Viral Marketing...

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I got a video clip of an ad created by Ogilvy & Mather (they do that real cool IBM Linux ad with the little boy...) from a friend. It wasn't meant (supposedly) to be released. Yet it seems to be another "viral marketing" ploy...that went screwy...more...



"Ford says the clip was conceived without its approval by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather as part of a ``viral marketing'' campaign for the Sportka. ``Viral marketing,'' a type of e-mail marketing, is the electronic version of word of mouth, usually inviting recipients to forward an e-mail to others.



`We find this unauthorized ad totally unacceptable and reprehensible and deplore the fact that it has been unofficially issued,'' Ford spokesman Oscar Suris said."



Ogilvy & Mather's take on it...



"Viral Video Clip



Viral marketing, if leaked without permission, can be like a contagious disease. Silently transmitted and virtually uncontrollable, it can create unintended distress. On April 1, an unapproved viral advertisement featuring a Ford Sportka car was leaked onto the internet and began to be transmitted by email around the world. This "advertisement" was not approved for release and was not sanctioned by either Ogilvy or our client Ford.



The action in the video clip was totally computer generated, and we would like to assure you that no animal was harmed in its making.



Ogilvy and Ford of Europe deeply regret that this unapproved and unofficial video clip was accidentally released and apologize for any offense it has caused."



Ok, the clip in question...not for sqeamish cat lovers...



994 KB MPEG



edit: guess you got to download it to play it?



Comments? I'll make mine after you all oggle it...



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    and the virus spreads......



    marketing GENIUS!



    and i thought the ad was hilarious, but they'd never be able to run it primetime.
  • Reply 2 of 20
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    edit... hahah

    read post then click link...



    where is the blood?
  • Reply 3 of 20
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    OMG! That is horrible! I should have trusted your warnings. Pretty good computer animation though. Especially the "slide/bounce" of gravity. Good thing this was never released on TV.
  • Reply 4 of 20
    neoneo Posts: 271member
    the car looks cool

    why don't they sell them in the US?



    -Neø
  • Reply 5 of 20
    billybobskybillybobsky Posts: 1,914member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Neø

    the car looks cool

    why don't they sell them in the US?



    -Neø




    because americans rate cars on size. that piece of shit wouldn't last five minutes when it is being run down by a golf or even an original mini cooper....
  • Reply 6 of 20
    tmptmp Posts: 601member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Neø

    the car looks cool

    why don't they sell them in the US?



    -Neø




    Because there would be an angry cat-lover in a Hummer who would turn the driver of it into a speed bump?
  • Reply 7 of 20
    majormattmajormatt Posts: 1,077member
    Another plastic car of death for cat and human.
  • Reply 8 of 20
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member
    Ok. I will state my thoughts/opinions...



    I thought the ad is disgusting and stupid.



    In no way does this advertise anything but stupidity and cruelty. Who would buy this car if they saw this ad? Why even think up something like this?



    I hope that Ogilvy & Mather is saying the truth that this was an unfortunate mistake. But still, its more or less Ford's money (1/4 million, if you figure in the 3D CG animation work) that went into this ad and I think...I hope they drop Ogilvy & Mather like a rock.



    Viral marketing has great advantages and can work in promoting a product. This definately ain't it. The creators of this should be fired. This should never have gone past the storyboard phase.



    Oh, and I will say that after I saw and riden in one of those cars (& the Coop) in London...they are awesome...at least for urban transportation. Especially in London were roads tend to squeeze down to 5-6 feet in width (parking too). Of course these cars would be pregnant roller skates compared to the fat bottomed owners of SUVs...



  • Reply 9 of 20
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    Ogilvy & Mather are full of crap if they claim that this was "an accident".



    They had to send a camera crew out to shoot the plate of the car. The shot was art-directed, the set was landscaped and the car was positioned to-camera. The cat was instructed by a trainer, the CG work was done by someone, the sound effects and atmospherics were added. The graphics were created and the copy was written.



    If it was made and then nixed, then somebody leaked it. Maybe as a portfolio piece, maybe out of spite.....but somebody should take the fall, publicly.



    This isn't a simple mistake.



    This is the kind of ad that the competition should create to run virally to take down their competitors. It's sickening, it's violent and it could open up the client (Ford) to litigation by organizations like PETA and individuals.



    Thanks for the link Artman, interesting to know the scuttlebutt in the ad world.
  • Reply 10 of 20
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by drewprops



    If it was made and then nixed, then somebody leaked it. Maybe as a portfolio piece, maybe out of spite.....but somebody should take the fall, publicly.



    This isn't a simple mistake.




    It may have been a leaked portfolio piece? I not sure. I went to http://www.eviltwin.co.uk/ and there's nothing there...but it does link to another site...whatever...it's wrong and unprofessional to whatever the ad is from.



    It irks me that ad agencies and their creators consider themselves "professional" and then you see them produce something like this...idiots.



