View Full Version : Speed Queen Banner Ad
YoungJedi
08-18-2010, 07:38 PM
Has anyone noticed the Speed Queen banner ad that has been running on site? I always notice the ads, but this is the first one that I've actually clicked on.
What sucked me in was the idea that this guy, Hank Watkins in the the Laundry King of East Texas and he's chillin on the back porch with his pipe and cowboy hat exhausted from counting his cash. Livin the dream. It's great.
The miss is the fact that you click on the ad and there is no information about Hank. What gives? Shouldn't SQ be telling us how Hank built the business and succeeded due in part to his reliance on SQ equipment. Seems odd.
Anyway, the video on the site is interesting, but no mention of Hank on the landing page. Sure there's a print ad, but that's it.
Anyone else notice this?
Jason
Yes I got sucked in to that as well, Google Hank Watkins ,the laundry King of east Texas and all you get is some guy who beat his girlfriend to death. I think they just stole that picture off the net and made up a name to go with it
YoungJedi
08-18-2010, 09:53 PM
Yikes. Their agency should have done a check on that before going live. I've seen folks lose accounts over less. Could be a really cool campaign if executed correctly.
Jason
Susan
08-19-2010, 02:23 PM
First of all, thanks for noticing the new SQ ad and finding it interesting enough to click on. We had hoped that the image of Hank living the good life would resonate with our customers. But I would like to clarify a couple of points made about the character. To begin with, we did research the name. When you google Hank Watkins, the first six entries are about the president of the American branch of Lloyds of London. Way down the page is a Henry Watkins Skinner, who is, indeed, a criminal. But since neither his first nor last name is the same as the Hank in the ad, we didn’t think it was an issue. As far as the back story on Hank, he is a fictional character meant to represent all of the store owners who benefit from the Quantum system. And the image was purchased. But you make a great point that the ads would be more compelling if we featured some of the “real Hanks” out there. Since this is the first ad in a series, we have the opportunity to do that as the campaign develops. Thanks again for your feedback on the ad and please let us know if you have any other questions or suggestions.
Sue Miller, Speed Queen Associate Brand Manager
YoungJedi
08-20-2010, 03:19 PM
Sue,
Thanks for jumping in and explaining. Regardless of the fact that Hank is a fictional character, the execution is well done.
By the way, I purchased a significant amount of SQ equipment earlier this year and have been loving it. Thanks for putting out a great product.
Jason
mellofelow
08-20-2010, 03:43 PM
Thanks Sue. Nice to have a brand rep on the forum here. Yes, my shop is Speed Queen as well. In fact, I've just submitted an order for few replacement.
Susan
11-11-2010, 03:46 PM
Jason,
We’ve launched our second ad for our King of Laundry campaign. In developing this ad, we kept your feedback in mind. The new ad features a real laundry king, Ed Ellis, from Central Florida. A video has also been added to our Quantum Laundry web site so that viewers can learn more about Ed (and Rachel) Ellis and how they use Quantum Gold controls to simplify their life. Ed is a great example of how Quantum Gold equips store owners with the ability to efficiently manage their business from anywhere in the world. Check it out and let us know what you think. www.quantumlaundry.com (http://www.quantumlaundry.com)
Sue Miller
CanCanCase
11-12-2010, 10:51 AM
I'd like to see a picture of a happy sport fisherman pulling hard on a bent rod, gold plated reel with a few dead tuna in the background... the byline could read, "Case Harris: Laundry King of the Oregon Coast."...
But then there's the fact that I don't own a single piece of SQ equipment because the area distributor wouldn't commit to the service I needed or sell me the newer technology... Are the Quantum controls (and a compatible card system) new in the last year?
-Case
harleysr1
11-12-2010, 12:41 PM
Show me an owner on the back porch with his feet kicked up, cigar in
one hand, glass of wine in the other, with no worries, and I'll show you a guy on unemployment.
Honestly, come on speed queen. That is the most pathetic ad I've seen. Show real people...real owners. Don't tell newbies and inexperienced owners that it will be all play and no work with your wonderful quantum system...that is a total bunch of crap!
Show me a real owner that puts in hours, works hard, learns from his/her mistakes....Potential customers want honesty...not some fictitious "Laundry King" joke.
Adamski
11-12-2010, 02:36 PM
Harley,
I agree with you. I'd like to see Ed Ellis remove lint from a plugged up drain valve without getting off his pool float. Now that would be a real trick.
On the other hand, I notice this is being discussed under the "For Fun" heading so maybe we shouldn't be taking it seriously. It's all just for fun!
clguy
01-07-2011, 08:17 PM
I actually did sit back the other day in a rocking chair and put my feet up with a cold glass of my favorite beverage. I also have 12 Quantum Gold machines that I just purchased. It would have been on the porch but it was only 8 degrees outside at the time so I opted for the living room. Of course this "laundry king" behavior happened at the end of a 14 hour day working on laundry projects and covering for a missing employee so I'm not sure it counts.:)
Jim
Adamski
01-08-2011, 01:01 PM
Jim,
Your "laundry king" is a lot more realistic example than the Ed Ellis laundry king thing.
surfflite
01-10-2011, 10:12 AM
Deceptive advertising at it's best IMO. Now if Ed was floating on a sinking ship (that looked like a laundromat) I could relate. LOL
CanCanCase
01-10-2011, 10:45 AM
Show me an owner on the back porch with his feet kicked up, cigar in
one hand, glass of wine in the other, with no worries, and I'll show you a guy on unemployment.
Honestly, come on speed queen. That is the most pathetic ad I've seen. Show real people...real owners. Don't tell newbies and inexperienced owners that it will be all play and no work with your wonderful quantum system...that is a total bunch of crap!
Show me a real owner that puts in hours, works hard, learns from his/her mistakes....Potential customers want honesty...not some fictitious "Laundry King" joke.
Deceptive advertising at it's best IMO. Now if Ed was floating on a sinking ship (that looked like a laundromat) I could relate. LOL
I've clicked on both ads and read a few paragraphs. I don't get the message that it's all play and no work. Anyone who's ever been in a service business knows we work hard. Anyone who's ever been successful in a service business knows that when work time is over, it's time to play even harder!
Would any sensible person really believe that Ed Ellis spends 24/7 in his pool? The message I get from the ads is that SQ is pushing some bit of modernism that is supposed to make a laundry owner's life easier. Mission accomplished for the ad department.
It's not Speed Queen's job to educate new owners about what it takes to run a laundromat business. That job is shared by the potential investor, the CLA and ALL OF US! SQ is out there to sell their equipment. If they want to claim "the best," "the easiest" or "the most likely to let you sit in a pool for hours each day" then that's just good marketing.
(I still like my idea for the image of the "Laundry King" reeling on a big tuna... Maybe Dexter wants to go head to head with SQ's campaign!?) ;-)
- Case
The issue with laundrys is people in general dont think it takes much to run one, yet alone business owners that are looking into getting into one.
A few reasons why they fail is poor managment along with some really bad DD.
My saying is, if you take care of your store, your store will take care of you.
There our some owners down here in los angeles that own 6 7 8 stores, matter of fact there is one guy that owns 18 stores. He runs his stores really well and takes care of them.