Thinkcorps

A NYT article today on ensemble cast advertising (subscription req.) completely misses the opportunity these types of commercials offer, IMO. I’m always surprised when I hear someone dressing up the wolf in sheep’s clothing—TV commercials dressed up as sitcoms—do they think we are stupid? With everything that’s going on in our lives, the intense competition for our attention from everything, do they really think we are going to invest in the “plot line” of a 30-second commercial advertisement?

First, a lesson to advertising execs: love (or at least like) your product. Commercials are not TV, but they bring us TV. It’s a beneficial symbiotic relationship. Most people do not watch commercials these days, regardless of the presence of Tivo in their homes. We all have busy lives, we all are used to juggling what the world throws at us. Even the most technologically challenged of us get up or surf during commercials. Why do we do this? You, the advertisers, have failed to deliver on the basic promise of television, a sin too great to ignore.

Every week, we tune in to televisions shows—why? Because they are new. Some times, we watch the reruns, but that is either because we are catching up (and it’s new to us) or because we accept the comfort of that show’s regular programming schedule in our lives. For that season at least, we have invested our time. So what’s with advertising? When a slew of new ads are presented, like during the Superbowl, we all love it. We treat it as a big event, a showcase. And we’re all totally into it.

Advertisers accept that the Superbowl raises the bar, and yet it’s business as usual throughout the rest of the year. I have news, people, it’s not the Superbowl that’s raising the bar, it’s the entire mediasphere. The competition for our attention is fierce: to think that you only have to address that competition once a year is just foolish.

So, make a good commercial. Make it funny, emotional, give it impact. But more importantly, make it cheap. Do not expect us to worship your spot. Drop the projected frequency of that spot by at least half, and make twice as many spots. Make them resonate with your audience(s) and the TV environment they’re placed in. If you create a highly popular spot, only then increase its frequency.

The best example I can give currently is the GEICO insurance commercials. They are numerous and short with great creative. The fake reality show “Tiny House” spot is so brilliant, I (surfing and only catching part of it) thought it was a real upcoming reality show until I finally saw the whole spot. And I wanted it to be real. The GEICO spots know they are commercials, they announce it, in fact. And they are always giving us something new.

Too many advertising execs exist in this bubble where their client is only competing with a select group of competitors. No! You are competing against everything that comes through that TV set. Everything. It’s an intense sea of information of all types, and you have to catch and hold my attention over the very alluring prospect of finding something else good on another channel. That’s a very difficult prospect and certainly not one you’re going to win with another tired commercial retread.