Don't know if this warrants a discussion, it's just something I wanted to share. So I'm watching CSPAN: Bill Whittle on Messaging for Millennials, (he's talking about messaging directed at the right wing youth which isn't important), and he brings up how impressed he was with this video that Virgin America made covering all the safety things the stewards tell you at the beginning of each flight. I had to watch the video, the guy was so impressed with the way they delivered a mundane message. And when I did, it dawned on me this was a dual purpose video. Not only did it convey the safety messages in an entertaining format, and not only did it promote the company to the people already on the flight, but the video is out there marketing Virgin American to people not flying on the airline. Here is some guy on CSPAN raving about it in an unrelated setting. I was already planning on a book trailer. I think that is an up and coming thing. But maybe I will work a little harder getting that trailer to have the potential to go viral, spreading the word about my book to a broader audience. Not that non-readers seeing the video are going to read the book. But the more people that talk about your book, the more readers that hear about it. I'm not saying in the end it's not the book itself, of course it is. But readers cannot appreciate your work if they never hear about it. Here's the video, it is fun to watch, and look, here I am passing the virus on:
Aaargh, there is a reason I have adblocker! While I agree that finding ways to raise your profile is a necessity these days in many fields; I still don't want to have to watch it. I find these insidious adverts that sneak into your consciousness by the back door intensely irritating; by which I mean product placement or twitter accounts for products or payed reviews or viral crap online. But then I also find ad breaks on TV and billboards on the side of the road intensely irritating as well. I just hate people constantly trying to sell me their shit. But in terms of trying to get your name out there, certainly a good idea if done right.
Marketing has become so effective that the actual quality of a product has become of little importance. As long as it sends the right image then people will snap it up. It always makes me cringe when people tell me how great a particular shoe brand is. When I tell them how bad they are (I am a cobbler by trade) they do not believe me. They are so taken in by the marketing that they cannot see what they are buying. The Superbowl is another example. How many people do you talk too after the game and their first response is. Did you see that <insert product name> commercial? It was hilarious!
I think you'd find this video more entertaining than not. It's not like telling you how to buckle your seat belt and find the exit doors makes one think of a commercial. That's one of the points I was making, it's a safety video, not a commercial, but it becomes a commercial only because people enjoy the video.
I wasn't entirely serious. But to be honest, as I explained in my first post, this sort of insidious advertising is vastly more irritating than a straight forward commercial. Also, why do I need safety advice on flying when I am sat in my house? The time I need safety advice on flying is the time it is usually offered, when I am on a plane. I mean it is hardly a public service announcement.
You say you were half kidding and you are annoyed at insidious advertising, but the video is excellent as a music and dance piece. So I'm not quite seeing your point. Do you dislike music if it happens to advertise something besides the artist? What about a movie score? Is that in the same category? I'm not a fan of advertising by any means. I change the TV channel at every single commercial if the remote is in my hand and I'm not busy with something else. But I enjoy shows like "The World's Funniest Commercials" and while I watched the Superbowl this year because the Hawks played and I like Katy Perry, I am a fan of some of the commercials as well. In other words, I can separate the entertainment from the ad.
I think this line is where we might have a disagreement. Were you also suggesting that this video is synonymous with a film score? I think I might have read that part wrong. Your argument seems to be that choosing to watch a movie or listen to an album is the same as having an advertisement or product placement or a paid review forced upon you.
The video is entertaining. You may hate it. You might think it's not your cup of tea. But to dis it on the sole basis it was produced by a company with the company name in the video, why? That's a bias I don't hold. As for, is it as good as a movie score? It is certainly as good as a dance number in a musical.
I think it is that in every walk of modern life someone is trying to separate you from your money. It is everywhere. You pay to watch a movie and then you sit through adverts, then trailers, then blatant product placement. You switch on the TV and there are adverts on every channel, including the ones you pay for; and when a programme does come on it will usually involve some celebrity wearing/ drinking/ discussing some product. You go on to Youtube and the popular channels are paid reviews or straight advertisements. You even walk down the street and every billboard, bus stop, bus and taxi is covered in advertising. Even theatres, parks and football stadiums are named by bloody corporations trying to sell shit. So if I see Virgin trying to sell me some crap through some song and dance number I really have no interest in watching, all I think is, please fuck off.
But you don't think the musician or the screenwriter is trying to sell you something? What about the author? What is a book cover if not an ad for the book?
I can enjoy a film and dislike having its advert forced upon me; just as I can enjoy a coke but hate walking past a coke billboard every day. You are confusing a product, and there are many products I like, with advertising and marketing. They are two separate things.
My edit: What is a book cover if not an ad for the book? It just seems to me you are arbitrarily calling one thing an unacceptable ad and another thing something you can look past. Do you dislike funny commercials as well or can you enjoy the laugh?
Chin, as you surely realize by now I have impeccable tastes, and while it concerns me that GC likes Katie Perry, I have to be honest, the video here is not half bad. The black guy can sing and he can dance, the lyrics and choreography (with respect to the theme) are cute, and the blonde and brunette at 0:34 s on either side of the nun are exactly the kind of flight attendants I want on my plane. In other words, it's OK
There's some German (or Dutch or something) product that has hilarious commercials but I can't find it right now. If I do I'll post my favorite. What's wrong with Katy Perry?
A book cover is part of the product; yes it is tailored to the people who might want to buy that product, but then every product is tailored to the people who might want to buy that product, obviously. As I said before:- you are confusing a product, and there are many products I like, with advertising and marketing. They are two separate things. I don't know why I am having to explain something again that I have already explained very clearly, but I assume it is because you are scratching around for some sort of argument here. I have adblocker so I do not need to look at unsolicited advertisements. I dislike having adverts forced upon me as I explained in detail at #2, #5, #7, #9 and #11. I have just explained it yet again. If I choose to go in search of further details about a product, including any literature or marketing or advertisement material, then I will do so.
I think book trailers/teasers can be a useful means to an end. This one frame had me queued outside my local book store with the asking price clutched in my sweaty, expectant palm. Less about entertainment value, and more about intrigue and building anticipation. As much as the purpose of the trailer was to advertise the book, it did a damn sight more than that.
I don't think I'd rank that "best ever" @123456789. You keep ignoring the point, over and over. I'm not scratching around for an argument. I'm saying commercials can be entertaining, it doesn't matter they are selling something. Music, dance, comedy, it's all entertainment. You seem to be saying the entertainment is completely neutralized if there is a product involved. I'm simply asking you why you ignore the entertainment factor for the mere sin of being connected to a product promotion?
Pot, kettle. I have explained it repeatedly. I do not enjoy being forced to watch unsolicited adverts, product placements, paid reviews, billboards, commercial names of public buildings, celebrity branding and so on. I did not find the first link amusing or entertaining, it was just an advert for Virgin. I simply don't know why you are choosing not to understand this?
Forced to watch? Goodness. There's no pot and kettle here. I've just been trying to get you to state your position regarding the actual song and dance part of the advertisement. I didn't have an argument, I had a question: Why not just say, you didn't watch it? That's fine, of course. But how do you know if the music and choreography were good or not?
Really? Your argument is now this: Because I did not like it I must be lying about having watched it? That really only warrants a two word response.
