So here’s our latest commercial for SONY – this time for their range of high-definition products.
I have to say this project has been especially interesting for me … not least because this category seems already to have become stagnant despite being relatively new.
Most manufacturers have been spending billions of bucks advertising their HD televisions all using the same core idea of ‘Pictures So Good, You’ll Feel Like You’re There’ … however apart from the fact this severely limits brand differentiation, it has also led to consumer confusion.
1 Many people assume HD is only available in televisions.
2 People assume HD only means ‘improved visual experience’ when it also benefits areas like sound quality and signal distribution.
3 Many people assume all flat screen televisions are HD. [which isn’t true]
4 People aren’t aware there are different levels of HD ‘power’ – so while all give a better visual experience than standard definition – you could still end up spending a fortune on something that is not as good as you expected/wanted.
OK … I should point out that many manufacturers have handled these issues via magazine editorial &/or POS – however I am surprised that interms of mainstream communication, they seem to have all followed the same path.
Alright, so there’s a couple of brands that have tried something new with their advertising – but apart from Fallon’s ‘TESTED’ campaign for SONY Europe, the rest are still pretty much in the same area as the rest of the category – they’ve just been executed differently. [I’m thinking of Sharp’s “Nothing Gets Lost” campaign and Samsung’s “Black”]
The Fallon campaign is of particular interest to me because while I appreciate the ‘extravaganza’ of it all – I can’t help but feel it is rather self-indulgent.
For me that ad is more a showcase of how great something looks and sounds when you have full HD rather than an ad for it. It’s the sort of thing I’d use in retail outlets rather than run on national television, but hey, that’s just me …
When we were first given this assignment, our initial strategy was influenced by a joke by Billy Connelly.
He said …
“Why do television manufacturers advertise on television because surely if the picture they are ‘flogging’ looks good on their home TV, there’s no reason for them to buy another one”
… and so what we wanted to do was create crappy looking/sounding ads and then tell people the only way they could get the full HD experience was if they went to the retailer – however for a myriad of reasons [some I accept, some I don’t] that idea didn’t see the light of day, which I still think is a shame.
So after exploring all sorts of insights and avenues [including the fact that we believe more HD televisions will be sold because of PS3 / XBOX 360 than ads – and that when HD products are purchased, people will be more inclined to upgrade their other A/V products because they’ll be used to a ‘minimum standard’ of experience and old formats won’t be able to deliver it] we went back to the core insight behind the overall FEEL strategy and developed a core idea around the thought of ‘There’s Extraordinary In The Ordinary’ [or expressed as a convoluted advertising prop: SONY HD lets you experience a higher definition of the World around you]
As usual I want to point out this is only an ad … there are lots of other things that have been done, have to be done and are going to be done [covering all channels – including a lovely ‘blurred bridge’ idea as well as a ‘book of simple pleasures’ which I hope to be able to write about soon] to ensure people don’t walk past the SONY HD range of products … however interms of maintaining the overall core strategy and developing an ad that isn’t screaming the usual HD shite, I’m quite pleased with it but as usual, I’d be interested to hear what you think.
Right, I’m off to catch a plane so speak soony …
[PS: If you are wondering why this post has that title, I suggest you check out the movies of the same name – all will become clear, ha!]
[PPS: I know the end shot on the commercial looks dark, it’s not like that really – it’s just the compression of Youtube]