Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

Interview with Teressa Iezzi

Aired June 23, 2003 - 20:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, here is a timely question. What do you think of commercials?
Do you ever enjoy them?

Would it help if more commercials were like this one?

We'll show you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: That commercial is made by Spike Jones, the director of being John Malkovich. It won first prize in France in an international contest being described as the Olympics of advertising. That ad is shown in America. Some of the other ads we show you tonight aren't seen here because they're considered too outrageous for American takes.

Teressa Iezzi is the editor of "Creativity Magazine." She's here to talk more about the commercials most of us will never see. Lets talk about the one the one that is being seen in the United States for IKEA.

What is so university appealing about the one for IKEA?

TERESSA IEZZI, "CREATIVITY MAGAZINE": I think this ad was a surprise that it won at Cannes, because if you think about it, it is a little shocking in its own way. It has a twist at the end. And what it does is it solves the real business problem. What you see with a lot of ads today I think are you get a big joke or big beautiful film and it is kind of brought to you by at the end. And after you think who is this ad for. This IKEA ad is an effective ad, it is fun and it does have a twist.

Let's check out the twist now.

IEZZI: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

Many of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you crazy. It has no feelings. And the new one is much better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Worked for me. I would go out and buy that.

IEZZI: If you think about it, what the ad is doing at end, you have the crazy Swedish man coming on and telling prospective consumers, you're crazy. Which is a dangerous thing for the Chris (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Miami to be doing. But it is incredibly effective. It is solving a category problem which is, forget about your crappy old furniture, buy some shiny new IKEA stuff. That's why it was appealing to jurors at the Cannes Festival and audiences.

ZAHN: Some of the ads underscore the cultural difference between the United States and other countries.

We are going to look at an ad, this one not -- will not be shown in the United States. It is made by a travel company geared to young people, club 18-30.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: All right, what are we selling there?

IEZZI: Were selling a number of different things. But I think what to remember with this ad is what we are selling is a travel service as the name implies, it's for 18 to 30-year-olds. And they offered travel packages that are geared towards that young audience that offer two things, partying and liaising with the opposite sex. The ad looks shocking but there is an important brand message there, too. And no, we probably won't see ads like that in the U.S. I think it does reflect the different sexual mores of Europe and Latin America and different places in the world.

ZAHN: In the end is there ever any way to know how effective any of these ads have been? I mean, they do studies and sort of chart how much advertising has been done and make some sort of relationship to products sold.

IEZZI: Yes there are numerous studies of advertising effectiveness and what they do for brand awareness and moving product and so on.

ZAHN: We'll close this one last commercial. The outpost.com ad. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

Hello. We want you to remember our name. Outpost.com. That's why we have decided to fire gerbils out of this canon through the o in outpost. Cute little guy. Fire. And again. So close. Fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Now, that one does air here.

IEZZI: That spot aired during the dotcom boom. It really typified a lot of the spots that aired during that time. You've got outrageous comedic spots that maybe did or didn't have strong brand messages, but I think that ad really typifies a kind of ad that will run in the U.S. that won't run in Europe. That is what you might call the violent comedy kind of ad. Where you'll have some -- what you may call violent scenarios. And I think in the U.K., especially, that kind of ad is frowned on. There is a recent ad in London that was banned that showed a man who had a big night the night before and he basically coughs up a dog. And animal rights groups were up in arms about that ad and it got taken off the air. And I think that whereas in Europe, you might say, you know, sex is OK, violence is not okay, in the U.S., I think the reverse is true.

ZAHN: Well, Teressa, we appreciate you dropping by have fun watching all these ads.

IEZZI: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: Yet, You should get paid to do that, don't you?

IEZZI: I know, it is incredible.

ZAHN: Again, thanks for your time.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired June 23, 2003 - 20:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, here is a timely question. What do you think of commercials?
Do you ever enjoy them?

Would it help if more commercials were like this one?

We'll show you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: That commercial is made by Spike Jones, the director of being John Malkovich. It won first prize in France in an international contest being described as the Olympics of advertising. That ad is shown in America. Some of the other ads we show you tonight aren't seen here because they're considered too outrageous for American takes.

Teressa Iezzi is the editor of "Creativity Magazine." She's here to talk more about the commercials most of us will never see. Lets talk about the one the one that is being seen in the United States for IKEA.

What is so university appealing about the one for IKEA?

TERESSA IEZZI, "CREATIVITY MAGAZINE": I think this ad was a surprise that it won at Cannes, because if you think about it, it is a little shocking in its own way. It has a twist at the end. And what it does is it solves the real business problem. What you see with a lot of ads today I think are you get a big joke or big beautiful film and it is kind of brought to you by at the end. And after you think who is this ad for. This IKEA ad is an effective ad, it is fun and it does have a twist.

Let's check out the twist now.

IEZZI: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

Many of you feel bad for this lamp. That is because you crazy. It has no feelings. And the new one is much better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Worked for me. I would go out and buy that.

IEZZI: If you think about it, what the ad is doing at end, you have the crazy Swedish man coming on and telling prospective consumers, you're crazy. Which is a dangerous thing for the Chris (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Miami to be doing. But it is incredibly effective. It is solving a category problem which is, forget about your crappy old furniture, buy some shiny new IKEA stuff. That's why it was appealing to jurors at the Cannes Festival and audiences.

ZAHN: Some of the ads underscore the cultural difference between the United States and other countries.

We are going to look at an ad, this one not -- will not be shown in the United States. It is made by a travel company geared to young people, club 18-30.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: All right, what are we selling there?

IEZZI: Were selling a number of different things. But I think what to remember with this ad is what we are selling is a travel service as the name implies, it's for 18 to 30-year-olds. And they offered travel packages that are geared towards that young audience that offer two things, partying and liaising with the opposite sex. The ad looks shocking but there is an important brand message there, too. And no, we probably won't see ads like that in the U.S. I think it does reflect the different sexual mores of Europe and Latin America and different places in the world.

ZAHN: In the end is there ever any way to know how effective any of these ads have been? I mean, they do studies and sort of chart how much advertising has been done and make some sort of relationship to products sold.

IEZZI: Yes there are numerous studies of advertising effectiveness and what they do for brand awareness and moving product and so on.

ZAHN: We'll close this one last commercial. The outpost.com ad. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP OF COMMERICIAL)

Hello. We want you to remember our name. Outpost.com. That's why we have decided to fire gerbils out of this canon through the o in outpost. Cute little guy. Fire. And again. So close. Fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Now, that one does air here.

IEZZI: That spot aired during the dotcom boom. It really typified a lot of the spots that aired during that time. You've got outrageous comedic spots that maybe did or didn't have strong brand messages, but I think that ad really typifies a kind of ad that will run in the U.S. that won't run in Europe. That is what you might call the violent comedy kind of ad. Where you'll have some -- what you may call violent scenarios. And I think in the U.K., especially, that kind of ad is frowned on. There is a recent ad in London that was banned that showed a man who had a big night the night before and he basically coughs up a dog. And animal rights groups were up in arms about that ad and it got taken off the air. And I think that whereas in Europe, you might say, you know, sex is OK, violence is not okay, in the U.S., I think the reverse is true.

ZAHN: Well, Teressa, we appreciate you dropping by have fun watching all these ads.

IEZZI: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: Yet, You should get paid to do that, don't you?

IEZZI: I know, it is incredible.

ZAHN: Again, thanks for your time.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com