One ad I like and one I think is rubbish

I love watching cinema advertising, mainly because you can follow people´s reactions to the ads and their message. One ad that I believe is meant to be funny is not laughed at at all; in fact, I hate it and so does the cinema audience according to the look of their faces. Maybe I´m missing something, since it won Mumbrella’s December Ad of the Month". But... "reader´s votes" aren´t always representative, especially when the readers all work in advertising :) The ad is for Compare travel insurance, created by agency Blow Communications.

 

On the other hand, I like this ad, for Tennis Australia, played during Australian Open (M&C Saatchi). It´s sweet, it connects people and you get what it´s about. I assume it taps into the insight that we have a tendency to want to be doing what we watch being done. When we are emotionally involved, we kind of walk into a story - from a book, at the cinema or TV. Spend an hour watching Australian Idol and you want to sing. Watch the biggest loser and you want to exercise. Watch The Notebook and you want to find The One. This ad wants us to not just watch tennis, but get the idea that we want to play tennis as well, and that it´s not impossible. We can all do it. Together. I haven´t seen it in the cinema yet though. Guess it would not stir up any big reactions; it´s not a belly laugh ad. And I´m not sure it is the best media channel for that kind of ad anyway, since people are just letting themselves have a moment off, relaxing, and don´t want to be told to be active. We´ll see. I better go and see a movie soon :)