Friday, March 04, 2005
STOP LANDMINES
organization: UN Mine Action
Ad: "KickOff"
Market: USA
Product: Stop Landmines - Public Service Announcement
Agency: The Brooklyn Brothers
Year: 2005
Link: http://www.stoplandmines.org/slm/videos/kickoff_low.wmv
Verdict: 4 out of 10
=======================================
What a worthy cause! What a weak effort!!
Agencies usually aspire to create a Public Service Announcement. It allows them to demonstrate their creative powers with mostly limited client involvement. This is because clients are non-for-profit organizations that do not usually have experienced marketers on board.
And how does this show in this case. The UN Mine Action organization worked with The Brooklyn Brothers agency to generate awareness of the destructive results of this horrible practice in a way that brings it to life for US viewers.
The theme is the all-familiar girls soccer game, a stereotypical representation of US suburbia. In this normalized setting, with parents supporting their offsprings from the sidelines, the unthinkable happens: a girl after scoring a goal, returns to her side of the field, only to step on a landmine than kills (?) her and injures a nearby team player. In the ensuing chaos, girls are shown traumatized, the mother out of her mind needs to be restrained while the father frantically rushes to hold his unconscious daughter in his arms.
Please.....
The message finishes with the statetement:
"If there were landmines here would you stand for them anywhere?
Help UN eradicate landmines everywhere."
The intent was worthwhile, but the outcome misguided. Indeed the message generates awareness of the destructive effects of landmines. I guess most people are aware of this even without seeing the ad. However, if the execution aimed to bring this closer to US hearts, make it relevant by placing the situation in the midst of their everyday lives, this fails miserably. Fortunately for the United States, landmines in suburban soccer fields is an idea so remote and far fetched that it is not relevant for the hearts and souls of viewers. So, if the intent was to mobilise them into action and support the UN effort, I would be surprised if this actually happens in the months ahead. In this respect, the ad misses the point and falls short.
As most experienced advertisers would tell you, use of fear in advertising is a double-edge sword. In the few instances it is done well it really hits the spot. However, in most cases, it is done poorly. It does not generate any sentiment and runs the risk of having the reverse effect, even being seen as comical.
So next time, please leave it to the hands of real experts. This topic is so important, weak advertising does not do it the justice it deserves.
Evaluation:
In following our standard evaluation methodology: (follow the link, in case you are not aware)http://adjudge.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_adjudge_archive.html
The ad is easily understandable, but is not relevant to the desired audience by being set in an unrealistic setting. The message is by nature believable and ownable by its organization. The execution is somewhat memorable (maybe for the wrong reasons) but hardly engaging. The end effect is that although viewers will comprehend the rational message they will not be engaged emotionally to act upon it.
Detailed Score: 4 out of 10
1. Understandable: H
2. Relevant: L
3. Credible: L
4. Persuasive: M
5. Well-branded: M
6. Ownable: H
7. Distinctive: L
8. Memorable: M
9. Engaging: L
10. Makes Me Buy: M
Save yourselves time! Ignore the ad, but take the time to click on to the useful website of the organization (or its parent site http://www.mineaction.org/index.cfm) and learn more about this horrible practice. By the way, read which countries are notable exceptions of signing the UN treaty and you will understand why the UN Mine Action organization decided to produce and air this ad in the abovementioned market. Certainly worthwhile cause - Unfortunately, mediocre result!
G. Evans
Mar 2005
Ad: "KickOff"
Market: USA
Product: Stop Landmines - Public Service Announcement
Agency: The Brooklyn Brothers
Year: 2005
Link: http://www.stoplandmines.org/slm/videos/kickoff_low.wmv
Verdict: 4 out of 10
=======================================
What a worthy cause! What a weak effort!!
Agencies usually aspire to create a Public Service Announcement. It allows them to demonstrate their creative powers with mostly limited client involvement. This is because clients are non-for-profit organizations that do not usually have experienced marketers on board.
And how does this show in this case. The UN Mine Action organization worked with The Brooklyn Brothers agency to generate awareness of the destructive results of this horrible practice in a way that brings it to life for US viewers.
The theme is the all-familiar girls soccer game, a stereotypical representation of US suburbia. In this normalized setting, with parents supporting their offsprings from the sidelines, the unthinkable happens: a girl after scoring a goal, returns to her side of the field, only to step on a landmine than kills (?) her and injures a nearby team player. In the ensuing chaos, girls are shown traumatized, the mother out of her mind needs to be restrained while the father frantically rushes to hold his unconscious daughter in his arms.
Please.....
The message finishes with the statetement:
"If there were landmines here would you stand for them anywhere?
Help UN eradicate landmines everywhere."
The intent was worthwhile, but the outcome misguided. Indeed the message generates awareness of the destructive effects of landmines. I guess most people are aware of this even without seeing the ad. However, if the execution aimed to bring this closer to US hearts, make it relevant by placing the situation in the midst of their everyday lives, this fails miserably. Fortunately for the United States, landmines in suburban soccer fields is an idea so remote and far fetched that it is not relevant for the hearts and souls of viewers. So, if the intent was to mobilise them into action and support the UN effort, I would be surprised if this actually happens in the months ahead. In this respect, the ad misses the point and falls short.
As most experienced advertisers would tell you, use of fear in advertising is a double-edge sword. In the few instances it is done well it really hits the spot. However, in most cases, it is done poorly. It does not generate any sentiment and runs the risk of having the reverse effect, even being seen as comical.
So next time, please leave it to the hands of real experts. This topic is so important, weak advertising does not do it the justice it deserves.
Evaluation:
In following our standard evaluation methodology: (follow the link, in case you are not aware)http://adjudge.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_adjudge_archive.html
The ad is easily understandable, but is not relevant to the desired audience by being set in an unrealistic setting. The message is by nature believable and ownable by its organization. The execution is somewhat memorable (maybe for the wrong reasons) but hardly engaging. The end effect is that although viewers will comprehend the rational message they will not be engaged emotionally to act upon it.
Detailed Score: 4 out of 10
1. Understandable: H
2. Relevant: L
3. Credible: L
4. Persuasive: M
5. Well-branded: M
6. Ownable: H
7. Distinctive: L
8. Memorable: M
9. Engaging: L
10. Makes Me Buy: M
Save yourselves time! Ignore the ad, but take the time to click on to the useful website of the organization (or its parent site http://www.mineaction.org/index.cfm) and learn more about this horrible practice. By the way, read which countries are notable exceptions of signing the UN treaty and you will understand why the UN Mine Action organization decided to produce and air this ad in the abovementioned market. Certainly worthwhile cause - Unfortunately, mediocre result!
G. Evans
Mar 2005
