This video does two things: it dispels the myth perpetuated by Wesley Snipes that white men can’t jump* and it also highlights just what creative departments are up against. We’re no longer simply competing with rival brands. Coke doesn’t just compete with Pepsi. Now they’re competing with kids slam-dunking themselves, cats that can play the piano and babies biting each other. And what’s more, these melodic cats and cannibal babies aren’t selling anything; they don’t have a message. They simply entertain.
In a world where every man and his dog have a camera phone and a YouTube account it’s become a lot harder for agencies to stand out. The temptation then is to do something wacky that will get you noticed and forget about the most crucial part of any piece of work: the idea. It’s no good simply to decide to ‘do a viral’. Always start with a good idea, and then execute it in the most relevant medium possible.
* Presumably ‘White men can’t jump but white kids with the aid of a spring board can’ wasn’t catchy enough for Hollywood.
