Staples, the office superstore chain, has an advertisement running on local TV channels that uses Chinese history as a theme.
The ad is about 30 seconds long. It is set in a rocky, hilly wasteland. Soldiers in ancient Chinese garb are standing in formation, facing a horde of screaming barbarian horsemen galloping toward them. The Chinese general presses a button marked "easy" and the Great Wall bursts from ground, protecting his army from the advancing horde. However, he is somehow left on the wrong side of the wall, and says "Dang!" as the barbarians ride up to the wall.
Will this ad help Staples sell binders and paper clips? I doubt it -- people who are unfamiliar with the history of the Great Wall won't even know what the advertisement is talking about.
3 comments:
I believe the question is not whether Staples will sell more goods, but whether the consumers will remember to make their purchases from Staples. The fact that you, as a potential consumer, recalled this add proves the point - this add is working. Personally, I laughed last night when I saw it. I laughed not only because it was funny, but because I recalled the story behind it. The advertisers' ignorance (from a historical stand-point) may appear arrogant – after all the Great Wall was built to protect China from the Huns. However, we all know that when the Huns were confronted with the structure, they simply walked beside it until they reached the end and then they walked around it. The Wall’s proved to be completely useless. From this perspective, the add with its simple “DANG!” is a true representation of what the collective’s exclamation must have been once the absurdity of effort dedicated to this colossal construction set in. In the end, (IMO) the add not only sells with its humor, but appears to be an abstract representation of a true historical account. Way to go Staples!
Thanks Simon. I have to disagree, however. The reason why I remembered the ad has more to do with a very strong personal interest -- Chinese history -- that very few other people share. I highly doubt it will make an impression on people who are unfamiliar or uninterested in the story, characters or visual elements.
The advertiser's arrogance feeds from the society it intends to flood..isnt that generally the case?
I may be wrong.
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