This was out a while ago, but it’s pretty sick and definitely worth sharing. At one time, I was number one in the world. And if they hadn’t reset the scores, I’d still be in the top 5. Not that I’m bragging or anything. But let’s be honest, you wouldn’t say anything to a sharpshooter.
This is more than a clickable banner ad. Due to a massive partnership with Shazam, Old Navy’s new music-based ad campaign is completely interactive. You can Shazam the original songs on TV, radio, in store, online and even from your friend’s iPod. And I’m stoked to say this whole thing started with team YO-AJ.
My old boss once said that :15 second commercials will be the new :30s, I assume because of fragmented media, perpetual noise and genuinely disintegrating attention spans. But it’s because of all these reasons that I couldn’t disagree more.
With all the distractions in the world these days, I think there’s a serious premium on well executed long form commercials. If you were to ask someone to name an ad from last year, I bet 0 out of a million responses would be a :15 spot. Look at the Chrysler spot from this year’s Super Bowl. It didn’t just pick up a brand, it lifted a city. And of course Nike was founded on the inspirational and anthemic principles. They did it for football, and then they did it for futbol not once but twice.
And then there was The Man Who Walked Around The World. You just sat there in awe of what was unfolding, and when he finally disappeared into the distance you realized over 7 minutes had passed – and you really couldn’t have spent those minutes in a better way.
Can’t forget Puma making athletes out of alcoholics. “The night, too, is for sport.” It just pains me how well this thing was produced. Sure, the writing was more crisp than a Benji fresh off the press. And yeah, they nailed the cultural tension of where most young adults go for entertainment and competition. But it was the mix, the mix where this 9.5 became a 10 in my universal scoring system. Not only was the VO flawless, I mean absolutely flawless, but the sound effects carried the spot. I felt the fluorescent lights buzzing on and the pinball coins being pushed in. The chalk scratching against the blackboard and the swoosh of the pong ball into the net. I felt them all, as if I were amongst the players and partyers.
The great thing about this Freedom spot for Dodge wasn’t just the fresh concept, it was the perfect media placement. This spot debuted during the World Cup match between the United States and England. For that moment, every single person in America was a Dodge fan. Now that’s pretty hard to do.
Dominoes just weren’t cool anymore after this piece of magic from Honda. Everyone assumed it was CGI. It had to be. IT HAD TO BE. And you just couldn’t stop watching even if you wanted to. But you didn’t, so that was never an issue.
And of course, I can’t forget where it all started for me. BMW changed advertising forever when it said, “You know what, let’s not make just another :30 commercial.” So they made films. A film about a Chosen One, and a spoiled Star, and the technique of The Follow, among many others. They were directed by the best. They starred the best. It’s no wonder they were the best.
For all these reasons, I believe :90 is the new :30. Or :74 is the new :30. Or anything above :30 is the new :30. Sure, you can be funny in 30 seconds, but it’s pretty difficult to be moving. So let’s stop telling jokes and start telling stories.
I love the murals created to promote the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. These are a few I really like, but the Swiss one has to take the cake.
Rest of them here.
