posted on December 30, 2000 06:02:23 PM new
I have seen the ebay commericals for the past several days and am not sure whether I like the concept. It seems like calamities befall this one couple and a dog destroys everything in a house and the slogan is, "If you lost it, broke it, etc... or want to find it cheap... look on ebay." I like the exposure, but I am not sure it is a very positive campaign. Am I being too critical?? Meredith
posted on December 30, 2000 06:14:58 PM new
My first impression when I saw it was some folks might think if you buy from Ebay everything will fall apart..my husband even mentioned it at the same time I was thinking it. Of course at the end it states if it's broke you can replace it at Ebay..but it's certainly not the first impresstion. Who are the advertising **morons at Ebay??
** A reference to the last commercial that Ebay had to edit because it called Ebay buyers morons.
posted on December 30, 2000 06:17:48 PM new
They are very smart though. The ads catch the eye and you remember it! Everyone at work was discussing and laughing about them. I didn't like the message I thought it sent, but the message is remembered, look on ebay.
posted on December 30, 2000 06:28:38 PM new
I agree they are memorable, and the graphics and colors at the end are very dramatic. Hopefully it will bring new buyers to ebay, but do we want the message that they can get it cheap?? Meredith
posted on December 30, 2000 08:15:20 PM new
eBay rubbed me the wrong way with the slightly older campaign they ran on
television. Remember that commercial? It starts with a husband trying to do
something nice for his wife and finding a lamp on eBay. I guess that this lamp was her
favorite (or so he thought) so he bought it on eBay for like $500.00. I guess the
point was that she wanted two matching lamps or whatever. He was all happy and
went home to find his wife snickering and wrapping the lamp. She then tells her
husband that someone had bought that piece of junk (the lamp) for $500.
Reeeeeeeeeeeal funny. ha ha... Well the message I got was that the only one who
got paid was eBay. eBay gets the listing fees and the closing fees while the husband
ended up forking over $500.00 to his wife. The fact that the wife was portrayed as
"getting rid of a piece of junk" doesn't make the sellers who use eBay look reputable,
does it? The image this commercial places in my mind is someone who's excited at
the prospect of screwing someone out of their money for an item that is junk. Maybe
it was a ***RARE!!!*** lamp that he just had to LQQK @? In my opinion this
commercial really sucks! However, I think it is a true insight to the eBay philosophy
on how they treat their users. I haven't seen the new ones and don't care to.
posted on December 30, 2000 08:28:42 PM new
The calamities are eye catching and the final message line on target but it bothers me that so much of the "needs" shown are not decent candidates for ebaY shopping (e.g. hwo could one look on ebay to repair their roof or replace the bushes?)
posted on December 30, 2000 08:28:43 PM new
What ticked me about the "lamp" commercial was the idea that the "wife" did not know her husband's name and address, that's where she was sending the lamp, right?? And, I guess I am being too picky, but remember how she packaged the lamp? It was in a half box with tissue paper around it. USPS or UPS wouldn't touch that. Meredith
posted on December 31, 2000 12:57:06 AM new
I saw the lamp commercial but none of this latest round. I think you guys are being too harsh. eBay has already been defined by the media as the world's largest white elephant collection. They're doing a good job of working with and expanding that definition. eBay is showing that "one man's junk is another man's treasure," which as someone pointed out a while back, works for both buyers and sellers.
eBay is known mainly as the butt of media jokes (Leno, Letterman, Will & Grace, etc.). Rather than try to redefine themselves, they've embraced that reputation.
posted on December 31, 2000 02:14:33 AM new
IMHO the main message comes across loud and clear. Whatever you need or want you can probably find it on ebay. How true those words are, I look around my house and type in the words on search, there it is. Even the lamp comercial sent that message.
As the stars say, any publicity is good publicity.
posted on December 31, 2000 02:29:46 AM new
rarriffle, I disagree. I think eBay's past "lamp" commercial and present "house falling apart" commercial send an ENTIRELY WRONG MESSAGE, regardless how well they stick in people's minds.
