Miller One-Second Ad
MillerCoors announced on Tuesday that it will be airing a one second advertisement during this year’s Super-Bowl. They have stated that “…it wouldn’t make sense for this brand to pay $3 million for a 30-second ad”
Really? Why would anyone want to do something crazy like that?
What is the point of a one-second commercial? What can they possibly do in that time?
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“Now introducing….*end*” “Miller is the mos…*end*” “Drinkmillerittastesgre…*end*” |
Right, it tastes ‘gre’ and it’s the ‘mos’. I’m definitely going to try that.
The obvious answer is that a mere day after the announcement I am now aware of a campaign that will not air on TV for several weeks. This is likely not about saving money on a TV ad, it is about using a mixture of mediums to put out a message. It’s a press-release picked up by the news and proliferated virally, driving focus to a website.
This is a great example of Viral marketing at work. I don’t doubt that there was an initial push to get the ball rolling and make sure the right people saw the press-release, but since then the “campaign” has developed a momentum all it’s own.
To keep television in the mix before the one-second ad is launched, Miller will also be airing a 30 second teaser ad leading up to the event; this ad will also be featured on the product website.
But before you start spitting out press releases and expecting a saliva-covered public to start beating on your door – first consider why this campaign is working virally.
Right off the bat, Miller is doing something new and unexpected that is interesting enough to grab the public’s attention. This isn’t an “Amazing-best-sale ever!” that in reality is the same tired sale that I’ve seen more times than Brittany’s kitty. It also isn’t a “Same product with a new label” gimmick. There is a place for those traditional ideas and its called ‘Not viral marketing’. This campaign is a carefully thought out way to gain some attention.
Consider that this is not even about the product – it’s about the medium.
Miller has done something that is apparently so ridiculous that we’ve stopped to pay attention to it. And THAT is the key to its success. Viral needs to be interesting. It needs to be interesting enough to want to share it with other people—like I’m doing with you now. It also doesn’t hurt that I actually enjoyed the content of the website – that definitely helps. This could easily have never gained attention: the press-release could have been overlooked, it might not have been interesting enough to pass-on, or the website could have been poorly executed and dull. These are all things to consider when trying to harness the viral stallion.
I’m getting thirsty, I think I’ll grab a Sleemans.
Related links:
http://millercoors.com/news/press-releases/release/miller-high-life-one-second.aspx
Oh… if you see Kathryn, tell her I’m not talking to her anymore.
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