Shiny Suds: The Power of Online Ad Videos
Credit for finding this gem: Alexander.
Faster posting to the blog: Kathryn. (Winner: ME!)
Sometimes I get invited into creative meetings and am asked “what’s the formual for online creative?”. There really isn’t one. It truely is hit and miss. Something that is funny to your boardroom sample size of 10-14, does not mean it will be funny to the “web”. However, it my opinion that if the video camera is rolling – it’s a good idea to film a few silly ones to have in the can. If your brand can make fun of itself, the internet will do the rest. This video has since been taken down by Method – and I’m not sure if it’s because they received negative feedback or if they were just testing the power of viral video. In any case, it received enough views that there are 10 people (as of today) who are hosting their own copies of the ad. Another gentle reminder: once you release someting to the internet, you have ZERO control. I used to downplay this part because I was worried about scaring people, but I would prefer people to be a little bit scared and think a little longer and a little harder before they put their brand up online. It’s a big thing and with no safety net, creative formula for success and the firing squad that exists online, I think the advice “exercise caution before uploading to the net” is much more wise than “don’t be afraid – just do it”.
Method took it down because some feminists saw the ad as advocating “rape”. Which I thought was extremely ridiculous. If someone found this triggering, aren’t they likely to find everything triggering?
I for one was very happy to finally see an ad that treated women as if they had a sense of humor and not as empty headed morons who just want a clean bathroom or kitchen, as if that were the highest goal women could aspire to.
I genuinely do feel bad for those who were terrified by cartoon bubbles. For them, life must be extremely difficult, and the world must be filled with horrible messages.
Wow! Thanks for the update Lauren. That is really sad and it must have been very frustrating for both Method and their agency to have this great piece of creative taken down due to negative feedback.
Similar attention was given to the crude-humour movie “Observe and Report” just before it was coming out to video. Again, a feminist action group were very offended by the “controversial sex scene” and posted their rage via YouTube (click the link to see the rage).
My personal* opinion is that fiction is fiction. Be it an ad, movie, book or other form of media that contains actors and imaginary events, I think that we can either choose to find hidden messages and symbolism or choose to take it at face value. Since I do not feel personally victimized, I don’t see/perceive anything negative in naughty animated soap bubbles.
There was a Cola ad back in the 70s or 80s (I’ll check with David to be sure on my facts for this one) that showed a glass full of vertically stacked ice. Before the cola was added to the glass, it was thought (by a select few) that the ice cubes were stacked JUST SO to create a phallic symbol. In fact, an entire book on subliminal messages in advertising was published and, if memory serves me correctly, there is a chapter dedicated specifically to this glacial portrayal of the male glands. People are going to see something whether it’s planned or not…so, I argue that the internet is the ultimate, brutally honest (,cheap & fast) focus group. If you want to test something out, leave your comments on and let the empowered, anonymous internet give you feedback before spending the dollars in TV, or pre-roll.
*Personal opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the opinions DSA Online, DSA Media or the DSA Media Network.
I agree* that people do need to take things at face value and not read too far into everything they see. Too often do people turn nothing into a big deal…BUT that is what society is telling them to do.
When I was taking classes at Douglas College, my academic writing professor TAUGHT us to read too far into things. We had assignments and essays on finding that “phallic” image in magazine ads. I remember we would all receive different perfume and fashion magazine ads and discuss for hours the fact that the splash of the water looked like it was bursting out to make the consumer think of sex which would in turn make them believe that if they wore this perfume they would be sexy too. This was a required class for all Douglas degrees and transfer programs and in order to pass the class you often had to conform to your professors opinions, so the students around me definitely ate up the idea that advertisers did this all on purpose. I believe my professor told us that “sex sells so it’s no wonder advertisers try to incorporate it into everything”.
All it takes is one person to make a big deal about something for it to spread like wildfire and with the growth of the internet and social media it’s even easier for negativity around an ad, movie, book etc. to build and build upon itself until it’s out of control…even if it was nothing to begin with. This makes it worth it to get that second opinion before posting for all to see.
*Personal opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the opinions DSA Online, DSA Media or the DSA Media Network.