Bob Collins
Saint Paul officials report that the ice has been made for the Crashed Ice “event” near the Cathedral this weekend.
It should be a great time as long as you don’t plan on recording the event. My colleague, photographer Jeffrey Thompson, points out this clause in the event’s guidelines:
Why is video not being allowed? Because while it’s advertised as an event and a competition, the Saint Paul course is actually an elaborate set for a commercial for Red Bull, which is expert at using online media (There’s also the issue of restricting videotaping on public land, but that’s for another discussion).
Marketing is the name of the game for a drink that’s all about energy — high energy. Consider this video from Red Bull.
That’s high-decibel, rock ‘n roll, off-the-wall action, the kind that can come just by chugging down … you know.
But it’s unlikely what you’ll see this weekend will be that non-stop furious and it’s not good for the brand to have videos out there showing any long periods of inactivity between competitions, without the cymbals, the music, and the lights.
Take that away, and what is your brand left with on YouTube?
The recent jump by Minnesota’s Levi LaVallee provides a clue.
You’d get this…
Instead of this…
It’ll will be interesting to compare the video Red Bull will release next week, with the impression of those who attend this weekend. Yeah, I’ll be one of them.
