02 // be more dog.

When I first saw this ad I thought 'okay, how random'. And then I went to work and people were talking about it. I came home and my boyfriend was talking about it too. It seemed like everyone was talking about that 'random dog ad'.

So job done then, right?

Not really. Talk-ability doesn't necessarily translate in to commercial gain. The questions that seem to get lost are 'what is the desired consumer take-out' and 'what do we want them to do as a result of seeing this ad'? Instead, it seems like the end goal is simply to get people talking (brand awareness and topicality) with the hope that it translates into gains for the brand. Perhaps not, but judging by my personal reaction of 'huh', there's no clear take-out or call to action from what I've experienced.

This new direction that advertising seems to be taking shifts the focus away from simple product, brand or consumer truths and puts it directly on entertainment and viral engagement.

Dance pony dance // oh yeah.

Over 12 million channel views, who can argue with that?

At first it seemed a bit random, just an attention-grabbing exercise really. But without seeing any results, I have to say I think it probably worked. The response evoked was one of happiness and laughter, whilst triggering brand recall and talk-ability. Three's 'dance pony dance' has hit all the right notes.

A campaign strengthened even further through an integrated approach. TV ads that pushed to the 'Pony Mixer' hosted in YouTube, Facebook posts and ads to do the same, then completing the circle by playing people's pony ads on TV. 

Three found a way to enter and drive the conversations, gaining earned media and spreading its message far and wide. 

A great case study campaign.

You can create your own dance pony here.