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How would you estimate this?
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The only thing it’s missing, IMO, is a quasi-medical looking graphic/animation to come up and “illistrate” how the pillow works w/when the VO says, “It supports your chin and jaw….” To me the less than stellar acting in this case isn’t a huge detractor for a couple of reasons. First, most actors in these types of commercials aren’t very good anyway, and if these are supposed to be testimonials from real people I don’t expect real people to come off as good actors on camera.
This thing might not be the best commercial ever made but I think it could definitely go on air and move some pillows.
-A
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Randell,
Maybe I should have put the word “actors” in quotes? Actors are paid to be believable, but that doesn’t mean that those in front of the camera will always do so.… and I do believe there IS such a thing as bad actors, just as there are bad directors, bad editors, etc.
Andrew Kimery is correct though – after all this discussion I agree that the spot would move some pillows. If it does, it’s done it’s job.
The original post was about pricing. That question varies depending on how much it costs the producer to create the spot. That’s affected by a myriad of factors, such as geographic location. I wouldn’t charge $25 k for production of it, but then again, I don’t live in NYC or LA. If I did, I might.
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I forgot now because I only watched it one time, but if it doesn’t have a few seconds of scientific/medical-looking animation in it showing how it relieves pressure points and keeps the neck straight, it should.
I think that would help sell it. Making that animation could cost between $500 and $1500 depending on the artist and level of detail you needed, and if it was 2-d or CGI.
Instead of saying what this spot should be billed at, I’m just going to say a figure that sounds “reasonable” from the standpoint of if I was contracting to have this done for me.
Including the newly proposed animations and the lovely compositing work already done, I would not flinch at a bill for eight to ten grand. However, I think an identical such spot *could* be done, shooting, post, all done, for a cost as low as three grand before markup.
Is that a wise amount to charge, I hesitate to say yes, because I don’t know the kind of hours put into the shooting and compositing or the new animation. I would assume three days for the post work, all-inclusive, and a day for the shooting, so on a strict time basis, multiply 4 days times your day rate to get into the ballpark before adding any markup and materials/expenses.
Tha magic of the day rate, and it’s curse, is that it doesn’t reflect or care how hard or not you worked in those ten hours, how brilliant you were, what dragons you had to slay, what problems you innovated a way around, how much of your Wa and chi you invested in this. Some would say time is time and all else is irrelevant. There are biblical and ethical as well as economic arguments in favor of this idea.
Others would say you should add something to the markup if you had to make a super-hard effort or if some part was especially unpleasant or painful. That decision has to be up to the individual.
If someone is a super pain, you might very well decide to add on a “jerk charge” to your markup, (under some other name of course) to either make you feel better, discourage the pest/ grinder from coming back, or both.
If you are going to set such extra charges however, think about the other side: would you give the client a discount for making your job easier or more pleasant or fun? Have you ever?
Seems to me that you can’t do one without the other and sleep well at night.It is not all just a numbers game, there are intangibles and opportunity costs galore to deal with. Think these thru and try to be consistent with whatever rules you cook up for your billing.
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I have no opinion on costing, but the message and delivery is no worse than the Head On spots – and they seem to work. No worse than the Blowflex infomercials. Bay more believable than any of the Mac vs. PC things. But not sure that they work anyway.
A TV viewer will watch this twice – he needs to remember the name and the 800 number. And remember his last long airplane flight.
Of course most such spots also offer 2 more free if you order now, but that is a fulfillment thing, not a video creative thing.
Your average pillow buyer is not going to analyse the quality of the acting. An ad agency might, but obviously this was not sold with a slew of intermediaries with their fingers in the pie.
George Socka
BeachDigital
http://www.beachdigital.com -
I have a friend who ran a very successful ad agency for more than 20 years. He told me a couple of years ago that “the Head On spots are brilliant!”, “They aren’t art, but they work”.
(I’m summarizing.)
He also noted that they NEVER actually claimed to do anything. “Head On. Apply directly to the forehead.”
No claims=No lawsuits for it not working.
… and to apply directly to the forehead you most likely have to BUY IT.
subtle yet terribly… um…not subtle.
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[Timothy J. Allen] “I have a friend who ran a very successful ad agency for more than 20 years. He told me a couple of years ago that “the Head On spots are brilliant!”, “They aren’t art, but they work”.”
Kinda like jingle advertising of the 50’s and early 60’s – I still know them! “See the USA in your Chevrolet lalala…” So incredibly effective! “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom” Jingle producers were in high demand and got top dollar – we may see that resurgence as the subtle gives way to staying power. “You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!’
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“Hot Pock-ets”…..
Oh yeah, the zazz is back in jingle creation… well, maybe not:-)
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[Mark Suszko] “”Hot Pock-ets”…..
Oh yeah, the zazz is back in jingle creation… well, maybe not:-)”
Sung to the tune of ‘That’s Amore’
“When an ell
lunges out
and it bites
off your snout…
that’s a morey.”After 20-200 views of a first class jingle, I’ll have you reciting it for the rest of your life. Why?
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On a lighter note, it could have been worse. He could have had to work on a 2-for-one combo offer with the travel pillow and THIS product:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJUBFkVrk9s
(note: while safe for work, the link goes to a spot with audio that might be misconstrued by someone not watching the screen, be advised)
I dunno if this is legit or not, they have the Ronco look and feel down very well. But somehow I just don’t think the product was named right.
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