Becks Sapphire "Serenade" (2013) :30 (U.S.A.)

I keep looking at this spot and thinking-- surely they know that sapphire most commonly comes in blue, right? And yet the whole spot they are showing the red glowing gem of a label. And what the hell is the point of the fish? And singing "No Diggity," via Chet Faker no less?

You know what? Don't answer.

I'm afraid there will be some bullshit articulation to justify this wankery. Perhaps with a rationale or a long-winded manifesto that tries to justify this forgettable spot. Actually it feels worse. It feels like a marketing ploy for a new strain of hop that somehow is supposed to sound more intriguing/elegant/refined than the swill you're used to drinking. Sure. Just like Corinthian Leather was a distinction.

C'mon Becks. Your best work was when you made fun of their Germaness. At least it had personality then.

Do us a favor and get off your red high horse. I mean fish.

Client: Becks
Agency: Mother London

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Anonymous Adgrunt's picture
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Sev Gevorkyan's picture

I liked the spot. Advertising is not all about making total sense... it's about putting the viewers in a certain state of mind and they did just that. They know you'll be with your friends on superbowl sunday.. so they are giving people something to laugh about and enjoy. This will make it memorable.

They aren't advertising professionals and critics so they won't be sitting their thinking "WHY THE FISH WHY THE FISH"

They will be thinking... ITS NEMO!!!!!

didn't you notice that? It's nemo... just black. My sister shouted "it's nemo" when I first showed her. That's a quick way to get the attention of 99% of people who watch superbowl... who have definitely either watched or heard of nemo.

No diggity wouldn't have been my song choice but it worked well. As long as the fish is singing something smooth (smooth = the beer, get it?)

The entire commercial is meant to portray fun, smoothness, and class. It does that quite well.

Not trying to school you; I could just tell you are interested in this stuff and I'm just pouring out my thoughts.

kidsleepy's picture

That's what this place is for. To share opinion.

I am of the opinion that ads should make sense without having to have a one page primer to go with it. Great ads have a simple, clear idea. This is no different from super bowl ads. If an ad has no idea, it's not a good ad.

Your opinion says it doesn't matter if they make sense as long as they entertain. And that the fish will remind people of Nemo. What Nemo has to do with Beer is beyond me. What a singing fish has to do with anything is beyond me. But I don't just write about ads. I make them for a living. And every last ad I've worked on, no matter how wonkdadoodle they were, started with an idea. If I can't see an idea, then it isn't a good ad. Superbowl or not.

I wonder if the client who worked with an account planner to come up with a brief to actually sell something would agree with your sentiment. I wonder too, if your opinion that advertising doesn't make to make sense would placate a client who just spent four million dollars for 30 seconds of air time.

I suppose it depends on the client. Me? I'm unconvinced.

Dabitch's picture

It's not Nemo. It's a CGI Siamese fighting fish and it makes no sense.

kidsleepy's picture

Agreed. It's shite.

Sev Gevorkyan's picture

I am an advertising executive at a top firm in Los Angeles so I too have a little bit of experience with this Shite. This Advertisement did make sense... as i clearly pointed out. I said it doesn't need to make TOTAL sense. As in.. it doesnt need to be downright OBVIOUS. Being creative is something most people don't understand. It goes far beyond a good idea.

What nemo has to do with beer? Absolutely nothing.

I said it reminded me and my sister of nemo. Everyone else will have various feelings about the fish but if you didn't understand that point of the fish, im sorry mate, you aren't really cut out for 2013 advertising. Its commercials created by people who have no vision that lose my vote. This commercial had tons of vision.

Not sure if you saw the Budweiser commercial they ran 4 times during the game...

Similar commercial... except for the fact that they used people instead of a fish... and people were talking trying to sell the beer with their words instead of a fish singing no diggity. It failed miserably.

Same bottle design... same smoooth look in the commercial... black.. nice lighting... everything but the fish n the music.

Oh and they used a red sapphire because the becks logo is RED.

No hard feelings ahah, I have these types of conversations with my mates every day. It is good to hear what other people see.

Be open minded, don't be afraid to try the unconventional. It's proved wonders for me. Commercials are more about sending a message, not about selling a product. Your selling the entire brand, not the one version of beer that will probably be on shelves for a few years.

Becks will live on.

Sev Gevorkyan's picture

Advertisers need to watch ads and turn off the part of their brain that responds to ads as an advertiser.... you need to respond to ads as a VIEWER.

Sev Gevorkyan's picture

and im sorry fish expert, your correct about the Siamese fighting fish.

:P

just to note though, I was speaking more about the way the animation is done. The mouth. The eyes. Don't deny me that. it's pretty spot on.

kidsleepy's picture

I get that Beck's label is red, but then if that's the case why call it sapphire if sapphires aren't red. Especially when there are rubies?
I guess the reason it stands out even though they are so similar is because unlike Bud, it used a fish and a hipster song?

I know! I know! I'm over thinking! My mates tell me that all the time. I guess I'm just locked in my traditional ways of starting with a relevant idea before you blow a lot of money to make something that at the end of the day is nothing more than style over substance.

I'll still go with that, although Dabitch said it best: It's a CGI Fighting Fish and it makes no sense.

caffeinegoddess's picture

As a beer drinker, this ad does nothing to make me want to try it. Sure, CGI fish is cute. Sure, CGI fish is completely unrelated to anything else going on in the ad. But I also don' think anything about this ad is memorable enough to sway me at the liquor store when I'm buying a six-pack.

AnonymousCoward's picture

Why, oh why does a commercial need be anything but a flight o' fancy. It's purpose is to entice you to buy a product and this does that by sticking in your head. If you don't like it, you're an insufferable prig and you probably are miserable about most everything. Beer commercials notwithstanding.

kidsleepy's picture

First, it is "its," not "it's." Secondly, "flight o' fancy" does not entice anyone to buy a product. Reasons to buy the product (i.e. ideas) do. Finally, Adweek rated this ad third lowest out of all the Superbowl spots. So apparently "flight o' fancy" only stuck in the heads of two people, and both of them commented here.