LOOK OUT!
Gillette builds buzz with non-ads
This video of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria saving a distracted reporter from a concussion and maybe certain death has gone viral, generating more than one million views and a ton of buzz.
While Longoria plays third exceptionally well (he has won the Gold Glove Award for the past two seasons) this video has to be fake, right?
One, the reporter has no flag on her microphone, and two a Major League Baseball player, especially one of Longoria’s caliber, would never turn his back to the field during batting practice.
Still, great video and an even better marketing piece.
Check out the Gillette banners on the walls of the stadium, which doesn’t look like the Rays’ home ballpark, Tropicana Field, even though the empty seats may fool some. Sorry Rays, had to go there.
Gillette isn’t admitting that this video is an ad, but Longoria does appear in their commercials, so you be the judge.
The brand’s spokespeople are taking the same shrug their shoulders approach that they used last year when the similarly crafted off-the-cuff “Roger Federer Trickshot” video made the rounds, but of course they are.
Admitting that this video is fake and an ad would kill all of the speculation and brand buzz that it is generating.
Fake or not, this ad is a terrific example of the awareness an expertly crafted video can build, and the new techniques marketers are using to reach consumers in today's media saturated landscape.
Whether or not guys decide to buy more Gillette razors because of the video is another question, but you can't fault them for trying after the viral success of Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign.
Hopefully the Rays get some attention and actual ticket sales out of the video too, as they constantly struggle to bring in fans even though they have been terrific the past few seasons and are currently tied for first in the AL East.
Check out a previous post that I wrote about the Rays dismal fan attendance and marketing challenges.
{lg_social_bookmarks title="LOOK OUT!" permalink="http://www.dailyvista.com/blog/comments"}
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
-
{social_sites}
-
