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| Abbott's NBN and Ruddy-made: political ads break the boring old mould | Abbott's NBN and Ruddy-made: political ads break the boring old mould |
| (21 days later) | |
If there's one thing that politicians appear comfortable with, it's formulaic and derivative television ads. | If there's one thing that politicians appear comfortable with, it's formulaic and derivative television ads. |
| Largely, that's because they're easy to test and research – there are a million research companies willing to overcharge either party to "decode" the audience reactions of whichever weirdos are willing to turn up to a brightly lit, empty room for twenty bucks, a warm soft drink and a cold slice of pizza to give their opinions/help on figuring out what appeals. | Largely, that's because they're easy to test and research – there are a million research companies willing to overcharge either party to "decode" the audience reactions of whichever weirdos are willing to turn up to a brightly lit, empty room for twenty bucks, a warm soft drink and a cold slice of pizza to give their opinions/help on figuring out what appeals. |
| The exciting part about non-traditional advertising is that it does not yet revolve around this kind of highway robbery/consumer research – instead, the marketers and politicians have to go with their gut feel, which in my opinion is much more reliable. | The exciting part about non-traditional advertising is that it does not yet revolve around this kind of highway robbery/consumer research – instead, the marketers and politicians have to go with their gut feel, which in my opinion is much more reliable. |
| So, it's through this lens of the relatively untestable that I'll look at a couple of new advertising ideas that have popped up in the past few days. It's also worth mentioning at this point that when I comment on the quality of an idea here, it's only a comment on the creative idea itself, not on the politicians or party behind it. | So, it's through this lens of the relatively untestable that I'll look at a couple of new advertising ideas that have popped up in the past few days. It's also worth mentioning at this point that when I comment on the quality of an idea here, it's only a comment on the creative idea itself, not on the politicians or party behind it. |
| So, with that in mind … | So, with that in mind … |
| Abbott's Internet | Abbott's Internet |
| The late advertising legend Bill Bernbach once said: "A great ad campaign will make a bad product fail faster. It will get more people to know it's bad." | The late advertising legend Bill Bernbach once said: "A great ad campaign will make a bad product fail faster. It will get more people to know it's bad." |
| This old adage still appears to stand true. It might be dressed up in a fairly familiar comedy structure, seen more often on shows like The Chaser, but the latest Labor stunt – Abbott's Internet – certainly seems to be hitting a chord right now. | This old adage still appears to stand true. It might be dressed up in a fairly familiar comedy structure, seen more often on shows like The Chaser, but the latest Labor stunt – Abbott's Internet – certainly seems to be hitting a chord right now. |
| In a matter of minutes it manages to paint the Liberal NBN plan as outdated before it has even had an opportunity to launch. It has also done so in a way that does not reek of the bitterness in some of the other current Liberal and Labor ads. | In a matter of minutes it manages to paint the Liberal NBN plan as outdated before it has even had an opportunity to launch. It has also done so in a way that does not reek of the bitterness in some of the other current Liberal and Labor ads. |
| By simply packaging the Coalition's broadband promise up as a physical product and offering it for sale, it has made the intangible both tangible and comically undesirable at the same time. | By simply packaging the Coalition's broadband promise up as a physical product and offering it for sale, it has made the intangible both tangible and comically undesirable at the same time. |
| It's certainly the first time I've actually been surprised by any communications this election. | It's certainly the first time I've actually been surprised by any communications this election. |
| (On a side note, it will be interesting to see whether the electorate finds it as weird as I do that the Labor government has spent millions of dollars running ads in Australian media aimed at refugees yet at the same time advertised a product that hasn't even been created yet to people living overseas.) | (On a side note, it will be interesting to see whether the electorate finds it as weird as I do that the Labor government has spent millions of dollars running ads in Australian media aimed at refugees yet at the same time advertised a product that hasn't even been created yet to people living overseas.) |
| Ruddy-made Excuses | Ruddy-made Excuses |
| On the political flipside, another idea that seems to be hitting a chord socially, is the Liberals' Ruddy-made soundboard. | On the political flipside, another idea that seems to be hitting a chord socially, is the Liberals' Ruddy-made soundboard. |
| Again, this idea sits firmly outside the realm of testability. It will either resound or it won't. At this stage, like Abbott's Internet, it seems to be doing the rounds online – so that suggests it's working. | Again, this idea sits firmly outside the realm of testability. It will either resound or it won't. At this stage, like Abbott's Internet, it seems to be doing the rounds online – so that suggests it's working. |
| For those not familiar with soundboards, they're basically online keyboards that trigger sounds – in this case quotes from Kevin Rudd in which the PM is making excuses about stuff. | For those not familiar with soundboards, they're basically online keyboards that trigger sounds – in this case quotes from Kevin Rudd in which the PM is making excuses about stuff. |
| And, in that regard, it seems in a relatively effortless way to say so much that a traditionally structured ad couldn't without appearing to whine. | And, in that regard, it seems in a relatively effortless way to say so much that a traditionally structured ad couldn't without appearing to whine. |
| I'm sure there will be more of these non-traditional ideas in the pipeline. Let's hope so, anyway. After all, the more the research industry asks questions and shapes the resulting creative product, the less engaging it becomes and the more vanilla the end products – and I'd argue the personalities within them – become too. | I'm sure there will be more of these non-traditional ideas in the pipeline. Let's hope so, anyway. After all, the more the research industry asks questions and shapes the resulting creative product, the less engaging it becomes and the more vanilla the end products – and I'd argue the personalities within them – become too. |
| • Dave Bowman is joint executive creative director of the Whybin/TBWA Group, Sydney | • Dave Bowman is joint executive creative director of the Whybin/TBWA Group, Sydney |
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