Crispin Porter and Bogusky is at it again with a new campaign for the Mini Cooper. The campaign gives all the info on how to spot a counterfeit mini, and promotes making the streets genuine once again. Their ads lead viewers to visit counterfeitmini.com, where there there is further information on learning how to distinguish a fake from a real mini.
The Counter Counterfeit Commission describes itself as:
The Counter Counterfeit Commission is an independent, bipartisan organization with the tireless mission of countering counterfeits and protecting you from being duped and disappointed. For some time now, the CCC has been combating the criminal element responsible for knock-off goods ranging from watches to sunglasses to little porcelain figurines. But last year, the decision was made to shift our efforts and focus solely on the newest and most atrocious kind of deception: counterfeit MINI Coopers. We are dedicated to protecting and educating the public about this growing epidemic.
In the Confiscated Counterfeit section you can view a quicktime of the CCC at work on boarder patrol with their trusted canines, sniffing out attempted smuggling. You can submit fakes, rate the fakes, and learn how to detect a fake. There is also a DVD for sale which further goes into the details of fakes, how they are created and hear from victims how were taken in. Also on the site is a phone number (with a Colorado Springs, CO area code) for calling in suspicious activities. You get Manny's voicemail at the Counter Counterfeit Commission and a "I'll be out until the end of the month doing deep undercover work so leave a message". Apparently Manny will be using the name Bosco and will be found under the Copacabana in Brazil.
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I dig it. It's just so weird. :)
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PermalinkWeird is good, weird is beautiful. But the whole thing reeks of overkill. The idea of counterfeit Minis may make for a cute : 60 commercial. But building an entire website around the concept is stretching an already thin concept to the breaking point. Is the content compelling enough to keep people there more than a minute or two? Not to me. Had I not been in the business, I would've lingered there for about 30 seconds before clicking to the website for Mistress Cleo's International House of Pain.
When you get right down to it, is the expense and effort of creating such an elaborately conceived website any likely to produce better results than a single, well-executed ad? Some of the best stuff Crispin's done for the Mini has been the simplest (i.e., strapping a Mini atop an SUV, putting a coin-operated Mini in a shopping mall).
Same thing with Burger King. The Subservient Chicken was a big hit in part because it was simple (and addictive). Contrast that with their web work for Dr. Angus. All the bells and whistles in the world couldn't disguise the fact that the concept was at best mildly amusing. As with the counterfeit Minis, there was barely enough material for a commercial, let alone a website.
Maybe the lesson is that while weird is good, simpler is better.
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PermalinkThis coming from the man you may remember from such educational films as "Lead Paint: Delicious But Deadly," and "Here Comes the Metric System!"
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PermalinkAnd don't forget such classics as "Canker Sores And You," "Our Friend The Hydrogen Bomb" and "Fun With Earthworms."
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PermalinkThe counter counterfeit counter on the website got a laugh out of me :)
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PermalinkI dug it. CP&B never let me down. Very funny parody.
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PermalinkWhat exactly is the point of this? If you actually buy some huge 80s 4 door sedan thinking it is cooper you must be a real idiot. How could it even be a problem? Where did this "Counter Counterfeit Commission" get the money to pay for this ad anyway?
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