I visited cpbgroup.com and thought, overall, it was a well designed. Their site is straitforward and easy to navigate. Some of their work I liked was Burger King, Miller Lite and Volkswagen.
The first of the Burger King commercials I saw with “the king,” was the one in which the guy wakes up in bed with the king next to him. I remember thinking it was bizarre and creepy but intriging at the same time. There was another one where a guy opens the blinds and the king is standing outside his window, staring in. Agian, creepy, but I really liked it. I found they grew on me and the more I saw, the more I WANTED to see. Also, his oversized plastic head with the overly cheerful expression was what made them work. It reminded me of clowns at a carnival gone wrong.
Miller Lite was another ad campain that was memorable. They played “The Men of the Square Table,” commercials during the football season. The fact that they had well known people (Burt Reynolds) who were part of this secret panel made it more interesting. Plus the fact that they basically discussed whats in good taste, only pertaining to beer was hilarious. I could actually see a group of guys sitting around doing this!
The Volkswagen campaign was one of my favorites of last year. Specifically, the commercials with the people talking in their car when, out of nowhere, they are hit by another car. Those were AWESOME! The fact that it starts off slow and uneventfull so that you’re half listening and then, BAM!, there’s this impact that startles you. Now, it has your full attention and the people are standing outside their wrecked VW and one says, “Holy Shi_.”
And they cut out when he’s saying this and go to a picture with the car and above it, it says, Safe Happens.
It gave me chills the first time I saw this commercial. I know that sounds nerdy, but it was sooo good! It works on so many levels. It gets your attention with the wreck, it makes you relate through emotion (people who have been in accidents are “triggered” back to the event and the feelings associated with it, which is also a big part part of the target audience who would be interested in a safe car) and emotional involvement is one of the best ways to remember something. I gives the person a sense of attachment and a sense of a shared emotional experience which is very powerful. The ending works in two ways. First, is the play on words. The person says, holy shi_, which which leads into Safe Happens(This is also a mnemonic device since it comes from Shit Happens). The second way it works is that while you are still in this emotional state, it quickly cuts to what its selling. Its providing a solution for the distress you are feeling. The background is white (safe, neutral, open)color and its telling you that in a VW, shit doesnt happen; safe happens. Its the perfect commercial.
Overall, I really like the work these guys do. I look foreward to seeing what they come up with next.
