By Magnus Shaw
I remember when the 3 mobile network was the new kid on the 3G block (will there be a 4 network soon, I wonder?). Keen to make its mark in a crowded marketplace, the brand introduced itself with a rather brave TV campaign.
I say brave, 'bewildering' may be more accurate. While it is admittedly important to launch a new service with some memorable and striking marketing, these spots took that need to quite a ridiculous extreme. The first ad introduced us a giant jellyfish, discovered in the desert by two Chinese cowboys (stay with me). Taking the invertebrate back to their apartment, they ply it with moonshine causing it to glow and grow. And, other than the line 'We like to share. Welcome to our network.' that's it. No explanation, no selling points, no voice over.
But that wasn't an end to the mystification. Next came the singing cherry. That's right, a cherry. Singing.
We're in China again. This time, a little girl is being chased by another because the first has a tasty cake in a box (stay with me). She eventually finds a safe place amongst some flags and sits down to eat. Removing the cake, the cherry on top starts singing Chicago's 'If You Leave Me Now'. With a squeal, the girl understandably runs away. The other girl then eats the singing cherry. 'We like music. Welcome to our network.' reads the strapline.
Now, all this may have been high art, cutting-edge creative advertising, steaming hot pretentiousness or all three - you choose. But you could never accuse it of being populist. Which is interesting, because just this week 3 launched another visually interesting clip, currently picking up more traction than a steam fair. In fact, at the time of writing, it is top of the viral video chart.
What do you mean, you didn't know there was a viral video chart? Get with the programme, grandpa. Oh, alright, I didn't know either - but having discovered it, I'm not at all surprised to find 3 at the top spot.
Why is this clip so popular? Well, for starters, it features a Shetland pony. Immediately it has the edge on the jellyfish. Have you tried riding a jellyfish? Exactly.
What's more, this pony is moonwalking like Michael Jackson's best llama (probably). And he's doing it, not to 'Billie Jean', but to Fleetwood Mac's 'Everywhere'. So, in some ways, it's just as bizarre as the singing cherry. But more importantly, it has something its puzzling cousins markedly lacked: a sense of humour.
Yep, the pony is funny. Not 'Fawlty Towers' funny, but definitely amusing. There's a smashing segment when the farmer happens past on his tractor and our four legged boogie merchant stops his antics, acting like a regular pony until his master has gone.
The ad is also a bit uplifting. Not Martin Luther King uplifting, but certainly lighthearted enough to allow a little smile to play across one's lips. As Mr. Pony slips past the sun, setting behind the lighthouse, we're glad we stayed with the piece until the end and feel a little less cynical and bitter. Which is nice.
If I have one complaint (and I usually do), it's the strapline again. 'Keep on internetting' it says. Of course I understand the play here. 3 is taking a calculated chance that the film will romp across the web - which it has - therefore suggesting 3 is the perfect network for sharing things like ... well ... 3 ads. It's the word 'internetting' to which I object. It's a bit wilfully cute, knowingly silly. 'Keep on sharing' may have worked better, but I guess that wouldn't reflect 3's headline strap 'Built for the internet'. Nevertheless, I'm still not digging the verb 'to internet'.
All in all, I applaud this work from 3. It has obviously given many people a lot of pleasure, it's great fun and gives the brand an enormous boost. I just can't help thinking it would have made a tremendous campaign for the network's launch in 2003. It's a great ad, just a touch too late.
Magnus Shaw is a blogger, copywriter and consultant
