Comments on: Why The Agency.com Youtube Subway Pitch Ruled http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled Learning and writing about emerging internet culture Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:06:05 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: gabor vida » Where Viral and Spam Meet http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-790 gabor vida » Where Viral and Spam Meet Tue, 07 Nov 2006 02:21:32 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-790 [...] There has been a lot of chatter about Agency.com’s Subway pitch. Some love it, some hate it, most find it trite and simply moved on. At first, I fell in the trite camp and was well on my way to moving on. Then I took a look at the heated debate raging in the comments on sites like Adrants, Adfreak and blogs such as Experience Curve and The Next Wave. [...] [...] There has been a lot of chatter about Agency.com’s Subway pitch. Some love it, some hate it, most find it trite and simply moved on. At first, I fell in the trite camp and was well on my way to moving on. Then I took a look at the heated debate raging in the comments on sites like Adrants, Adfreak and blogs such as Experience Curve and The Next Wave. [...]

]]> By: sean moffitt http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-789 sean moffitt Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:58:42 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-789 I have yet to see a more balanced set of comments about Agency.com's initiative - I think your reader's comments are quite down the line and accurate. Risk-taking idea, clever use of content channel (I'm sure this has me-too-itis written all over it once the dust has settled) but arrogant, shmarmy and lacking brand isnght - absolutely. It seems like the comments, positive or negative, are along tribal lines --I looked at the first two pages of Google and it seems like if you had an advertising orientation or a brand hangup, this sucked. If you were in PR, you were split down the line. If you were an online person or social media activist, you thought the idea was strong even though there were good parts of it you would send back to the cutting room floor. The question at the end of the day that I've been trying to find out is "did they get the account" - it seems quiet on their latest news end of their website...perhaps Subway's execs came away running scared. Thansk for the insight and coverage. I have yet to see a more balanced set of comments about Agency.com’s initiative – I think your reader’s comments are quite down the line and accurate. Risk-taking idea, clever use of content channel (I’m sure this has me-too-itis written all over it once the dust has settled) but arrogant, shmarmy and lacking brand isnght – absolutely.

It seems like the comments, positive or negative, are along tribal lines –I looked at the first two pages of Google and it seems like if you had an advertising orientation or a brand hangup, this sucked. If you were in PR, you were split down the line. If you were an online person or social media activist, you thought the idea was strong even though there were good parts of it you would send back to the cutting room floor.

The question at the end of the day that I’ve been trying to find out is “did they get the account” – it seems quiet on their latest news end of their website…perhaps Subway’s execs came away running scared.

Thansk for the insight and coverage.

]]> By: Hee-Haw Marketing http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-788 Hee-Haw Marketing Tue, 08 Aug 2006 04:24:56 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-788 <strong>It's the Links I Love, My Friend...</strong> Social Media: Who's Hot, Who's Not - The Viral GardenMack takes a look at the rankings of the top Social Media sites. YouTube continues to kickarse. I hope they keep hanging on, but some other smaller sites have a more... It’s the Links I Love, My Friend…

Social Media: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not – The Viral GardenMack takes a look at the rankings of the top Social Media sites. YouTube continues to kickarse. I hope they keep hanging on, but some other smaller sites have a more…

]]> By: David Armano http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-787 David Armano Fri, 04 Aug 2006 03:28:00 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-787 "they are doing something new, with very little experience, and very little in the way of external guidance." Karl, Agency.com has been doing pitch videos for years. I still have a few on my harddrive if you want to see them. We did man on the street , etc etc. This is nothing new. The ditribution was new (YOUTube)—but the content was not. Can't we seperate the distribution from the content and judge them individually? Idea to film pitch: Yes. Idea to make it viral on YouTube: Yes. Actual execution of video: No “they are doing something new, with very little experience, and very little in the way of external guidance.”

Karl, Agency.com has been doing pitch videos for years. I still have a few on my harddrive if you want to see them. We did man on the street , etc etc. This is nothing new. The ditribution was new (YOUTube)—but the content was not.

Can’t we seperate the distribution from the content and judge them individually?

