Deck of Brilliance, Sony, Levi's | How brands use advertising techniques without advertising

Brands today tend to use documentaries, reality shows and music videos as a more creative and engaging way of advertising. Compared to traditional advertising templates, using the above method helps ads increase authenticity and become more natural, reaching the target audience better.

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It is important for a brand to know how to apply technique in a subtle way. Because if the consumer feels "led" after seeing an advertising campaign that is purely commercial, then there will be no communication effect. Conversely, when valuable information or entertainment products are provided through advertising, those companies will also be successful beyond expectations with their marketing strategy!

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See now 3 brands that have successfully applied the campaign “Advertisement without advertising” with great success!

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Samsung - Bear (Ecobubble)

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As the famous front-loading washing machine from the technology giant Samsung, the “Samsung Ecobubble” product with outstanding water-dissolving and washing capabilities without sacrificing their quality.

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In January 2013, Samsung released a TVC that looks like an actual documentary. The first scene shows the crew going out in the winter and filming something for the Ecobubble washing machine commercial with a specific note of the location (Manning Park Canada) and the shooting time with the description “A giant bear made a surprise appearance at the recording for Ecobubble“ in the very first scene.

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When the crew spotted an approaching brown bear while they were trying to get water underneath the ice for the Samsung Ecobubble washing machine, they quickly left the set and decided to change the direction of filming to the wildlife. The bear stepped closer and stopped when standing in front of the washing machine, it suddenly peeled off its fur to reveal the big belly is covered by thin blue plaid shorts! However, somehow unbelievably this happened: the bear put his "fur coat" inside and started the machine. While waiting for the coat to be washed, it played with some props at the filming site.

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Thought the behind-the-scenes video of the promotional shoot but turned it into a "documentary" about wild bears

The hilarious twist in this TVC comes when the brown bear opens the lid of the SamSung Ecobubble washing machine and takes out a pure white fur and puts it on, instantly transforming into a real polar bear! The documentary then ends with all the other brown bears lining up in front of the Ecobubble washing machine waiting to be 'cleaned' their fur!

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From January 11 to 18, 2013, TVC became the second most viewed form of advertising on the YouTube platform. A creative team including management company The Viral Factory, production company Jellyfish Pictures and producer Jon Stopp brought to life a stripped-down bear with just a male actor and a pair of prosthetic legs. .

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Ed Robinson, Creative Director at The Viral Factory says, “For us, producing a viral video is all about telling the story of the product while keeping the audience entertained. The Samsung Ecobubble washing machine can work well in very cold weather conditions. So the cold weather and the polar bear are great ideas for a funny washing machine promo video.”

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Sony Interactive Entertainment - Gravity Cat

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Sony Interactive Entertainment is a digital entertainment and video game company. In 2017 to promote their latest release for the PlayStation 4 (2016) with the game "Gravity Daze 2", they created a 3-minute TVC that used a variety of effects by building the same story like a sci-fi movie.

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Without showing any brand elements, TVC has a very ordinary setting: the house of two young girls with a cat until the gravity in the house suddenly disappears. The cat appeared unharmed while the two girls could not control their standing position. The furniture in the house began to turn upside down and fall apart, eventually the two girls were thrown out the window and flew aimlessly through the air. The special feature of TVC lies in the shooting angle: from the angle in front of a girl, to the panoramic angle when the two girls fall out the window, reminiscent of the two typical perspectives of gamers when role-playing a video game.

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TVC is like a Sony sci-fi movie

The TVC ended with scenes from the game trailer "Gravity Daze 2". Up until this point, viewers have discovered that all the fictional story they've seen is just a simulation of the content for the game Gravity Daze 2 to give them a better feel when playing an action-adventure video game. This particular type of game has the ability to manipulate the player's gravity, creating unique movements and navigation while following Kat (homonym for "cat" which means "cat" in English). - a girl with the power to control gravity like a superhero!

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"Gravity Cat" by Sony Interactive Entertainment and agency company Hakuhodo (Japan) won the Film Craft category at Cannes Lions 2017. It took home not only gold but also silver and bronze.‍

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Levi’s - Rear View Girls

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Levi's is a world-renowned fashion brand for both men and women of jeans, known for delivering exceptional comfort, durability, and quality that make the wearer stand out and attract no matter what. What shape are they in?

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TVC was recorded with Levi's hidden camera

In 2011, Levi's released a viral video that caught the attention of consumers promoting their Curve ID jeans. Unlike traditional TV commercials, this type of marketing campaign leaves viewers guessing how things will turn out for both the characters in the movie as well as the reactions of passersby by the footage.

The result of this video is that the two girls receive many surprised looks from both men and women. This proves the appeal that Levi's Curve ID products bring to her. The entire scene was simply shot from the hidden camera. Therefore, Levi's viral video does not seem like a promotional video, but simply a self-created video by two anonymous girls.

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“Rear View Girls” has racked up more than 8 million views on YouTube in just 10 days of release and took the number one spot on Ad Age’s Viral Video chart. Levi's said that the video "Rear View Girls" even became the most viewed video in 10 countries in 2008. Although it went viral, it was still controversial because of the issue of "promoting lewd behavior". . The main video has been removed from YouTube for "terms of service violation" for the time being.

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