MTN’s confusing OK Go ad

Posted on 08. May, 2007 by Jonathan Cherry in Advertising

OK Go – Here It Goes Again
Uploaded by Jackystyle

So the other night, while carefully measuring the exact quantities required to make this promotional cherry margarita we’ve been trying to perfect for the past week – the OK Go video (the one that went viral on the net and was viewed like 6 trillion times in half an hour – posted above] explodes onto the TV.

We snapped a finger or two to the tune, marveled at the entertaining choreography, thought it was an ad for YouTube or something…dancing, dancing, dancing…cut to the line ‘Go rock the world’ and fade to canary yellow….MTN* logo plastered all over the screen.

After some moments of careful reflection, we pieced the cryptic message together and got the idea that the whole thing was somehow meant to suggest; that with an MTN broadband connection, you could perhaps make a clever video, upload the thing onto the Internet and rock the world just like OK Go did last year.

Thing is tho’ – are we correct in assuming this – and how the &*%^ would anyone not connected to viral happenings on video hosting sites last year understand or get this vague message?

It’s actually a clever ad, but for the average plonker to even think that laterally, and understand how treadmill dancing relates to his cellphone subscription….no way.

Then again – maybe everyone who watches SABC 3 News knows how OK Go went viral and we’re completely underestimating the average potential communications user.

[* MTN is a South African cellular network provider]

12 Responses to “MTN’s confusing OK Go ad”

Louisa

08. May, 2007

I love this add…:-)
I don’t really care what they advertise.
Ryan

08. May, 2007

” and understand how treadmill dancing relates to his cellphone subscription”…. so what’s new here? can anybody explain to me how some rabbid mongoose relates to my cellular subscription?
I think this is a great ad. same as the other MTN ad at the moment “Our first date in photos”. also not a direct link to the fact that with MTN brodband and your phone you can capture the moment and share it with the world, still a good ad though and for those that do get the “hidden” or obscure message, bouns!
jv

08. May, 2007

Just a thought… How do royalties work in the viral space? Do MTN have to pay to use a video which has been uploaded and is already viewable free of charge? My first thought is yes, surely they do, but I don’t know. Any idea?
Cherryflava

08. May, 2007

Was wondering the same thing.
For broadcast purposes they would have had to get a hi-res version of the thing, which they most probably paid for.
Digiguru

08. May, 2007

I have asked these questions myself, but I think the point is to pretty much grab your attention and then create some neuro-association between the ad and MTN. I think the Ads are great, alot more itneresting than anything Vodacom have put out for a really like time. Ofcourse Vodacom used to knock it out the park with the Yebo-gogo ads, but they seem to have phased that out and opted for the annoying animated characters. MTN nail it more often, every summer they come out with ads with catchy tunes that seem to be the perfect song to celebrate summer. I have certainly started thinking about MTN when making decisions about a service provider.
Don

08. May, 2007

Louisa, it’s not an ad. It’s a music video that was bought by MTN, they then shortened it and added their logo animation. Minimal thought process.
If I put four wheels on a 20-story building does that make it a car?
Rhys

08. May, 2007

It could just be that they are playing a ‘rock’ video and then associating that with rocking the world. Which is something average joe should quite easily catch.
Louisa

08. May, 2007

Don, if they use something to entice people to use their service or remember their brand – how is it not an ad?
salvo

08. May, 2007

I prefer the otherMTN advert with the dancing guys and the kettle, was damn funny!
coda

08. May, 2007

I don’t see anything beyond MTN simply associating themselves with something cool, which worked for me until I began to feel that they’re just lazy and backpacking on the video’s success. I don’t see how it’s any different to that awful new Adidas/Beckham “Impossible Is Nothing” ad, or any other brand association for that matter. “…i was ‘avin def frets…”, lol
Their other one with the two kids in photos is great though.
Daniel

13. Jul, 2007

I agree with coda. This is just something cool that people will respond to and hopefully associate with MTN. In fact i know it works because while i am procrastinating on this friday about not doing work at work, i asked my work mates if they knew the name and artist of that MTN treadmill song (the exact search i used on google to get to this page). Also i think this is MTN’s response to Vodacom’s animated (and annoying)creature, this is something “cool” to associated with their product.
Katie

13. Jul, 2007

Hey, OK Go is pretty awesome!! If you guys like OK Go, you should definitely join their Juggling Club! It’s the OK Go street team!! If you join through the follow link, I will get 50 points that I can buy cool OK Go stuff with! Join so you can get cool OK Go stuff too!
http://jugglingclub.okgo.net/jugglingclub/?u=hobbitfoot
Also, check out OK Go’s other websites!!
OK Go’s YouTube Page: http://jugglingclub.okgo.net/jugglingclub/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=hobbitfoot&linkID=12
OK Go’s Rescue the Band Driving Game: http://jugglingclub.okgo.net/jugglingclub/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=hobbitfoot&linkID=9
OK Go’s MySpace Page: http://jugglingclub.okgo.net/jugglingclub/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=hobbitfoot&linkID=3
OK Go’s Blog: http://jugglingclub.okgo.net/jugglingclub/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=hobbitfoot&linkID=2
OK Go’s Official Website: http://jugglingclub.okgo.net/jugglingclub/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=hobbitfoot&linkID=1

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