Engaging the theater of our minds, let us pretend you have $100,000 to spend on producing a TV spot. We know the reality falls somewhere between $5,000 and $2,000,000, but bear with me. When you presented your budget to your agency, the account executive probably said something dashingly low-key, like, "We can work with that," as if they had a choice. From there begins the beautiful machinations of building a TV commercial. What fun!
What you don't see on Mad Men is the barbaric process of elimination that occurs in pre-production – an exercise that whittles the copywriter and art director's epic vision into a grotesque Frankenstein that is an affordable marketing message. Most of these cuts are purely pragmatic. ("Why don't you just set this spot on the moon?" a frustrated production manager once screamed at me).
Every cut is felt, however. Shooting will be reduced from three days to one. The script will call for a majestic scene atop a Hawaiian volcano, but will ultimately be shot in the creative director's back yard. The celebrity voice over you pitched in the creative presentation will become a local talent who can manage a passable British accent.
These are all age-old sacrifices. However, smart branding managers (like yourself) should resolve to stinking to an unbreakable production absolute in 2018: never skimp on the on-camera talent.
It is said that great photography is all about proper lighting (which is something you should never mention to a photographer). Likewise, a great TV spot is all in the casting (though you should spare the writer that truth).
Consider a recent campaign for DirectTV, which pokes fun at backwards consumers who prefer cable TV over Dish. Conceptually, it's a mediocre idea with a big media budget. But what makes the campaign work (and work well, apparently) is the professional casting.
Brands with heroically small budgets are tempted to cut costs by casting their articulate employees, cute relatives or (gasp) themselves in their TV spots. This may save you a fee, but it will cost you magic. Behold DirectTV's perfect casting!
Whether plucked from the local stage theater or selected from a well-connected casting agency, the actors employed by DirectTV are the best part of what could have been a boringly juvenile idea. You can bet these thespians came at a significant cost to the brand. However, what price might have the brand paid had the campaign failed to penetrate consumers' minds and bounced ingloriously into the ether?
In 2018, resolve to improve your branding through acting. The initial costs are high, but the end result is rewarding.
Jeremy Harper is Chief Instigator of Storm the Castle Creative and is, according to his wife, a very poor actor.