  • Reply 11 of 20
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Yet more proof that violence is funny.
  • Reply 12 of 20
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    Sunday morning, after a weekend of non-stop work, looking forward to a few hours of relaxation before I head off to work again, and I wake up to this?



    WTF.



    That ad was bloody hilarious, and smart!



    What's wrong with you people? I can't say I'm dissapointed. The folks at PETA can go hug a tree, or sit on a dried sapling stump for all I care. If they're offended, good. They deserve nothing less.
  • Reply 13 of 20
    spcmsspcms Posts: 407member
    Speaking of funny adds, they have a new one over here where you can see a woman who tries to nail a painting to her appartment wall. Of course she ends up taking down half of the plaster. The tagline reads:



    [i]"xxx Car insurance. Because women drive too."[i]



    Now like this one, it's pretty funny and pretty well done, but i can't see how it will sell.
  • Reply 14 of 20
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by alcimedes

    and the virus spreads......



    marketing GENIUS!



    and i thought the ad was hilarious, but they'd never be able to run it primetime.




    Sure they could, just as long as they dont show jannet jacksons tit.



    the ad was great, but they would probably never be able to run it in the USA (not that they would as that model isnt sold here) Because of the nut-ball peta freaks....did they ever consider that the lettus screams when you chop off the top of it's head?
  • Reply 15 of 20
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matsu

    Sunday morning, after a weekend of non-stop work, looking forward to a few hours of relaxation before I head off to work again, and I wake up to this?



    WTF.



    That ad was bloody hilarious, and smart!



    What's wrong with you people? I can't say I'm dissapointed. The folks at PETA can go hug a tree, or sit on a dried sapling stump for all I care. If they're offended, good. They deserve nothing less.




    This is what I'm talking about. This is why it was probably it went beyond the storyboard. This is not good advertising. When I first watched it I was stunned. Then after a few more viewings (and knowing that the cat isn't real of course) I tended to get the joke. But when you promote a product you wish to appeal to a mass audience (a targeted audience at times, but with automobiles you want to send a broader message). This only appeals to people with a sick sense of humor. I couldn't care a less what PETA would think of it...I'D CARE WHAT CAT OWNERS WOULD THINK OF IT THOUGH.



    ================================================== ==

    PET CAT POPULATIONS AND OWNERSHIP DATA

    ================================================== ==



    # CATS %HOUSEHOLDS NOTES

    m = million w/ CATS

    =======================+============+============= ==



    EUROPE 47 m

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    AUSTRALIA 3 m 25%

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    JAPAN 7 - 8 m 10.7%

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    UK 7.5 ? 9 m 25%

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    CANADA 4.5 m 38%

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    MEXICO 14 m

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    SPAIN 3 m

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    SWEDEN 1.3 m 21%

    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    NEW ZEALAND .9 ? 1.5 m 47%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    GERMANY 7 m 14%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    BRAZIL 11 m 2003

    6.6 m 1997 FAS

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    AUSTRIA 1.5 M 2000 FAS

    1.4 m 27% 2002 VOEK

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    SWITZERLAND 1.2 m 35%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    HUNGARY 1.9 m

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    COSTA RICA 15%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    POLAND 14%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------

    NETHERLANDS 21%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------



    47 million people in Europe (where this ad was created for) wouldn't like this ad. That says enough. Stats

    gleaned here.



    I wouldn't want to offend 47 million people in selling a product...would you?



  • Reply 16 of 20
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Artman @_@

    I wouldn't want to offend 47 million people in selling a product...would you?



    1) Not all cat owners would be offended.



    2) No sh*t sherlock, why do you think the ad didn't make television?
  • Reply 17 of 20
    artman @_@artman @_@ Posts: 2,546member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Barto

    1) Not all cat owners would be offended.



    2) No sh*t sherlock, why do you think the ad didn't make television?




    Of course I know it never made it. It did make the viral path though...and bombed disasterously. Point cleared, made and thread done...no use beating a dead cat.



  • Reply 18 of 20
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Well this video just demonstrated the total lack of security of it's electrical devices.



    Who is ready to buy an evil car ?
  • Reply 19 of 20
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    Quote:

    Who is ready to buy an evil car ?



    yes, who indeed.....





  • Reply 20 of 20
    jwri004jwri004 Posts: 626member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Artman @_@

    I'D CARE WHAT CAT OWNERS WOULD THINK OF IT THOUGH.



    ================================================== ==

    PET CAT POPULATIONS AND OWNERSHIP DATA

    ================================================== ==



    # CATS %HOUSEHOLDS NOTES

    m = million w/ CATS

    =======================+============+============= ==



    -----------------------+------------+---------------

    NEW ZEALAND .9 ? 1.5 m 47%

    -----------------------+------------+--------------



    From the biggest cat loving nation, and a cat lover myself, thought it was hilarous.



    NB: Cat lover in a non-sexual way
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