Disco Fries

NOTE: I originally posted this on my old blog, so excuse any untimeliness.

Powerthirst!

This is one of my favorite viral videos to hit the Intertubes in a while. It reminds me of walking into a GNC and seeing the labels on every muscle-gaining supplement — “Energy! Science! Energy!” As if shouting chemistry terms or writing in a bolder sans-serif font than a competing brand really grants it legitimacy.

What peaked my interest enough to post this are two very similar videos that showed up within the past couple months. Depending on how you want to interpret it, they either copy or pay homage to the original Powerthirst video.

The first is a real advertisement for a Ford dealership in Texas. I can only assume that either the owner of the dealership is a fan of viral videos, or the local agency that produced the ad, Cornerstone Media Inc., has a very convincing pitchman. I’m sure the spot managed to grab the attention of local Texans, but something tells me the “extreme” marketing didn’t quite resonate with people looking to buy trucks. I love the “Trucktober!” quip, but as it turns out, I’m not in the market for a new truck.

The second is the first in a series of viral online ads for an energy drink called “Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator“. Fans of the movie Idiocracy will recognize Brawndo as the fictional (until now) Gatorade-type sports drink of the future, which employs half of the American population, buys the FDA, and replaces water as the substance we use to water our crops. I could talk for hours about my love of Mike Judge’s movie, but perhaps I’ll save it for another time. What I will say is that “extreme” marketing in this case is spot on. The jokes just lend themselves to selling an energy drink dubbed “The Thirst Mutilator” rather than pick-up trucks.

A recruiter from the ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky came to speak at Syracuse a couple weeks ago. He argued that we’re entering an age where so called “intrusive” advertising is becoming easier and easier to ignore. There are few new places to reach people where they least expect it, and it’s difficult to come up with messages that intrude on someone’s daily routine without being annoying. I can’t necessarily speak for anyone else, but pop-up ads on my favorite websites usually result in my having a lesser opinion of whatever brand just plastered a dancing animation on top of the article I was trying to read.

The solution, as our speaker described, is “inclusive” advertising. It means that ads should be inviting consumers to be part of the joke, and that if the message is right, people will seek out the product on their own time instead of being bombarded with it unwillingly. To my friends who are reading this, congratulations. You’re now a more cynical consumer.

For a few quick examples of “inclusive” advertising, check out Coke Zero’s TV spots where hidden cameras record the reaction of real Coke lawyers after being questioned whether the company can sue itself, Burger King’s subservient chicken website and Xbox games, and Smirnoff Raw Tea’s Tea Partay viral ads.

Words can’t describe how well the Brawndo brand fits in with the Powerthirst videos. My friends up in Boston managed to track down some of this sweet, god-like nectar. And despite having already seen the viral ad, I naively asked how it tasted… stupid idea.

Responses: “It’s like having SEX with a TRACTOR TRAILER in a parking lot!” and “It’s like a MONSTER TRUCK you can pour into your FACE!”

It’s like a marketers wet dream. And I know I’m being slightly manipulated by these viral ads, but as long as they keep cranking out absurdly ridiculous ads, I’m on board. In the meantime, enjoy the slightly less intellectual things in life.

“Preposterone!!!“