The lamp commercial (aside from the "poor packaging", the wife's not recognizing her husband as the buyer, and his thinking she loved the lamp when she hated it) gave the inpressions that:
1) eBay buyers are fools who get taken for big bucks$$$, and
2) anybody can list any old piece of "junk" and make a *killing* on eBay, and
3) the seller you buy from on eBay is a nonprofessional who just wants to get rid of something, so he'll take whatever he can get for it.
This latest commercial DOES have a negative connotation---not that you can buy whatever you need on eBay (and CHEAP, no less), but that whatever you buy on eBay WILL FALL APART on you (what can you EXPECT when the price is so CHEAP, Dummy??????). THAT'S the message I was left with, regardless what the voice-over was saying.
I mean, the dormer falls off the roof, and you're going to go to eBay to replace it????? STUPID ADVERTISING. Ebay has TONS of money to spend on advertising, and they don't have any better sense than to APPROVE THIS from an advertising agency?????????!!!!!!!!!!! Someone(s) should be FIRED!!! (Can you tell I was a commercial artist? Sorry if I can't contain myself.)
The only eBay ad I remember liking was the young woman with the Bakelite radio who got it on eBay, so pleased with her purchase, who said she would have paid more for it. This was a couple years ago, before the few eBay employees with ANY SENSE AT ALL left the company (or were given the boot).
How can they continue to make one mistake after another, after another??? Even the last sorry corporation I worked for FINALLY had enough sense to prescreen commercials in front of employees and ask for opinions (and the consensus of ordinary people is what you need in commercials). What amazes me is how BAD commercials ever get made, much less AIRED on television.
[ edited by granee on Dec 31, 2000 02:38 AM ]
posted on December 31, 2000 03:26:07 AM new
Okay granee, lets agree to disagree. Have a happy new year everyone. I have auctions to write and pictures to take.
posted on December 31, 2000 04:24:56 AM new
Adding my .02 cents....
1) The lamp commercial was funny. Anyone with a good "eye" can see that the lamp was not junk, however the couple in the commercial peceived it that way.
How many have sold what we have termed as "junk" for sums over and above our expectations?
2) The new commercials are funny. The dormer fell on the CAR. There are a LOT of cars being sold on ebay. The objective of the advertiser is to make their ad memorable. I think they have achieved that.
Look around you house. Just about everything you buy has some silly form of advertising.
I have a sneaking suspicion that no dog skitters around the house screaming BACON, BACON!!!, but I occasionally buy the little treats anyway.
My husbands work clothes have never looked like the ones washed in Tide on TV, but I use it anyway.
The examples go on.....
There is huge creative liscence in advertising, everyone knows that.
I sell and occasionally buy on ebay. When I buy it is because I can buy it CHEAPER that going to the store for it (or what I saw in an antique store, etc) If I couldn't why in the world would I buy online?
Even my 88 yr. old grandma (no computer) has heard of Ebay and knows the premise of the site. I serioulsly doubt that many people are going to be duped by this wacky advertising. Ebay is now HUGE and (face it)the days of selling ho-hum merchandise for big bucks are gone.
Granted, if I sold on ebay full time I might be on a high-horse. For those that do sell full time, DIVERSIFY! Find other alternatives to sell your wares. What did we ever do before ebay happened along? Unfortunately in "ebay world" jumping on the band-wagon early in the game does not guarantee firm footing in your particular market.
Edited for SP --Brought to you by MHO Productions--
[ edited by geminspector on Dec 31, 2000 05:29 AM ]
posted on December 31, 2000 05:34:25 AM new
Highlighting antiques and collectibles, the eBay commerical targets the core of its existance, yet, we're the ones who are being shunted aside for all the new gizmos.
posted on December 31, 2000 05:39:54 AM new
The commercial with the dogs is the only one I've seen. I love it, but then what dog person would not love a commercial full of dogs. Love the JRT!
posted on December 31, 2000 06:12:10 AM new
Given the fact that this thread has 17 posts in less than 1/2 day, the new ebay commercial campaign is certainly generating some attention, at least among on-line auction users.
Commercials viewed as good or bad are given value judgements by consumers. On the business level, advertising is a measurable investment which is ultimately judged on the increase in revenue to the company.
As an advertising professional, I think the new campaign is working by directing attention to ebay. Should this attention be followed by interest (logging on to ebay), desire (searching for an item), conviction (decision to bid on an auction), and then action (actual bid), these spots will have done their job.
