If you’re a small company, you probably can’t afford a TV campaign. But, you can afford to upload a video on youtube and other video-sharing sites. However, like TV, you’ll have to compete with a lot of other videos for people’s attention.
How do you get people to watch? First, consider your target audience, then tap into what they think is entertaining. A great example of this is the commercial we did for Buckle Down Belts, a company that manufactures trendy belt buckles and other accessories. Haven’t seen the Buckle down video? Watch it now.
Buckle Down’s primary target is young adults. More than anyone else on the planet, young adults are dialed into pop culture. That’s why our video features some of the latest dance moves including the Bernie. If you’ve never heard of the Bernie, it’s a dance based off the main character in the 1989 film, “Weekend at Bernie’s.”
Another thing young adults don’t like is being told what to do. For that reason, we chose to do a mock PSA, making fun of all those preachy ads that tell kids not to do this and not to do that. We figured they’d appreciate the humor.
Above all, young people want to be entertained. No one wants to watch a video about belts so we made it about entertainment, allowing the dancers to be the focus. We wanted the target audience to think of Buckle Down as a hip brand, not one desperate for sales. The video is subtle, it doesn’t gag you with product descriptions or show actors faking love for Buckle Down. For a few moments, you forget you’re watching a commercial and that should be your ultimate goal. You want to create a video that gets people excited, the kind they want to share and discuss. Because, once people are talking about your video, it’s only a matter of time before they start talking about how great your brand is too.
