“Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.” ~ Stephen Butler Leacock ~
Television commercials have come a long way both creatively and financially since 1941 when the Bulova Corporation paid four dollars for a ten-second spot, which simply showed a picture of a superimposed watch on a map of the United States.
Interest in the advertising world in general has been popularized over the last few years with the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning television series, Mad Men, which is set in the 1960’s hey day of advertising, at the fictional firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and added to that viewership, each year the advertising community honors the best-of-the-best with their annual CLIO Awards, helping provide a higher level of public awareness for what is being sold to new generations of viewers.
In my humble opinion, a finely created commercial is oftentimes more entertaining than conventional programming – even if they are trying to sell me something.
Although the CLIO Awards honor traditional 30 and 60-second commercials, some of the best advertising is now on the Internet, specifically viral videos, which reach a whole new breed of consumer through spots that are slightly longer than 60-seconds and border on being a hybrid cross between a traditional commercial and a music video, but pack a walloping creative punch.
Here are three of my favorites:
From Kia Motors America (with over two million views in three months) the Kia Soul Hamster, which popularizes the 2010 Kia Soul automobile; I’m not sure I would buy the car, but the rapping hamsters are darn cute.
Evian Roller Babies, weighing in with over 27 million views in one year is absolutely adorable and besides babies always sell, but in all honesty, I was predisposed to the product many years ago.
And last but not least, a faux commercial, which actually sells the genius of PESFilm, the company that created this spot titled, “Western Spaghetti,” which tallies in at five million views in two months, and was a 2009 Sundance Film Festival Winner as well as a 2009 Annecy Animation Audience Award Winner, and voted by Time Magazine # 2 Viral Video of the Year – absolutely brilliant.
7 comments:
I'd like to know how many hours went into creating each of these. They're just amazing!
The technology behind a lot of the modern commercials is mind-boggling. With computers these people can do just about anything now. Love the babies--that is so cool.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Margaret (Single and Sane) - I'd give anything to know the time studies on these from storyboard to completion!
Lee (arlee bird) - I too am constantly amazed at how rapidly technology is changing; it makes my head spin sometimes. I agree, those babies are very cool!
Paula, omigoodness, that Western Spaghetti is brilliant! And you know what? I have that very same Dutch oven -- exactly...! I make Irish beef stew in it. Say -- that just gave me an idea. What a great comfort food to help me get rid of this cold.
Jo - I can't believe you're making Irish stew tonight! Guess what's in my crock pot? Hee-he-hee... great minds think alike! Hope you feel better soon. :)
I'm a little late on this. Western Spaghetti reminded me of what a professor used to tell us about performing comedy. He said to use paralogic, by which he meant to start with an absurd premise but pursue it as though it made eminent sense. The example he gave was The Gold Rush in which Chaplin cooks, serves, and eats a boot, with the panache you'd expect in a five star restaurant.
TallTchr - Interesting analogy!
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