While there is not going to be a full-length Microsoft movie or Microsoft 2010 for Windows, the technology giant’s most recent viral push (using commercial/viral video guru Dennis Liu to direct) is considerably more entertaining than all of the “I’m a PC” ads combined.
Under Liu’s direction, Microsoft’s “trailer” previews a situation where a hacker releases a “rogue file” on the internet, where viewers of the file believe everything they read. The video combines the old, with promises of a new “Outlook” and OneNote for the future of Microsoft.
The witty video is just a promo for Microsoft, but may be more productive than many of its actual advertising campaigns. Liu’s video could work wonders in helping Microsoft compete with the “cool” image Apple and their users pride themselves on.
Microsoft is far from the first client Liu has created a funny, clever ad for. Companies such as Nike, CareerBuilder, MTV, Berlitz, and Wendy’s have all hired Liu for videos (commercial or viral). His ability to create videos that are genuinely funny, not cheap laughs like many of the Bud Light ads, provide brands and companies with a more tasteful approach to humor.
The above video is the “Interviewing Help” series Liu did for CareerBuilder.com. Not only do the ads illustrate the need for the service in a hilarious manner, they do it by creating a situation everybody can relate to. I believe maintaining good taste while using humor is the key to the video’s success. While some viral videos rely heavily on being vulgar, I think the more tasteful ads have an advantage by achieving wider appeal.
What are some funny ads you have seen lately? What about viral/promo videos? What about failed attempts at humor in advertising/viral videos?
Doritos’ new campaign promoting its “Late Night” taco chips is an outstanding blend of new marketing methods. It introduces an innovative use of packaging, ties it in with Doritos’ website and internet marketing, and, to top it off, aids in the launch of Blink 182’s summer tour.
The packaging encourages consumers to use the bag as a means of entry to the Doritos Late Night website. Once on the site, chip eaters will be able to view a virtual 3D concert, playing songs by Blink 182 and Big Boi.
On top of the unprecedented creativity and the music/technology combo, the Late Night chips are a great product. The “concert bags” are only going to run for a limited time, but should see outstanding results.
I believe the key factor in the success of Doritos’ campaign will be the use of music in the branding and advertising effort. It can be assumed, through the dark packaging and use of Blink 182, that Doritos is trying to reach teenage/young adult males. This demographic has been successfully reached in the past using similar efforts. For example, Mountain Dew achieved its “extreme” and “cool” positioning through ads using rock music and related technology to reach young males.
I can’t tell if the bag, the return of my favorite band, or some combination of the two is what’s exciting me right now, but I do know I am going to buy a bag and try this 3D concert thing out.
Can you remember any examples of innovative marketing efforts? Do you think music is a good way to help brand a product?
The Simpsons, viewed by many as an American institution, are currently celebrating their 20th year on TV..with an interesting twist.
It has recently become more expensive for advertisers to run their ads during the popular animated show on Hulu, than on TV. 30 second TV ads run at a rates between $20 and $40 per 1000 viewers, while the Hulu ads cost $60 at the same rate of impressions.
While this day may have been inevitable, with the emergence of websites such as Hulu and majornetworks putting their own content online, it still has an odd feeling to it. It raises the question “what about TV?” and the traditional 30 second spot advertisements?
For the time being, the 30 second spot isn’t going anywhere. Hulu only shows 37 seconds of ads during its shows, while half hour TV segments include 9 minutes worth of ads. This distribution shows the majority of advertising money is still spent largely on the traditional TV ads, but this shift towards online may be a growing trend.
One ad offering for online TV is a sponsorship of a specific episode, such as Sprint’s for this episode of NBC’s The Office. The company, or brand, sponsoring the episode has an outstanding opportunity to create a unique experience for the viewer. The most common approach has been a combination of a “skin” for the webpage and short video clip (or commercial). The spot is then ran 4 times during the online viewing, and a “brought to you by” message is displayed at the bottom of the screen throughout. It’s a golden opportunity for marketers to reach their target in an environment they willingly enter, by choosing to watch the episodes online.
Moving forward, do you believe more TV shows will become more expensive to advertise with online than during the actual TV programming? Do you watch TV shows online? Have you seen any online TV ads that you liked?
Some lessons being taught at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival this week (June 21-27) are that bigger is not always better, and that doing more with less deserves to be rewarded.
CumminsNitro, an Australian ad agency, took home the coveted PR Lions Grand Prix and Direct Lions Grand Prix for its “Best Job in the World” campaign, created for Tourism Queensland. The basis of the campaign, with a budget of only $1.2 million, was a want-ad for the role of “Island Caretaker” (aka “Best Job in the World“) for the islands of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Despite its simple approach, the campaign received massive feedback. Tourism Queensland received roughly 35,000 applications for the position from over 200 different countries, on top of an estimated $100 million worth of media coverage during the campaign. Not bad for a glorified want-ad.
The “Best Job” campaign, while rooted in the want-ad, also received help via traditional and non-traditional methods. The ad was a popular topic and was covered by news channels in several different countries, providing the strong, traditional reach of the campaign. However, the applicants were required to submit a 60 second video clip as their application, and these were YouTube hits. This balanced coverage provided a nice blend of new/old for the campaign. CumminsNitro also capitalized on the timing, launching a want-ad when jobs are hard to come by, and people around the world are searching.
All in all, CumminsNitro’s campaign far exceeded expectations and has put Tourism Queensland on the “map”. The winner of the contest has recently been selected, and will be recording a blog during his tenure as Island Caretaker.
What simple campaigns have you come across? Do you know of any that have experienced success far greater than anticipated? Would you apply for a job similar to the “Best Job in the World”?
Zadby is a DC area “online marketplace”, or advertising think-tank, specializing in viral videos. Targeting sites such as MySpace and YouTube, Zadby provides brands with a quick and efficient way to integrate themselves with online video.
Citing Tivo and DVR technology as the cause of “death” for the :30 TV spot, Zadby believes online video is the best way to reach consumers moving forward. And they might be right. Forbes Magazine has estimated over 1 billion videos are watched around the globe each day on YouTube, not even including MySpace and other sites.
Surely kids and younger demographics make up the overwhelming majority of this usage, right? Nope, pretty far from the case. 42% of YouTube users are actually over the age of 45, a far cry from the widely held belief that online videos are for young people.
Zadby has recently created a video for Pizza Hut, now closing in on 650,000 YouTube views, to help them make the transition to viral videos and new online advertising. Not only did the video establish the brand as “young and relevant and current”, it sparked ongoing direct contact directly with the target segment, young males, through the comments.
As advertising continues its shift towards online and guerilla tactics, marketers have to do their best to adjust as well. Do you believe companies such as Zadby are the future of advertising? What other changes do you anticipate? Have you ever seen a “viral video”?
