You Can’t Just Make Any Commercial
The average person is unlikely to have a favourable view of commercials, and that makes sense. Most adverts suck, and there’s a reason for that: resistance to change. Companies are reluctant to experiment because of the risk of failure, and that’s scary. But considering the amount of bad commercials out there, an expensive advert that blends into the background can be as costly as trying something new, the only difference being that going down a more experimental path could result in something brilliant.
A good commercial that follows the rules doesn’t cut it anymore. In a world where everything is fighting for your audience’s attention, you want to be remembered, not just acknowledged. That’s why, when you’re seeking to have your commercial made, it needs to be done by an experienced, knowledgeable and outstanding Commercial Video Company.
What does a bad commercial look like?
If you just want to grab the audience’s attention, there’s a lot of unpopular ways to do that – ways which have become so popular that they’re often used to define the advertising industry. Songs that get stuck in your head may be one way to get a product in your audience’s head, but could just as easily create resentment towards your product or service. To see some of the most memorably bad commercials ever made, click here.
On the other end of bad adverts we have the bland montage made up of stock footage, boring voice over, bad writing, or – as is quite often the case – a mixture of all three. This is what many call the ‘corporate video’ look; a style that’s become so popular among certain companies that the term ‘corporate video’ is almost considered an insult, when it really shouldn’t be. Just because you don’t want something exciting and daring doesn’t mean your video needs to be boring either – this is where an adaptable, flexible Video Advertising Service comes in.
Invest in something meaningful
What makes a good commercial video? Memorability and impact. The most effective ads are the ones people can’t forget. Experimenting with a new angle makes you more memorable by default, as your advert will stand out from what your audience expects. The hard part is making something memorable and has a positive impact on your viewer.
Apple is forever in debt to its commercials, which didn’t just define their products, but also attached them to a desirable lifestyle. The clean, minimalistic looks of Apple’s adverts still hold up today, and when they first started airing (70s-80s), they presented something totally different from what other tech companies were doing.
Look for advertisements on YouTube, and you’ll notice plenty of ‘compilations’ of commercials that have aired throughout the last few decades. These compilations are put together for people who enjoy watching innovative creative work – commercials which have become timeless because of their ability to entertain despite their era. Great ideas rely on more than just trends, they rely on a new perspective that people haven’t seen before, an idea so unique that it stays fresh and effective years later. These are commercials that get people sharing with others – if your commercial is good enough to get other people doing the work for you, you know you’ve done something right.
Being Different
Sadly, making an advert isn’t always the answer, as a company’s problems can’t always be fixed by an advert campaign. Wikipedia’s solution to receiving donations isn’t by running a huge campaign, but by putting one intrusive pop-up on their website (a technique that would often be seen as borderline immoral, but works considering the great service Wikipedia provides as a hub of knowledge). Sometimes, commercials can harm a brand by pushing the limits of what’s acceptable at the time, so it’s not just about being different, but about having the right taste as well.
That being said, adverts that follow all the basic conventions are a waste of time, even more so if your brand is small. In order to stand out in today’s connected world, you have to make a splash – you need the right attitude, and the right people to help you make a bold and effective step in a different direction from your competition.
We really emphasize the importance of the pre-production and planning stages of a video project. It’s the most important step when producing video content. You need to have an understanding of who your audience is, what their pain points are, and how your service/product meets their needs.
Dragonfly thinks strategy first and we can help today. We offer a free orientation session to align your video plan and strategy.