Do advertisers make a video viral? Or is it the viewer who does that. I think the latter.
"Ball Girl" was one of the most successful viral videos ever (8 million views and counting). Did this really happen? Did she really catch the ball?
The clip was discussed on hundreds of blogs, passed between tens of thousands of friends, talked about in mainstream media, from the Wall Street Journal to Good Morning America, ESPN and Keith Olbermann. It even fooled Ellen DeGeneres, who put out a public request for the Ball Girl to appear on her show.
But the most amazing thing, it was part of an ad campaign for Gatorade. Sure, agency folks can come up with a great idea and execute it flawlessly. But whether or not it catches on is ultimately beyond their control.
kevron5 Ok d bol, spit some sh*t at me cuz dis jank is fereal
As we wait for the BCS Poll to come out this evening, the debates rage from fans across the country about who should round out the top 5, behind undisputed #1 Alabama. With Oklahoma's demolition of previous #2 Texas Tech, they have a legitimate claim. But, they lost to Texas, who is knocking on the door, as is Florida. Good arguments could be made for all three teams. And more than a few West Coasters are screaming for USC.
The BCS will apply its fuzzy math and we will know soon enough. But, this makes me want, as I do about this time every year, a better defined and straight forward approach.
I won’t go into all the reasons why it would be good for college football. Or how it could work. Dan Wetzel did a great job of explaining this and how great it would have been last year. Would have been great in 2004 as well. Even President-elect Obama supports it.
Theories, opinions, politics and logistics aside, I just want to the see the teams and players settle it on the field, end of story.
But, despite stories about how the NCAA may be getting closer to some type of playoff system, it looks like things won’t change that soon. ESPN just shelled out $500 million to secure the rights to broadcast the BCS series from 2011 to 2014. This is huge amount of money for a cable network to pay (although ABC will broadcast some of the BCS bowl games), but they would not have done it had they not seen the potential for big revenue. And they agreed to broadcast in the current BCS system.
Which means, why change what is still so profitable? It most likely won't.
I am sure I will be happy to have the kind of in depth access and ability to experience the games across multiple media platforms. And it will allow advertisers unprecedented opportunities to connect with the male 18-49 demo that ESPN delivers better than anyone.
But, I would give it all up in a heartbeat, if it meant the guys on the field, not a series of equations, could decide who wins it all. In the long run, it's better for everyone.
Last week Danny wrote about Bike Hero, a viral effort for the Guitar Hero World Tour campaign. Indeed, an innovative approach to driving awareness and appeal for Activision's video game franchise that is feeling the pressure from rival product Rock Band. With such a hit (over 1.1 million YouTube hits and counting), it is hard to imagine how the same campaign could yield a TV commercial that is just so bad.
I am referring to the Risky Business spoof featuring sports icons Kobe, A-Rod, Michael Phelps and Tony Hawk.
When I first saw it last month, I found myself physically squirming in awkward discomfort. The same way I felt when I first watched Meet the Parents.
I think it is fair to assume that Bob Seger is not on any of these guys' playlists. The way each of them jumped around in such forced, rhythmically-challenged ways, made me feel bad for them all. While I can appreciate the intent, this is yet another example of how NOT to use athletes in advertising.
Where so many brands go wrong, is failing to find the right intersection between their marketing objectives, their brand's attributes and perceptions, and the attributes and perceptions of the athlete they choose to represent them. Each of these three areas should be well thought out. Not just so a brand can choose the right athlete endorser to sign, but also to have effective criteria to develop, create and judge the resulting communication.
For every diamond (Nike "Fate" Leave Nothing commercial w/ LT & Polamalu)...
there are so many more pieces of coal (Gillette Champions commercial w/ Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Thierry Henry)...
And while I think the Guitar Hero commercial is a piece of coal, they did create an interesting Director's Cut...
Jerry Maguire is one of my heroes. I know he’s a fictional character. But George Bailey restores the faith of millions every holiday season, simply because he did the right thing when the time called for it. And for all of those people, he’s about as real as they come.
Jerry stood for the same thing: doing right by people even when others in his same shoes were taking an easier, greedier path. And of course, in Capra-esque fashion, both George and Jerry win in the end. And so do we, for watching their stories. But I digress.
