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Flash
commercials are the next wave in advertising.
The screen dims. Luminous geometric lines begin to whirl around clever
images that morph and change, dissolving into a logo which zooms out
of view. You are left with a strong brand promise and a startling
image.
The whole experience is something remotely like a million-dollar Super
Bowl commercial — made in a week on a shoestring budget, and
delivered to thousands of people from a corporate Web site. The age
of the Web-based commercial is here.
For the last three years, developments in Internet technology have
made it possible to deliver increasingly rich and sophisticated message
content over slow modem connections through Macromedia's popular Flash
multimedia technology. Flash is an alternative to the conventional
Web that allows for fast-downloading "movies" that include
animation, audio and special interactive features.
More compelling than a conventional Web site, easier to produce than
real film and video, and far less expensive than buying national television
airtime, the new genre of the Flash commercial is taking its place
with radio and television as a major way to deliver brand messages
and promote products. Like any advertising media, this emerging form
has its pros and cons, and businesspeople should thoroughly understand
it for it to be used effectively.
Like television commercials, the strength of Flash commercials is
primarily in the ability to make a strong impression in a short time
period. While the format of Flash commercials is not real video, the
richness of the animation and sound can deliver an impact similar
to TV. Flash lends itself particularly well to the liquid movie credits
of a James bond movie, MTV-style animation, and to fast-moving silhouettes.
Because the experience is brief, and the Web is typically static,
the Flash commercial often seems richer by comparison.
While the end product is similar, the production details for making
a Flash commercial are quite new and different. Live actors may be
involved, but usually they simply provide the source material for
the animation drawings. Animation, specifically optimized for the
Flash medium, provides the moving content. Original music and voice-over
may also be involved, but the production values of these can be slightly
lower than video media because the resolution is much lower than TV
broadcast quality. The lack of actors, the relative ease of creating
visual effects, and the limited bandwidth for sound and video make
the production of Flash commercials easier and less expensive.
Although less money and effort is involved, keep in mind the Flash
commercial is a whole new craft. A fresh skill-set is needed to reduce
the file size of the movie to insure maximum impact. These skills
are still relatively rare, and require a combination of programming
ability and Flash-specific digital media techniques. Just because
a commercial is clever, it's useless if it doesn't play on the user's
computer or has 20-second delays in what should be fast-moving transitions.
Much of the same creative and strategic thinking that makes a good
TV commercial is also a part of a good Flash commercial. There is
a balance that needs to be struck between clearly defining a brand
and making a strong creative impression.
Like TV, the time to deliver the message is usually 30 seconds or
less, and the information needs to be clear yet striking and memorable.
As is often the case in advertising, "elegance of means"
is important — that means having a strong focal idea that is
more effective than lots of small ideas and special effects.
Unlike a television commercial, Flash commercials need to reside somewhere
specific on the Web to be seen, and that choice is another strategic
decision. Corporate Web sites are an obvious place, as is space rented
on heavily trafficked Web sites.
A common mistake is the use of Flash commercials as "intro"
or "gateway" screens for Web sites. Since the majority
of users traveling to corporate Web sites are looking for specific
information, they are typically irritated by even the best multimedia
introductions if they have to click through to get what they came
for.
Flash commercials often work better as embedded options on corporate
or partner sites, showing off a new product, explaining a new brand,
or fronting for a questionnaire.
The reach is generally smaller and more focused demographically
than TV, but it is proportionately inexpensive per impression.
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