This is driving me crazy. I saw a commercial a great commercial last night for a new camera. The ad is almost like documentary. It shows how the camera company gave away a bunch of cameras to the people in some small town I never hear of. The spot shows some of the people who used the camera, it shows some of the photos they took, and it promotes a Website where the TV viewer can go to see more photos from the project, but there’s one big problem…
In :30 seconds, this spot did several things right, in my opinion:
1. It made the camera company look like a hero
From the very beginning, the tone of the spot is almost like a Hallmark ad. The announcer introduces the idea from the very beginning that the camera company gave away a bunch of cameras so that people could use them. It doesn’t say it was an experiment, or a ploy. It presents it as matter of fact, as if the camera company does this sort of thing for people every day. This is a pretty good place for the company to reside in the buyers’ minds, don’t you think?
2. It introduces characters in a story
The ad never stopps showing the people of this small town in America. I hear them talk about how much they loved having the camera. I srr some of the photos they’re taking and some of the scenes where these people live. Overall, these people seem like people I know. In other words, I can see myself in them…and I’d like to seem more, which is precisely the plan…
3. It creates testimonials
All those images are photos being taken by real people. All those comments are from the people describing how much fun they’re having and how important the camera has become to them…those are testimonials so strong, you can’t sript them. And testimonials are just about the most influential form of advertising. In this case, since I feel like I already know and trust the characters in the spot, the testiminials have almost a “word of mouth” effect.
4. It shows the product in use
Photography goes with life, and this spot demonstrates this idea very smoothly. It shows people making and recording memories. To me, that’s what a camera is for…now I’m getting ready to do something!
5. It invites me to the Web for more
This is a welcome call to action. I don’t necessarily want to learn more about the camera, but I might like to see more photos from those people. On this the camera company doesn’t dissapoint. They give a URL for TV viewers to go online to see more.
I expect that once we get there, we’ll see product messaging and offers woven into the Web experience. I might even be able to communicate with the people in the spot…brilliant.
This is one of the best spots I’ve seen in a long time, but there’s one BIG problem. I didn’t write down the URL, and now I can’t remember the name of the camera company or the family. I searched on Google for Canon and Nikon this morning, but came up dry.
Perhaps in my stupidity I have found a chink in the execution of this campaign?
Why couldn’t I find this ad with a search engine?
OK. So I’m an idiot. I liked the ad, but I forgot the URL. Well, actually, I forgot the camera company too! Yes, I was distracted by the Holiday weekend, and no I’m not in the market for a camera right now…but that shouldn’t matter. What happens when I run into a pal who IS in the market? How can I refer him to the Website if I can’t remember it and I can’t Google it?
Since I haven’t been to the camera / family site I don’t know what’s there, but I’m guessing there are no blogs. I’ll bet it’s a static (Web 1.0) type of corporate site. If that’s the case, it’s no wonder the search engines can’t return it to me as I grope with lames searches like “canon tv commercial family”.
On the other hand, maybe the camera company does invite the visitor into a “social” environment on the Web. Maybe I’ll find a community of family photographers when I finally find the site. Maybe I can get tips from these people. Maybe I can make my own memories richer as a result. THAT would be a huge win for the camera company, and would be a great example of combining TV spots with social nets, which is something hoping football advertisers will do this fall with our social net.
This ad gives me hope that brands will begin to see the power of the social Web not to replace TV, but to extend the value of TV.
It was Nikon.
Like you I totally forgot the name of the company after seeing that commercial It’s too bad they couldn’t have gotten a nice url like PictureTownUSA.com or something that would have been more memorable.
You’ll find it if you google for: gave a town “free cameras”
That is something that people like my parents wouldn’t know to do though.
http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/