ELocal Appliance Repair Mini-Web Video
eLocal can take credit for having invented the web video genre of the generic website videos. These little 10-20 seconds web videos are made for businessmen who want to place a video on their website, but can’t afford to spend $500 - $1,000 to get a personalized custom web video. To help them along, eLocal has created a series of generalized videos.
Each video is customized for a particular profession, and any store in that profession can place one on their website. The message is generalized enough that the video fits in, and according to testimonials from eLocal customers, is successfully attracting customers.
The challenge to eLocal as the creator of this genre, was to develop concepts and an approach that would guide the production of these pioneering videos in the field. Since the pioneer in any field is just that, and is only presenting the initial solutions to the challenges of the field, it is worthwhile reviewing these videos and considering what appears to work and what doesn’t.
The eLocal appliance repair video, found at http://www.youtube.com/elocalvideoexamples#p/u/3/qbvUMbtXfjE, is one of their 3D motion graphic videos. The video portrays a washing machine that fails. With the assistance of the motion graphic the machine breaks apart, in a way that real machines can’t. It’s lid pops open and closes, the machine leans forward, totters and then falls on its face, as a black dial pops off the control panel and rolls across the floor.
The video is set to an electronically reproduced rendition of California Dreaming by the Momas and Papas. The music and motion graphics, give the video a surrealistic effect, which is almost reminiscent of a Salvidoor Dali painting.
The video is a mood piece, at best. The dying appliance is reminiscent of the brown dead winter leaves in “California Dreaming.” The mood of bleak despair, found in the text and sounds of the background music, colors the video’s presentation. The protagonist in the background song, is stuck in a town in winter. He has gone into a building seeking refuge from the cold. He would like to leave town, but has made a commitment to some girl, which requires him to stay. All the while he is dreaming about being back in warm California.
The appliance owner is told to regret the fact that he didn’t call a repairman earlier. As the machine collapses, the caption reads “this tragedy could have been avoided. ”
While the video successfully creates a mood, one has to wonder about the logic and likely success of the piece. People who might see this video are visiting a repair shop landing page because they’re looking for someone to do appliance repair work for them. Yet the video depicts an appliance beyond repair. If a homeowner owns a machine which is beyond repair then he will search for a new appliance, not for a repairman. The captioned message of the video also misses the point. The text implies that if the homeowner had sought repair help earlier, the death of the appliance could have been avoided. Such a caption is mean to encourage people to seek timely repair help for their home appliances. But people who would look at this video don’t need to see that message, as they’ve already become motivated and are in the process of searching for a repairman.
In my opinion, when making a generic repairman video it would make more sense to create a video showing a repairman at work. That type of image would build trust in the viewer and make him contact the company.
The take home message from this video is to determine two things before starting production. Who am I targeting, and what do they need to hear or see to convince them to contact me. The producers of this video did not correctly answer these questions before beginning production.
Related posts
Tags: custom video, landing page marketing, marketing video, web vidieo|online video