Wraight it: Pick me, pick me

Indulge me while I have a girl moment, but I've always enjoyed it when you see cast members from one soapie making an appearance on another. Apart from giving the sister-soapie a bit of a punt, It lends a sense of reality to the show and gives an impression that, like in real life, everything is connected. This concept of space (read: ad) sharing is being introduced to the advertising industry in the form of the new Opel Corsa commercials. But it appears that my enthusiasm for innovative concepts isn't shared by all.

Forget product placements and sport-star endorsements, Universal McCann in partnership with sister creative agency McCann Erikson has introduced the new concept of collaborating two like-minded products in one commercial with its new offering for Opel Corsa.

Lets face it, it is rare to find anybody over the age of 30 riding around in a Corsa, it's even more unlikely that you will discover a granny with a purple rinse behind the wheel of the same car, that is because Corsa chooses its drivers - well that is what the ad is saying.

Aimed at the young, trendy and up and coming market who know what they want and how to achieve it, Corsa has directly targeted this market through its latest commercial offering - that is if you are the Channel-O watching, bike-riding, label-conscious person. If you do not fall into one of these brackets, then perhaps a Corsa is not for you.

For those who haven't seen the adverts, Corsa has combined its vehicle with brands that fit comfortably with the Corsa target market and its interests.

For instance, the advert starts with a person drinking Energade, out of nowhere a seat belt reaches across the screen and snatches the person into a Corsa, set in a new frame.

"This campaign has been filled with exciting challenges from the word go. We were originally looking at creating 'fake' ads upfront in the executions but as the idea grew we realised that it would be far more hard-hitting if we approached and collaborated with real brands within our target market's lifestyle," says Jane Simpson, brand director for McCann.

"Our securing of seven fantastic and relevant brand associations provided the impetus and momentum to create a truly memorable campaign."

The brief

"The brief to McCann was to devise a bold and innovative campaign that reflected the Opel Corsa. To reach a market that is so distinctive, confident and outspoken and that knows what it wants out of life, is certainly no easy task but McCann exceeded all of our expectations," says Brian Olson, marketing manager of GM.

"The great thing about this campaign is not just its innovativeness, but that it communicates so powerfully with its target market on many different levels, all of which resonate so meaningfully."

Though innovative to the advertising market, the commercials were perhaps a bit too clever for their own good. Not to say that the general audience is ignorant, but many people seem to have missed the point. As one person commented; "{My}first reaction - they did it to save shooting costs. Or the creatives ran outta ideas."

Another commented that it wasted viewers' time; "There are thousands of messages that I am being bombarded with. Make it clear, simple and to the point. I am busy and have things to do. I don't have the time to try and figure out what you want me to know."

The general opinion though is that it is excluding many people who would potentially buy the Corsa. As another blogger said, "This ad is basically telling me that I don't deserve to go and buy a new Opel Corsa because either I am: a) not fit enough, or b) not cool enough. I never watch Channel O and I don't own a bicycle, so now I'm going to look else where for a new car. Opel just lost a purchase, and it's a pity because I think the new Corsa is very nice."

I must admit, that the ads still appeal to me purely because they are different and thought-provoking. Instead of staring mindlessly at the screen watching yet another advert, the brain is literally wrenched out of its stupor and forced to concentrate when it encounters something unexpected.

However, as much as I enjoy the execution of the advert, I do not agree with its content. I am not a fan of little boxes and labels and I will never conform to idealised image of the 20-something group, so unfortunately the message is lost on me. The lesson here is while targeting your audience, do not emphasise stereotypes or exclude those who do not follow the characteristic norms of the market.