Advertizing How They Make There Product Sell

Creators of Need

In a dark, badly lit room without windows, two men stood facing each other. One was an older man with a big belly, clearly speaking in short German sentences and pointing to a map on the wall. Both of them were dressed in dark slacks, short-sleeved shirts and ties.

One might get the idea that dress code was involved in this situation. In the next frame a young man cautiously, as for the first time, sat at the desk, which was facing a wall full of electronic equipment. On the desk, an eco-friendly fifteen-watt 80’s desk lamp barely gave any light. Older man pointed to a microphone which was in the middle of the desk and blurted out something in rigid German, as though saying “this here is a microphone”.

Next, he followed to familiarize the young man with the equipment very quickly “this here is a reception center” pointing to an 80’s radio-looking machine. At this point the viewer should realize that the young man is a trainee listening to the supervisor. It’s his first day on the job. Not just any job, a job that has to do with maps, microphones and radio reception centers. It’s getting pretty serious. The manager then slaps the trainee on the shoulder as though wishing him good luck, picks up his cup of cold black coffee from the badly lit table and vanishes from the frame of the cameras focus. As the overseer steps out, the young man makes himself comfortable in an 80’s style swivel chair, takes a deep breath and slowly exhales.

Suddenly, a quick radio beep out of one of the archaic machines interrupted the short idleness of the young man followed by words in British accent: “Mayday! Mayday! Hello! Can you hear us? Can you…” - the line was cut off with a hissing sound, as though reception was weak and strange rounds of beeping sounds imitating Morse code were barely heard in the background . The voice sounded again: “Over.” “We are sinking!” Then again slowly “WE ARE SINKING!” The camera zoomed in on the profile of the man in front of a microphone. Finally, he clicked on the button activating the mike, leaned toward it saying “Hello.” He proceeded very slowly: “Zis iz ze German Coast guard.”

The British on the other line continued desperately: “We are sinking! We are sinking!”

The young man in no hurry pressed the button again and asked: “Vot ar you sinking about?”

Suddenly, a white screen with blue, simple font in the center gets the viewers full attention. The words read as a command “Improve your English” and are accompanied with a loud “Ode de Joy” chorus from 9th Symphony by Beethoven. After a second or two the white screen changes to read a Berlitz logo with their motto beneath it – Language for life.

It seems that advertising industry had humble beginnings. However as time went on, the commercials went as far as to use life and death situations to make a point. This commercial about the inexperienced German Cost Guard Trainee is one of them. Maybe quite silly and unrealistic in this day and age of Homeland Security, but overall, the marketing department of Berlitz did an excellent job of using modern techniques to create a need for their product. The professionals in the industry of advertising are not usually the ones that describe what their product is or does explicitly, but the ones that can sell sand in the middle of the desert where sand is abundant, by creating a need wherever there is none at all. The reason, for this ads success, is the fact that the masterminds behind it aren’t asking for business, they are not asking the viewers to buy anything from them. Nowadays, it’s not considered effective advertising to annoy the client with all the details and functions. Stories, like this one, seem to get the point across much more effectively in a shorter amount of time. The trick is to read between the lines of the commercial, peal it like an artichoke, to get to the heart of the matter. The punch line of this comical, awkward situation is very demanding. “Improve your English” – doesn’t sound like a request at all. The creators of this ad used a life and death situation which demanded in the end that it is your duty to know English language in the work place and top it off with the gratification of saving lives. The punishment implied for not learning English is everlasting guilt for having people dead because you couldn’t take a simple Berlitz course.

It is important to note the techniques and the different elements which are used to create and set the whole tone and the feel of this commercial. First of all, there exists a universal acceptance of light and dark associated with a mind that either has