What We See: This commercial is divided almost equally into two halves. The first shows Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel's infamous "What is the internet, anyway?" Today Show clip from 1994. Hard to believe, but a scant two decades ago, even savvy network morning-show anchors didn't know what the internet—let alone the @ symbol—was. Well, Couric and Gumbel didn't, and even their off-camera producer, Allison, couldn't help them out. Part two cuts to present day, where we find the duo inside a sleek, eco-friendly, electric-powered BMW i3. Once again, they are completely stumped by modern technology, leaving Gumbel to wonder, "What is the i3, anyway?" He thereby draws the manufacturer's desired parallel to the internet, underscored by the super: Big Ideas Take a Little Getting Used To.
What We Think: Thumbs up. When it comes to historic technological game-changers, the internet outstrips even the Model T and sliced bread. Is electric mobility really the automotive equivalent of the world wide web? No, silly. But if BMW wants us to think that the i3 is the best of the breed, then this engaging, tongue-in-cheek piece of messaging gets the job done. Instead of trying to pull off a preposterous hyperbole ("Let's position the i3 as being as revolutionary as the internet. No, seriously."), the agency (Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners) used Couric and Gumbel's self-effacing humor and an iconic YouTube clip to win some hearts and minds and—this is equally important—to create interest and awareness. I just wish they hadn't ended with that gratuitous reference to twerking and Couric's freaky little disco move; it kinda creeped me out.
Rating: Five out of five
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Award-winning ad man–cum–auto journalist Don Klein knows a good (or bad) car commercial when he sees one; this is his space to tell you what he thinks of the latest spots. The ad's rating is depicted on a scale of one (terrible) to five (transcendent), but everyone has an opinion when it comes to advertising, so hit Backfires below and tell us what you think, too. And be sure to read more of Don's advertising critiques here.
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