Walkers hit the right note and go viral

Although I’ve been working in marketing for the past 4 -5 years, I’ve unfortunately never had the opportunity to experience television advertising first-hand. Nevertheless, I can still appreciate good TV advertising with my marketing hat on, and the new Walkers Crisps TV commercial starring Lionel Richie (and of course the ever-present Gary Lineker), is a touch of genius (below).

The ad is great because:

• It’s funny, and uses a neat parody of a classic Richie song (‘Say You, Say Me’) , meaning the ad makes an immediate connection with viewer
• The ad is structured nicely so that it flows well throughout its 41 second running time. It starts off in typical cheesy music video style but the twist at the end ensures it packs a punch!
• The celebrities (including Lineker!) aren’t just there to get attention for attention’s sake, they’re used in a way that adds real value to the ad
• The combination of a funny, catchy and memorable commercial means that the ad has viral potential and has already clocked up over 16,000 views with the potential for more