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A SHOO-IN FOR THE BAD RADIO COMMERCIAL HALL OF FAME

Let’s see if you can force your mind not to wander during the following 30 seconds:

“May I have another, sir?”

“Why, certainly. Enjoy.”

You see, most people don’t know what HD radio is, so they tie it into something everyone is familiar with: the salp. The salp??

Here’s what a salp looks like. Now do you want to rush out and get an HD radio?

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Jim Walsh April 13, 2009, 12:33 am

    Double-you tee eff…?

  • Eric Crosby April 13, 2009, 2:25 am

    Yes! Absolutely! The Salp looks like an awesome creature! I want him to brand my next product.

    What exactly does a Salp do?

  • Scott Snailham April 13, 2009, 2:30 am

    good concept, well produced and cast, but the copy has to be dumbed down, and less wordy. Few things there that joe average can relate to, and they get bored.

    I’d probably go for a actor that can do a more animated delivery. If the copy makes you fall asleep, the more animated delivery can at least keep them awake. 🙂

  • Dina Monaco-Boland April 13, 2009, 6:04 am

    Okay… with full knowledge of being in the minority, I have to say that I thought this was funny. It’s silly… the salp? I mean, it even sounds funny and the idea is that HD radio is reproducing offspring as quickly as the salp- which apparently are very adept at doing. Oh, sure, they could’ve used rabbits but that’s been done to death. The salp is memorable, funky, and got us talking about it.

    As far as delivery… in my opinion, something more animated would’ve just been too much– like too much seasoning. The script and concept are silly enough and you have a nice, light, almost fanciful voice which seems to be holding back just a tad of excitment over the discovery that HD radio may have evolved from the salp.

    I could also see this done with a male voice reminiscent of old school filmstrips.

  • Paul Johnson April 13, 2009, 6:34 am

    This isn’t an attack on anyone, but I think maybe some are missing the point.

    Let’s not get hung up on the Salp.

    Where’s the benefit for the listener? What information have they shared with me that is going to make me want to go buy an HD radio? How have they educated me in the benefits of owning an HD radio?

    Answers: there isn’t one, none and they haven’t.

    You know what else is springing up like little Salp babies? Meth labs. Doesn’t mean I want one.

  • John April 13, 2009, 8:18 am

    Paul, you owe me a new keyboard. the meth labs thing made me spit coffee all over mine.

    lol

  • Frank Baum April 13, 2009, 8:30 am

    Well, the big bucks campaign, out of the box. low key insider envy factors, .. oh who am I kidding. Entomologists the world over wil lhave their skins crawl. Too much sauce, didn’t barbecue it long enough down in texas. Necessary flavor not developed enough. Advertising what?

  • Scott Fortney April 13, 2009, 8:33 am

    Wow… where can I get mascot that resembles the salp? I want one.

  • Shawn Reed April 13, 2009, 12:46 pm

    Now I feel like a violated salp for listening to that!

  • Douglas Mize April 13, 2009, 12:47 pm

    Thank you, now I now what a salp is. Does this now mean that HD radios are waterproof or do they just suck like the salp?

  • Scott Snailham April 13, 2009, 4:15 pm

    Interesting what Dina said, and I can see her point…I felt the read just left the copy sit there, which is why I was thinking more animated, but the other way also works with the film strip type delivery. I first think of Ben Stein if you want to go that route. I think if Ben voiced the spot, with his delivery, it could really work…but imagine he isn’t cheap.

    Funny thing about HD radio, are the local station engineers going to compress the crap and crank up the loudness wars for that too? Then it will be no better then FM if they do.

  • Mitch Krayton April 13, 2009, 4:29 pm

    ’cause o’ this here spot, I got me a new fangled HD radio, but I can’t get the Blue Rays to work on the consarned thing.

  • Cygnus April 13, 2009, 8:43 pm

    I’d like to see that spot run here in northern Nevada. Total number of HD radio stations: zero.

  • Barry Cole April 27, 2009, 7:53 am

    It gives us no desire to go out and buy a new radio.The desire, the emotional hook is not there.

    The sad part of it all is. The Listener will tune in hear the same old same old sounding the same way and think Hmmm HD Radio sounds just like the crap I’ve heard on this station for years.

    Someone mentioned it needs to be dumb downed. You can get much dumber.

  • Jim Thomas May 5, 2009, 11:49 am

    It is just me, or does “salp” sound like “Sap” in this ad. It really give no compelling reason [“it’s time to upgrade”?] to buy an HD radio.
    Gets a “C”