When in the past year have you seen a deluge of positive blogosphere activity surrounding an interruptive television ad? Of course, there are lots of campaigns with TV ads as a small component that have generated positive response from the ad community as well as their intended audiences. But show me one time when a standalone TV spot has garnered any web attention aside from lukewarm approval, slight amusement, slight disdain or extreme disdain.
Brands that invest the majority of their ad budgets on TV production and ad buys aren't just flushing big bucks down the ol' commode. They're also rolling the dice. Hit a seven, and your spot becomes a YouTube sensation, living like a weak but amusing dream in the collective consciousness...for a time. (If the spot harnesses the power of narrative or is part of a much larger narrative being told across other media, then you're onto something. But that's another story.) Roll anything else, and you risk being ignored or, worse yet, being hated.
This Motrin situation is a perfect example:
- Put together a flip, persuasive (and, frankly, visibly jarring) spot
- Interrupt TV shows/movies to air this piece of "entertainment"
- Suffer hail of critism for characterizing a baby as a fashion accessory
- Crap out in the post-advertising age
Let's watch the horror: