Silence is a tactic in new radio advertising strategy
A real estate advertising campaign features a near silent advertisement which challenges the listener to turn up the radio to actually hear it.
Naked Communications has devised the campaign for the Asian Pacific Group, which manages and owns real estate properties in Melbourne.
The two advertisements – featuring a man, the other a woman, talking on a telephone then goes almost silent in a lure to have listeners turn up the volume – with the aim that they engage more with the message as a result.
Called “It’s A Secret”, the campaign is designed to capture listener attention by the near silence and is set down to run for the next eight weeks in Melbourne.
“We are inviting people to hear about the incredible commercial offers mentioned in the radio ads,” said Naked Communications’ head of ideas Simon Veksner.
“The idea ‘It’s a Secret’, has behaviour change principles at its heart. However, the only way people will be able to hear the offers is if they actually make the effort to turn their radio up. We believe that getting people physically involved in the communication is a great way to ensure they pay attention to the message. Radio can be a cluttered medium – we are sure this will get peoples attention.”
The ad will air on Melbourne’s MMM and SEN, and will only be featured during breakfast and drive times when listeners are more able adjust the volume easily – mainly in cars.
Dead air is terminal in commercial radio, so it will interesting how the campaign actually plays out.
Credits:
Client:
- Sheena Kelly, Asian Pacific Group
Naked Communications
- Adam Ferrier, Insight and Planning
- Simon Veksner, Head of Ideas
- Nick Marzano, Copywriter
- Tristan Graham, Copywriter
- Ashley Smith, Expressions Manager
- Renata Gordon, Expressions manager
Dig the idea, but not sure the execution nails it. Or would lead many into actually turning it up.
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Well then it’s not such a good idea, is it?
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so you turn up the radio to hear the ad…so what happens when the next ad goes to air it is extremely loud, same with a song
Nice idea in a strategy document but no idea in terms of implementation and practicality!!
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i think they’ve overestimated the public’s involvement with advertising here – 30 seconds respite from inane chatter? who’s going to lean in and turn the radio up to counter that???
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Love the idea – but pity the eardrums when the next ad slams in on air 🙂
I’m pretty sure radio listeners are tuned in enough to understand the concept of dead air. No one thinks that volume has dropped off – listeners expect it to be consistent. Agree with Paul, someone thought this was a good idea at the time….
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Interactive radio ad. Should do well in awards, could do well with customers.
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That’s an old chestnut. They used it on commercial radio in the 1960’s, and again in the 1970’s.
The more things change……
Somebody mentioned awards? You have got to be kidding.
Or at least give due credit to the originators of the idea even if they are dead by now.
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This blog gets more like campaign bitch every day. Great idea. Novel and interesting. Well done.
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I McHunt…best posting name of 2013 thus far
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I wouldn’t want my ears blasted after the ad finishes so no thanks.
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Can I buy the spot immediately after this ad? #genius
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Hi All, Just a few points of clarification. a) doesn’t use ‘silence’ more a low murmur, b) the end of the ads remind you to turn your radio back down, c) radio buy is in clusters to ensure people will wonder what’s going on and turn radio up. Agree will be interesting to see how it goes on air next week. We’re confident.
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It’ll be interesting to hear how the audio processing handles this when it actually goes to air….
Unless the ad is playing on a classical music channel it’ll be automatically pumped up to buggery!
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Thanks for the update Adam
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It’s a cool idea Adam. Can you measure the audience engagement?
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I like it
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Dunno how it works on radio (tbh if I heard the radio go silent, I’d probably figure the station is experiencing tech problems, and switch to another station), but I did see an empty blank page in a newspaper once, with a tiny ad in the corner. Can’t recall which company it was in though, but thought it was pretty cute.
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Stupid idea…. not new…..
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There is a series of ads aimed at foolish people who text message or use mobile phones whilst driving. Here is an idea that will have people fumbling for the volume control whilst driving ; not a good idea.
As for listeners who are not driving a vehicle at the time, how many will actually have access to the controls of the radio to which they are listening? Of those who are caught once, how many times will they do it again?
How many will this tactic piss off entirely? These are just some of the questions I am asking.
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Richard most people have mastered turning a radio up or down whilst driving. Further, they explain the radio buy is during drive time. Finally I hope people don’t critique your website with the same level of vitriol.
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If I am unable to turn the volume down in time and my Marten Coltrane ‘Supreme’ speakers blow as a result of the next ad, or the next song coming on; I will sue your bottle and glass(.)
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Paul:
Not sure if you meant if but I burst out laughing after reading your comment.
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What am I talking about? I don’t listen to commercial radio?!
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Not being a smart arse here, but I would like to hear what the TAC (another Naked client) thinks of the idea. Irrespective of what you think about the concept, that should at least be a good barometer as to whether it’s distracting for drivers or not.
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@ Xy
I intended no level of “Vitriol” I merely made a comment and asked a couple of relevant questions. N.B. this is a forum inviting comments on advertising.
You couldn’t possibly know how many people have “mastered turning a radio up or down whilst driving” but, like me, you have exercised your entitlement to take a guess.
Anyone is entitled to offer a critique upon anything that takes his/her fancy, my website included.
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This IS a good idea, with science holding the key to success I feel.
How about a phonological “tune in” with the first few ‘secret’ words set half-way between the original and the whisper volume – e.g. “How DARE you …” or “I CANNOT believe you have…” thus escalating commitment and behavioural activation whilst giving them a bit more time. The relevant research shows there is between 1.8 and 2.8 seconds for onset ie movement genesis/veto.
Another challenge is getting mostly right-handers to activate their left hand as priority, which reminds me of Ammon and Gandevia’s findings in the 90s. Priming the right-brain could be done with spatial copy such as “…my location is a secret” which would take the majority of listeners from favouring the right hand 60% to favouring the left hand 80% according to those very robust findings.
Also I don’t know if both ads appear one after the other back-to-back, but that’s what I’d do, give the sloths a chance.
YOU’RE WELCOME (vol9)
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Silence is very powerful way to increase listener engagement, but only if the listener is already drawn in to the ad. My fear is that the intro isn’t intriguing enough to induce knob twiddling, let write a phone number down. Sorry Adam.
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