Everyone loves spaghetti

Every once in a while I will stumble upon a video that would be the a great foundation for a commercial video (or an entire campaign.)

Everyone loves spaghetti.  Everyone loves pets. Let’s put it together.

Take a watch of this video. Take 3 “watches” of the video.  It’s simple. Entertaining.  The sound of the dog chomping the spaghetti is great.  The spaghetti is the center of the attention.  There’s something special and real about the video. With a little editing, adding a brand image/message at the end, and  the proper viral seeding, this could be an awsome campaign.

Click to watch funny video

Jacksonville University – Mens Lacrosse Recruiting Video

Coach Matt Kerwick and the Jacksonville University are building a new Men’s Lacrosse Program.
They (with eLacrosse?) created a recruiting video. This is a great idea to include in the recruiting process.

Without knowing the NCAA recruiting rules, here are a few comments….

• The video emphasizes attending a warm weather school near the beach.  That’s important but not the end-all of attending the school.  There’s too much focus on it in the video.
• The big-time schedule should have been more emphasized and Coach Kerwick should have mentioned “… playing the likes of UNC, Duke, and Hofstra…”. (The schedule on the screen was helpful.)
• Since it is a new program, is there is a better opportunity for playing time as a freshman?
• Since it is a new program, are there more openings for quality players?  We may be able to have you and  a high school teammate both join the program. (?) (If they are both quality players.)
• There needs to be emphasis on your goal of recruiting good players with strong character.  They will be playing top lacrosse and facing many challenges of developing a new program.  When they come  to JU they will be creating a legacy.  They won’t be just a good lacrosse player “passing through” a program.
• Let some of the current JU players speak.  Endorsements and opinions of players matter.
• Please remember — these are 18-year-old boys who are being recruited.  It wouldn’t hurt to subtly show some good-looking girls as “ball girls”.

Click to see JU recruiting video

Great idea for a Heinz video commercial – well most of it

This was a video creator’s submission to a Heinz contest. This video was banned for “reasons”.

Overall the video is a brilliant concept.

Heinz has been with us for years… through childhood, school, and now. The concept of inserting the Heinz product into historical or semi-historical events is fantastic. (It did have a Forest Gump feel to it.)

The family dinner, the astronaut on the moon,   etc… were great scenes, warm and fuzzy, and were good for the brand.

I imagine the scenes with the African Americans getting hosed, Hitler in Paris, starving children, massacres, etc… were probably great to get views with shock value, but were incompatible with the brand. It seems obvious that Heinz would not approve those scenes.

The producer did create an excellent concept and video. If he/she really wanted to win the contest, additional positive scenes such as JFK at his inauguration, many World Series celebrations, the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team winning the Gold Medal, etc… could have won the him/her the contest.

On the other hand, the producer does remind us of the good and bad times that we go through…

Click to watch banned Heinz video