From Marketing: City of Toronto tries amateur vibe for new campaign by Jeff Beer
Whether it’s a late-night infomercial for the Magic Bullet or another rapid-fire pitch for your unwanted jewelry from Toronto’s Russell “Cashman” Oliver, low-budget amateur ads are almost always good for a little unintentional comedy.
Publicis Canada has tapped into that same so-bad-I-can’t-look-away quality with its new work for the City of Toronto. The agency incorporated a decidedly infomercial vibe to promote the city’s Solid Waste Management Services Division campaign to raise awareness of its service of free pick-up and recycling of electronics.
The online ad, which will live on the city’s website and YouTube channel, features two very enthusiastic garbage men named Chuck and Vince who mug for the camera while finding new and awkward ways exclaiming, “We want your unwanted electronics!” and “We want it!”
Pat Pirisi, creative director at Publicis Toronto, said the goal of the spot was to get away from the expected, dry fare so often associated with municipal advertising campaigns.
“We just wanted to do something that was a bit funnier and edgier than people might expect,” said Pirisi. “We wanted to have some fun with it, to reflect the city’s sense of humour.”
In a statement, City of Toronto spokesperson Pat Barrett said, “We felt these spots would delight our audience and inspire them to act.”
While Pirisi loves the charms of amateur advertising, he was quick to point out one major difference between the real infomercials and Chuck and Vince. “What makes those types of spots funny is that the stars are amateurs and the laughs are largely unintentional,” said Pirisi. “We wanted to recreate that, but of course we’re trying to be funny on purpose.”
