Media planners should embrace the rise of slow TV
PHD’s Jack Monro and Gabrielle Peters sit down for a chat about slow TV and its impact on advertising, media planning and the nation’s anxiety levels.
Jack: I don’t get it.
Gab: Shhhh…
Jack: What am I watching here?
Gab: It’s a non-stop cruise along the Norwegian coast, in real time, for 134 hours straight. People are calling it slow TV; a non-stop livestream of an everyday event with no added sound, narrative or special effects. Just sit back and enjoy the world sailing past…
Love slow TV, I watched the bus ride through Yorkshire, the Finnish Postal Reindeer ride on BBC 4 in the UK. Yes, all those ‘programs’ are a bit like Youtube videos, there on Youtube you can have a train ride anywhere, some lasting 10 hours or even a flight on an aeroplane from London to China or Sanfransico to Paris in real time, even for me those flights are a bit long, to say the least.
Just speaking from the perspective of someone who has driven across the Nullarbor… I wouldn’t buy an Amarok because a family drove one across the Nullarbor and it was broadcast on SBS. I’d be too busy driving the car I already have across the Nullarbor.
I see it as wishful thinking…Thinking that someone would go out and buy XYZ train ticket or car when they’ve already seen the peaks and troughs of the event via TV.
Thoughts?
Hey Sam,
This is a great point, and one that we mooted over for a while. We came to the conclusion that this could be good for some brands, partially based on some info in a report from News (http://www.news.com.au/enterta.....8b0cf9ea0a): the ticket purchasing portal for the Ghan website crashed following the show going to air. This would indicate a massive increase in interest (and hopefully purchase) for the train journey, even though the buyers may have already watched the entire thing on their TV. Another example of television coverage of events driving purchases could potentially be found in sports – it’s not as if attendance for cricket test matches or football games decreased after being broadcast in the early days (although we couldn’t find any data or studies to back this up). Admittedly sports matches aren’t exactly “slow” TV, but as a proxy, it at least indicates a willingness to cough up to experience something in the real world versus on-screen.
Perhaps an SUV-less family looking for adventure might be unknowingly persuaded into purchase of an Amarok, just to emulate the entire broadcasted Nullarbor trip? Or perhaps the long viewing length would allow Amarok to showcase features and a positive driving experience that’s nigh impossible to communicate in a 30 second TVC?
Whatever the case, we definitely think there is some potential here.
Wow! Classic case of “just because I see it one way, doesn’t mean it’s so”.
I failed to consider the potential narrative around features etc, could probably be attributed to lack of time in front of the tv. I guess you’re also talking about the possible effect of such and not it’s immediate and inherent value, which is something I also didn’t think of!!
Thanks for sharing the perspective!
Nice one guys….. play on, 134 hours again
Ripe for sponsorship.
The Ghan. 17 uninterrupted hours of the beauty of the Australian landscape brought to you by Eco-Relax. Sit back and enjoy the ride.