Branded Video Review with RedPill; featuring BMW, Volvo and Eddie the Eagle

RedPill rating: 60%

This BMW ad puts all its eggs in one basket. But when your basket is an Instagram celebrity with 16 million followers, that doesn’t really matter much. Accruing almost three million views in three days, Gigi Hadid’s two-second walk across the screen really paid off. However, it is very obvious she was picked simply for her social following and the three-cup game creative was shoehorned-in to give her something to do. Most of the ad feels like a re-appropriation of old footage from another scrapped commercial and is limited to showing off only the exteriors of the new cars, even though Gigi Hadid is inside one of them. Overall, this ad is a great strategic play, but would be much more effective with creative that made more use of the influencer.

Volvo Trucks - Volvo Trucks vs 750 Tonnes: An extreme heavy haulage challenge

RedPill rating: 90%

Volvo trucks has gone the opposite route in regards to influencers, going for a man that really embodies the qualities of the product they are selling, but with a negligible social presence. Yet, it has almost twice as many shares as the BMW video above and over a million views in five days. The production does a great job of selling the stunt. The line of containers seems to stretch to infinity, the wind and snow feel bitter and cold, and the cranes on the dock tower above the talent, giving the climax much more impact than in a lesser video. The viewer intuitively understands how impressive the feat is, even if they know nothing about trucking. And the epic feel of the entire video flatters the industry with a reminder of how big, loud and strong trucks are.

Eddie "The Eagle" Sets Toboggan Jumping World Record

RedPill rating: 80%

And finally, a brand makes fun of everyone hopping on the influencer trend, and that brand is Red Bull. Their sweet, goofy little film is about breaking records no one cares about. Just as tightly crafted as any Red Bull project, it makes fun of the now-ubiquitous internet slow-mo style. Screw the cool moments, let’s show off the uncool with a high frame rate – from Eddie burning his mouth with hot tea to poking himself in the eye. This is branded content from a supremely confident company, made more for fun than to capitalise on the return to the stage of its hyper-positive subject.

Matthew Davies is a director at REDPILL, a specialist social video agency that delivers a fully integrated approach to social video production and distribution for brands around the globe.