The Force Was With the Best Ad of 2011.

Amid stories that the cost for a :30 spot in the sold out 2012 Super Bowl is $3.5 million, comes concern that the size and diversity of the audience, which was 111 million last year, necessitates lousy advertising.  (Baskin, 2012)

I share that opinion.  When you try to talk to everyone, you inevitably end up speaking to no one. 

But there are exceptions to every rule, and last year Deutsch/LA proved that it was possible to create a car ad that even a Manhattanite could love.  My choice for ad of the year is VW’s “The Force.”  This charming effort which makes excellent use of storytelling techniques and hinges on a key consumer insight – parental love knows no bounds – not only succeeded in dominating the post-game discussion, it actually sold cars!  In fact, Volkswagen says that the new VW Passat had more sales in its first two months in the market than the last Passat model sold in all of 2010.  Wow! (Vranica, 2011)

Not coincidentally it was also the most viewed ad on YouTube with 45 million views.  In case you forgot how effective it was, you can take another look.  And here’s to hoping that this year’s game brings some equally pleasant surprises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrDU8K63hbo

Baskin, J. (2012, January 3).  The Industry’s Super Bowl Stumble.  adage.com.  Retrieved January 4, 2012, from
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/advertising-industry-s-super-bowl-stumble/231874/

Vranica, S. (2011, December 27). Thumbs Up for Mini Vader: Best and Worst Ads of 2011.  wsj.com.  Retrieved January 4, 2012, from
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204058404577108861568521248.html?KEYWORDS=the+best+and+worst+ads

Too many car ads, not enough insights.

2/9/11

In the interest of full disclosure, let me start by saying that I am not a good target for car ads. I live in Manhattan, and haven’t owned a car since I was 19.

But, I can still recognize an effective ad when I see one.

While I watched the blur of car ads that dominated this year’s Super Bowl, I couldn’t help but think how Prius’s excellent product placements in Bones, which demonstrate many of its unusual safety and styling features as part of integrated storylines blew them all away. Is there any doubt that this is the future of television advertising?

Meanwhile though, we have the adorable mini-Darth Vader Passat spot. Using the Star Wars theme to connect with its audience, and the ever popular insight of a parent’s love for their child, it is the only car ad that I saw that I can even attribute to a specific advertiser.

You can check it out at: http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/2873.html

Who knows, it may even sell a few cars.