Write about one of the most effective ads you have read about, listened to, or watched. Explain why you found this ad so effective.
It's no secret that large corporations like Sony have more money than they know what to do with. As a social justice advocate, I would love to see big corporations donating large amounts of money to non-profits or causes with a social conscience. While this happens occasionally, it's not necessarily realistic to expect a substantial trickle down from big businesses.
So, if a company won't shell out the big bucks in the name of cause marketing, what's the next best way a corporation can blow their cash? In my opinion, the answer is simple: provide consumers with free and truly remarkable entertainment that they wouldn't be able to produce independently given financial restrictions. Take the above video, for example. In 2005, Sony released an advertisement featuring a quarter million bouncy balls floating, bouncing, rolling, and soaring down Russian Hill in San Francisco. The video is two-and-a-half minutes in length set to the tune of Swedish singer Jose Gonzalez's song, Heartbeats. The footage is presented with a mix of real-time and slow-motion movements that create a fantastically unique viewing experience.
To pull this off, Sony had to spend a phenomenal amount of time and money on this advertisement. They needed to jump through legal and bureaucratic loopholes to block off the streets and guarantee pedestrian and property safety. They also needed to purchase a quarter million bouncy balls and transport them to the scene. Then there's multiple takes, clean-up, and so on. The main point here is that we (average consumers) would never be able to pull this off, but a major corporation has the ability to make it happen. And they did.
By providing truly remarkable advertisements, corporations give consumers access to experiences that would otherwise be unattainable, and - for that - I am thankful. To put it simply, Sony used their money to show me something truly entertaining that I couldn't have seen anywhere else, and I didn't have to pay a cent for it. To use myself as a case study, this form of advertising was effective because it made me legitimately excited. I wanted to talk about it, and I wanted to show it to my friends and family. The video is inspiring in its creativity and playfulness. I feel like I actually gained something from it (as opposed to many commercials which feel, in a word, soul-stealing). While I will probably never buy the product that Sony was using the video to sell (Bravia), I will certainly spread the good word about the video which, by "trickle-up" effect, will probably help sell a few of their higher-end products. With a strategy like that, everyone wins.
It's no secret that large corporations like Sony have more money than they know what to do with. As a social justice advocate, I would love to see big corporations donating large amounts of money to non-profits or causes with a social conscience. While this happens occasionally, it's not necessarily realistic to expect a substantial trickle down from big businesses.
So, if a company won't shell out the big bucks in the name of cause marketing, what's the next best way a corporation can blow their cash? In my opinion, the answer is simple: provide consumers with free and truly remarkable entertainment that they wouldn't be able to produce independently given financial restrictions. Take the above video, for example. In 2005, Sony released an advertisement featuring a quarter million bouncy balls floating, bouncing, rolling, and soaring down Russian Hill in San Francisco. The video is two-and-a-half minutes in length set to the tune of Swedish singer Jose Gonzalez's song, Heartbeats. The footage is presented with a mix of real-time and slow-motion movements that create a fantastically unique viewing experience.
To pull this off, Sony had to spend a phenomenal amount of time and money on this advertisement. They needed to jump through legal and bureaucratic loopholes to block off the streets and guarantee pedestrian and property safety. They also needed to purchase a quarter million bouncy balls and transport them to the scene. Then there's multiple takes, clean-up, and so on. The main point here is that we (average consumers) would never be able to pull this off, but a major corporation has the ability to make it happen. And they did.
By providing truly remarkable advertisements, corporations give consumers access to experiences that would otherwise be unattainable, and - for that - I am thankful. To put it simply, Sony used their money to show me something truly entertaining that I couldn't have seen anywhere else, and I didn't have to pay a cent for it. To use myself as a case study, this form of advertising was effective because it made me legitimately excited. I wanted to talk about it, and I wanted to show it to my friends and family. The video is inspiring in its creativity and playfulness. I feel like I actually gained something from it (as opposed to many commercials which feel, in a word, soul-stealing). While I will probably never buy the product that Sony was using the video to sell (Bravia), I will certainly spread the good word about the video which, by "trickle-up" effect, will probably help sell a few of their higher-end products. With a strategy like that, everyone wins.
Quarter of a million bouncy balls?!! Amazing! Where did you find all the details about the ad?
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