SEAN TINER

Rarely do television commercials captivate a viewer's attention. Face it, viewers live in a DVR'ed culture that wants programs delivered at micro-wave speed. In fact, Leichtman Research Group ( LRG ) concludes that 1/4 of all US households currently use a DVR and that number is expected to grow 1/2 of US households by 2011. Today's commercial zapping viewers have no time for "the man" and his speakerphone of commercial propaganda. ...What's a marketer to do? Ingeniously, Red Bull has shifted its branding efforts into high gear and is delivering results with full throttle appeal. Red Bull's World of Red Bull , a series of 3 product awareness commercials, meets today's consumer in the middle ground. From surfing to dancing, the commercial series segments and appeals to Red Bull's primary target audience, adventurous males 18-24. The commercial's premium content highlights a cool lifestyle, while engaging diverse viewers in the brand. ...Wh...

Traditionally, commercials highlight the rational or emotional benefits associated with a product, company or brand. Ideally, the benefits are clearly articulated in 15 to 30 seconds to encourage consumers to purchase the promoted product or to increase loyalty in a brand. If a commercial is longer then 30 seconds, then a viewer will normally start to lose attention. Recently, Samsung posted "Samsung Extreme Sheep LED Art," a two-minute video that creatively highlights the durability of the company's LED with the bucolic pastime of shepherding. Although the video is ten times longer then a traditional 15 second commercial, the commercial's unique combination of highlighting rational and emotional benefits engages a viewer and has virally generated over 3 million views for the film in less then a week. When you create your next commercial or advertising campaign, consider creatively highlighting both rational and emotional benefits to push the imagination and give the ...

(Hulu.com' CRISPIN featuring Alex Baldwin) Television and computers influence mind? Who would have thought. (Monster.com's The Moose) The moose is loose. Well, not for the time being. (Ed McMahon's Cash4Gold) Apparently, we really are in a recession when Ed McMahon and MC Hammer are pimping the Cash4Gold service. But before you think about cashing in your dental crowns, remember the service is only offering 17 cents on the dollar. (Coca-Cola's Heist) I thought this was one of the most visually stimulating and aesthetically creative advertisements of the night. (Coke Zero with Steeler's Polamalu) Coke's comical remake of the iconic 1980 "Mean Joe Greene" advertisement will be discussed for years to come.

Traditionally beer companies rely upon bikini clad hotties to promote products to the male audience. At the start of this millennium Budweiser won international praise by introducing the Wass Up marketing concept, which moved Budweiser's marketing beyond the traditional T & A approach. In fact, the Wass UP marketing campaign was so memorable that a political spoof of the campaign was released last year and named one of Time Magazine' s Top Ten Campaign Moments of 2008. Continuing the momentum of thinking beyond the bikini, Heineken recently launched the Walk in Fridge commercial. The advertisement opens a bottle of creativity that intoxicates viewers with humor. When you are creating your next marketing promotion, consider making a satirical statement about a common household product or device. It may allow your brand to walk into the marketing results that it deserves.

If your goal is to develop a cult brand, like Apple or Nike, strongly rely on creative elements in commercials to capture the viewer's attention and never mention your product until briefly at the end. ...Oh yeah, deep corporate pockets never hurt either. Sony's classic Bravia "Balls" advertisement creates a strong visual impact for viewers and impacts audiences of all ages. The subtle cascade of 250,000 rubber balls bouncing down San Francisco's streets conveys the subtleness of tranquility often lost in the city. The advertisement creates intrigue and the extended 2:30 Internet version allows the creativity to bounce all over the screen, much more then a consolidated 15 second television advertisement.