Really Cool Ad


Recommended Posts

I have been studying a new entertainment/art concept that has been growing alongside the Internet and communications technology: transmedia storytelling.

Here is an ad in a movie theater that uses this capacity in a dramatic way to draw the viewer into the story as a participant.

http://youtu.be/JHixeIr_6BM

Really cool.

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting...

This is somewhat similar to the old driver's ed movies, I think one was called Blood on the Road in terms of the impact image.

However, this one's interactivity might make all the difference.

I would like to see a follow-up study with a solid design/statistical analysis to see how long the message will last in modifying behavior.

The old shock driver's ed video's had a very short persuasive shelf life, as did the brushing teeth ads.

Apparently, the stronger the fear appeal, the grater the impact, however, the behavior modification did not last.

A...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Adam,

Persuasion-wise, getting people to change with one ad is kind of like seeking the all-elusive button to push to make people act like robots. Not only does it not work, thank God it doesn't. In the wrong hands, that stuff can be dangerous.

I follow an old copywriting outline in thinking about persuasion: AIDA (attention, interest, delivery, action). You will find many long-form ads and scripts written in this fashion. First you have to grab people's attention. Then you have to bond with them and let them know you are addressing a problem they are worried about. Then you deliver your solution. And finally you tell them what you want them to do (usually buy the damn thing--NOW! :) ).

There's a very interesting book that is relevant to this point called Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward by Prochaska, Norcross and DiClemente. They talk about 6 stages of mental attitudes a person goes through in making an important change. Interestingly, the first four are almost the AIDA pattern: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation and Action. (The last two are Maintenance and Recycling, but they are after the change has happened.)

One of the insights in that book is that things that are important to people in one stage are not so much in another. A person who is not even aware of a problem, for instance, doesn't give a crap about the bad results of doing something. He knows it's bad, but that is not relevant to what he sees (and values) at that moment.

I put this ad in that sequence of attitudes frame.

It does not exist to change behavior but to serve the first stage and partially the second. To me, it is merely to attract attention to the fact that a problem exists. (Sometimes they call this "raising awareness.") It is something for the AIDA "A" (Attention) portion or the Precontemplation stage. This is generally a loud noise, something seriously out of whack, a sudden change in the environment, a flash of light, etc. These things get attention. And for Precontemplation, it would have to be a confrontation with severe results and a strong hint at the causality involved presented in a manner the person takes seriously.

I think the ad does that brilliantly. Without a follow-up, I would not expect it to have a long-lasting change on people.

It would be interesting to think about how to do a transmedia message for the second stage of "Don't text while driving."

Hmmmm...

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now