Staging product placement?

Now, this picture may make the most sense to you, if you are a Dane - or speak Danish. Therefore, here goes a translation and explanation: The sign says "Det danske vejr er Gajol vejr", which translates into "The Danish weather is Gajol weather ". Gajol is a Danish cough drop, making the slogan well suited for a country with some quite, let's just say, schizophrenic weather, where sun may quickly turn into bitter-cold wind and rain - and an accompanying cold.

However, once in a while the Danish weather shows its more pleasant face, like on the day this picture is taken. I was strolling down Vesterbrogade, a central avenue in Copenhagen, together with a friend of mine, enjoying one of the first real spring days here in DK, when we came across this neon sign. Now, that kind of ad board has been around for ages, making it as central a part of some cities as the town hall or well-known tourist attractions. Just think of Piccadilly Circus in London or Times Square in New York - or, for my Danish readers, the Irma hen by Dronning Louises Bro.

While these signs definitely demand attention at night, at daytime they normally seem more anonymous. But this Gajol ad is actually quite brilliant (pun intented), as it, whether planned or not, works as product placement with all the sky as its stage. On this day, the slogan came across with a positive note, however, no matter the weather, the sign fits - because the changeableness of the weather IS the essense of the message.

So, in an age when micro-targeting through social media is replacing - or at least competing with traditional mass media advertising, this sign, to me at least, still works. It's concise, it's culturally adapted (let's face it, we Danes speak of the weather quite a lot), and it's brilliant. Nothing more, nothing less.

What do you think?