Sunday, October 14, 2007

our company rules just because we're online

Why is it that companies think the standard is lower for advertising online? It's like they think the idea of putting something on the web is just so cool in itself that they don't need to worry about whether it's any good.

My latest example is Volvo's launch of the C30. They created a whole world on MSN.com that's so shoddy it actually pains me to post the link. Mr. Robinson's Driving School currently consists of 10 episodes in a series about a driving school instructor, his day-to-day life and his rivals. I don't begrudge Volvo the idea--it's cool to create a microsite where people can come back and watch new episodes in a series--but it's so poorly done I want to call up some hacker friends and take the whole thing down.

The plot is ridiculous, the acting is shoddy, the direction is painful, and the production value is so low I have a hard time believing professionals put it together. And the interactive section (take your own driving lesson) consists of one of the lamest simulation exercises everywhere. The first course I drove included an animated chicken holding a sign as one of the distractions. Gee, that's funny.

There are credits at the end, which makes me believe that Volvo may have gotten the whole thing at a cut rate. A word to the people at Volvo: it's better to do nothing at all than to subject people to this drivel.

Perhaps it's time for another complaint letter.

RainyBow

1 comment:

The CDM said...

I have to agree with you on this. It reminds me of an interactive Pepsi/Starbucks site, very unprofessional as far as automotive sites go. Side note, I like the C30, but it's too pricy next to a mini cooper that has better numbers. I can't believe a car that small can weigh that much.