Thursday, July 9, 2009

Long commercials have gone on too long. I was watching T.V. the other day and a commercial break came on. Normally, I flee from such situations, either to use the restroom, or find a snack somewhere in the fridge, but when I saw Patrick Ewing walk on the screen I was stuck. What in the world was this old basketball player going to do? He was an icon for the sport during his time and even now brings a feeling of nostalgia. I couldn't look away. This commercial, only 17 seconds long, is where the world of commercials could be headed. Later in the break two more Snickers advertisements came on (I'll admit I don't remember them as vividly).

Surely this is groundbreaking advertising. At least I've never seen it. They take the same amount of time as one advertisement would be, but they spread it out throughout the entire break. They effectively get their brand name out there three times, while everyone else gets it out once.

I find this type of "visual argument" quite effective. Commercials have always been effective at selling to their audience, but for those of us with extremely shortened attention spans, they become difficult to remember. Most of the time I can't even tell you what show I am watching if it's during a break. With the way Snickers has gone about it, they are constantly reminding us, "this is something you should buy." The appeal to sports through Patrick Ewing, and humor are a nice touch. Both of these make the ad memorable, and likeable, but the bigger effect is had in the repetition of Snickers advertisements throughout the break.

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