The Sock Pig
Babe, Miss Piggy or Peppa Pig – there are numerous examples of famous four-legged pink friends. As of today, the gang of prominent porkers has another member.
A five-minute film about the sock pig and the brand name OTTO does not appear until the end. Doesn’t this advertisement break virtually every marketing rule in regard to length & brand positioning?
Carolin: Today, you can hardly get any attention with typical advertising and the same monotonous rules; especially in the social networks. It’s about surprising, entertaining and telling a story relevant to the users. If a story is inspiring, time flies. These are precisely the ideas we are pursuing with the sock pig. Nevertheless, we make distinctions regarding the length depending on the channel – on YouTube for example, the format can last a bit longer because users consume content with a lean back attitude there anyway.
The format of the film is also better known as a “mockumentary”. What is behind all this & why is it suitable as a form of advertising?
Carolin: At first glance, a mockumentary is a documentary but it tells a fictional story. These types of formats are not completely unknown in the advertising landscape. Until now, we have not used this format at OTTO. This creates an element of surprise and gives us the chance to get our users interested in OTTO as well as the product. We instantly fell in love with the concept and were also immediately able to convince AEG to test this format with us. Socks, which do not come out of the wash as a pair but as orphans are an everyday problem and at some point, nearly everyone asks themselves why. Therefore, we believe that many users want to know how the story ends and keep watching until this question is answered.
We have not yet used a mockumentary at OTTO - that provides for an element of surprise with our users!
What do you expect from this advertising? When would this format be considered a success?
Carolin: The format is successful when as many users as possible pay attention to it – that is watch it, like it, comment on it and even possibly share it in their social networks. Of course it also serves building up a range for our brand and providing product advertising for AEG. At best, our story inspires and incorporates OTTO as a relevant point of purchase in the relevant set. And the next time a user needs a new washing machine, he or she preferably buys an AEG from us.
