It’s conceptual…it’s a metaphor…it’s a personification…it’s aspirational…it’s a gimmick…it’s just plane confusing.
I like a good mental challenge as much as the next girl, but I find LG’s Scarlet promotion of their flat screen TVs ties my brain into a knot of Gordian proportions.
For those unfamiliar with the campaign, LG has created a fictional…well…fictional character named Scarlet – a red eyed super-something (hero? cop? spy? cyborg? vampire? siren? model?) The ads feature fictional promotions for the fictional TV show for the fictional character and end with a blink-and-you-miss-it oblique reference to flat screen TVs.
Every time I come across this campaign, I find myself plagued with questions: What is it? Why is it? and Do I like it? And, strangely, the answer on all three counts is: I’m not sure.
Explanations from the producers just deepen the mystery with vague Lynch-ian quotes about clues and martial arts: LG Reveals Mystery Behind 'Scarlet'
I can’t help but think that if people who do this sort of thing for a living can’t figure it out, there is no way consumers are coming along on this journey down the rabbit hole.
Is this a sign of abstraction in brand communications to come? Or did they forget to take that left at ambiguity?
The Dozen is an eclectic take on innovation, branding, media, strategy and research, brought to you by the creative minds at Egg Strategy.
Comments
I think It's very straight forward. What's not to understand? How good it is, and if it will be a reference as Chan Suh says, is another thing.
They are in the TV business (amongst other things) - you watch TV shows on TV sets. They have a new line (series) coming out called Scarlet (I presume). They borrowed from the product's context (watching TV shows) and used that style/tonality/typical feel - and applied that to their product. That, as I understand it, is also what Chan Suh refers to when he says "...a share of media, we used culture, which...". That's my take on it. It looks and sounds like a TV trailer - but is advertising for a TV set. Right?
Really? You think this will work? That the imaginary content will pull people into buying this brand of TV? I remain skeptical. How does this make me want this TV? It might make me want to watch Scarlet, but, oh, too bad, it does't exist.
No, I'm with you on that note. The advertising will probably not make that many buy the product. But what advertising ever did? We don't know the advertising objective or strategy and what other maketing activities there are (and planned). Where I live, the ad doesn't run so I don't know more than I've seen on youtube and read here. But it's probably meant to prime the target. Create some buzz and talk around Scarlet.
True that, and in that sense it is working!
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