Onvia.com, an online operations center for
entrepreneurs, began airing its first
television advertisement, a 30-second spot directed by Michael Radford of
four-time Academy Award-nominated film ‘Il Postino’ fame.
The company said the ad brings an elegant and cinematic approach to the
medium. Done in an art-house film style, the ad humorously depicts the
mind-bleary mix-up of an exhausted entrepreneur at the end of a work day.
Spending was not disclosed.
TBWA/Chiat/Day developed the ad.
Maintaining a strong connection to Onvia.com’s brand was a key component in
designing the ad, as opposed to generating memorable antics simply for the
sake of attention.
“Anyone can drop their pants to get attention,” said John McGonigle, group
account director at Chiat/Day. “We wanted to reinvent the wheel for Internet
company commercials, and employ a brand-building approach rather than simply
using shock to reach our audience.”
The Onvia.com spot is Radford’s first dot com commercial, as well as his
first television commercial for a U.S. audience.
“I chose to work on this project because I liked the both the company and the
ad concept, and was excited to have the opportunity to infuse a cinematic
feel into a category cluttered with gimmicky commercials,” he said.
The ad will begin airing in selected cities chosen based on their number of
start-ups per capita. The ads will be shown on Dateline NBC, Law & Order, 60
Minutes, David Letterman and The X-Files.
Onvia.com said it plans to spend
between $7 million and $10 million on advertising during the remainder of
1999, split between print, television, outdoor and radio.
Onvia.com is a business-to-business online center devoted to meeting the
needs of entrepreneurs through targeted business products, services, tools
and expert advice.