I think i'm over Viral Marketing

Its clever, its witty and its kind of a giant pain in the butt. Yes Viral marketing is the new normal. They can't just advertise something to us, they have to propose an elaborate game where the potential customer must solve a riddle of sorts in order to have the right to know what product (usually a movie) they are supposed to go buy. Having worked in marketing i'm very aware of all the subversive and non linear ways companies will use to try and sell products and I really wonder if they are effective from a cost/reward perspective.

A few years ago i loved these things. They were new and smart and clever. But now you almost expect it. You know its advertising as soon as you see it, which kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? When i see Viral or Guerilla advertising it makes me suspicious. Its like the salesman is trying too hard to get me to buy the clunker. I have to assume whatever is being sold is garbage and thats why they are getting clever. Isn't that a funny thing... the more clever and outside of the box the design gets, the more suspicious the customer is of it being completely worthless? What happened to the good ol days when 9 out of 10 doctors recommended something incredibly unhealthy to us? In advertising, a straight forward lie is better than a big elaborate round-a-bout one I suppose.

Exhibit #1

The District 9 "Bus Benches are for Humans Only". Aliens come to earth, they're treated like 2nd class citizens. we get it. The trailer for the movie isn't half bad. Why do we need the cheesy viral marketing? It makes me think the movie is complete junk and not worth seeing since they went overboard with trying to get me to see it.


Exhibit #2

"Heel" fake street art campaign for some movie (i don't really remember what it is but remember hearing it was a stinker of a movie). This one was clever at first because they kept it small and put up this "Obey Style" wheat paste posters in usual places...like the Labrea Ave corridor in LA that is Shepard Fairey's unofficial city sanctioned private art turf. Then they started getting on billboards and faux spray painting on the sides of huge office buildings and you just knew somebody was paying a lot for that "guerilla street art". They were trying so hard it made me suspicious.


Exhibit #3

LeRoy Smith Infomercial and Website. This is an elaborate multi layered campaign from Nike (?) that is running right now during sports related shows like the NBA finals and ESPN sportscenter. They produced all these fake training videos and mock ups of video games to sell us something yet unknown. Its elaborate...and they really need people to get into it.

NUFF SAID!

The idea that there are some products that just sell themselves is cliche but also very true at times. Its not scientific, its just that some products are just so damn awesome it compels to you purchase immediately. This is the case with this new book that I came across in the store the other day. I know nothing about it besides the cover, but i mean c'mon how awesome does that sound?As Stan Lee would say..."Nuff Said!"

They've got a red blooded, sports watching, all American guy interested in buying a Jane Austin book. Somebody did something right. Now the question becomes....can Zombies save the publishing industry?

Conan new Opening Titles

I'm loving this opening sequence from the new Tonight Show with Conan Obrien. They've employed visual magicians to make Los Angeles look visually lush and attractive. Its a ruse i tell ya!!!

End Of the Line

How do you know if a Poster Design works or not? Its really easy to figure out. Show it to someone and if it causes them to stop what they are doing and go investigate what that poster is advertising then you've done a pretty good job.

Such is the case with this film poster for the upcomming film "The End Of the Line" it asks the viewer to imagine the world without fish.

"The End of the Line is not against fishing. It is not against eating fish. But it is for a responsible attitude towards the oceans."

The poster is simple, dramatic, really odd and is a bit creepy at the same time. I really like that this poster is advertising a film about sustainability but refuses to use any of the cliche'd design jargon and imagery that is used create fake urgency and greenwashing. No statistics, no arrows moving in a circle, no sick looking planet, just a really compelling image that demands your attention.