Advertising Time: What Brands Catch Your Eye and Why?

Since starting my blog in February 2014, I’ve done a number of posts on various watch brands and the advertising media that triggered my interest in writing about them.  These include:

Longines:  Ad Venture Begets Luxurity  (March 2)
Ralph Lauren:  Saddle Up:  Ralph Lauren’s SWISS MADE Stirrups (June 9) 
GaGàMILANO:   Hublot’s Vivacious Contender: Viva Italia! (June 18)
Chanel:   L’Limbs of Time: L’Instant Chanel (June 29)

However, as I’ve looked through a number of magazines and newspapers over the last six months, there are several brands that repeatedly seem to dominate my mental “adscape”.  These include Rolex, Breitling, and Breguet.  

So it was with great interest that I read Jay Deshpande’s July 5, Watchtime.com posting, “Which WatchBrands Spent the Most on Advertising in 2013?” Mr. Deshpande sources the figures below to Kantar Media.  They cover only U.S. advertising dollar investments.

•   In 2013, watch brands spent a record breaking $492.68 million on advertising.  That’s a 23.3% increase over 2012.
•  Another record 2013 high —69 brands spent a million dollars or more on advertising.
•   In order for a brand to be in the Top 25 expenditure category, its parent company had to spend a minimum of $4.66 million.
•   Rolex is #1 on the Top 25 List.  It’s been there since 2000.  Last year the company spent $61.48 million.  That’s a new record in itself as no brand has ever spent more than $60 million. $36 million of this went for magazine spending.
•  Breitling is #2 on the Top 25 List spending $43.85 million. Of this total the brand lagged slightly behind Rolex by spending $33 million on magazine advertising.
• Although not in the Top 10, Breguet, spent $9.58 million.  This is a hefty increase, almost 2000% over 2012, when it spent less than $500,000.
•  And as for two of the brands that I wrote postings about, Longines and Chanel, each made the Top 10 for 2013. Neither made the cut in 2012.

Bottom line analysis for 2013, when it came to watch brand U.S. advertising dollars, many companies see our market as an expanding one. In particular, Swiss luxury brands are eying this country as a strong source for revenue growth.

So back to you, my readers.  What brand advertisements have made an impression on you and why?  Is it through media recurrence, creativity, or placement in your favorite reading material?