In this age of flashy television commercials and celebrity endorsements, lost is the art of testimonials and product demonstrations. How many times have you watched a Nike ad, featuring a runner, football player or boxer, and wondered (perhaps aloud to your colleague or friend), "Yeah, but how does it work?" In this regard, it was so refreshing to see a campaign like the one for Hoverhound Power Wheelchairs. Give it a look:
The first thing you're thinking: Wow! Tom Cruise sure looks like shit! I made the same mistake. It's actually Tom Kruse, no relation to the famous movie star and tabloid darling of the same name. The second thing you're thinking: Jesus, I know everything about a Hoverhound Power Wheelchair! This didn't happen by accident. The aesthetic employed by writer Matt Brand and art director Terise Fatale combines multiple techniques: testimonies, action shots, lifestyle shots and lots of emotion. Somehow, they make this thing look cool and fun—I couldn't shake the thought that I want to get old enough and use one of these.
This brings us to my previous point—too many ad campaigns are long on style, short on substance. Bud Light ads might make you laugh, but do they tell you how their beer works, how it was made and what it does to you? No. Just a bunch of silliness and empty slogans. I'll take a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed ad over one of those any day. And I'll take a Hoverhound Power Wheelchair. Actually, I'll take two.