Do you use AdBlock when you visit Youtube? Do you turn down the volume while you wait until you can skip the advert? Do you click away the banner that appears right in front of the video? Yes? Do you realise this video you’re watching is an ad itself?
There are ads and ads, and Mercedes Benz’s physics-defying Guinness World Record is an example of how to do it right. The video shows how Formula 1 driver David Coulthard races a golf ball shot at 178 mph by pro-golfer Jake Shepherd – to catch it in the passenger seat of the Mercedes Benz SLS. After a few attempts, showing how incredibly hard this is (and what an incredible car this is!), the ball is caught at 275 metres from the tee, setting the record for “farthest golf shot caught in a moving car.”
It doesn’t show any “buy now” banners. It doesn’t show any technicalities about the car.
Viral videos have been an important marketing tool ever since social media took off and advertisers discovered how many people could be reached. Often, their main goal is not to sell a specific product, but to improve brand awareness and give their brand a cool image. The best thing, of course, is that posting a video on Youtube is free, while buying advertising space on the same site certainly isn’t. And do you even remember what was advertised in the link you just clicked away?
That’s not to say Mercedes Benz have spared any expenses on their video “The Catch.” Instead of spending it on a traditional TV commercial, though, they spent it on something more similar to a scene in Top Gear (whose test track was used for the video): something that people actually want to watch and show to their friends. And with over 2 million views on Youtube, and more than 60,000 Facebook shares, it’s safe to say that it was money well spent.
Without traditional advertising, Youtube wouldn’t be able to exist the way it does now. But how many people, after watching this video, are going to check out the “Totally Free ‘Fixes’ For Golfing Mistakes,” or “Over 2000 videos free to watch now!”?
How many people are going to check out this supercar? Exactly.
The video doesn’t have to tell you the car is fast: you can see it with your own eyes. Can we see that it’s fun to drive, easy to keep under control, and beautifully designed? Definitely! This is not a car you use to drive to work or to pick up your children from school; this is a car to catch golf balls on a race track. In the same way, this is not a traditional ad that keeps you from watching what you want; this is an ad to watch with your mates.
Arif s.Driessen is the Editorial, Lifestyle, for Digital Works @ The Driessen Post.
