You Have My Attention, Now What?
Every year, usually just before the Super Bowl, without fail you can turn on your television and see a countdown of the “world’s [insert superlative here] commercials.” I have no doubt every one of the Sony Bravia commercials made in the last two years would make the list of the most eye-catching, creative, and expensive. But in the end they’re advertisements, not pieces of art, because last time I checked Sony was a for-profit company. The spots grab viewers’ attention, but they’re all missing one very key element.
All three commercials, which aired internationally, are visually stunning to watch. Perhaps more impressive than the idea itself is the fact that no computer-enhancements were necessary. All three were staged live, as seen below, using real bouncing balls, real paint bombs, and real play-doh.
Play-Doh – premiered this month
Balls – 2005
Paint - 2006
What are they missing? Like many late 90’s dot-com ads they grab your attention, but do they make you want to buy a television? If they’re going after high-end consumers who would be in the market for an HD TV, what makes a Bravia different from Sony’s competitors? Celebrating the color quality of Bravia TV’s is a great idea, but the people watching at home probably can’t see the colors in the ads as well as they would with a Sony (at least that’s the idea). Why not point that out?
I could be completely off and underestimating the public’s ability to make these kinds of connections on their own. After all, the ads have gone viral and they get people talking. But it wasn’t that long ago that everyone was talking about the cat-herding cowboys, office linebacker, and sock puppet from past Super Bowls. Anyone remember the companies they were promoting?
Staying with HDTV, have a look at http://tinyurl.com/2bqao8 which quotes the following from a US consumer study:
"In general, HDTVs were the most desired gift among all population subgroups, with a resounding 35 percent of respondents saying they craved one of the pricey eye-catching gadgets. Interestingly, Solutions Research report that only 2 percent said they also intend to get a HD box from their cable or satellite company, and 6 percent a Blu-ray or HD-DVD high-definition DVD player."
It seems that the concept is getting through, but, if the users can't even understand what they need in order to use the thing, how can they be expected to remember something as transient as a brand?