Prometheus live(ish) Twitter ad

Just a quick word about Prometheus, the new Ridley Scott film, which featured heavily in the ad breaks for "Homeland" this evening, and featured a TV first - viewers' tweets about one ad being featured in the second ad a break later.

Though I was mostly trying my best to calm my shattered nerves (that program makes you feel like you're actually holding explosives in your hands), I just about held it together to make the following observation:

This seems like the classic example of technology for technology's sake. Was there really anyone in the educated, tech-savvy Channel 4 audience who felt MORE persuaded to see the film because some people said nice things on Twitter? And are they really too stupid to realise that these people may well have said nice things entirely in the hope that they might achieve fleeting fame?

It's all very well being clever with media. But there's got to be a purpose for the cleverness. Just like the Old Spice "ad invasions" backed up their power angle, and the Virgin Media "buffering" ads neatly demonstrated a product feature.

What did this do? If they'd just booked the space, found some tweets, and made them into an advert, what actual difference would there have been?

It's just really lazy thinking.

As the new Old Spice ad isn't very good...

...at least, not by their own high standards*, I thought I'd talk about a much better piece of work they did during the "Smell Is Power" campaign (but one I missed out on as it never got shown in the UK).

It's worth mentioning because it covers similar territory to the recent Virgin Media ads, which showed ads for other products being interrupted by streaming video style buffering. In this case, the interruption is somewhat more dramatic - although as both products are Proctor & Gamble, it probably wasn't that hard to set up.

But just like the Virgin ads, it does a great job of making people pay attention to, and more importantly remember, a commercial.

*It's ok, but there's nothing laugh-out-loud funny, the line is contrived rather than inspired, and the horse racing scene was weak (and a little too reminiscent of that Weetabix advert).

Virgin Media BBH launch

Well, not really much of a launch. Certainly, considering what a massive acquisition the client was, and the way they pinched it from under the nose of DDB, it was released with relatively little fanfare - certainly compared to the Guardian launch.

Perhaps it's because it's an advert made for purpose rather than to win awards and plaudits. And in fact it's so similar to the Mark Warren adverts produced by the previous agency, you'd barely be aware that the whole change had been made. It's another famous face and another product demo.

Apparently the DDB advert had the TiVo boxes flying off the shelves, so why change a winning formula? But you have to wonder what it does for BBH's reputation - and the extent to which the client is calling the shots in this relationship.

Why?

Virgin Media Success Kid

Funny, how things turn out. In 2007, a lady called Laney Griner took a photo of her baby son playing on a beach. It was one of those amusing photos that 10 years ago would certainly have remained in her drawer - or at least on her computer.

But the internet has moved on, and like many others, she found that once you put something out there, it doesn't really belong to you anymore. And somehow her snap had become a recurring internet meme known as "Success Kid", like this:

 

I suppose one might find this annoying, although Ms Griner appears to be relaxed about the attention - as her son is now 4, it's not like he's going to get recognised.

But she also got her just reward in the end, as Virgin Media have now paid to use her image on their latest outdoor campaign.

I'm not actually sure if this was done before or after the great DDB-BBH handover, but whichever, it shows the value of being immersed in culture of any sort. Anyone who's in on the joke will love it and remember it, and if you're not, it's an amusing photo all by itself.

The boy is not called Tim, though.

The best ad on TV so far this year...

...and I can't find any bloody video of it.

It's for Virgin Media - and it's not really an ad at all, but a guerilla takeover of another (willing) brand's ad. You see the start of another advert (Yeo Valley and Citroen have so far been involved), but it is constantly interrupted by a buffering symbol.

The ad then asks viewers why they put up with buffering online when we wouldn't on TV. It's a very simple idea, and plays cleverly on the mental frames we apply to different viewing experiences.

But most importantly, there were 3 of us in the living room when it came on, and as soon as the buffering symbol appeared and the music stalled, the advert had our undivided attention. And that's a huge achievement.

I believe credit goes to the media agency fifty6 for this one. Nice to see creative ideas not just coming from the agencies.

DDB and sympathy

I feel a little sorry for DDB losing the Virgin Media account. According to those in the know, their adverts with Marc Warren - basically product demos with a little flair and quality - had TiVo boxes flying off the shelves. But new Marketing Managers mean new agencies, and so the work went over sharpish to BBH. I'm sure they'll produce more imaginative work. But will it sell more boxes?

In the meantime, here is the last ad out of DDB.

I feel less sympathy for them now.