Here’s some research published on MarketingVox that states that using a video in your email will up clickthroughs by 2 to 3x. Yes, many isp’s and corporate nets block videos in email, but there are plenty of ways to get around that without upsetting the IT department masters. Read more here, and call us at 908-213-8705 if you’d like to try it out for yourself. It’s an inexpensive investment that can triple your direct email effectiveness.
I was sent a help wanted listing by a business associate recently. They thought I’d get a kick out of it because it was for a listing for a video producer position at a business that makes products that I love (I can’t go into any more detail than that out of fairness for all parties involved.)
No, I’m not looking– but since I have done my share of hiring in the past few decades I am always curious as to the expectations set by help wanted ads for creatives.
Let’s forget for a second the impossible expectations and laughable language used in such ads (“Must eat, breath and live advertising”; “You don’t think outside the box, you are the box”, etc.
What interests me is that in a video and web driven world, creativity is often defined not by writing, design or storytelling capability, but instead by the software and hardware employed.
This ad said (paraphrased), “Video producer wanted to produce web videos for our catalog pages and web site. Knowledge of Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and After Effects required.”
Uh… why? Does a knowledge of these particular programs guarantee that you know the basics of design, writing, creative direction, photography, photo touch-up, shooting and editing?
This was followed by “Windows platform preferred.”
I can see the Windows platform (or Mac platform) preference as perhaps reasonable, since the company may have standardized on and invested in plenty of hardware that is single platform centric. That’s a business decision.
But eliminating perhaps 70% of your creative applicants because they use some other software than what you like or know is like a curator at the Met, MOMA, or Guggenheim who only hangs paintings that use a #12 Kolinsky Red Sable Art Brush.
The talented and driven can and will adapt to almost any software or hardware. That’s easily learned. What can’t easily be learned is what is done with the tools, whether they are using typewriters, yellow legal pad, or Final Cut Pro or Microsoft Word or Final Draft.
It’s the story, stupid. And that’s the basis on which you should hire.
Here’s a few more samples of the spots we did for the 1976 Swine Flu panic (actually an album of all three) from our Vimeo album.
A couple of old commercials from the 1970′s in Milwaukee. Remember Railroad Salvage? Gordon Page?
Ad Age Digital has an insightful article on making your video viral, especially in terms of big campaigns.
from Adrants, a commentary on two different video interps of the Tiger Woods 16th hole "Nike Moment"… now that Nike has finally crafted a spot taking advantage of the killer shot.
Bob Garfield, in Ad Age, compares H-P’s new touchscreen computing spot with its bazillion effects (and bazillion dollar budget) with the simple corporate video which simply demos the product. The corporate video wins.
Line of the piece: "Is Goodby being paid by the terabyte?"
By the way, the corporate video was produced by, or at least commissioned by the agency as well. Credit where credit is due.
But I bet that they still had a nice budget for that one, too. After all, they’re an agency.
In a video accessible (as of this writing) online, Midwest Airlines CEO Timothy Hoeksema addresses employees with the news that the airline is in trouble and that the employees are facing serious sacrifices. Those sacrifices include (according to the Small Business Times) a suggested pay cut for some pilots from an average salary of $90,000 to $35,000– that is, if said pilots are not among other 50% laid off.
He blames the doubling of fuel costs and indicates there will be a major reduction in aircraft, routes, and flights.
In the message, he says in grim tones, ""It’s really a whole new ball game now. We don’t have a lot of time. This is urgent … It’s going to be very painful."
Company officials said they must take drastic actions this week to
avoid having to file for bankruptcy. Hoeksema said Midwest must be
"restructured completely."
Who’s to argue? Not me. But if I were an employee, I might. Based solely on the video:
I’m not doubting the sincerity of Hoeksema or the severity of the situation. But I hate it when PR or Video cleverness fouls up the message.
I’d rather see a slightly shaky camcorder and a guy with his tie loose looking straight at me, telling me FIRST how important I am to the company, secondly, what sacrifices he is going to make (or has made), and then, finally, what sacrifices I will be asked to make.
But after viewing this message as it is now, I just wouldn’t feel that motivated.
After all, if I owned stock, I could have cashed out a year ago and would not have had to deal with any of this. Or at least I’d be working for AirTran, the company that is eating my lunch.
This appeal from our Milwaukee’s "HomeTown Airline" simply strikes me as being too UpTown.
(Send your corporate videos to brienlee@videostory.com for review.)
The all-too-mellow stuffed tiger with the drug-addled jazz musician’s voice and a bad attitude is encouraging "Random Acts of Cheetos".
Apparently, these acts of civil disobedience are dependent on the fact that Cheetos are filled with orange dye and easily smashed into powder, as you’ll see in this spot featured in Bob Garfied’s Ad Age review.
I don’t know– anytime you eat Cheetos there are random acts of Cheetos all over your hands and clothes. Isn’t that enough? Doesn’t this spot actually reinforce one usually overlooked fact– that Cheetos are messy as hell?
But not "Office Space" enough.
Chester Cheeto is the Devil.