THE TENT AD: Perfect for "EPINIONS.COM TV"?
Written: Mar 10 '00 (Updated Mar 30 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clever and funny. Keep the end!
Cons: Let's really drive the message home: have opposing viewpoints, mention Epinions more.
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| vara's Full Review: Tent |
Of all the commercial previews, this one was my favorite. However, that's not to say it can't improve. Web-based companies are coming out with very clever commercials, so Epinions.com cannot fall through the cracks. This commercial actually gave me a few ideas. Let me know if you agree with them or if you can expand on them.
WHAT I LIKED:
Clever idea!The "test" of the tent was very clever. I like that TV viewers will see that Epinions.com is for the real consumer that does real homework.
The End: I liked the way in which Epinions.com was mentioned at the end verbally, too. In the advertising industry, it's always good to have the viewer remember what the the whole advertisement was about. That said, I agree with "counsel" that perhaps a little Epinions logo should have been in the corner of the screen.
The "Essence" of Epinionators! Another important point is that this commercial is a good portrayal of Epinions members themselves. Of course, none of us run products through such vigorous tests, but that's not the point. The commercial displays an image of obsessed reviewing consumers who aren't going to buy a product until they are absolutely sure that it meets our specifications. This is good for the viewer of this commercial who thinks "hey- these freaks just might be able to help me make a buying decision." Epinions.com already has a leg up on likes of Consumer Reports because the visitor of this website is hearing advice straight from the horse's mouth. The "horse" is displayed here very effectively and is bound to grab a whole lot of attention.
Homemade Videos = Low Cost Another strong point I'm sure Epinions.com appreciates is that these commercials are pretty low budget, which is something we're seeing more and more of in "E-business" advertising. That's not a bad thing, mind you. I actually liked the "home video" look for this commercial. I think the only thing that needs tweaking as far as video quality goes is the sound editing. (I'm assuming that this commercial is just a rough draft.)
WHAT NEEDS CHANGING:
Stronger tie-inFor this commercial, not too much. I'd like it more if the reviewer in the commercial mentioned Epinions.com like the guy in the "one bullet at a time" commercial. It ties into the central theme better. You're advertising for Epinions.com, not the tent. There were very little things here and there (some of the screen shots could be better), but I really think that this commercial was very good. It gets the name out. It's humorous. It's clever. All it needs now is a little stronger bond to Epinions.com so people will never forget this site exists.
Opposing viewpoints? Another idea I had was to have another reviewer in the commercial, arguing that the tent actually stinks... what I mean is, we should show in our commercials that for every opinion (excuse me, epinion), there is always an opposing viewpoint. This would not only result in more opportunities for comedy, but for effectiveness of advertising. This is what the site is all about: people come together and chip in their 2 cents. This commercial, as well as the snowboard ad, are perfect candidates for this idea.
MY IDEA: START "EPINIONS TV!"
The commercial would begin with a little splash screen saying "Epinions TV", and then have a clever subtitle underneath. Fade it out, and begin the commercial. That way, you could have a whole series of commercials that deal with Epinions.com. Viewers will remember it and hopefully be talking to each other saying stuff like:
"Have you seen the tent commercial yet? It was hilarious."
"Man, that one was nothing! You should have seen the snowboarding one."
You get the picture? This really gets the name out in a major way. It's worked for Visa (although their commercials are a bit too serious), NetZero, and other companies. I've elaborated on this idea a bit more in my review of the "snowboard" commercial, which I also think has a lot of potential for success.
GET THE WORD OUT, EPINIONS!
I'll close by expressing my excitement of what is to come. Finally, Epinions.com will become a household name everywhere, which it deserves. Commercials such as this one are a good first step. As time goes on, I think that Epinions.com could further improve on these commercials.
Recommended:
Yes
Would visit Shopping.com? Yes
Increase or decrease trust in Shopping.com? Increase
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Epinions.com ID:
vara
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 in Cars & Motorsports |
 - Top 200 |
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Member: Daniel Ramirez
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Reviews written: 121
Trusted by: 449 members
About Me:
You want a 15 word autobiography? Are you mad, sir?!
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