Radio Mercury Award in 2018 for the Best Radio Station Produced Commercial. The ad is narrated by a voiceover that references the raccoon from the hit Marvel movie series “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The narrator then says that the raccoon from the movie is “…definitely not the one in your attic right now chewing wires, eating insulation, and jumping on your face.”

The ad primarily uses humor to evoke emotional responses in listeners. The narrator, rather absurdly, describes a person in the ad being attacked by a raccoon in their attic and needing to go to the hospital. However, the ad also notes that raccoons or pests in your house can damage insulation or wires. These comments present threats to the listener in an amusing and engaging way. Ultimately, the ad asks the listeners to call Allied Termite and Pest.

The objective of this ad campaign is to inform listeners that if they have a rodent or pest problem, they should reach out to Allied Termite and Pest, and also to drive leads for the company through a direct call to action. The ad states, “It’s time to call the pros at Allied Termite and Pest… Let the skilled technicians rid your house of the dreaded trash panda for good.” There is no time-bound objective or call to action stated in the ad. However, because the ad references a popular movie at the time, it capitalized on a moment in popular culture to drive greater awareness.

The target market for the ad is homeowners who are in touch with popular culture. I’m imagining an age range of 30 to 50. Because the ad references the Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, I believe the target market may be more specific to homeowners aged 30 to 50 with at least one kid, since the Marvel movies typically appeal to a younger generation and are accessible to kids.

The action that the ad wants the audience to take is to call Allied Termite & Pest. If the audience member calls, the listener will benefit from the business’s specialized technicians removing pests from the listener’s home “for good.”

Some specific reasons that would drive customers to purchase the service being advertised would be that a homeowner desires peace of mind from rodents or other pests in their home, the homeowner wants to prevent costly damage from occurring if a pest gets into their house, and to be rid of any headaches, smells, or otherwise unpleasant sensations that may come from living in a house that pests have moved into.