Advertising Advertising

Advertising advertising isn't a stutter or typing error. I’m talking about advertising brand experiences and brand experiences are in and of themselves advertisements. Therefore in my view the only true error is NOT maximising the efficacy of a brand experience by capturing the energy, excitement and awe of the attendees. So this article is why advertising needs TVC’s and brand experiences to get intimate.

Some say most TVC's aren't hitting the spot. There are a few out there that do. There are ones that engage and deliver a healthy dose of endorphins and there are some that viewers hate with a passion. Both types mentioned can be described as successful advertising commercials because they elicit a reaction from the audience. People talk a lot about things that make them happy and a lot more about the things that don't. Where TVC's fail is when the target audience responds with indifference. This is where TVC's miss the spot and this is where a lot of brand advertising spend vanishes without a trace of success to show for it.

So how do we raise the bar of TVC's to hook the attention of the target market and convert indifference into reaction? Now I personally believe that storytelling with a feel good factor is the way to go and not only do people spread the word but they subliminally show affection towards the brand behind the story. This is where Brand Experiences play a crucial role.

Films of brand experiences tick the Reality TV box and let's not dismiss the popularity of people watching people. A brand experience is a way of advertising a brand but some may say that the reach isn’t as widespread as it should be. A legacy film of a brand experience is a way of maximising the reach of that experience online. A curated shareable piece of film is created to deliver slick thoughtful insight into an event that actually happened. If the brand experience is compelling enough then the 'at home' audience are hopeful it will happen again. It's that 'audience hope' and desire to get involved in cool stuff happening in the physical world that drives viewers towards brand subscription. They simply want to be invited to the next cool gig and according to a Bauer media report 71 per cent of UK based Millennials would rather tell people about something they had done rather than what they had bought, making experience the ultimate status symbol.

With the digital revolution comes a life of convenience and a life bereft of experiences we used to take for granted. Take our Friday night trip down to Blockbuster. We'd walk there, drive there or cartwheel there (if that was your thing) and we'd arrive to an immersive space of DVDs. We'd bump into a friend we hadn't seen for a while, pick the latest hot film, grab some popcorn, ice cream and a drink. You'd get home and even if the film was average you'd watch it to the end because of the effort you invested into renting it. We now consume entertainment differently where everything is accessible at the click of a button. But with these everyday experiences becoming a thing of the past it has opened up a new appreciation for unique, exciting brand experiences. Even the art world is becoming so much more experiential with interactive art installations popping up everywhere. 

The sooner brands start pricking their ears up to the popularity of brand experiences and the value in advertising them through TVCs, the sooner their advertising spend will yield a solid ROI. The advertising landscape is changing and the marriage of brand experience and TVC's is a wedding we don't want to miss.

An Example of a Brand Experience Legacy Film