by Next Wave Team | Mar 1, 2006 | Advertising, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of TV, Guerrilla Campaigns, Marketing & the Web, Viral Marketing, VW advertising, Web strategy
just a blip » Blog Archive » Un-pimp your advertising
By way of Ernie Schenck I find my way to Baba Shetty’s blog where he talks about the “Vee Dub” un-pimp your ride campaign from Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
Shetty points out that the new spots are number 2, 3 and 4 on YouTube right behind the story of the autistic basketball star.
While this is all good and fine- the real question is why is all this traffic going to YouTube instead of to VW? Why hasn’t CP+P made sure that these spots are available in the obvious place- VW’s site- where they can capture and analyze traffic? Being able to look at your stats and see where your product and commercials are being discussed is one of the most valuable resources a marketer has today.
And- don’t assume that everyone has broadband access- have multiple resolutions, multiple formats, all launched from a quick loading HTML page- giving the viewer the option before waiting 10 minutes for your pretentious Flash intro to load.
I was mistaken when I predicted that these spots would only air to limited audiences- I caught one in 24 on Monday night. Of course I watched it- they are funny- and it may generate some curiosity on the sales floor- only until consumers see the price tag. CB+P may be the masters of advertainment- but VW still has a long way to go to “German Engineering.”
So kids, remember- don’t leave it to third parties to distribute your ads- do it yourself- that’s the beauty of the web. And- even though you love Flash- don’t build your whole site out of it- unless you absolutely have to.
by Next Wave Team | Feb 24, 2006 | Advertising, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Guerrilla Campaigns, Marketing & the Web, Viral Marketing, VW advertising
Well, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Those bad boys in Miami, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, have released some of their first new work for VW. As usual, it’s unusual.
The gloves are off- no more being politically correct, no trying to make apologies for being German and killing 6 million Jews, it’s hip, it’s cool, it’s that precision German engineering - with a twist of Helga in leather (no- I’m not kidding).
Knowing that anyone with a brain probably won’t buy a VW until they actually do start delivering a quality product (according to JD Power every Japanese car, and most Korean cars have almost half as many initial defects as a VW) Crispin decided to go after the “Tuner” market. The kids that go out and buy a $12,000 Neon and put $4,000 wheels on it, a $1000 exhaust, lots of decals and another $5,000 on the stereo- and still have a Neon, or a Mitsubishi Eclipse or a Honda Civic. Very few tuner’s in the States would touch a VW- but now, yeah baby, you can get one “Pre-tuned” by German engineers.
The spots- remind me of a cross between “Dieter” from the Saturday Night Live “Sprokets” spoof of a techno DJ, crossed with Crispin’s other designer character “Ugoff” (who designed a pouch for Burger King). Then throw in Helga. Yeah, Helga.
Vee Dub- Jason Vee Dub-Mike Vee Dub- Trey
The site- with some of the same flash technology that brought us “Subservient Chicken” is now in peak form (although my creation lost some features including my leather seats- oops). You can see my little movie here- My GTI Joyride with “Helga”
If you are one of those people that follows continuity errors in movies like my friend Audra, you will be wondering how Helga got back in the car after starting the race- but, hey, this isn’t reality- it’s just Flash.
Do I think the “tuners” will get it? Absolutely. Do I think they will start buying VW’s “pre-tuned” from the factory- well, mine was over $30K and if I put that much into my Honda Civic, I’d not only have a car all my friends would think is def, I’d actually have a car that held it’s value. The problem isn’t the advertising- it’s the price/value proposition VW is offering.
Will this advertising sell more cars? Probably not, but it is an interesting side show to distract people until VW gets their “German engineering” back on track. This isn’t advertising that will sell the line to anyone over 35, but, I’m sure that will come too. Unlike most agencies, CP+B understands that there aren’t one size fits all ads for anything anymore. I don’t expect to see these spots on anything but “Pimp my ride” on MTV - or the site vwfeatures.com be widely promoted.
While all Detroit keeps doing crap ads, it’s nice to have something provocative to write about. Thank you Crispin.
what do you think?
by Next Wave Team | Feb 23, 2006 | Advertising, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Design, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Guerrilla Campaigns, Marketing & the Web, Viral Marketing, Web strategy
I recently read a post by someone in advertising (who probably shouldn’t be in advertising) saying “I think this is too long and it’s failure to have a climax disappoints, but it’s an interesting idea” about an amazing spot by UK Honda which you can view here: http://www.honda.co.uk/civic/ click watch civic once it’s loaded.
While the flash movie loads- they ask “when was the last time you felt a connection with your car?”
And what does this spot do? It elevates the regular noises a car makes- to a musical experience. It makes a suggestion that the sounds of the road are music to your ears. Something that would normally be done by a luxury brand- but here, it’s for the bottom of the line Honda Civic.
By the same token- when was the last time you cared about the roof of your car?
Go take a look at this brilliant use of Flash (a technology that is often misused by ad agencies who don’t understand search) in the creation of a design your own roof site for, who else, Mini. This may be one of Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s last efforts on the brand, but it’s a brilliant one. Now, you aren’t just buying a Mini- but making a personalized statement- even if you never actually get the vinyl printed and put on your roof. I’m sure the Roof Studio will gain some viral exposure.
Even the language in the sign-up that is required to “Post” your roof follows in the brand voice.
My only question is if someone is censoring submissions?
These are two examples of making you feel closer to a mass produced product, without screaming the lame-o features, advantages, benefits type laundry list that most marketers insist on.
We’ve got our mantra here at The Next Wave- our own definition of marketing- “Create Lust • Evoke Trust” TM that we feel better describes what we do than the words “ad agency.”
What do you think?
Thanks, as always to friends for pointing me to these things: Dan Obrovac of Lakota Archery sent me the Honda spot- and former Next Wave superstar creative talent Carl DeCaire for the Roof Studio.
by Next Wave Team | Feb 6, 2006 | Advertising, BMW Advertising, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of TV, Guerrilla Campaigns, Viral Marketing, Web strategy
The 2006 Superbowl wasn’t a very exciting game- and from an advertising standpoint- well, the game did make a bunch of mediocre spots more interesting.
I’m not going to review the spots- you can read someone like Ad Age’s Bob Garfield for his commentary (may require subscription) http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=47764
I’ll stick to maximizing your ad budget effectiveness- if you’re going to spend 2.5 million dollars to run a spot- shouldn’t you do your best to turn it into a viral marketing effort?
Viral marketing is what gave us www.subservientchicken.com for Burger King. A low budget effort to launch BK’s tendercrisp chicken sandwich- that you can have your way. So, to have your way with the chicken on the site- you tell it what to do- ala web porn (the chicken is wearing stockings and a garter belt). For less than $30 thousand dollars, BK was reeling in millions of viewers, all telling the chicken to do the macerena.
Back to the Superbowl spots- we’ve said over and over- post all your ads on your site, be they print, radio, outdoor or especially TV. If you give the ads to your customers, they may distribute them for you. Nike and Apple get this- as apparently does Budweiser this year- with a complete page of ads for you to view- and even download into your iPod. (more…)
