I always feel rather mean criticising work for brands that generally do great work, and criticising ads that PR people have sent with genuine enthusiasm. But I just don't get the new Economist ad.
I mean, its nice enough. Far too long, but despite the nice visuals Let Your Mind Wander doesn't feel right to me as a line or idea. As a colleague here mentioned, they read it for a year and never felt like they were wandering: "no-one wanders through the economist. it's serious. much like you wouldn't wander through the stock exchange. you walk with purpose."
To me it's much more "Let your mind focus"...
So why talk about wandering? Well they clearly are going after a wider audience, people who want to understand this new crazy financial era, maybe wandering is more exciting than focus. But clarity, and understanding are far more compelling actual reasons to read the economist.
Sadly, its 'nice video, shame about the song' on this one...
3 comments:
Yes The Economist is serious ... but by the same token, it's not the font of all [business] knowledge and so whilst I wouldn't automatically associate 'wandering' with the brand, neither would I regard it as the 'one stop shop' for all business related issues.
It's because of this I like the overall idea of the ad, but I agree - the execution seems to be lacking something - but given that's more to do with the fact they have set the advertising bar so high, I guess it's acceptable. Just. Ha!
Can't help thinking that this ad was presented to Visa, Coca Cola, any number of mobile phone companies (network and handsets )and probably Sony before finally being bought by the Economist.
i didn't get the tightrope walking either. and the thing is after all those white-on-reds that made so much sense, that were so full of insight, when they finally make a tvc, it makes little sense to me.
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