I love Jerry, and the movie Cameron Crowe wrote about the fragile do-gooder, because Jerry gets It. The “It” being the difference between good and bad. He gets it in the beginning of the film, when his voiceover ticks off the future sports heroes of America:
“See, America sets the tone for the world. In Indiana—Clark Hodd. Thirteen. The best point guard in the country. Seattle, Washington. Dallas Molloy. Went to court to be allowed to box professionally. She’s sixteen.”
These, I’m sure, are based on real life scenarios. Which brings me to Milan Simon Tuttle, today’s media darling and Youtube sensation.
Look at her go. She’s the next Curly Neal! Or maybe the next Jordan McCabe.
The massive moolah waiting to be scooped up by athletes is no secret. Talent is important, but marketability is paramount. Anna Kournikova, anyone? Sure. Why not (notice not much tennis in those pics…)
Marketers are willing to throw great gobs of money at potential stars of the future. It’s what spurred Jerry on. And what eventually led him to make a U-turn and become a truly decent man. In his words:
“Now, I’ll be honest with you. I started noticing it a few years ago and didn’t say anything. In the quest for the big dollars, a lot of little things were going wrong.”
He sees the light. So he writes his mission statement.
“…we must crack open the clenched fist and give back a little for the common good…we must simply be the best version of ourselves…that goodness will be unbeatable and the money will follow.”
He distributes it to all of the agents at his firm. Which gets him fired and sends his career spiraling downward. But it eventually brings him love and success. Cool, huh? I love Jerry.
I love sports marketing, too. Not all parts of it, but enough of it to make it a major part of my life. Just because it’s more corporate business than personal pleasure doesn’t mean I can’t embrace it, learn about it, live it, and make a living off it.
More than anything, it reminds me of how lucky we are to be able to partake in our sports culture. Milan Tuttle, Marquise Walker, Frank Cushman, and the great Jerry Maguire; real or fictional, future stars or heartbreaking busts, they all feed our imaginations, demonstrate our potential, and remind us of what’s possible.
Because it’s not just about the money. It’s about the Kwan.
As Thanksgiving approaches, that’s a nice thing to keep in mind. Especially since we get to watch football all day between helpings of Tryptophan.
Hope you all have a great holiday week. I’m out of commission from November 22-29, and some of my extremely talented and Kwan-filled colleagues at Element 79 will be joining the SportsCentric fray. Enjoy.
Taking a cue from the unexpected “Bike Hero” video, let’s take a break from advertising that’s purely about sports, and travel around the globe for some fun stuff you may not have seen.
Starting in Romania, where, apparently, frat guys make ads:
Still, it's kind of funny. By the way, the end title means "Do as much as you can while you're young."
And on to Johannesburg, where a concept that’s arguably been done before surprises you into getting hungry for a burger.
There’s one word understood across the world for wonderfully simple ideas done well:
This video should be presented in advertising classes tomorrow across the world as an example of how to make a piece of film that connects, entertains, surprises, and sells. In a sideways kind of way, it reminds me of Honda’s Cannes Lion winning “Cog” spot.
I don't know where it's going to be shown or how they're going to use it, but it'll get enough play from people sharing it that they may never need to buy a dollar of paid media.
Take note, marketing people. Not easy, but not expensive, and super unusual and smart.
And sometimes a brand thinks it has to reinvent itself only to realize that the old way was working just fine. How do you know the difference?
So hard to know. Almost impossible. Just ask Nike. 10 years ago, they gave it a shot and strayed from “Just Do It.” Remember?
Probably not. And Nike hopes you don’t either. After their red faces regained their color, they quickly scrambled back to their vaunted tagline faster than you can say “Ooopsee!”
One thing that’s certain is that a brand that’s strongly established and firmly established in the consumer’s mind with a likeable, consistent campaign is a beautiful and rare thing and money in the bank, even for brands that depend on coolness and hipness to stay current and contemporary.
And another thing that’s certain is that change is good, especially for brands that depend on coolness and hipness to stay current and contemporary.
Gatorade is about to become the poster child for either change or constancy. They’re going through a massive overall of…well, just about everything, including positioning and advertising. We’re getting our first looks at the packaging, which is a radical departure from the classic bolt (this is just a redesign of the basic logo; extensive packaging do-overs are to come). The new logo is mostly getting raked over the coals. Mindy McCready would probably get a better reception at the Clemens house for Sunday dinner.
I have a particular interest in the saga, having worked on the brand for 15 years, writing some famous ads and having been very emotionally connected. So I promise, more to come on this one, for sure.
