posted on February 4, 2001 01:17:17 PM new
I'm marveling right now at a couple of commercials I've seen on TV recently for Ebay and half.com. Whereas most advertising is geared towards selling the product, both of these ads present scenarios to the viewer of people having bad experiences with the product. In fact, one is a tumultuous experience for a seller on half.com wherein he's selling his girlfriend's stuff after she breaks up with him only to have to supposedly buy it all back after a make-up call from the girlfriend. Really enticing...
Then there's the Ebay one where the same lamp is bought and sold respectively by a husband and wife. Pretty funny but again not interesting me in the product as much as maybe someone truly finding a collectible item after exhausting all conventional retail avenues.
Sure would like to know their Ad agency-I'll take the contract...
posted on February 4, 2001 02:34:54 PM new
I do get your point, however I found the boyfriend commercial hysterical! I about fell off my treadmill when I first saw it.
I wonder if the ad people are thinking that Ebay is now like Coke, Pepsi, or Budwiser....so well known that they don't have to push the product so much as just remind folks it is there. You know what it is, you know what it does, you need to know it isn't just for geeks anymore.
For example, the Budwiser commercials for the superbowl were more of a spoof of their commercials than any thing else. (I've got to say, I've stopped drinking Budwiser since they quit making commercials with the ferret...I'll buy just about anything with a ferret on it! ).
).