The Ultimate Shit Ad

This is not an ad blog. There are lots of ad blogs out there, mainly because it's so easy to write one - there are new ads breaking virtually every day. And it's all too easy to criticise other people's work.

But, on this one occasion, I'm going to discuss an ad. And it's a real stinker. It's the new TV brand ad for BMW.

Watch it here (warning: there are scenes of sickeningly happy and tanned Europeans that will make you want to smash their smug faces in)

Twenty years or more of brand equity that has been carefully constructed and curated through powerful, elegant and understated BMW brand communications, all destroyed by one short film. Strategically and creatively it must rank as the most tragic piece of advertising I have ever seen.

To make things worse, there are print ads too.

How about this for a piece of copy...

"We [BMW] are the creators of emotion"

It gets better...

"We are the guardians of ecstasy, the thrills and chills"

"Innovation is our backbone, but joy is our heart"

"We will give the world the keys to Joy and they will take it for a drive"

Hopefully Joy will crash into a ditch before the brand is ruined beyond recognition.

Hypernomics

There is no doubt that the social side of media is changing the way that people communicate and as a result gives brands new opportunities to engage with consumers. And Social refers to much more than just social networks. It could be anything that gets people talking.

There is one thing though that might hamper the growth of Social as a form of brand communication. And that is the very people who claim to be expert in its application. The hype, mis-information and general bunkum surrounding Social is astonishing. There is no better example than this film from Socialnomics.

Some of the stats in this film are true. Some are laughable.

But it's the arrogance that really comes across. The sooner they grow up and put this stuff into perspective the better.

...And they used Fatboy Slim for the soundtrack!