Posts Tagged ‘DRTV commercial’
Choosing the Right DRTV Celebrity
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Or How Wilford Brimley rode in on a horse, and Liberty Medical rides out with a success story.
Working with a celebrity endorser can be an expensive proposition for an advertiser. And, as many advertisers through the years have discovered, it can be fraught with peril. But with DRTV, you can find out very quickly whether a celebrity is the right spokesman for your product.
Liberty Medical is in the business of home delivery of diabetes testing supplies and was committed to using a celebrity in their advertising. Liberty tried a number of very famous actors without success. The spots were pulled after short media tests, with minimal financial investment.
It turns out having an instantly recognizable name was not enough to resonate with potential Liberty customers. The spokesman had to know what living with Type 2 Diabetes is all about. Enter Wilford Brimley.
Click on the embedded video to see the spot created by A.Eicoff & Company, and hear Wilford Brimley’s story. The spot was a long-term success for Liberty Medical.
After the initial two-week test with Wilford Brimley proved successful, a national rollout followed. The difference was not the message or the markets where the spot ran. The difference was the simple fact that Wilford Brimley understood what living with Type 2 Diabetes was all about; he was able to connect with the audience. He knew that testing your blood sugar as often as your doctor prescribed was vital, even if it wasn’t the easiest or most pleasant thing to do. He offered a bit of advice, he did it in a compelling manner and there was no mistaking what he wanted people to do: “Call Liberty, they’ll help you live a better life.”
Liberty Medical built their diabetes testing supply business significantly on a Direct Response Television campaign featuring Mr. Brimley. This commercial, which ran successfully for several years, was also parodied on Saturday Night Live, featuring John Goodman in the role of “Wilford Brimley.”
I’m not sure how Mr. Brimley took the satirical piece, (I didn’t dare ask), but when your commercial is being parodied on SNL it’s definitely part of the consciousness of American television viewers. And that was a huge bonus for Liberty Medical. A celebrity is not always the right way to go in a television campaign, but when you can test it with a Direct Response Television commercial, you’ll know very quickly whether you made the right decision.
Terry O’Sullivan is a Group Creative Director at A. Eicoff & Co., one of North America’s largest DRTV agencies.
The Power of the DRTV Demo
Friday, January 29th, 2010
With the spirit of the state of Missouri in mind, buyers of your helpful product or cool innovation will often bring a simple demand: show me! Thus, as much as powerful language and nice imagery can enhance your product’s personality and its brand, you cannot underestimate the power of THE DEMO in your television spot.
This is especially important if you’re creating a direct response television commercial.
Over the years at Eicoff, we’ve put numerous products to that task in our DRTV commercials. Craftsman tools, Kenmore vacuums, beauty products, automotive… we’ve demoed it all. Along the way, we’ve learned quite a few things. Here are some.
Demos don’t need to be boring. Whether it’s the angle you shoot it at, the art direction or the sound effects, demos can and should be dynamic.
Think visual. Some demonstrations are made for television, others not so much. Make sure what you’re demonstrating is something that can be told visually. For example, you cannot show how a product smells.
Take your time. Longer format television spots help you help the viewer see your product’s value. Unless you have something that does one thing and one thing only, it’s beneficial to have extra time to give viewers a more complete picture and better understanding of your product. “Wow, it does that and that and that… sold!”
Run a test. It may seem like a total no brainer, but it’s always a good idea to try the demos before you film the demos. This ensures no hangs up on the shoot day and may actually create a thought or two on how to improve the demo.
Here are 3 examples of Eicoff DRTV commercials that work hard to tell a product’s story by utilizing the almighty demo.
Craftsman 2-in-1 Trimmer/Blower
Craftsman Clean ‘N Carry Powerwasher
Craftsman CompuCarve
Tim Burke is a Senior Vice-President, Group Creative Director at A. Eicoff & Co., one of North America’s largest DRTV agencies.
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