Idea to film pitch: Yes.
Idea to make it viral on YouTube: Yes.
Actual execution of video: No

]]> By: Basic Thinking Blog &#187; Agentur pitcht sich selbst über YouTube http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-786 Basic Thinking Blog &#187; Agentur pitcht sich selbst über YouTube Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:28:50 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-786 [...] Egal, was die Experten und Praktiker sagen, Hauptsache es polarisiert. Und genau da habe ich den leisen Verdacht, dass Agency wohl sehr bewusst einen polarisierenden Ansatz gewählt hat. Denn wer schaut sich sonst freiwillig ein doofes Pitchvideo an? Niemand. Eben! Zumal so wenig Fingerspitzengefühl, wie das Video einem vorgaukelt, kann man einfach nicht haben :-) Und der Mist funktioniert sogar so gut, dass ein weiterer Konkurrent gar ein Fake-Video gedreht hat. Ja, sakra, auch noch nachgeahmt zu werden ist die Krönung! [...] [...] Egal, was die Experten und Praktiker sagen, Hauptsache es polarisiert. Und genau da habe ich den leisen Verdacht, dass Agency wohl sehr bewusst einen polarisierenden Ansatz gew&#228;hlt hat. Denn wer schaut sich sonst freiwillig ein doofes Pitchvideo an? Niemand. Eben! Zumal so wenig Fingerspitzengef&#252;hl, wie das Video einem vorgaukelt, kann man einfach nicht haben :-) Und der Mist funktioniert sogar so gut, dass ein weiterer Konkurrent gar ein Fake-Video gedreht hat. Ja, sakra, auch noch nachgeahmt zu werden ist die Kr&#246;nung! [...]

]]> By: karl long http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-785 karl long Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:46:11 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-785 Thanks Scott, I had come across that earlier, very interesting. It kind of implys that this is what they planned all along :-) I'm on the fence as to whether they are that clever :-) Actually, i'm sure they are not that clever: Domain Name: WHENWEROLLWEROLLBIG.COM Administrative Contact , Technical Contact : AGENCY.COM hostmaster@agency.com 488 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 US Phone: 212 358 2600 Record expires on 02-Aug-2008 Record created on 02-Aug-2006 Thanks Scott, I had come across that earlier, very interesting. It kind of implys that this is what they planned all along :-) I’m on the fence as to whether they are that clever :-)

Actually, i’m sure they are not that clever:
Domain Name: WHENWEROLLWEROLLBIG.COM
Administrative Contact , Technical Contact :
AGENCY.COM
hostmaster@agency.com
488 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
US
Phone: 212 358 2600

Record expires on 02-Aug-2008
Record created on 02-Aug-2006

]]> By: Scott Weisbrod http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-784 Scott Weisbrod Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:39:34 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-784 Check out what Agency has <a href="http://whenwerollwerollbig.com/" rel="nofollow">created</a>. Check out what Agency has created.

]]> By: karl long http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-783 karl long Thu, 03 Aug 2006 20:20:22 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-783 Well David, I actually think we are in agreement that their execution was questionable, and when it comes to interpreting the video that really is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe I think they deserve more leeway because they are doing something new, with very little experience, and very little in the way of external guidance. I don't think anyone has nailed "agency viral" or "social media marketing", so experimenting and measurement is all we have. I hope there are plenty more videos like this for us to throw tomatoes at and applaud. I hope that over the next few years we see the emergence of some super creative, fun, "social media agencies". And your right, the conversation around this is very interesting. Cheers, Karl Well David, I actually think we are in agreement that their execution was questionable, and when it comes to interpreting the video that really is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe I think they deserve more leeway because they are doing something new, with very little experience, and very little in the way of external guidance. I don’t think anyone has nailed “agency viral” or “social media marketing”, so experimenting and measurement is all we have.

I hope there are plenty more videos like this for us to throw tomatoes at and applaud. I hope that over the next few years we see the emergence of some super creative, fun, “social media agencies”.

And your right, the conversation around this is very interesting.

