AbeBooks on TV
I was tempted to just post this without comment, but I think it probably requires some background. Diehard AbeBooks fans may remember that a few years ago we made the step into the world of TV advertising. It was a small, baby step. And the above is the result.
Looking at it now, I tend to cringe a little … the accents, the overacting, the non-acting, the graphics. In the fall of 2004 we hired a production company to assist us with creating a 30-second spot on cable channels - a type of ad called Direct Response Spot. We put together a script and storyboard for the shoot and flew down to Philadelphia for a two-day shoot.
The shoot was actually pretty interesting (being my first TV commercial experience) and what I remember the most was the repetition of everything. Each scene was performed numerous times with slight variations on the lines, the delivery, the backgrounds, the lighting, the actions performed, the camera movements and so on. And no matter how hard we tried, the woman doing the first voice over couldn’t shake that accent, and the child was not into being there that day.
Anyhow, we’ve uploaded the video to YouTube for everyone who missed it the first time around, so enjoy the show and let us know what you think…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTulORORBBY]
February 8th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Wow, that’s quite something. I’m amused by the infomercial-style repetition, the student complaining that he turns to Abebooks because he’s being forced to read, and the mention of the online book club being free until October 31 (suggesting of course that come November, book club members would be charged for the privilege of interacting with Abebooks). Thanks for sharing this.
February 8th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Due to the nature of the ad (Direct Response Spot) we were required to have some sort of offer associated with the spot, hence the free Book Club.
We await the BookFinder.com spot. :)