Such A Tease
February 03, 2012
So who’s excited for the big game? Nowadays it’s kind of hard not to get a little excited, whether you’re a huge football fan like myself, or a huge commercial/comedy fan, also like myself. No matter what kind of fan you are, one thing’s for sure – various media avenues are fueling this excitement.
Advertisers are teasing their Super Bowl commercials, days, even weeks beforehand, with additional entertaining content. You've probably seen news channels, blogs, even your friends on Twitter or Facebook talk about them already.
My favorite teaser this year has to be The Bark Side, launched by Volkswagen on YouTube, which continues with their popular Star Wars theme from last year. And it’s not just my favorite because it’s funny or entertaining like other teaser spots. It’s because it’s a lot more than that: entertaining, interactive and useful. Dogs barking the popular Imperial March tune from Star Wars, wearing funny outfits? Cool. Linking to a Star Wars themed webpage where you can create a customized Super Bowl party invite? EVEN COOLER. The site allows you to select a story line, much like the ones from the movies, with a Super Bowl twist:
- Episode I – THE CHOSEN ONE: Who is fated to host the Big Game party?
- Episode II – THE GREAT DIP REBELLION: An epic Game Day snack is hijacked.
- Episode III – REVENGE OF THE UNDERDOG: Two opposing forces on the field and at the party.
- Episode IV – REMOTE WARS: Rebel spies steal the Empire's ultimate weapon.
- Episode V – THE INVITE STRIKES BACK: Invites are dispatched into the far reaches of cyberspace.
- Episode VI – ATTACK OF THE FAN CLONES: Several guests are not what they seem.
Then just type in your name, the party’s details and your friends' names. Voila! A custom video is built, turning your Super Bowl party into an epic tale. You can easily forward the video to guests and it includes a map of the party's location. Volkswagen gets it. The Super Bowl is about entertainment, yes. But it's also about planning something fun with friends and family.
What makes this whole campaign special is the fact that it doesn’t just stop with the YouTube video. The video directs you to the VW website where you create your own personalized invites, then those invites get sent to your friends, and then they’ll probably talk about it with their own circle of friends. The whole campaign pulls you in, gets you to spend more time with the brand, and sparks and spreads a conversation – which in my eyes makes it a success.
What are some of the best Super Bowl ads/teasers you've seen?