Very often we see ads where the brand plays a minimal role in the story. Viewers could be left wondering which product the ad is for or when the product appears wondering what it’s got to do with the story. It usually happens with categories where brands operate in a parity situation or the brand has precious little to say in terms of a tangible product-benefit. We see such ads in soft drinks, chocolates, perfumes, soaps, staple food products and such like – understandably so. Surprisingly, even in categories where a product-centric communication is possible, we often see ads were the role of the product is minimal. The trouble with this approach is that memorability and effectiveness depends a lot on execution and media spends.
I love product-centric ads and among such, creative product demonstrations are a favourite. Herewith a few classic product demos over the years:
Samsonite Gorilla
I remember seeing this first at the HTA conference room in the early ‘90s. It is still fresh in my mind.
Penn tennis balls
What a crazy twist in the tale.
Blendtec – will it blend
Hailed as one of the best examples of content creation, Blendtec videos not only demonstrate ’toughness’ but also make great use of social media by asking consumer suggestions on what can be ‘blended’. They also do a great job of staying current with blending latest in-the-news- gadgets.
Dyson handheld
The product itself is a great candidate for a demo and almost all the company videos follow the ‘product-as-hero’ route.
Lego Kipper
Delightfully wicked ad to demonstrate the range and creative possibilities of Lego.
Khirps umbrella
The torture test is a tried-and-tested creative route and works very well here.
Vision saucepan
Jaw-Droopingly good product demo.
Pilkington glass
Very clever way to demonstrate the bullet-proof feature, keeps you riveted.
Solvite
Another ‘extreme’ test with a twist.
Volvo Live Test Series – ground clearance
Clearly the best product demo of recent times, Volvo’s Live Test Series did a fantastic job of conveying product benefits in an otherwise boring category. My favourite in the series – the ground clearance.
Volvo Live Test Series – epic split
Need I say more?
Which ones were your favourites? What makes a great product demo commercial? Comment in.
5 Comments
I totally agree with you. All were excellent productcentric ads indeed and worth watching. They all showed great creative people must have worked hard to hit the target through these classic ads. Wish Indians would make that kind of ads too.
Every ad you share is amazing , loving them . big fan of your collection .
RT @bhatnaturally: 13 classic product demo ads: creative show and tell http://t.co/fJBhdwsdmb
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RT @marcofossati: 13 classic product demo #ads: creative show and tell – http://t.co/4fgzhfSBsk #advertising #copywriting #pubblicità #spot