(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
Maybe it’s because I’ve had a seriously long day, but this ongoing webisode series on Facebook from Bacardi called True Originals has just completely disappointed me, in fact using these videos as a Facebook campaign is a clear and epic fail on a number of levels. But first, let’s look at these amazing short films where a mysterious character seems to be searching for the worlds best bar tender, challenging them to re-produce simple classics before (if they succeed) paying with what looks like a special chip that would gain you access to an exclusive competition or event.
The films are fantastic, they completely sucked me in, but that’s not what I’m upset about, it’s the end result that left me annoyed, I wanted so much more but I got a whole lot of nothing from what was a powerful idea! Each video closes with a sign off to www.trueoriginals.com which re-directs you to their Facebook page where I expected an app or recruitment challenge for the worlds best bar tenders that could be played out socially in a number of exciting ways, instead, I get links to 4 previous webisodes created over the last 12 months, all while being greeted by a paltry 1,000 fans.
That 1000 fans is a miserable 1.67% conversion from the 60,000 total views the entire series has had over the last 12 months on YouTube (lets not get into the poor seeding effort today!) pretending that’s the only thing driving them to Facebook?
But the Facebook fail plays out on a number of levels, firstly, there is no reason to setup a new Facebook page, by doing this they’ve just diluted the power of the campaign by siphoning off any new fans it generates into a lone, empty Facebook page that will probably die once this campaign ends, why not continue to build your brand page?
Secondly, when you are re-directed ,you are taken to a landing page and prompted to watch the latest video, which, in my experience, was the one I just watched in order to get here anyway! There was no competition, no exclusive content, no special event, no drive to “like” True Originals, the brilliant visual and emotive experience I’d just encountered is completely gone. Not only that, but when I click to play the video, it takes me away from Facebook and over to YouTube… go figure?
Thirdly, Bacardi has completely missed the viral platform that Facebook provides. There is nothing to facilitate direct sharing of the campaign, probably because there isn’t actually a campaign to share, but still, you could have come up with anything, an app that lets you choose your favorite drink, sent to your friends asking from for a recommend twist on the original? Perhaps an app that helps you find your best local bar tenders that specalise in your favorite drink or one that provides a drink suggestion based on the friends you are connected to… those are pretty ordinary ideas, but anything would have been better than nothing!
Anyway, for Bacardi’s sake, hopefully I’ve completely missed something after a long day in the office and there is in fact something bigger and better brewing around the idea of the worlds best bar tender, otherwise that massive production budget for the four amazing webisodes is going to return a seriously bad ROI for 60,000 views and a very ordinary 1000 Facebook fans! End Rant…
Completely agree with you! The videos are fantastic, compelling and inspiring yet there doesn’t seem to be any follow through such as the best bars, profiles of the best barmen etc to really capture you….
excellent, lucid comments; i completely agree.
a missed opportunity.
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Man, what a waste.! They could have used an application at most which the guys made for Wodka Gorbatschow..!
Check it out… It would have been a decent end if not the most fitting end to these webisodes!
Cheers,
Zed.
I also agree… very cool videos, but the social media execution is terrible. Looks like the only thing truly original about this are the kick ass videos (sorry I couldn’t resist).
Total fail for Bacardi definitely.
Total fail for Bacardi definitely. I think they should send free bottle of some drink to all 1000 fans.
May I offer a few words in defence of Bacardi? I feel I have a valid point-of-view having proposed, developed, launched and run this programme for Bacardi.
Weirdly, I pretty well agree with everything you say Aden (especially the bit about the films being “fantastic” and “amazing” – thanks for that!). Judged by the standards of consumer campaigns, it’s a fail. We used hardly any of the usual tricks you can deploy to reach as many as people as possible and achieve the holy grail of “going viral”.
But that wasn’t the objective. The objective was to engage the global community of professional mixologists with some really cool content that highlighted Bacardi’s role in the genesis of many of the world’s favourite cocktails.
Top-tier bartenders use Facebook – a lot. We wanted to create a home for the content that didn’t require the audience to go into the usual Bacardi enivronment. (You’ll notice that the films are barely branded – that’s the real innovation here.) Facebook fitted the bill.
We have also been working with some influential cocktail bloggers (e.g. http://www.adashofbitters.com, http://www.mixology.eu) and premiered the most recent film at Tales Of The Cocktail, a trade-show in New Orleans where pretty well all of the world’s top bartenders gather. Facebook and YouTube were just two of the channels we used to reach that audience, not the end in itself.
As for ROI, given the objective and the audience, we think 60,000 views and 1,000 fans are great results – though not as great as the comments we’ve had from some of the world’s most highly regarded bartenders.
But the real ROI comes when you, a consumer, order a Cuba Libre at your favourite bar, and the bartender tells you that Bacardi was the rum used in the first Cuba Libre ever made, back in 1900, and that you should really think about having that Cuba Libre with Bacardi, not Havana Club.
Now, is there an opportunity to evolve this project for a larger audience? Of course there is, and all of your suggestions are 100% valid (watch this space for a competition — but again, it’s very targeted!). But for the time being, this initiative is for bartenders, and isn’t one of the great things about the Internet that it enables communities – of any size – to come together and share stuff they care about?
[...] When digital campaign fail Filed under: Great Campaigns by onecv — Leave a comment August 3, 2010 Bacardi True Originals Facebook Fail? [...]
Hello Graham,
I am a master student in creative advertising, I have a passion for rhum and I really enjoyed the videos. I like the idea and especially the execution of the campaign, even if they are some controversy about whether the social media strategy works or not. I am convinced that bringing knowledge in an entertaining way will give credibility to the brand. Cocktails are all about passion. Next friday, I am presenting your campaign in my new media class. I hope you will keep creating content and events.
Ay-doh where’s your resply to Graeme’s comment?
Hey Graham,
Thanks so much for getting in touch and posting a comment. I’m just back from snowboarding, so I’ll post a reply comment tomorrow night
@Gerry – my reply is on it’s way!
I agree with the article. The one thing I don’t agree with is the original comment that the videos are in any way ‘fantastic’. Would you pass them on to anyone? i doubt it. I wouldn’t It’s nicely shot, but it’s pretty cringy with regard to the whole premise, set up of the guy walking into the cafe, then getting the phone call, then going down a tunnel followed half shot of his face. Reasonably well shot, but they idea is boring. It’s an average TV ad, which shouldn’t go viral. If it does, well, then Justin Bieber gets billions of views, so I’m sure I could be wrong. The lack of FB functionality is probably the realisation that it’s just not a very good idea. But, yes, it could’ve easily been better.
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