Month: February 2013
Get On Board: Introduction To Whiteboard Videos
I’m suddenly obsessed with white board videos as a great way to tell technical stories in a quick, concise and eminently watchable way. We’ve all seen too many traditional, snooze-worthy corporate videos. They are a big investment, but if they are not masterfully produced they do little but bore the audience and clearly convey that your company is boring, too. They are not being used much in aerospace marketing yet, though our friends at Able Engineering were among the first, and we love the end result.
Some people might worry that a white board concept is too edgy or cartoony for our industry, but it’s not. Heck, the United States of America has branded a “White House White Board” online to explain potentially daunting topical issues (note to President Obama: lose the talking heads).
If you have not yet seen or experienced a white board video, start with a Google search and start exploring. They’re all the rage, and, well, we’re on board.
Advertising: Keep it Simple, but with Soul
I’m all for simplicity in advertising, especially in aerospace. In our industry, simple messaging and graphics stand out because they are unique, unexpected, and, well, genuinely refreshing. But simplicity alone isn’t enough.
Two ads especially caught my attention in the January issue of Rotor & Wing. The first had a strong headline: “More Technologies. More United,” and informed readers that Goodrich and Hamilton Sundstrand are now part of UTC Aerospace Systems. The ad successfully conveys the intended message, but it has no soul. It fails to evoke any emotion or give viewers a sense of “who” this new company is, and that’s too bad. The graphics, though simple, don’t support the message or evoke any response, except maybe a yawn, in the viewer.
American Eurocopter’s ad features a generous amount of white space, along with the headline “Think Innovation.” The graphic — a helicopter resting on a high-tech robotic hand, delivers the message quickly and clearly so viewers “get it” immediately.
Do your ads pass the “simplicity with soul” test? It’s a question worth asking.