Kraft Foods, which introduced the Tassimo hot beverage machine to the U.S. in 2005, is promoting it with a series of humorous webisodes from Ogilvy & Mather/New York and Jimco/bicoastal that focus on an inept employee who has a thing for Tassimo.
“I’m trying to improve the quality of our office life,” Bob says, after yanking the company’s coffee machine from the wall, in an attempt to replace it with the Tassimo.
Bob’s Big Break, which debuted Feb. 15, is the first of two six-minute webisodes playing at Whohiredbob.com that present “an annoying but lovable character who’s focused on everything but work,” said Joseph Frydl, director of Ogilvy’s branded content and entertainment group and the executive producer of the webisodes. “The comedy unfolds as he displays his weird idiosyncrasies and love for the machine within a normal office environment.”
Jim Biederman, a successful television producer who owns Jimco, an independent production company, co-wrote, produced and directed the webisodes, which were shot in Ogilvy’s offices in New York. “The challenge was to promote the product, without it being a straight on commercial,” he said.
He said he worked closely with Kraft to get the scripts approved. The shooting took place in December, with Doug Moe, a New York actor with comedy and theater credits, playing Bob.
The webisodes were shot with a Panasonic HVX100 digital camera, “because we wanted the best possible look and resolution,” Biederman said. “In addition, we weren’t sure what kind of limitations we would have delivering for online over numerous websites and we felt the camera would deliver us a quality that would work.”
Viewers select one of two alternate endings to play for the webisodes, which is an important marketing strategy. “We had to make it more than a passive viewing experience, so we added another layer of engagement,” Frydl said.
Viewers are also asked to provide their e-mail addresses when they submit their own story which may be used in a future episode. “Asking for e-mail addresses is not an easy thing to do, so we wanted to provide original, entertaining content, which can be a valuable form of exchange. If I entertain you, it gives me permission to market to you,” he said.
The webisodes are the sole advertising being used for Tassimo now, although at one point in the webisode Bob recites some typical ad copy. “When it’s treated in that ham fisted way, it’s funny,” Frydl said. “Apart from that, there’s no current plans for traditional advertising.”
The webisodes “work well for the brand, because it has an upscale, educated target audience,” Frydl said. “The smart humor is not overly slapsticky, so it goes to the upper income target.”
The webisodes are playing exclusively at Whohiredbob.com. Short teasers that drive viewers to the site are playing at YouTube and other sites bought on a media buy at the Google AdSense network, Frydl said.
Michelle Satter To Be Honored At Sundance Film Festival Gala
The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced details for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s gala fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute, which will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah. The event will be an evening in celebration of Michelle Satter, founding sr. director of artist programs at Sundance Institute, for her longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where visionary artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process, for the past four decades. The annual Vanguard Awards will be presented during the evening to Sean Wang, writer and director of Dìdi, and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane, who premiered their films at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists from all over the world. The 2025 event is made possible with the generous support of Google TV. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025 for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling.
“For over four decades Michelle has been devoted to truly championing independent storytellers,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO of Sundance Institute. “She has encouraged artists to own their voice, learn their craft, become fierce leaders, and develop their resilience in our changing ecosystem. Her life-long commitment to supporting artists, especially in underrepresented... Read More