Recently I witnessed a blatant knockoff TV commercial attempt brought to you by Orbitz. They have created a character who can only be described as an indistinct, older, white man, dressed in a suit walking through the streets "predicting" collisions and interactions of people and objects on the street all while never losing eye contact with the camera. Sound intriguing? It isn't. It smells like lazy unoriginal creative, and you can do better.
One of my pet peeves is when someone attempts to replicate the success of another. We have all seen and enjoyed the Old Spice Guy commercials starring Isaiah Mustafa. Did you think we wouldn't notice that you created the polar opposite? Mustafa is a handsome young, shirtless, black man, with a voice that commands your attention. (I admit I have a crush!!) The commercials are engaging and hilarious. In order to comprehend the humor in the ads one must actually listen and digest what Mustafa is saying! Genius. Make the client want to pay attention to the ad. When Old Spice included the social media aspect in the campaign it became an unprecedented viral success-their sales have increased 107% last month!
So, Orbitz...that does not mean America wants a faux Old Spice Guy. We are content with the one we have. Tell your creatives to hit the drawing board and try again.
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