Bing’s latest web TV campaign shows users it’s a fun search engine that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But how long can you handle the main character’s strange speech impediment for?
Microsoft’s search engine Bing has always been a little unconventional when it comes to advertising. Last year, a series of TV ads were launched to show just how much the public are suffering from “information overload.”
If you don’t remember them, then here’s one of my favourites:
Now the Bing team have decided to create a series of web TV episodes to highlight some of the search engine’s functionalities and they’re even more “out-there” than a well-dressed woman in a restaurant screaming “you talkin’ to me?!”
The series is called “The Art of Technology” and it follows Facejacker’s Brain Badonde on a quest to find out more about technology, with expected references to Bing throughout.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with Brain, he’s one of the many fictitious characters created by Channel 4’s comedy series Facejacker here in the UK. He’s an eccentric art critic who involuntarily says “bing”, “boo” and other strange utterances, as well as having a speech impediment that makes him begin most of his words with the letter “b”. Don’t ask why. He just does. Therefore, he’s a great recruit for a web series about “B”ing.
In the Facejacker series, Brian finds himself in a number of interesting scenarios, including learning to rap and make pottery. Its all very awkward, hidden camera kind of TV, so if you can’t stand cringe-worthy comedy, I’d avoid it.
Yes it’s all a bit ridiculous. And cheesy. But, Brain has a huge online following and I can’t help but find his antics funny. It’s certainly a gamble to place such a strange character at the centre of this campaign instead of going down a more tame and conventional route. However, I like that Bing has taken a bit of a risk with this one.
Screenshot taken from MSN video player.
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer for Reputation Online, New Media Age’s spin-off publication. You can follow her on Twitter @beccacaddy.