The concept is not new. Companies have done subtle messages in advertising to subliminally tell us to buy their products. I can still remember McDonalds trying to send subliminal messages via TV shows. There were a bunch of others who tried such tricks. Of course, subliminal messages don’t work!
This time around, the methods have less dark motives, yet still clever, and more fun:
- Nintendo Wii Fit workout girl. I really thought this was a genuine video done by ordinary people, but Shoemoney revealed otherwise.
- Mobile Phones Popcorn videos. This one smelled like a hoax, but it raised a lot of questions; mostly: how and why. The LA Times got the scoop that it was possibly done by cell phone headsets manufacturer(s). Now, revealed on CNN, it was made by Cardo Systems to sell Bluetooth headsets.
- Faceless People. This one is kinda creepy. Daily Mail thought it may be a movie promotion.
- Ball Girl’s Incredible Catch. Again, LA Times found out it’s a fake: a viral video produced by Gatorade.
I guess the reason for all this is to get my increasingly divided attention. I don’t just watch TV in my living room, any more. I don’t watch or read ads, any more. In fact, I don’t really pay attention to the ads in front of me. Unless they’re eye catching or personalized, I’m just going to ignore them.
So now, advertising goes by the power of recommendation. Mob advertising, if you will. When someone (or some people) recommends something to me, I feel it’s important to check it out. Usually it’s a product, but now it can be the ad itself.
I must admit sneaky advertising sure makes it more interesting. It also provides a great topic of conversation… or blog.
Tags: advertising, mysterious, subliminal, viral
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I’d seen all your examples except for the Wii Fit Workout Girl. Thankfully, no one was around when I hit play at work! LOL
From what I hear, it’s a form of advertising that’s around to stay. And the nice thing is, it only works if it’s entertaining.
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Hi Haley,
I haven’t played the Wii Fit workout girl video entirely. I don’t know what happens at the “end”. Hehehe…
In a world where advertising greets you as soon as you open your eyes in the morning (assuming you have a radio alarm or even turn on the TV as I do first thing in the AM), it becomes easy to ignore advertising and it’s easy to understand that advertisers thing that the next logical step is to move to more intense forms of advertising but what I don’t understand is this:
If when I was in school learning about Business Management (albeit in a Hospitality and Tourism context) we were constantly being told that word of mouth is the best form of advertsing, why aren’t more companies spending their money on making sure they have a product that will sell itself?
yes, yes I understand that you need to get a product off the ground in order to get word of mouth but only to a certain extent! Drives me batty!
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Hi Reggy,
Word is mouth is best, but it’s also can be the most ineffective. Take the Toshiba laptops, for example. For years, they relied on the product to speak for itself since it was pretty much the only player in the business. Then other companies like IBM, Dell, HP, and Apple entered the scene, all of the sudden the product is not as “cutting edge”, or as fresh comparatively.
Then it’s a problem with corporate tradition. Big companies do not move/change as fast as they should to adjust to current cultures and consumer behaviors. Smaller companies, who seem to be more net savvy, has learned to exploit what works with the current crowd. Hence the change in advertising strategies.
I just saw the Nintendo Wii Fit Workout Girl and really had terrible mistake when I spent so much time looking more videos of it. Seem I can’t resist it. Damn…LoL.
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We need some “subtle” advertising as well 😉
I have a couple of ideas what we can do to our laptops. 🙂
What amazes me is the quality of these pieces. Video editing is getting so good! With the right tools you can really do some amazing things. I think a company that specialized in this type of work would really be interesting to be a part of. Just imagine what will be done in another 10 years! Woah.
I suppose you’re right, Rudy. And I really shouldn’t be one to talk because I am putty in the hands of advertisers. I’m pretty sure I like Apple products mostly because of their advertising….
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@Download:
In 10 years, we’ll have ads downloaded to our brains.
_
@Reggy:
Ah yes, the ever so persuasive Apple (m)ad-men. Those guys will sell you a mouse pad for $100 and we’ll buy it.
Thanks for the post
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