TV Ad: Entertaining, But is It Effective?

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About a week ago I happened to see a TV commercial that at first shocked me. A woman on an escalator asks a man in front of her if he’s the father of one of her kids. Upon reflection he responds, “Cancun, spring break.” It’s revealed that she’s a nun and teaches one of his children. So the scene gets replayed with him now rejuvenated by a drink so that he’s better able to answer her question, without making a fool of himself.

The second time I saw the ad I found it very funny, now feeling like I was “in” on the joke. However, I had to ask myself, what’s this commercial for? That’s where the problem lies. This is a memorable commercial, but if viewers can’t tell you what it’s for, than the spot is missing the mark.

Also, do I believe their claim? And what exactly is their claim? Well, apparently if I drink this Minute Maid product, my brain would be nurished enough to keep me from making embarassing mistakes. It’s a bit of a stretch…but still effective hyperbole. However, that claim is given rather quickly at the end of the spot. It’s very easy to miss out on how this drink could keep you from admitting youthful indiscretions.

Okay, now let me expain where this commercial got it right.

• Humor & Memorability: I will remember this commercial. I may even tell others about it.
• Product Placement: Although after 2 viewings of this spot I couldn’t tell what the exact product is they’re selling. I did realize it was for some beverage, which you see the man drinking in the “replay” of the escalator conversation. However, he’s drinking out of a huge bottle. Although it’s not realistic someone would drink out of such a large container (especially on a moving escalator), that’s probably the key factor to get viewers to recognize what this commercial is for.
• Future Image Change?: Minute Maid isn’t known for being funny or edgy, but that’s what they’ve got going for them in this spot. If Minute Maid is making a concerted effort to reach outside of the soccer-mom audience, than this is a good start. This commercial will become more effective if Minute Maid follows it up with similarly humorous spots. Look at the Sonic commercials for example. They’ve created an image for themselves with many funny spots (that are often imitated).