On a personal note, I like the new spots. Just look at the conversational controversy they have generated in this forum. Viewers can form whatever opinion they like, but it looks to me like this campaign is definitely doing the job of getting the ebay message across: Need something? Check out our site.
posted on December 31, 2000 07:35:50 AM new
What is wrong with just saying if you want it or need it?? You don't have to have had to lose it or break it. You need a new toaster, you want another Santa for your collection, you want that doll just like you had when you were 10 years old, your daughter wants a certain CD, you collect Winnie the Pooh memorabilia and you want to browse and see what is available in the comfort of your home in your PJs. How about stressing the convenience, especially when the wind chill is below 0. Not going from store to store or flea market or garage sale and still coming up short. Ebay is fabulous, on any given day you can find many, many treasures. Let's stress the postitive.
I just saw their print ad in my Sunday paper, it is better, because it lists items (ficticious, I assume, since the numbers are not current). But still stresses the, "broke it, lost, need it cheap", aspect.
I like the attention, but I wish they would now switch gears and stress the postives and the uniquesnesses of Ebay!! Meredith
posted on December 31, 2000 07:46:42 AM new
If this thread were used as a yardstick to measure the consumer impact of the "lamp" commercial, I'm afraid it would have to be rated a dismal failure.
You see, the "lamp" commercial wasn't an ad for eBay, per se. It was for Visa.
The new round of commercials are specifically for eBay. What I found curious was the "lost it, broke it, get it cheap" message, particularly in light of a general feeling here and elsewhere that eBay is doing its best to deliberately alienate the small seller in favor of retailers. It's the small sellers -- the virtual flea market vendors -- who provide the kind of "lost it, broke it, get it cheap" goods the new eBay commercials promote.
I don't know what the corporate intent behind the message is, but as a small seller, I like what it's saying to the public.
posted on December 31, 2000 03:53:16 PM new
I just received the following e-mail from one of my winning bidders:
"I'm sorry but I can't pay for the auction I won. My granddaughter broke the television set at her birthday party, my dog buried my cell phone, and the roof of my house fell on my car. So there's no way I can afford to send you any money."
posted on December 31, 2000 04:11:09 PM new
I saw the lamp commercial and thought it was cute...and got the point across that you can find that special something that someone else thinks is worthless and to you its a treasure.
Also saw the dog one today and found it too got the point across that you can find just about anything on ebay. And frequently for a good price.
Nothing wrong with telling people they can get a bargain on ebay...that's one of the big reasons people shop ebay...might as well accentuate the fact...most people LOVE a bargain!
posted on December 31, 2000 04:50:00 PM newmerrie, "... and see what is available in the comfort of your home in your PJs."
Of course, that eBay commercial was pre-empted by Energizer batteries. I mean the one about "in-your-underwear.com." Dumb, but you get the point.
I don't see why eBay's commercials should be dry, bland, or pretentious. Even Sun Microsystems' "the dot" commercials are spoofs of action movies. eBay's spots are memorable and they give a chuckle. What more do you want?
Suggesting that the husband's poor packaging job means eBay purchases will arrive broken is ... well, I really think some people need to lighten up.
posted on December 31, 2000 05:36:15 PM new
twinsoft
no one is sugesting they be bland, they can be cute, funny, whimsical, etc without breakage, bathtubs falling through ceilings and dormers falling on cars. The dog one is more to the point because he is burying things that could be found on ebay, jewelry, violins, cell phones, etc.
Oh, by the way, the wife packaged the lamp, not the husband, he bought it. Meredith
posted on December 31, 2000 08:27:14 PM new
TO LITTLE TO LATE ebay didnt start running season spots till way to late in the season dont even know why they bothered
posted on December 31, 2000 08:41:42 PM new
I saw the commercials for the first time tonight and, Imabrit, you zeroed in my same thought -- NOWHERE do we find out what eBay actually is or the site address. At the end, where it says "eBay," why not "eBay.com?" SIMPLE! Easy to remember!
Last night at a party I was talking about eBay with someone who had a vague idea what it was, and was full of questions about how it worked. She asked the address, she had no idea how to find it. Seems to me that she is someone who would be in this ad's target audience.
