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BRIDGES

A COMMENTARY BY DOUG MEYER

Wednesday October 26th, 2005
The best commercial you didn't see.
Have you seen the new Mitsubishi truck commercial? The one where the red Mits comes bumper to bumper with a generic Japanese competitor? They sit, headlights to headlights, until the competitor can't take the pressure and leaks all over the ground.

Novel, no? Maybe, but not original. It's been done before, but you didn't get to see it.
When the Kawasaki new models are introduced to the dealer network every year at "The Dealer Show", part of the routine is a debut of all the upcoming TV, radio and print advertising that the ad agency has come up with. The assembled dealer body and guests (maybe 2000 or so people) sit in an auditorium and watch and listen. The good ones are cheered and applauded for dutifully.

In 2000 Kawasaki USA debuted what was one of the best TV commercials ever for a modern motorcycle. I don't remember the details but I'll give you the gist of it:

In a large, nearly dark, urban parking garage the sound of a couple mean sport bikes can be heard getting closer and closer to a meeting. Coming up a ramp, headlights appear and they belong to a non specific brand of motorcycle that just might have looked like a Hayabusa. Around the opposite corner come the unmistakable alien headlights of the new ZX-12R. The UJS stops in its' tracks. The ZX-12 advances and stops. Throttles rev, first one then the other, then the 12 again. The camera switches back and forth from one bike to the other as the tension of the standoff builds. The ZX-12 revs one more time and then the camera stops on the anonymous UJS in time to hear its' revs fall and all the oil spill out the bottom of the fairing and onto the stained concrete floor, as it wets all over itself in fear. This followed by a powerful voice over exclaiming the new ZX-12 as the new king or some such.

Well, you might imagine that this commercial was genuinely greeted with cheers and resounding applause and it certainly was. It was one bad ass commercial and everyone loved it. The dealers loved it. The KMC execs loved it. The guests and press loved it. So why didn't you see it? SOMEBODY didn't love it.

From what I heard the commercial was produced in the US by KMC USA's agency without approval or involvement by the Japanese, (I think this is usually the case) and THEY didn't love it at all. As a matter of fact, it was never to be shown again. The people who had worked on that spot were severely pissed and there was a great deal of discussion and consternation all around. Matters of taste between societies are delicate matters and apparently this commercial was considered in bad taste (which is nothing short of astounding if you've ever seen a Japanese game show) by the Japanese hierarchy, and they are after all, the boss.

In my opinion this was just one more aspect of the most mismanaged product release this industry has ever seen.

Too bad, you\'d have loved it.


Posted by Doug @ 19:35  -  Permalink  -  1 Comments  -  0 Trackbacks
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I wonder if anyone has a copy....post it on youtube?
From KZScott on 2007-10-29 20:38  -  Permalink



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THE AUTHOR


Doug Meyer has been working with race engines professionally and as a hobby for the past 45 years. He has built engines for everything from dragbikes and cars to outboard race boats, from the famous Can-Am sports cars and an F-1 car to motorcycle streamliners. He spent many years as a professional race team member and engine builder. Everything from nitrous to nitro, Doug's had his hands in it. He has set 16 Bonneville speed records...
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