My theory of why radio advertising for associations usually is worse than most bad commercials:
1. Some executive director who knows nothing about advertising decides what the “campaign” should be
or
2. Some executive director who knows nothing about advertising blindly chooses an incompetent agency to create the campaign
or
3. The association has a committee whose individual members know nothing about radio advertising and who pool their collective ignorance to define the campaign.
But usually at least you can glean the message (or, often and sadly, multiple messages) the association was trying to communicate. Not here:
The performance: That guy was supposed to be angry, sharing with you the things that are “driving me crazy.” Did you sense even a hint of genuine anger? Of any type of emotion? That’s a guy reading copy written by someone who was trying to be clever.
From the opening words, it’s fake. It’s like watching an amateur magician trying to keep you from seeing the cards he’s awkwardly attempting to palm. The copy is false and the delivery is false.
So what message were they trying to communicate? Good luck answering that one.
I Am Completely Serious When I Say The Following
1. This association would have gotten far more for its advertising dollars simply by saying, “Come to Las Vegas! Come to Las Vegas! Come to Las Vegas!” for 30 seconds.
2. They would’ve had a better chance of getting an ROI on this commercial by taking their entire radio advertising budget, walking into any casino into town, and placing it all on the “come” line of a craps table.
I’m serious. They would’ve had almost a 50% chance of doubling their investment — which is a lot better than a 0% chance of getting any return at all on their money.
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Fake read? sure, but also too much copy to achieve getting attention…If anything, the guy didn’t go over the top enough…you want a total meltdown. All the copy doesn’t have to be read clear, as the talent is getting frustrated and blowing up, and when emotions run high, no one can really necessarily make out what you say, but only near the end, leading into a payoff…which could a yell in frustration, fall down, anything short of an explosion like the guys head was exploding…that’s a bit too much. then, a tag line to be done by a “announcer”…not overly rushed…the current spot is like HUH? las vegas what? too rushed again….
If you can’t go that route, the other you could take is a dry monotoned read with lots of pauses and few words. “hi…I’m bob….my coworkers and friends think I need a vacation…..I really don’t know what they are talking about….i’m the fun loving out going guy that they see everyday…etc etc.” in a ben stein type read….
Eithier way, you need a voice actor to hit the mark right. that’s not what happens obviously….
If you really want to do the “come to las vegas” thing, piece together 30 secs of streeters recorded from genuinely excited maybe slightly intoxicated people coming out of a casino.
That might have a chance….
For 22 seconds he was painting a picture that has nothing to do with Las Vegas. And that is like opening the exit door wide open and screaming to people: “GO OUT, GO OUT!”
OK, OK – some might say – the commercial is different – YES, I agree – for the first time you hear it! The second time it is predictable (which is the killer in ads) and irritating – because like you said Dan: The interpretation is far from being genuine and nowadays people need “closeness” to other people!
And secondly: the bridge between the first part of the message and the second part is very purely done – I don’t buy it. “I guess the world has gone crazy”??!? What? He now suddenly doesn’t feel angry anymore? Ah well …
I think some people need to re-visit Vegas (the board who threw the money out of the window with this commercial) in order to really feel it with their hearts.
Lenja