Simply Audiobooks goes to Hollywood!
As an entertaining excercise, the Simply Audiobooks staff has produced two short video ads, which are presented here for your viewing pleasure. There isn’t much of a precedent for audiobook ads in the video medium, so let us know how you think we did, and take some time to vote on which of the two is your favorite. So go put some popcorn in the microwave, sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Oh, and a disclaimer – don’t view if you’d be upset by some (mildly) risque humour. Parental guidance suggested for minors under the age of 13.
When You’ve Got Audiobooks…
Add Some Character to Your Commute
[poll=2]
October 6th, 2006 at 10:45 am
I think the Character commute video is hilarious. It actually shows someone listening to the audio book in their car which is better than showing a bunch of people throwing pages around.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:03 am
I liked the Character Commute better because it was straight and to the point. It was easy to get the point and understand the commercial even if only half paying attention.
The other one was funny, but it took awhile to get to the point. You really had to pay attention to what the “actors” were doing, or you’d still have no clue what it was all about by the end of the commercial. And even then, it didn’t really clear up what SimplyAudioBooks is .. you could still be confused about the product. The Character Commute did a better job of focussing on what the product is and how it can benefit you.
- Ela
October 6th, 2006 at 11:26 am
The first video was in poor taste. We don’t need to see the guy unbuckling his belt to know that he will use the book as t.p. Not to mention, even if people don’t use their books, they wouldn’t destroy them. They should donate them to schools for deaf kids or the poor in India, people who don’t have access to listening technology.
The second video was actually clever and funny. I liked the contrast between the dull, humdrum commute and the fancy hook suddenly shaking up his day. And him wiping the jelly off his cheek was priceless.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:30 am
I certainly thought that the Character Commute was much better and I think it was straight and to the point! You got the idea right away!!
The second one… not very good in my opinion. I thought that it took you there by all side streets not the by the express way…fast and more easy to understand!!
October 6th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
I liked the second video way better because audio books dont actually replace reading books, they bring books to people who cant read, such as my grandparents, and in situations where reading just isnt possible (i cant read during my hour on the subway, i get motion sick, you cant read while driving). i think the second one is more accurate for the uses of the everyday person of audibooks.
October 6th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
When You’ve Got Audiobooks would appeal to a pre-teen male demographic and does little to promote the benefit of Audiobooks. Character commute gets the point across quickly, has adult appeal and could easily be developed into a series of videos or ads.
October 6th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
I really enjoyed the commute video. The pirate with the hook startled me which is a good reaction. It peaked my curiosity and made me more interested.
October 6th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
The first video is childish, offensive and worthy only of the illiterate.
The commute video is good. I would get rid of the last few seconds of video after the simplyaudio promo. It doesn’t add anything and distracts from the message.
If popular, the video could be replicated with other drivers and other sacry, exciting or seductive passengers.
October 6th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
The first video is slow and boring and doesn’t make sense.
The second video is quick, the the point and hilarious!!!
~Heidi
October 6th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Both videos automatically ran when I clicked to your blog. I didn’t see them until I scrolled down to find the source of what I mistook to be some auto-run music file on your site. Nobody, but nobody, appreciates a website with an auto-run music file. Coming in second place for most annoying is an auto-run video file. Let us click on it if we wish, and allow us the decision whether or not to lunge for the volume control before waking the baby or groggy guy in the next cubicle. In my case it was a baby. Thanks!
October 6th, 2006 at 9:06 pm
Yup, Character to your Commute can be classified under humor. But the first clip is simply a presentation coming from a lower level mind and can not even be considered up to the level. I don’t think even a retarded person would handle books like that. Probably I am used to to reading technical books more often than any thing else but this video clip is simply an insult rather than a joke.
October 7th, 2006 at 6:04 am
I liked the commute one the best by far. The first one seemed long and dull, and it was hard to see what was being done to the books in most cases. It didn’t sell simplyaudiobooks. The second one was quick to the point while still being entertaining and it also has the benefit of being a continuing theme. You could do a series of commercials like that.
October 7th, 2006 at 8:46 am
The first was on the sophmoric side and as a lover of books, offensive. Audiobooks DO NOT really replace books, they are just an augmentation. It might appeal to those 30 and under, but certainly not the more mature audience.
The second was more to the point. It showed that listening to the audiobook was like having the character in the car with the listener.
As a suggestion along that line you can even show the driver missing their stop or turn off because they are so engrossed by the book. (It has happened to me!)
October 8th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
The commute video was good because sometimes when you listen to a story you can get so wrapped up in it it”s like the characters are right there with you.
The other video was just stupid.
October 8th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
Honestly, I didn’t really like either video. I think that they both were out of control.
October 8th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
I don’t understand something. A quarter of the people who vote on this prefer the 1st (sophomoric) video, and yet the commentary is 100% in favour of the 2nd (pirate) video. Would someone who liked video #1 speak up? I kind of thought it was ok…
October 9th, 2006 at 7:24 am
I didn’t care for the When You’ve Got Audiobooks add. I didn’t understand what I was watching or where the add was going. Books still have there place in taching people to read…I just didn’t get into it.
I really liked the Add Some Character ad. It fairly represents how I feel listening to a book in the car. It shows how a boring commute can come alive. It is also very clear the message that is being passed along.
