Ads Which are Too Great?
Over on his blog, Geek In Disguise, Steve Clayton has been running a series on Great Ads and I really liked this one. However, I also found myself feeling a bit "cheated" when I realised what it was for. I’m not sure why, the brand is a well known and respectable luxury brand, but somehow the train of Big Thoughts which were set running by the ad seemed to overpower the brand, the punch-line. And I’m not sure why. The only parallel I can immediately think of is Microsoft’s "Your Potential, Our Passion" ads. Those ads also featured big themes but for me, those ads resonated strongly and I do not feel the same dissonance which I did with this brand. It made me realise how important it is that the audience buys into your aspirational message…and sees your product as being an enabling part of that aspiration. If not, you risk appearing overblown and hubristic.
