Three UK: Go Binge

Three UK seem to be joining the ever increasing trend of using cuddly looking animated characters in their TV advertising campaigns. The advert was created by the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, London.

Here we take a look at their latest ad named, “Go Binge”. We’ll rate this commercial out of 10 for memorability, effectiveness, style, humor, and execution. Take another quick look at the ad before reading through our review notes here. Let’s start with:

Memorability – 7 / 10

Three have gone for a sloth as their leading cuddly character to be the face of their latest flurry of commercials. This creature has a unique look as well as a relaxed character that most people will recognize. The idea of the sloth is two fold. On the one hand, the laid back personality of a sloth represents calm and a “no worries” attitude towards modern living. On the other hand, it’s a weird looking animal, which makes it easier to remember. In terms of the ads actual content, there isn’t much to latch on to. It features no big visuals, is dialogue heavy, with very little memorable action or gags. Many will feel the sloth could be doing so much more, even if the prime objective is to simply get the message out with dense explanatory dialogue.

Effectiveness – 8 / 10

The ad presents a great offer that will attract a lot of young millennials and family units, so the prime objective is to simply present this information with clarity while avoiding too much distraction. This clip has been produced with a very simplistic concept, with very low visual scenes that allow the dialogue to shine through completely.

Style – 8 / 10

The production value in the ad is nothing spectacular, but then it really doesn’t need to be. In fact, the more visually impressive or action packed you make the scenes within this concept, the more distracted the viewers will be from the message. So here, Three have rained it all right back, present their cuddly character, and let the script deliver the message so that it transmits to the viewer as clearly as possible. Sometimes no thrills or heavy gags can do the trick. This is a fine example of a brand simply doing what needs to be done, by favoring clarity of communication over impactful memorability.

Heart or Humor – 8 / 10

Neither heart or humor have a significant place here, and for good reason. The scenes are likable and nothing more. The reason being, the director doesn’t want you to pay attention to the lead character too much. He doesn’t necessarily prioritize having you store the scenes and visuals in your memory. The brand wants you to receive the information of the service, and relate the content to positive feelings about the offer as you take in the information presented.

Execution – 8 / 10

This ad acts as a key piece in a larger campaign that Three hope will bolster their market position as the leading provider of flexible network services. A great leading character that oozes easy living vibes, a clear script, and perfect scene design all combine to ensure the viewer is delivered the core message exactly as intended. The offer is good enough to sell itself, so why let anything get in the way? They certainly haven’t. Here, Three have simply focused on presenting the new service as warmly as possible.