Ad Agencies have a future. thanks to Google. Alka Seltzer.

This is another part of an ongoing campaign by Google to "re-create" classic advertising campaigns from bygone years by bringing them into the digital age. It also does a great job for Google in showcasing their talents.


I've never seen Google as anything more than a glorified Yellow Pages with a Pool table in Reception and frankly, I think this series brings them right out of that into more of an online partner/medium.


Their efforts re-creating The "I'd like to buy the world a Coke", Coke story is terrific and if you haven't seen it, you'll get it here
http://streamabout.blogspot.com/2012/03/ad-agencies-have-future-thanks-to.html and really worth a look, I think.


The next up was for Volvo, "Drive it like you hate it" campaign and you'll see that here too http://streamabout.blogspot.com/2012/03/google-show-ad-agencies-have-future-if.html


The third is now for a classic Alka Seltzer campaign from the US in 1972. Although I get it, I never thought it had the greatness of "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" but it was hugely successful.


Here is the original commercial.

So what Google did was to re-unite the original creative partnership of copywriter and visualiser (art director if you like) and involved them in making the concept work online.


Here's the video as to how they went about and, regrettably, it's not as riveting as the others but you have to watch it to understand the last video, which is worth watching. Still....

So you get the drift. I think what made this interesting is that way in which they decided to execute the idea. Basically the concept is to show stories about what happened before he got indigestion - not a bad idea because it becomes engaging. Stories do that and when they're streamed to new devices, they take on a new life. 


Not bad. Not earth shattering.


But the manner in which it was executed on mobile particularly is pretty damn smart. Interactive and relevant.


So this is now well worth viewing. Amazing in what can be done today.

In some ways this shows the development of mobile too as a platform.
There's no doubt it can be effective, interesting and entertaining.


More than that, it can bring classic advertising into today.
Better than that, it can actually be the platform for classic advertising, created today.