Great article Jordan! I "get" the starting off with a big problem and going from there. Thinking out-loud here, I wonder about the potential of a different start? I'm sure it's been tested and the big problem approach probably outpulled it. But, I know on-line that Golden Hippo which is a fantastically successfully company has had big-time success using benefit + curiosity as a table-setter. And then I look at Agora, which has had huge successes with indirect leads and the we have Bottom Line, which did extremely well with proclamation type intro's. Perhaps short-form TV is simply too short for something like that. Interesting none the less!
I do think there are exceptions to the rule. Our TacLight commercial is one. Because the problems solved by a flashlight are well-known and not very interesting, we started by showcasing the unique features of our flashlight (super bright, strobe, spotlight) and skipped the typical problem opening. Although we never A/B tested this against a standard problem opening, I doubt the CPO could have gotten much better! I'm not even sure what that problem opening would be? "Are you tired of flashlights that don't make you look like a military badass when you use them?" LOL.
Thank you for sharing that point Jordan! You have better vision than what I do when it comes to failed tests in DRTV... But I'd love to hear about them–probably others would as well. Personally from my perspective which has been more ink-on-paper (magazines, newspapers and direct mail) there may be more "room" in DRTV for some additional tests using alternate intros.
Great article Jordan! I "get" the starting off with a big problem and going from there. Thinking out-loud here, I wonder about the potential of a different start? I'm sure it's been tested and the big problem approach probably outpulled it. But, I know on-line that Golden Hippo which is a fantastically successfully company has had big-time success using benefit + curiosity as a table-setter. And then I look at Agora, which has had huge successes with indirect leads and the we have Bottom Line, which did extremely well with proclamation type intro's. Perhaps short-form TV is simply too short for something like that. Interesting none the less!
I do think there are exceptions to the rule. Our TacLight commercial is one. Because the problems solved by a flashlight are well-known and not very interesting, we started by showcasing the unique features of our flashlight (super bright, strobe, spotlight) and skipped the typical problem opening. Although we never A/B tested this against a standard problem opening, I doubt the CPO could have gotten much better! I'm not even sure what that problem opening would be? "Are you tired of flashlights that don't make you look like a military badass when you use them?" LOL.
Thank you for sharing that point Jordan! You have better vision than what I do when it comes to failed tests in DRTV... But I'd love to hear about them–probably others would as well. Personally from my perspective which has been more ink-on-paper (magazines, newspapers and direct mail) there may be more "room" in DRTV for some additional tests using alternate intros.