PoshBirmingham.com is a website that features incentives from the finest retailers and restaurants in the Birmingham area. The website should launch in the next week, but to help raise awareness and drive traffic to the site, we were hired to produce a series of commercials. We created four commercials for Posh Birmingham - two :30 spots, one :15 spot, and one :05 spot. Some spots focus on the retailers, while others focus on the restaurants. The :30 spot posted below is one advertising some of the retailers you can find on PoshBirmingham.com.
Next week two new commercials for CommuteSmart will begin airing throughout central Alabama. Both spots are part of the “I’m Ready” campaign. The goal is to help viewers understand that making only small changes to the way they commute can help them save and earn money, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality. We were hired by CommuteSmart to produce both spots. The one below focuses on air quality issues.
If you watch a lot of movies, you will soon pick up on certain devices that are used over and over again, like a car that won’t start when the killer is closing in on the main character. One of the cliches that I’ve noticed is often used during a dramatic scene between two characters. Usually, the characters are at odds with each other and the scene is tense, filled with a lot of dialogue. Inevitably, Character #1 will end the conversation and then dramatically walk away from the confrontation. However, just before he/she leaves the room, Character #2 will stop Character #1’s exit with one last word. You might see this play out in an FBI office when the young, brash agent starts to walk away from his supervisor. Just before getting to the door the supervisor will say, “Agent Pearson.” At which point, the young agent will turn around. The two lock eyes for a moment and the supervisor adds, “Be careful out there.”
Ameriquest Mortgage created a memorable TV campaign with a series of spots centered on the theme “Don’t Judge Too Quickly.” Each spot features someone in a perfectly innocent situation that doesn’t seem so innocent to other characters who walk in at just the wrong moment.
The campaign has a solid theme which is executable in a variety of fresh ways. Each spot is funny, simple, and memorable. However, when I first saw these spots I was a little surprised that they were advertising a mortgage company. The creative approach to each ad just didn’t feel right, considering the client. Take a look at a some of the spots below and tell me whether you think the strategy was smart move for Ameriquest.
My brother Steven turned me onto this spot from American Airlines and I thought I would share it here. I think this spot works for a number of reasons:
Premise - It’s a simple idea: a film producer trots around the globe with her eccentric director scouting locations for a film. She’s exhausted, but because of American Airlines new international business class, she can enjoy some much-needed rest while traveling the world. In your own marketing and advertising efforts, keep your strategy simple and on point. Find that key selling point you can wrap a campaign around.
Problem & Solution - Notice how the commercial sets up a need: busy world traveler wants some quality rest. The solution is the new international business class from American Airlines, which offers seats that can transform into a small bed.
Characters - The eccentric, quirky film director is stereotypical, yet funny and memorable. Even in a thirty-second spot, characters are important.
Pacing - The cuts are quick, but they don’t confuse the viewer. And they add to the humor in the spot. The style of edit should match the subject matter of the piece and support the mood you’re trying to achieve.
Comedy - The movie is about Parisian squirrels who ride scooters. The premise of the movie is irrelevant to the overall strategy, but it provides the quirky comedy necessary to help the spot stay memorable.
And as always, feel free to leave your impressions on this commercial in the “comments” section.
