A single 30 second spot during the Super Bowl costs in 2013 cost $3.8 million up from $3.5 million last year. But that’s how much it costs to put it on the air, not what it costs to produce it.
Ads from Toyota (Kaley Cuoco – Big Bang Theory), Best Buy (Amy Poehler – Parks & Recreation, SNL) and Got Milk (Dwayne Johnson, the Rock) that featured celebrities or perennial favorites such as Budweiser, Go Daddy & E*Trade spend tens or hundreds of thousands on producing their commercials.
Other advertisers such as Doritos created a contest for a chance for people like you and me to get into the spotlight by producing an ad for Doritos that would air during the Super Bowl. But, you say, how can a regular guy go up against giants like Bud, Honda or Pepsi? With a little humor and creativity. What makes the Super Bowl spots special is not that they cost more to produce, it’s that they tend to push the envelope and dare to be different.
The winner of the 2012 Doritos spot spent $20 (for dog treats) to produce the spot.
There’s a saying, never work with children and animals. But, with a little patients, a little luck and many takes, the spot comes out beautifully. Here’s a link to the Bloopers from “Man’s Best Friend”.
So now that the Super Bowl is over and people are searching the web to see the spots that they missed or the ones they want to see again. This is the time to release your own “Super Bowl Ad”.
Bruce Himmelblau, Blue Sky Video Productions has worked on major motion pictures as well as small budget independent features, short films and behind the scenes documentaries. In addition, Himmelblau has been to major film festivals such as the Chicago International Film Festival, Sundance and Cannes with his webcast Indie Film Nation that he co-produces with producer/director, Michael Smith, and his partner, editor, Sue Lawson. “Sitting Ducks” was screened at the Cannes film festival and the thriller “Partyline” & drama “The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang” has won numerous festival awards. Blue Sky Video Productions has been creating simple, yet engaging marketing campaigns and videos for business like yours for over 25 years.
CONCEPT
-STORY
The key to creating your own ad is to tell a story. If you work with a number of people, let everyone participate in the concept phase. Schedule a brainstorming session and choose the idea that your audience not only will want to watch, but to share with others.
– ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE
At the heart of your story your spot should have a hero or someone for the viewer to identify with. Messages that evoke strong emotions such as joy, surprise, anticipation, acceptance, fear, anger, sadness, and disgust are more memorable. One thing else that you may have noticed during the Super Bowl, companies like Doritos and GoDaddy had more than just one commercial message. By creating more than one commercial, you can keep your message fresh or target different audiences with a variety of appeals.
– SHOW, NOT TELL
As obvious as it may seem, video is a visual medium. The saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. People can get a grasp of what your message is about by seeing it in action faster than by someone telling them. Demonstrating that the product helps turn a skeptical audience into a buyer.
– CALL TO ACTION
You’ll be amazed at the number of ads that create an interest or desire in the product or service and leave it at that. The call to action is your final pitch that tells the viewer what to do next. Do you want them to pick up the phone and call, order from your website or come in to the store? Whatever it is, tell them.
POST-PRODUCTION EDITING & DISTRIBUTION
“Production Value” is a common phrase in low budget films which also carries over to low budget commercials and videos. Most often small businesses try to cut corners by producing the video themselves or hiring some who will shoot the video with the camcorder that they use to shoot their home videos. But what usually suffers is the sound and lighting. Professional video production companies, like Blue Sky Video Productions, who work with local businesses are equipped to shoot and edit the ad with small crews that will produce a spot with high production value and small budgets. With websites such as YouTube and Vimeo to name a couple, you don’t need $3.8 million to distribute your message.
Now is the time to let Blue Sky Video Productions help you get the attention that your company demands.
Blue Sky Video Productions is a full service video production and editing studio located north of Chicago in Lake Forest, IL.
To contact Bruce Himmelblau, call 847-295-9555 or email at info [at] bsvp.com