Interesting contrarian view that brand images can still have an impact, while viewers fast-forward through commercials. You do have to pay close attention, to stop the fast fowarding at the precise point a show starts up again.
won’t self-driving cars be great…
brief video on the history of communication (it’s an ad, but worth a watch).
I’m finding the PC vs. Mac battle very entertaining. Microsoft’s newest ads are trying to make Apple’s PC vs. Mac ads irrelevant (see below). Apple needs to hit back a little harder!
Imagine an Apple ad that goes like this:
The PC guy with a pocket protector and glasses riding a skateboard “down hill.”
Then the voice over: “PC’s may pretend to be a cool… But they’re not.”
And then the PC guy crashes through big glass windows into a commercial office building. And, business people working in cubicles run around in a panic.
Then: “PC’s crash, and Windows break. Buy a Mac!”
This is idea was inspired by a former classmate of mine, Adam Kimmel, who produced a cool skateboarding video to promote his clothing line (link here.). Great job, Adam!
check out this sidewalk ad for Vin Diesel’s upcoming movie
.
I just have to comment on the first Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld ad. What an epic waste of money. I understand that it’s just an “ice-breaker,” and I get the symbolism of it: shoes have a somewhat custom fit, and can be comfortable. But, I would bet 99 percent of viewers have no idea what it’s about, and what good is “buzz” when it’s overwhelmingly mockery. My guess is that one objective of the ad is to make Bill Gates more likable, rather than sell products, which is a safe hypothesis given there is no explicit mention of any Microsoft products whatsoever.
Bill Gates, if you really want to be likable, start inspiring us, and lead us to a better future. What do you believe is possible? How is Microsoft using technology to create a better world? But, Microsoft has almost never shown much creativity or originality (history of microsoft here), and has rarely thrilled us with its products, so I shouldn’t have much reason to hope for more.
By the way, look at what T. Boone Pickens is doing, as a point of comparison. He has a vision and plan for a better future, and is using his wealth to achieve it.
Gates/Seinfeld video below:
[update: the second rough cut commercial follows. Another pointless ad with no mention of Microsoft products... By the way, Jerry Seinfeld is getting 10 million dollars for doing the ads.]
[update: the ad series has been canceled, and Jerry walks away with $10 million.]
this was without question the largest crowd pleaser yesterday at TC50. The specifics of how it works are vague, but “use your imagination!”
this is pretty cool.
imagine taking this one step further: robotic lifelike mannequins with speech recognition and artificial intelligence…
AdMob’s interactive mobile advertising leverages the capabilities of the iPhone. Check out this video.
Also of significance in the interactive advertising world, Tivo and Amazon are teaming up to allow television viewers to purchase products shown in a television show or commercial via the DVR’s on-screen menu. TiVo is working on expanding the system to include links to product placements in live programs and alongside commercials. [NYT article here.]
an interesting experiment in creating captivating advertisements that engage customers beyond passive visuals.
[thanks, adpunch]
