I like music. I enjoy watching music videos. I even enjoy watching some commercials. But what about when the line between entertainment and advertising is blurred?
On a recent morning while at the gym, I was watching VH1 and the VJ introduced the next video – courtesy of Toyota. But the video wasn’t from a pop artist or hot rapper. “Swagger Wagon” was a commercial for Toyota’s Sienna minivan. I was entertained by the rapping parents; the beat was decent and the lyrics comical. But I was also thoroughly confused by the placement.
Had the “Swagger Wagon” video simply followed an ad for toothpaste or a fast food restaurant, I would have thought great commercial. I appreciate that networks have to think differently to appeal to advertisers these days, but I was left wondering if playing an ad off as just another music video would really do anything for Toyota.
The beauty of viral videos – like “Tea Partay” and “New Dork” is that consumers drive the interest; not the marketers behind the effort. I’d much prefer a colleague to email me a “can’t miss” video or have a friend post one on my Facebook page than watch it on TV. The buzz created by and surrounding viral videos has to be earned and authentic, not solely a media buy.