Got a second?
One-second advertisements seem to be getting a lot of buzz, in spite of their (potentially) limited audience. Weeks ago we noticed GE's "One Second Theater" TV commercials which require a DVR to view. Now this concept is heading to a radio station near you. Clear Channel is hoping to sell advertisers one-second long spots in lieu of lengthier (read: pricier) formats.
In the case of the GE spot, the campaign is more of a PR effort than advertising. The buzz generated by the uniqueness of the idea far outweighs the benefit of reading cast bios discovered while replaying the commercial at an incredibly slow speed. It seems gimmicky rather than cool, and signals that BBDO and GE don't have a solid understanding of the TiVo-user mindset. In short: if you're going to hide something in a TV spot just for us, make it worth our while to find it.
A better example of "easter egg" hunting is Sprite's sublymonal.com push. The commercial opens with the copy "DVR Ready" at the bottom of the screen. Without your thumb on the pause button the spot is disturbing enough, but slowing it down reveals even grittier subject matter alongside access codes for the web site. To their credit, it did drive us to the site even if we found the online campaign lacked the necessary hook to keep us engaged. But we applaud the brand's willingness to try something new.
While split second TV spots might allow advertisers to gain the attention of new audiences, one-second radio commercials will require that consumers already "get" the brand. These micro-spots, called blinks, become brand reinforcers. Blinks would be used almost like bumpers between songs or before the news.
But will these be effective? Advertisers have to be savvy to pull it off. What would be the point of hearing the NBC chime between pop songs? On the other hand, hearing Southwest Airline's recognizable "bong" before a radio show about travel makes a lot of sense - as long as the brand is reinforced later in the show with a longer commercial.
Placement will be the key to success with these non-traditional formats. One-second radio spots hold little value without the support of traditional 15-30 second spots nearby. Likewise, we were puzzled when we saw Sprite's "DVR Ready" spot at our local megaplex theater just before the movie started. Note to advertisers: In marketing, as in real estate, location is everything.
In the case of the GE spot, the campaign is more of a PR effort than advertising. The buzz generated by the uniqueness of the idea far outweighs the benefit of reading cast bios discovered while replaying the commercial at an incredibly slow speed. It seems gimmicky rather than cool, and signals that BBDO and GE don't have a solid understanding of the TiVo-user mindset. In short: if you're going to hide something in a TV spot just for us, make it worth our while to find it.
A better example of "easter egg" hunting is Sprite's sublymonal.com push. The commercial opens with the copy "DVR Ready" at the bottom of the screen. Without your thumb on the pause button the spot is disturbing enough, but slowing it down reveals even grittier subject matter alongside access codes for the web site. To their credit, it did drive us to the site even if we found the online campaign lacked the necessary hook to keep us engaged. But we applaud the brand's willingness to try something new.
While split second TV spots might allow advertisers to gain the attention of new audiences, one-second radio commercials will require that consumers already "get" the brand. These micro-spots, called blinks, become brand reinforcers. Blinks would be used almost like bumpers between songs or before the news.
But will these be effective? Advertisers have to be savvy to pull it off. What would be the point of hearing the NBC chime between pop songs? On the other hand, hearing Southwest Airline's recognizable "bong" before a radio show about travel makes a lot of sense - as long as the brand is reinforced later in the show with a longer commercial.
Placement will be the key to success with these non-traditional formats. One-second radio spots hold little value without the support of traditional 15-30 second spots nearby. Likewise, we were puzzled when we saw Sprite's "DVR Ready" spot at our local megaplex theater just before the movie started. Note to advertisers: In marketing, as in real estate, location is everything.
posted by franki durbin @ 11:17 AM PERMALINK
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