July 8, 2008

Am I wrong or has this already been done with a small car?



Just saw on Adverblog that TYO Interactive design and Kyucon for Smartcar Japan have created a website that lets the user design their ideal Smartcar. Adverblog and I are on the same page about how this is VERY similar to the Mini campaign done a few years ago, but let's be honest. It's pretty much the SAME thing wearing a different coat.

Allow me to explain my thoughts on the "different coat" theory. When my sister and I were younger, we went to a restaurant with our family and friends around Christmas. For some reason, there was a Santa Claus there passing out candy to the kids. (hey, it's new england, we're weird) Anyways, my sister kept borrowing people's coats and going back up to Santa for more candy. The poor Santa fell for it but finally realized that this little girl probably didn't own a man's suit jacket that reached the floor. So the candy stopped.

The way I see it, consumers are like the Santa Claus. They won't want to be tricked over and over by the same gig.

I think as advertisers, we need to come up newer strategies, and although inevitably things will have to be recycled, we need to be more creative with what we do. Dressing up a Smartcar could be fun, I guess... But so could a Mini cooper, a Jetta, a dodge or a hyundai. Cars look funny in cheetah print because ANYTHING looks funny in cheetah print.

Let's take off the coats.

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