“There’s a new truck buyer out there, and a whole world of Web-based automotive advertising, and I want them to connect,said Northern Michigan native Pete Erickson, whose work will be featured in the launch of WebSpotCentral, a new online magazine dedicated to Web-based commercials. While the site will showcase a variety of spots, the genuine, no-nonsense approach and passion Erickson brings to online videos has resonated with truck fans in particular. Complementing his commissioned work, Erickson’s experimental online videos include “The Road Less Traveledabout the Ford F-150. Even before Erickson’s spec work appeared on http://www.WebSpotCentral.com, versions of the videos even rough edits without a soundtrack made their way onto YouTube, in some cases garnering upwards of 440,000 views.
Long-considered a working man’s vehicle, trucks got a bad rap for a while and were deemed gas-guzzlers. Erickson wanted people to understand why trucks are inherently socially responsible and remain part of this country’s fabric. “The truck market isn’t necessarily about cup-holders and luxury. Trucks are a working asset to people who own them,said Erickson. “It’s amazing what is under the skin when you take that truck apart.
Erickson has done a good deal of work for automotive brands and agencies, but his experimental adventures in advertising confirm that there is a broad audience for his particular brand of online video production. “American car companies are getting that their customers are evolving,the director observed. “The audience for trucks has changed men, women, rich, poor and while the product is more technologically advanced than in previous generations, advertising has to connect with the old truck buyer in all of us.
In “The Road Less Traveled,Erickson takes the Ford F-150 over one of the most grueling test roads in the world. “This spot offers straight-up Ford toughness and no special effects just a truck, a camera, and a 3/4 mile stretch of hell,Erickson said. “Let the pictures tell the story.He credits Sean Wilson, producer, and Jay Dalton, product expert, for helping realize his visions. On-camera car expert Rick Titus appears in Erickson’s videos, adding another layer of gravitas. The pair previously collaborated on the wildly successful “The Truth About Trucksvideo series created via marketing firm Jackson Dawson.
For his part, Erickson believes truck buyers are especially interested in what goes into the building of their vehicles, and he’d like to see more of that in commissioned online advertising and video production. “If you’ve ever been in a car factory, you know that for truck drivers THIS is the story,Erickson stated. “You walk into the factory at 7 in the morning and this body is put on the assembly line…and by 3:30pm it’s a truck.Erickson explored that concept in “Birth of a Truck,an online video he created for Ford and which enjoyed popularity on an official site about the Ford Super Duty truck.
Erickson actually came to directing through another passion: sports. After graduating from Ferris State University, he convinced the school to let him put together a 16-station college hockey network. The endeavor was an unqualified success, and soon he was directing live sports for all the major networks. Erickson’s work for NFL Football caught the eye of Detroit’s Ross Roy Agency, one of the original agencies for Chrysler. Working with the agency, he said, “I set a standard for how I like to work clean, simple, relevant, and if I use visual effects they’re seamless.Work for diverse clients such as Ford, GM, Mercedes Benz, McDonald’s, Cunard, Nicole Miller, Amnesty International, Dell, Miller, and American Airlines took him from the Pyramids to the great Wall of China. Throughout, Erickson said, one thing remained constant his substantive connection with audiences. “If there’s no substance, all the style in the world doesn’t matter,he explained. “So much emphasis has been placed on the glitzy, glamorous imagery created by the big production companies, but in some cases I think it’s misfired. The Web offers the purest connection between consumer and product, because in one way or another they’re seeking out this content. And isn’t advertising about giving people what they want
Erickson is currently at work on a commissioned viral piece for an undisclosed automotive client. “It’s a very quirky project, with a real sense of fun,is all the director would say about the subject matter. “For all its amusement value, though, it’s presenting the facts, and that’s what works for me,Erickson concluded. “I’ve always made it a priority to establish credibility with the audience. Whether it’s for the Ford F-150 or something else entirely, I use directing and online video production to tell stories people like me would be interested in.
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