Online Video Rant:

SOPA…Online Piracy…Downloading. The hot topic of 2012. I have seen some great online comics about the ludicrousy of online content sharing and thought it was all fun and games until Megavideo was shut down and the owners sentenced to jail time.

 

WOW…ridiculous that online piracy gave them more time than some murder cases. See Mike Kuster’s blog for more information: TheNewGuyOnTheSpot

Now I am sitting here and Glee (yes I confess I have a guilty pleasure) posted a teaser video of past episode that is unavailable in Canada and many other countries. I wasn’t too upset at the ridiculousness of it until I noticed how many negative comments the video was getting, and they weren’t about Finn and Rachel but because a majority of their active users on Facebook were NOT from the United States where their content was being streamed.

Now I do understand that Canada makes it impossible to share entertainment content online such as music and videos but they do have some successful companies like ABC and Slice that are streaming content online with advertisements every 10-15 minutes. I think this idea is golden, and if you don’t want to host the channel yourself USE YouTube to post your episodes with advertisments and incredible room to share and spread your content to online fans.

I do not have cable and now that I have been liberated from that money grubbing prison I am so happy. I don’t mind spending a fraction of the cost on Netflix and legally streaming the rest of my shows online on websites that allow me to, but I am constantly annoyed with the fact that the ability to stream and share content online is so easy yet companies make it remarkably hard to watch something legally online while it is SO easy to download and watch online content illegally with little fallout.

I think this comic sums up perfectly my point:

To view comic click here

To be successful in the coming years I think shows are going to have to get online and stop relying on cable/satellite because the fan base won’t be there when Xbox, Netflix and online streaming fully take over.

What did you do on your Vacation?

Dead Island was about to break the Zombie-Gaming Genre mold, and they needed to start that off before anyone had even purchased the game. Dead Island wasn’t like your typical Zombie-Killing Game, it was going to be a narrative, a story-driven game. As we have seen in recent months, Zombies are like the new Vampires, since Twilight destroyed all hope of Vampires staying a positive horror image a new monster needed to step up to the plate.

The Walking Dead, an AMC television show (and prior to that Graphic Novel) paved the way for Zombies to enter the consumers eye in a new light, Dead Island wasn’t going to let this oppourtunity pass it by. The Official Announcement Trailer for Dead Island is long for a video game trailer, but also very effective. It uses music with no dialogue, an emotional appeal created by the sad story of the vacationing family and it’s graphically appealing. Don’t take my word for it; turn up the volume, sit back and watch the majesty of this trailer.

Even as a very infrequent gamer I loved this, and reviews for the game show that for an innovator that could have potentially been before its time, it was a dead ringer for what the gaming community needed. Did you get pulled in by the tragic end to this innocent vacationing couple?

Skip This Ad Now

Is this the future of Video advertising? When is the last time you saw a commercial on Television? Well you are probably not quite like me so my guess is last night or this morning depending on when you are reading this blog post. My answer; the last time I saw an advertisement on Television…well the movies doesn’t count, I watch that show online, and … well it must have been a holiday…yes, I think when I was at my parents home for Xmas I watched some television and there must have been an advertisement on then.

You see I don’t pay for Cable or Satellite, I am not made of money, but I do have Netflix and most of my favourite shows air online on the company website so Television advertising almost never reaches me, but online video does. I can’t go more than a few days without winding up back on Youtube, infact I was about to watch a video as research for class and this advertisement came up, yes I can skip it, but it grabbed my attention right away, so I would grade that as effective.

Do you see online videos becoming the new norm for video advertising or it is where we also put commercials and trailers when we have finished with our Television Media Buying?

Second thought, have you ever chosen NOT to “Skip this ad now”?

My Top 5 for the 2012 Superbowl

Superbowl Ads; How did they rate this year?

My Top 5 for the 2012 Superbowl

M&M’s Just My Shell Commercial – LMFAO ‘Sexy and I Know It!’

Rating: B

Analysis: M&Ms used comedy and a very popular song to portray their new colour, which is actually an old colour as naked. It was an interesting and fun twist that had me craving some sexy naked chocolate. They voice of the Brown M&M was very professional and a ‘strong’ female presence which I respected though didn’t really enjoy and of course they used Red for some nice comic relief. Overall an advertisement I am going to remember everytime I am at the grocery line starring at the chocolate and snack selection.

VW’s The Dog Strikes Back Commercial – Star Wars

Rating: B+

Analysis: Not an over the top amazing commercial on its own, but the added spot in Cantina (a fictional alien bar on Tatooine) and Vader’s character defending the Mini Vader spot was the icing on the cake to keep VW as one of my top Superbowl commercials. I am loving the Star Wars – VW connection as a fan of both companies and the fact that as much as they are promoting specific cars in these spots they are also giving a fun and relatable personality to the brand.

It’s Halftime America: Clint Eastwood – Chrysler

Rating: A (A- for only being aired in America)

Analysis: A truly emotional piece. I was deeply sad that I watched a Canadian channel and missed the airing of this advertisement.  I do understand that it was targeted at Americans, and rightly so but it would have been a goosebump producing spot to have watching during the half time commercials on Sunday. Though anything Clint Eastwood says makes my heart pound, this was a truly inspiring speech.

FIAT 500 Abarth Commercial – Seduction

Rating: A

Analysis: Sex! What can I say, sex sells, and sex in another language is just wonderful! I loved this commercial, it caught everyone by surprise while we were watching the game and the combination of loving the commercial myself and watching how everyone at the event responded to it was just perfect. It was neat watching the men in the room react very similarly to the one on the screen. Great job FIAT and neat car!

Avengers Superbowl Ad – The Facebook Extended Feature

Rating: (A)

Analysis: What can I say, I am a comic book geek through and through but Marvel’s use of social media to enhance the experience was just perfect. I needed to go online to see the extended version, which you can’t search for unless you have the specific link from Facebook. I loved the lines, the shots, the immense feeling of need I felt while watching this commercial. I cannot wait for it to come to theatres.

“I have an army” … “We have a Hulk!” Just beautiful!

Superbowl Sunday: Foot Ball or Ads?

Superbowl Advertising and the let down that all Canadians get when they realize we don’t see the amazing and much anticipated commercials of those lucky Americans. But why do we anticipate that which we so happily avoid in our everyday lives? Don’t most people normally use the commercial break to get up from the couch, take a much needed bathroom break, or even channel flip to that other show that you just can’t miss? Instead on Superbowl Sunday you cling to that screen and beg the giant brands to spoon-feed you that advertising you normally avoid.

It’s a little shocking, but as a Canadian perhaps I am just not aware of the wonders that I am missing. Superbowl ads are expensive, they are kept secret for months leading up to the grand unveiling and then they are gone again, well unless you have the internet. I watched most of the Superbowl advertisements online for the first time, infact for the only times as I don’t have cable or satellite any longer, and I have to say some of the advertisements are a giant let down. I mean, so many people have waited and longed for these ads, and they were no different from the ads I would normally see on television, except for a select few that really differentiated themselves from the crowd!

I have or will be looking at a few of these superb advertisements on this blog and am going to be watching the 2012 Superbowl this Sunday and let you know if I am still disappointed by the hype.

And incase you were wondering, yes I will be using the game for my much needed bathroom breaks and socializing, cause really…football!

Enjoy your Superbowl and let me know what you think of the ads! Now, who is playing?