October 9th, 2006 at 8:18 am
I loved “Add character to your commute” and there’s so much you can do with that concept! “When you’ve got audiobooks” was confusing and seemed too long.
October 9th, 2006 at 8:43 am
The first video, “When you’ve got audiobooks,” took way to long to get tot he point, looks very cheapy made, and wasn’t really very funny at all. It took awhile just to figure out where they were going with it, and I even knoew that the product was Audiobooks when I started watching. I think the average viewer will just be confused. It also does not portray audiobooks in a positive manner.
The second video, on the other hand, was much better. It was funny, short and to the point. It also had a lot more to do with audiobooks than the first one. I imagine a lot of users of audiobooks listen while they commute. When the hook came down, I was startled, so it’s much more likely this commercial will stick in my memory. As other viewers have said, there is great potential to make this a series of commercials, too. It could become a recognizable Audiobooks theme.
October 9th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
The “when you’ve got audiobook” commercial was just dumb. The commuter commercial scared the crap out of me when the hook slammed down onto the doughnut….which obviously made me take notice. It’s definitely the better of the two.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:20 am
I thought the first one was awful. As a big fan of books, I hated it.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:39 am
I thought the video entitled “Add Some Character to Your Commute” was great — excellent, funny, and to the point. The other one was stupid and gross, and really failed to promote audio books. Besides that, people who listen to books probably also love to read books — so tearing them apart for other purposes isn’t that atractive.
October 10th, 2006 at 11:08 am
I laughed while watching both. I voted for the Add Some Character to Your Commute, because it’s shorter, the point is more clear and clever, and the concept could be expanded into a whole range of ads. I think it’s a pretty strong advertisement.
I don’t dislike the other ad, but it does take close viewing to really get the jokes, and it’s much longer. For those two reasons, , it’s a failure as an advertisement, but as a short YouTube-type movie, I think it’s terrific.
October 10th, 2006 at 11:50 am
Commute is interesting to watch and you get the point at once.
When you’ve got Audio Books is amaturish and uninteresting. I closed it down before the finish.
RMC Reno
October 10th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
I found the first one and the second great but I did choose the frist one because of the simple statement at the end “what will you do with your books when you get audiobooks?” it is more in your face and if you just saw the second one without experiencing audiobooks already you would be a little cluseless as to what is going on. As for the people that had negative things to say about the first one, get a life and find some humor!
October 10th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Add Some Character to Your Commute was by far the winner. Being in advertising myself for almost 20 years, I think the comments you received are pretty accurate “short…clever…to the point, etc.” I hope you didn’t pay good money for the other one. It was pretty bad and way too long to represent “Simply” Audiobooks unless you’re going for simple-minded. But you only have to look at the percentages on the voting and you’ve probably already figured this out.
October 10th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
I love funny commercials, but I didn’t get either one. I voted for the first just because I hated it less. Neither one showed the benefit of the product to a customer. The two message were:
“Buy audio books and have a paper fight in your office” or
“Buy audio books and get covered in food by a guy with a hook”
Neither would make me want to sign up for the product nor were either very funny in my opinion.
Sorry,
October 10th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
The first one is pretty stupid, hence the people who like it are less inclined to be the kind of clever bears who post comments on blogs
… either that or they randomly clicked on the first option.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
i thought that the first one explained why it can take some time to get a new book. lol i did like the second one better though
October 10th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
The “When You’ve Got Audiobooks” one is far better as Lee is featured in it—and everyone knows that Lee is “the bees knees”.
Actually they are both pretty good… The concept of “add some character” is the more interesting but some of the green screen work is a bit shady to say the least, for the next one shoot on location, the TTC will let you film on the subway for a song, or maybe Gotransit– The “When You’ve Got Audiobooks” flick has way too many wide shots-its hard to tell exactly what’s going on, do some storyboards and show them to someone not involed in the process-if they understand the action then your all good— nice work though-good to see the expensive new camera is being put to use (when not filming the usual druken office debauchery that goes on!)
October 10th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
They are both fun, but the book tearing thing is just too Anti-book. I love my “regular” books, and I listen to audio books because I can’t read while I drive. Therefore, the Peter Pan one is better (although I did laugh at the page “enhancement” that guy gave himself).
October 11th, 2006 at 10:45 am
They guy unbuckling his belt is NOT going to use the paper for Toilet Paper, he’s buffing up his “package”.
The second video is clearly the better choice.
October 12th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
I just listened to The Beach. I says it contains 3 disks, which it does, but I’m extremely dissapointed to say I listened to all 3 disks and the book is not finished. I am wanting very much to hear the ending to this story. Please check this out and send me the ending. Soon. Thank you!
October 17th, 2006 at 8:59 am
There’s nothing entertaining or compelling about destroying books. The second video clearly gets the point of audiobooks across — listen to books when you can’t read ‘em.
October 21st, 2006 at 10:51 pm
Never be too closed minded unless you know the full story.
November 26th, 2006 at 8:24 am
Didn’t care for the 1st video, loved the second one. However, I would like you to consider having him place the CD in his player at a snarled stop light or something, where he is not moving down a highway. You want to present Audiobooks as a safe and enjoyable activity. You might also present him arriving happily at work ready to go in a good mood, counter to his friends annoyed with traffic snarls on the way in. Making your daily driving experience one of leisure and pleasure vs. headaches and stress.
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