It's time for another new shiny TV ad from the team at Capital FM. It's kept the same format as the one from last year, but seeing as that was pretty well 'universally liked', I guess there was no need to change it. It it ain't broke... and all that...
And to coincide with the launch of the new Breakfast show in London, here's a version which incorporates some promotion of the show.
'Feel Good' or just 'Feel Bemused'? "Give It some Heart" or "Give It Some Cheese?" A 'smiley' branding job for Heart... or feel that it could as well be an ad for a new type of coffee... or a chocolate bar... or Class A drug?
Not quite sure it demonstrates 'music variety' particularly well... but it looks all shiny and colourful I suppose. I guess it's fairly inoffensive. A bit like Heart really.
Time for a complaint! Please indulge me. If you live in the UK, you'll be familiar with the 'Halifax' and their track record at producing particularly annoying TV ads.
If you don't live in the UK... be thankful that you're not exposed to them, but they esentially use real members of staff in their ads, mainly singing and dancing like cretins. The Halifax is a UK High Street bank, and if there's one good reason not to place your money with that particular bank, it's their marketing campaigns.
Their new TV ad is one that's particularly annoyoing for people working in the radio industry. Take a look...
Is there any wonder that sometimes 'radio' as a medium (especially commercial radio) fights to get itself taken more seriously when the image that's portrayed is the one you've just watched? It really is just the most horrible depiction of a breakfast show I think I've ever seen. I know it's just a make-believe station, and it's just an ad, and it's pretend and all that... but it's just utter crap!!! (Or am I wrong and it's the best advert for working in radio there is?) Do they really think this will attract customers?
If at a dinner party someone asks me what I do, and I say I work in radio... and they say 'Is it just like Halifax ad?' I think I may commit a serious crime punishable by a long custodial sentence.
And they've tarnished a fantastic record too with their shoddy advert. Shame on you Spandau Ballet for allowing that to be licenced!!
Complaint over. Normal service will now resume! ;-)
I saw this ad for Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball on TV last week. A few people commented at the time on the quality of the sound mix not being very good... and I think they have a point! But I was interested more to see what other people generally thought of the ad.
In my view, it seems a shame that when any brand spend a decent amount of money on TV airtime, they then air a commercial that has pretty low production values, it effectively makes the brand look cheaper than it actually is and devalues it somewhat. (The fact that the airtime may well be bartered in a reciprocal arrangement with ITV shouldn’t influence the production values of the spot)
There are lots of goodexamples of great TV spots for radio stations. But this isn’t one of them I'm afraid. And I’m not even sure if it would have had achieved its desired effect of driving new listeners to tune in either.
Nik is a UK based media consultant who works with brands around the world, advising them on creativity in music, sound and content. He is Director of the creative production company Bounce
Contact Nik by email: nik at thisisbounce.com
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