Cheers,

Karl

]]> By: David http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-782 David Thu, 03 Aug 2006 17:15:45 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-782 "The coke show quietly failed, not through lack of execution, it was beautifully crafted, but it did not spark any participation (it launched with 14 videos and now has 10). If anything it was too polished, too well designed, but it failed to engage the imagination" Karl, I know where you are going with this—but when I talk about execution, it doesn't always mean "polished" Why couldn't acom produce something that was more raw? Why did it have to feel like acting? C'mon. This isn't about sqeulching risktaking or creativity or innovation. And here's the deal. Clients only let you push them when they feel like they can TRUST you. When you put their interests first. Then they hand over the keys. If we have to talk about imagination, the acom video didn't leave any room for it. In my opinion. This could end up being a good thing for them. Time will tell. But I still think the video and the entire effort could have been a much more compelling experience. If there is a winner here it might be use because we get to have some great conversations around this. “The coke show quietly failed, not through lack of execution, it was
beautifully crafted, but it did not spark any participation (it
launched with 14 videos and now has 10). If anything it was too
polished, too well designed, but it failed to engage the imagination”

Karl, I know where you are going with this—but when I talk about execution, it doesn’t always mean “polished”

Why couldn’t acom produce something that was more raw? Why did it have to feel like acting? C’mon. This isn’t about sqeulching risktaking or creativity or innovation.

And here’s the deal. Clients only let you push them when they feel like they can TRUST you. When you put their interests first. Then they hand over the keys.

If we have to talk about imagination, the acom video didn’t leave any room for it. In my opinion.

This could end up being a good thing for them. Time will tell. But I still think the video and the entire effort could have been a much more compelling experience. If there is a winner here it might be use because we get to have some great conversations around this.

]]> By: karl long http://experiencecurve.com/archives/why-the-agencycom-youtube-subway-pitch-ruled/comment-page-1#comment-781 karl long Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:50:52 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=476#comment-781 Thanks Paul, I think, unless you're agree with Rodrigo :-) Rodrigo, I totally see your point, but I actually do blame agencies for not pushing clients. It is an agencies responsibility to push the creative envelope, that is what they should be paid for. IMHO that's why boutiques keep pushing the envelope, as i think conservatism, lack luster creativity, and safe solutions come with scale and success. It is touch to criticize an entire industry, because there is obviously tonnes of great work getting done, along with the mediocre, but what I will say is that advertising and marketing industry is at a crossroads where imagination, creativity and engagement is down one road, and safe, mundane, unimaginative is down the other. <a href="http://www.fordboldmoves.com" rel="nofollow">Ford Bold Moves</a> failed in this arena, and yet their movies were polished, they met the "client communication" goals i'm sure, but they lacked the surprise that makes something remarkable, or viral. The <a href="http://coke.com" rel="nofollow">coke show</a> quietly failed, not through lack of execution, it was beautifully crafted, but it did not spark any participation (it launched with 14 videos and now has 10). If anything it was too polished, too well designed, but it failed to engage the imagination of potential participants who were all on youtube and not at coke.com The problem for many agencies is they make there money on the execution, not the idea, and clients are used to paying for execution and not for ideas. This is an enormous culture shift for agencies, because in social media the execution is pretty cheap, it's the ideas that matter. Thanks Paul, I think, unless you’re agree with Rodrigo :-)

Rodrigo, I totally see your point, but I actually do blame agencies for not pushing clients. It is an agencies responsibility to push the creative envelope, that is what they should be paid for. IMHO that’s why boutiques keep pushing the envelope, as i think conservatism, lack luster creativity, and safe solutions come with scale and success. It is touch to criticize an entire industry, because there is obviously tonnes of great work getting done, along with the mediocre, but what I will say is that advertising and marketing industry is at a crossroads where imagination, creativity and engagement is down one road, and safe, mundane, unimaginative is down the other.

Ford Bold Moves failed in this arena, and yet their movies were polished, they met the “client communication” goals i’m sure, but they lacked the surprise that makes something remarkable, or viral.

The coke show quietly failed, not through lack of execution, it was beautifully crafted, but it did not spark any participation (it launched with 14 videos and now has 10). If anything it was too polished, too well designed, but it failed to engage the imagination of potential participants who were all on youtube and not at coke.com

The problem for many agencies is they make there money on the execution, not the idea, and clients are used to paying for execution and not for ideas. This is an enormous culture shift for agencies, because in social media the execution is pretty cheap, it’s the ideas that matter.

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