The original plan was to write a blog post on the best travel video / television advertising of the past decade. While there were a few clever travel ads (the Virgin Atlantic “Upper Class Suite” independent spot and the Air New Zealand “Nothing to Hide” campaign immediately come to mind) they were not in the same league with the best offerings from other industries.
So instead, here are my picks for the best single advertising spot and best advertising campaign created between 2000 and 2009. Hopefully, the travel industry will gain some inspiration and raise their game in the coming “teens” decade. As there is not clear agreement on a name for the past decade, let’s just call them the “noughties.”
photo credit: Pink PonkStratos and Dove prove that original creative, strong narrative and expert production can effectively differentiate commodity products.
What defines a great video ad? There are fundamentally three simple requirements regardless if it is on television or spreading virally online :
- It breaks through the clutter – it needs to be memorable.
- It evokes an emotional response – it makes the viewer feel something
- It creates goodwill for the product – viewers remember the brand
Good production values, solid acting and a bit of originality never hurt either.
Comparing a single advertising spot to a multi-spot campaign is not really a fair comparison. Each may be designed to accomplish different objective. While each ad undoubtedly must stand on its own merits, a quality campaign requires the additional dimensions of thematic alignment and consistency of execution. To present the best of both genres, I have picked the best single advertising spot as well as the best multi-spot campaign of the last decade.
Both of my selections promote products that could be easily described as generic commodities. However, each ad admirably differentiates its respective brand from the competition. The travel industry can learn a lot from these ads – they engage and inspire the viewer on an emotional level. There are no aggressive proclamations of product features, competitive price points, or legal disclaimers. Each ad embraces humanity; addressing the motivations of the protagonists and their interaction with their respective environments. continue reading →
