My YouTube ad of the week: Andy Nairn, Dare
Andy Nairn reviews Limitless
Andy Nairn, chief strategic officer, Dare
Why I like it
Movie trailers are rarely admired for their creativity – the formula is well-established.
This campaign breaks the mould and creates something rewarding in its own right. The central premise – that someone could hack into the video monitors in Times Square – is just about plausible, making for a genuine debate about the authenticity of the footage.
The low-tech production values were entirely in keeping with the media environment and betrayed no sign that the campaign might have had anything to do with a Hollywood blockbuster. But when the secret was revealed, the idea behind the film – that a pill could allow you to use 100 per cent of your brain, and thus give you infinite powers of invention – came across loud and clear, prompting discussion in a way that a conventional trailer never would.
Wish I’d thought of
I’m envious of the way the campaign spans the physical world, the online community, the offline media and Hollywood so seamlessly. It seems that, these days, the potential of a good idea really is limitless.
