I’ve developed interest in advertising over the years
largely because of the visual and written creativity in the industry that
pushes the boundaries of the imagination and social conventions for art. But also, what I really enjoy about
advertising is when it makes me laugh.
Advertising can sometimes have a negative connotation such as “spam,”
but when an ad is successfully funny it can be perceived as more welcomed,
entertaining, and memorable. That is why
one agency whose work I like is The Martin Agency. In many of their campaigns they think outside
the box and deliver clever writing and visual illustrations that make their
work stand out. Their “Did You Know?”
campaign for Geico is one of my favorites because it plays on people’s
expectations and brings a twist to familiar things. One particular commercial from the campaign
that I particular like is “Words Can Hurt,” which can be viewed at the
following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCysb4_-4jU
In this commercial the viewer would
expect the usual stereotypical ride-off-into-the-sunset western, but instead
the serious tone is ridiculed and cut short.
It’s entertaining and stands out because of how unexpected it is and the
timing of the humor is well played, as in the other commercials of the
campaign. Overall, the campaign brings a
smile to my face and gives me a good laugh, not only providing entertainment
but also establishing a positive association with the company it is representing. Thus it is both successful and fun.
Geico commercial:
Geico commercial:
Another campaign from The Martin Agency that I like is the “It Takes Ahoy!” campaign for Chips Ahoy!. In the “Boombox” commercial (http://www.martinagency.com/collection/it_takes_ahoy/3) , the audiences’ expectations are once again manipulated to create a humorous punch line. What is particularly cool for me is the simplicity of the commercial, in regards to colors and props. It’s just a blue background, a boom box, and a cookie. There is relatively little action in the scene but the exaggerated animated expressions of the cookie and the upbeat music from the boom box create a light hearted and positive atmosphere that it very inviting to the viewer, and also works well with the structure of the joke. The audience is able to quickly understand the product while not being overwhelmed by extras or too many props or convoluted settings.
The Martin
Agency definitely creates some of my favorite campaigns and I look forward to
their ads because they break the monotony of ads simply shoving their products
at consumers and instead shine a humorous and fun and inviting light on their
subjects.
Link to The Martin Agency’s website: http://www.martinagency.com/home
