Commercials Are DeadGo Short or Go Home

Our generation has gone mobile. They’re ignoring ‘commercials’ and have begun to

expect more from brands and agencies.

Their arsenal doesn’t typically consist of a 42” TV.That means that the content they consume should be

geared towards how they interact with the world.

Commercials try to sell you something.

Good advertising tries to tell you something.

Creating content with the intention to tell a unique and engaging story is the only way to

establish an emotional connection.

Regardless of length.

Vine (6.5 seconds) Instagram (up to 15 seconds)

Snapchat (10 seconds per snap)

Ultra-Short Form: 6-15 Seconds

Conveys the essence of the message in a distilled format. Highly sharable, centered around conversation.

Who’s doing it well?

https://instagram.com/p/4UZ_AyCG20/Pizza Hut (Instagram):

https://vine.co/v/OwbYl1XTenjUNICEF (Vine):

https://vine.co/v/M0MnwY12WeFSAMSUNG Mobile (Vine):

YouTubeVimeo

Short Form: 30 Seconds - 5 Minutes

Gives room for the story to breathe. Establishes an emotional connection.

Allows unique artistic expression. Focuses more on the story than on the brand.

Who’s doing it well?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSEChipotle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ7kWpTrtJwJOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_i3Lcjli84Beats By Dre

What should you do?

Make the brand the mentor, not the star. Create opportunities to captivate an audience.

Build in ‘Holy Smokes’ moments. Don’t rely on traditional commercial formats.

Remember - it’s for people, not robots.

Frank Danna is the Senior Director of Brand Strategy at Softway Solutions. He's also the co-founder of parabox creative, a micro-content creation agency that was acquired by Softway in 2014.

He assists many of the world's top brands in navigating the social media landscape -- providing massive value to brands and

consumers alike. Frank has been afforded the opportunity to work with over 60 world-class brands including: ESPN, BMW, Brian Gavin Diamonds, Target, Samsung, Chevrolet, Nintendo, Home Depot and

many others.

Frank provides a unique and indispensable understanding of emerging social platforms, content strategy, influencer marketing,

and content creation for social advertising.