I RATE ADS

jtherkal: One irateads reader commented that we skew heavily toward rating ads that target males. Since my associate and I are both sport-watching males, we do tend to review a somewhat limited range of commercials. “Why don’t you review that Dove: Fresh Takes micro-series that airs during The Hills?” she went on to suggest. Why don’t we, indeed. Amazingly, I haven’t seen the commercials promoting this or the actual micro-series–even through I’m a closet Hills fan (Lauren = wife).

Then, the very night she suggested Fresh Takes, I came home from a soccer game to find a film crew set up around my building. When I tried to get in, I asked what they were filming…you guessed it, Dove Fresh Takes! Nick O’Shea La Shae and Alicia Keys were hanging out in my lobby. So I watched the first episodes and I have to say, pretty well done. It doesn’t feel nearly as second-rate as I thought it would. The writing is decent (”I’m a shrimp, with monkey arms.”), good production quality and best of all, they don’t force the product into every scene. The plots are a little predictable and kind of expected, but as the series goes on I imagine they’ll get more, um, imaginative.

I know my compadre has a tendency to rate ads that don’t feature the product poorly, but I think this still gets the Dove name out there and makes it seem cool. As some guy I work with says, the brand has to give something back. In this case, they’re giving girls a little entertaining show and not hard-selling anything. This series probably plays better online, where you can watch a few in a row. On the MTV series page, they have a small tout at the bottom linking out to the Dove Go Fresh site.

I bet girls like this. Also, Alicia Keys = wife. A.

sjbooher: All true points. I don’t watch the Hills, but I love teen dramas, and twenty-somethings dramas are close enough to appeal to me. And I love Alicia Keys. Even though she’s supposed to just be “one of the girls” in these, she tends to stand out, in a funny way. Whenever she comes on the scene, it’s like the see-all-know-all guardian angel coming in with priceless advice, and it feels after-school-specialish — but in a good way. It’s awesome. She’s like a ray of sunshine leading young women across the world to the promised land. This is just the type of romantic, idealistic crap that I love. More Alicia!

I am skeptical about the pure advertising value of these, however. Do viewers remember the Dove brand while watching? Do Alicia’s positive vibes translate to the brand? Or is Dove just footing the bill for some quality entertainment, while reaping none of the rewards? For all I know, based solely on this campaign, Dove could be producing some sort of plastic bag that keeps your freezer goods fresh. Miss Keys is definitely a winner here, as she gets to showcase her acting skills and music, but I am not sure if Dove comes out on top. B-.