When Great Ideas and Products Meet

This one blew my mind.

I first saw this video on YouTube shortly after it came out last March. After I managed to stop laughing and my sides stopped hurting, I realized the genius of both the product and the advertisement. 

This was confirmed when I visited their website and discovered that the service was already on back order for several months. I believe that's what you might call "effective advertising." So, without further ado:

Brilliant.

I'll get into the quality of the product a little later, but for now, let's break down the video.

We begin in a normal looking office with the founder explaining what the company is, only to be surprised by an expletive, a great example of shock value. From that point on, the commercial continues to escalate in ridiculousness. Scenes include a baby shaving a man's head, a dancing bear, cutting tape with a machete, and a dance party. 

At the core of the commercial, and the company, is the notion that the shave-tech industry bombards us with increasingly unnecessary and elaborate gizmos. I tend to agree. The jab at Gillette's sponsorship of Roger Federer and the shout out to the founder's grandfather are thought provoking and humorous. Think about any picture you have seen from pre-1980. Can you see an apparent difference in a man's shave because he didn't have a razor with a vibrating handle, four thousand blades, a laser pointer, and an iPhone attachment. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) as they say.

Analysis of the product: Superb. I was pensive when ordering, because it could have backfired. But for $5 a month (there are three options, https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/our-blades) it made sense to try. I could not be happier. It is superior to my old Gillette 4-blade in every way: durability, closeness, and comfort. I recommend the product to anyone out there, and after four months, there is no way I will be going back to store bought razors. 

Great Product + Great Advertising = Happy Customers.

Explanation of the Title

At this point it seems prudent to explain the title of this blog. It is a several fold explanation, the first of which is the excellent song from my favorite band, from Liverpool, The Wombats:

Second, my roommates have predicted that I will move to New York after graduation. Deep.

The third and final piece is a corollary of the second, I am trying to move to New York after graduation, how incredibly shocking. However, the most important part of this post is to rave about The Wombats, who I have had the fortune to see twice in the last two years. Best live act I have ever seen, and I have seen some good ones; Foo Fighters are hard to beat folks. 

They mix witty, sappy, and depressing lyrics with incredibly upbeat and happy music to create a unique sound. When you watch the video above and crave more, check out their debut record, "The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation" and sophomore effort, "The Wombats Proudly Present...This Modern Glitch." Both are chock full of thought provoking lyrics and addicting music. After you become addicted to them you can blame me. You're welcome in advance.

Dance Pony Dance

During the North London Derby last week (that's Tottenham and Arsenal for you non-football fans) this advertisement came up during the post game show. 

Probably one of the funniest TV ads that I have seen in a long time, it is an excellent example of how an advertisement can be effective without showing (or being relevant to) the product. I can't speak for many others, but as soon as the commercial was over, everyone in the room watching wanted to know what the company is (for those who are wondering, "3" is a mobile device retailer and broadband service provider). The choice of song is superb, Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere," and the concept endearing. It also continues the trend of 'absurdist' (for lack of a better term) advertisements that we have seen in the last few years.

Next up: "Dollar Shave Club"

So it begins

I have held off on the blog thing for a long time, but now I think it's time I start imposing my ideas on cyberspace. This is going to be a place where I discuss and post thoughts about the two things occupying most of my mental capacity: advertising and music. First post to come shortly...English advertisements are a nice refresher from ours here in the United States, one this past week was excellent.