The Media Drop: NetZero spoofs AOL "Members" ad campaign

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November 22, 2004

NetZero spoofs AOL "Members" ad campaign

I just saw what has to be the single most messed up "spoof" of an ad campaign ever. In it, NetZero uses what appear to be exactly the same actors (or really really really good facsimiles) and exactly the same set as AOL's latest campaign, specifically the "All of them" ad where the receptionist tells the AOL executive that "some members" are there at corporate headquarters to make some suggestions on "How to make the Internet better." You can see the original AOL ad here in an article on Slate from Seth Stevenson - it's the second ad, about halfway down the page.

In the NetZero spot, some members are on line in the offices, meet the receptionist, and say that they want to tell AOL that they're leaving. The receptionist opens the door to the exec, states that "There are some members here. They say they're leaving for Netzero." To which he replies, "Which ones?" as his smile turns to a frown. She walks into the office futher, and says "Looks like....all of them." At which time the same campus appears to be on the video, full of people - in the closeup, the people are holding signs that read "$9.95" and "See Ya," as they shout "Bye!" out loud and wave to the camera.

Posted by Tom at November 22, 2004 8:00 PM | TrackBack | IM This

Comments

By "messed up", do you mean it's ineffective? I think it actually accomplishes most of its intended goals: It sticks it to AOL, hard, by tripping them on their own bad concept (Stevenson's dead-on, there); it plays off AOL users' lingering fear that they're being had; and, most importantly, it wins the contract.

What's really striking to me is the length they went to in order to clone the context. The shot out the window in the Netzero spot -- it looks exactly like the AOL campus in Dulles. That had to be done to appeal to people who'd dealt with AOL in their past corporate lives....

Posted by: eric at November 25, 2004 12:05 AM

I rather think this campaign is fairly effective, if only for causing neck sprains from the thousands of double takes that now happen daily.

It should be noted though, that AOL is famous for using non-union talent and -- whatever you may think of unions -- SAG talent is prohibited from participating in competitors' spots via the exclusivity clause in their contracts. This is a case where AOL got what it paid for -- an expensive media buy that was vulnerable to being immediately devalued.

Posted by: chris at November 29, 2004 10:51 PM

Its a very effective campaign that is causing a lot of buzz talking up how NetZero provides essentially the same service for a lot less.

As for the SAG prohibitions, these are not the same actors nor the same sets, just very cleverly done copies.

Check out http://creative.wlv.untd.com/nz_spots_new/376258/final_rev/new/main_new.html for a side by side look at the ads.

Posted by: Doc Oz at November 30, 2004 1:17 PM

For what its worth, the AOL ad used union actors. I know one of them very well. And she did NOT reprise her role in the NetZero spoof -- that was a different actor.

Posted by: Jack at December 4, 2004 1:43 AM