Quibi, the mobile-focused, short TV episode platform, has made it official with a
big
advertising campaign: five TV commercials during ABC’s Oscars awards event. All carried a simple message:
“Episodes in ten minutes or less.” And then “Quick
Bites. Big Stories.” The spots' creative end with a Quibi launch date of April 6.
The TV creative focuses on a number of comedic, emergency situations where one needs to respond
quickly -- say, strapped to a railroad track with a train coming; sinking in quick sand; or just getting bitten by a zombie.
What to
do in those situations?
First, don’t call for help -- say a doctor or someone with a knife, in the case of the animated railroad spot. Instead, characters come to the realization there
is just enough time to watch a ‘quick bite’ -- a short TV episode on Quibi. The Quibi name derives from the words "quick bites."
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What isn’t mentioned specifically to
consumers: Quibi is virtually defined and used as all-mobile video platform. Characters in the creative are handed a mobile phone.
That may seem like a missed opportunity. Quibi has a
wide-marketing campaign, appealing to heavy mobile users, which typically are younger TV-media consumers than the viewing segment watching the Oscars.
Quibi was originally pitched as a
platform for consumers in-between other activities outside the home, such as standing in line at a bank or waiting in a doctor's office.
Simple enough. But perhaps not all that exciting.
Better question: What is on Quibi? No word from the ads, but to date, several upcoming shows have been announced, such as a talk show with Demi Lovato, a "Fugitive" revamp with Keifer Sutherland
and a celebrity reality adventure show with Adam Devine, among others.
Big wannabe TV-based platforms/companies always have such dual-marketing efforts. They pitch brand awareness and tune-in
promotions for individual content. Quibi did make some adjustments here: At the end of each TV commercial, there was a notice to go to quibi.com to access trailers and
content.
The Oscars clocked in at its usual three and half plus hours -- keeping its crown as one of the longest single TV program of the year. And there is the rub.
How would
this kind of long-form, premium TV content fit on Quibi? Guessing hundreds of small bites. Call in the Zombies.