Diesel: A-Z of Dance

This has got the hallmarks of a great campaign in the making.

A great campaign that has the potential to mix paid media, earned media and that holy grail of advertising, user generated content to great effect. Other than the fact that the execution is banging (which is 90% of the brilliance) here’s what I think those hallmarks are;

Paid media

It’s ready to go as a TV ad / cinema / pre-roll and could be adapted to any format you’d care to mention.

Earned Media

It taps right into an observed internet phenomenon that gets stuff watched / shared. And that’s making lists. Just look at the outrageous success of Buzzfeed, all powered by lists.

User Generated Content

1. Its asking the right sort of people to participate. It’s not asking everyday Joe Bloggs to ‘show us your best whatever’ as so many desperate brands do. Its talking to people who are really good at dancing, who love to show off and would love to be in an ad. It’s talking to the interested few not the disinterested many.

2. It’s walked the fine line of inviting participation and begging people to help with the advertising.

‘Dance your way into our follow up’ - We’ve already done one and its fucking cool. Dance your way into the second - earn it.

3. I don’t think the choice to set most of it on the street is purely artistic. It’s made it really easy to get involved. Pick a letter, do that kind of dance and do it on the street to fit in to the video. Everyone’s got a street to dance on.

What do you reckon?

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