Using a celebrity to endorse a product is nothing new, so it’s no surprise CarMax called on the speedy Usain Bolt to help promote their fast car-buying service. Take a look at the ad below…
There was a lot of potential for this ad to be effective, but CarMax got disqualified (to use a track racing reference 🙂 ) for one fatal flaw in the spot. It overshadows the message, unfortunately. It’s called a false start. In a race, if athlete #1 leaves the blocks before they’re supposed to, and they do that too many times, they get disqualified.
The woman using the CarMax app finishes her task quickly, sure, but technically she cheated by starting before the race even began. It’s an unfair measure in which she should be disqualified! I know I am probably taking this ad too seriously, but it could have been fixed so easily. Here’s how. Just show the race starting and immediately following the start, the woman finishes with the app. She would win by a mile, no matter how far Usain is running.
Wouldn’t it be that easy?
When I see this ad on TV, it really bothers me. I guess we’ll never know which is faster, Usain or CarMax! My money is still on Usain. Sure, the app might be quick, but I’m left feeling annoyed and I’m less likely to use CarMax because of it, especially if they’re willing to not abide by established rules.
What do you think about the ad? Am I being too technical? They could have made a few small changes and really maximized their celebrity endorsement, but instead, this ad false starts and should be disqualified from all televisions.
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-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 