It's been a few weeks since my last article but after seeing last week's Peloton freak out and Aviation Gin commercials I was inspired.
In a fast-paced environment we often miss out on great ads unless they're viral. A lot of good work is produced and distributed everyday, and that's exactly what Peloton thought when they started their holiday campaign.
If you haven't seen the ad, it's right here. A regular :30 spot, just like the thousands of others that you see on an everyday basis.
Criticism For The Ad
Unfortunately, this ad received loads of criticism. Here is a list of complaints from various news stories/publications:
- She is already thin. She doesn't need to lose weight.
- She is seeking approval from her husband.
- The husband forces her to cover her eyes before revealing the present.
- They watch the past 12 months of workouts together and she requires his endorsement/approval.
- The ad was clearly made by men and for men.
New Opportunities
While Peloton was dealing with the media backlash they saw their stock price fall more than 15%. Executives at the company haven't spoken about the campaign or released any specific statements.
This is where things get interesting. The actress, Monica Ruiz, was approached by Ryan Reynolds and Aviation Gin.
Aviation Gin shot and produced their own commercial using the same actress. They released their commercial online. Here it is.
Appropriately titled, "The Gift That Doesn't Give Back". Mic-Drop. Checkmate. Genius. Witty. Whatever you want to call it, this is smart.
Speed is the Variable
I preach about the creative message being the variable of a successful advertising campaign religiously. In this case, speed & creative are equally important.
Reynolds capitalized on something that was receiving unusual amounts of press and wrote, created, produced, and distributed his own advertising campaign in the matter of a few days.
How did Reynolds capitalize on this so quickly?
- The ad was written, shot, and edited in the matter of a few days. Typical advertisements require weeks of re-shoots and edits because of client/agency differences.
- The ad was distributed online. No negotiations, contracts, invoice issues, payments, etc... Typical ad campaigns have weeks of negotiations with their vendors before an ad airs.
In a fast-paced environment the speed in which you can produce quality work wins. We live in the most fast-paced environment in human history. Take that as you will.
If you want to read more from Nathan, check out his site at https://www.creativevariable.com/ !