This is the spot with the African American female in the red dress walking down the street and images of her phone covering her face. I’d like to give you a link to the spot but at press time – LOL – I couldn’t find it online. If you find it, hit me with the link, and I’ll add it.
The music, the talent and the action are all good, but it has some production, creative and strategy flaws, and I just can’t get past them. Combined, the bad outweighs the good and the spot is ruined for me.
Production -
Good: Music fits spot. It’s catchy, and “urbanesque” (trademark pending). Good editing of music.
Bad: Silos are terrible. I mean really bad. They may have been good a year or two ago, but today, they’re way behind. It’s the equivalent of a bad clipping path. It’s no Old Spice man on a horse for sure.
Creative -
Good: Great use of color and the absence of it. The main talent is the only one or thing (cars included), apparently, who wears bright colors. It keeps the focus on her. But, she’s a stunner, and I think that, combined with the moving screen captures, we would have been watching her anyway. Still, it is good framing.
Bad: I think the spot is supposed to show how hectic her life is and how the palm helps her? I think she is getting invited to a party or the style of the party has changed and maybe she needs shoes? I’m lost. But, if that is what we were supposed to get out of it, why not show her full frame at the beginning of the spot in different flats or heels and then at the end, when you have taken us on the virtually journey of her finding the right store, her shoes are transformed in the close shot to the groovy boots she has on at the end full frame shot? Then, we see that there has been an impact in her life. Right now, it just looks like a lot of stuff is coming at her, and I am not seeing benefit of the phone? How is she keeping up?
Strategy -
Good: It is airing during the NCAA tourney, so the media buy is good. Heavy male, which are the largest users of smart phones and also above Scarborough for African American, so good talent selection.
Bad: No point of difference. It is like every other smart phone, or is it? Who knows? In fact, we don’t even see the phone, so I guess they aren’t proud of the way it looks and for most women (send hate mail somewhere else) the phone is still a fashion accessory too (there, I said too) and they care about what the phone looks like. If they didn’t, explain the hot pink razor to me? Also, I get the drive to retailer, but you couldn’t even list your url, and you’re selling a smart phone? How about a twitter account? How about a QR bar code or a Windows tag (formerly snap tag)? Come on, give me something! Your website has social networking written all over it, like you own Facebook, but still, you couldn’t integrate your media? You don’t even have your spot on your site, that I could find.
Overall -
I give it a C+. Smart phones are still being dominated by men. I can’t see them relating to the spot. Yes, she is attractive. Yes, I like the music. Yes, I think the agency tried a unique perspective. But most males are not going shopping for shoes with their phones and if the spot is supposed to be targeting women with the NCAA media buy…the stereotype of an African American female with urbanesque (trademark still pending) music playing, the only recognizable image on her screen shot is maybe Air Jordan-like at the beginning (for “Def radio” (really, Def Radio – you went that far, huh?) and having her shop (and that represents “Life moves fast” is just not cutting it for me.
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