One thing I forgot from Monday’s post
The mood film ad (thanks, ALS):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXdaVgRysmE
I think that’s the worst example I’ve ever seen, and for such a lovely car, too.
In case anyone’s wondering why this fits with Monday’s rant about what’s wrong with advertising, mood film ads are a brilliant example of how lazy money grubbing produces awful advertising.
MFAs are easy to write because they are virtually interchangeable. They are usually produced because no one has bothered to think up a decent strategy, so someone suggests coming up with a bunch of a generic platitudes that make the client feel all warm and fuzzy about himself and his company. These are then cobbled together with a load of stock footage and shown as white-on-black captions that spread a little bit as they come onto the screen.
Voila! A 60-second frotter that plays to the basest conceits of the average client.
‘So this is a mood film we’ve put together to show where we feel the brand can go.’
‘It’s great. Love it. Nice job.’
‘So, with that in mind, here are the scripts for the ad.’
‘The what?’
‘The scripts. For the ad that we’ll write based on this strategic insight.’
‘But why can’t we just run this?’
‘It’s…it’s…(remember, you cannot say it is shit in any way) just made with generic stock footage. It’s not really individual enough to reflect precisely what you guys do. It can’t have the loving craft of a properly made ad.’
‘Looks fine to me. How much would it cost to run?’
‘Um…we can’t put an exact figure on it…’
‘How about a rough neighbourhood?’
‘Uh…30 grand, maybe, if we use that music.’
‘And a new ad would cost…?’
‘Well. we’ve budgeted it at around the 270k mark.’
‘And will it be nine times better than this?’
‘Well, it’s all relative…um…’
‘Look, Tarquin, just run the fucking mood film.’
So your valiant attempt at a client arselick ends up as a pile of shit with your agency’s name on it.
Sure, the produced ad probably wouldn’t be nine times better, but that’s partly because Tarquin and the client would conspire to make it shit.
Might as well run the mood film.
UPDATE: You might find something interesting in this article about a journalistic midlife crisis (thanks, B).
ladies and gentlemen..the new chivas regal ad:
be chivalrous
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andy Kinsella, Peter Galmes. Peter Galmes said: The problem: http://www.ben-kay.com/2010/11/one-thing-i-forgot-from-mondays-post/ But whats the solution? Do we all go client side…. […]
This leads us to an interesting debate.
We’ve all had briefs that we know there’s no chance of doing good work on.
What do you do? Bust a gut and watch your good ad get whittled away by suits/research/client or accept the inevitable and cobble together a mood board?
Is it better to fight every battle like your life depends on it or do you only use your A game when you know you’ve got a reasonable chance of winning?
Clients. Don’t listen to all this silly nonsense/guff, about so-called creative ads. If you dig this kind of ad then come to us at Babcocks. We’ll do it without causing a fuss. We can do charts if you want but it’s a lot easier if you tell us waht you want us to do and then we do it. You can even sit in our agency and type up the script if you want. Don’t worry we’ll put in all the complicated bits about lenses and pans. Or not. It’s up to you.
Our mission statement – Babcocks Babcocks Babcocks. We’ll do whatever you say.
They left out a couple playfully having a pillow fight while bouncing on the bed. The agency missed a trick there client. Better get to Babcock’s.
this sort of stuff has one place – in the pitch room
‘Joy’
‘Joy’ indeed.
This is the one without the VO, and at least they shot something, but:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wt_oX0AZzc
Reminds me of Mazda as well (zoom zoom)
And this. Lastminute.com feel good bullshitbollocks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_6KYu12nH0
love how the acc man is called Tarquin, you ever done a stint at saatchi’s per chance?
Can someone please explain to me the new Vodafone ad with the bees. I really don’t understand it. It can’t surely be based on probably
the biggest and shittest pun of all time ‘freebees’
can it. And if it is why do they just say ‘freebees’ quickly at the end of the ad instead of making it obvious. I’m really lost someone please help.
I blame planners for this putrid guff. ‘Joy’ is the perfect example of what happens when planners start to take over the creative department. Sadly at the time of writing I have no facts to back up this argument, so all the above can be dismissed as pure bitterness.
I have done a stint at Saatchis, but I don’t remember any account people who were particularly Tarquinesque.
Good point Charles O’Poo.
Others shots missed include.
Boyfriend throws girlfriend set of keys over the roof of said car which she catches with a smile on her face.
4 year old with ice cream around their face.
An old couple shot from behind with rolled up trousers dipping feet in the sea.
Two kittens chasing balls of wool that match the colours of the cars.
Would Babcocks have made such an error, I doubt it!
‘Joy’ I think must have come from someone saying ‘I don’t see the brand as very human’ which it isn’t and then someone else saying ‘this is a problem which needs fixing’ which it doesn’t.
I put my heart, soul and entire expense account into getting clients to buy powerful ads like this at Scrotchis. And I resent the slur on my great and historical name. It’s Roman you oiks.
what about adcepts?
I used to work at the agency that did that lastminute ad. Every single brief always had the same proposition trotted out by the planner there: Joy. Always. Every time. Hilarious.
>>>Is it better to fight every battle like your life depends on it or do you only use your A game when you know you’ve got a reasonable chance of winning?>>>
@mick g. man up man! there is only your A game. nothing else exists.
90 seconds of pain. sure it’s a shitty little car but it’s the answer to somebody’s problem. do it for them.
in thirty seconds.