DumbDumb is not just the name of a lollipop, it's also the name of an advertising company that has been busy at work to produce Denny's webisodes called "Always Open" which I discussed in my last post. There are numerous videos displayed on the website, and the first in the upper-left hand corner is one titled "DumbDumb Inro Reel". The video allows viewers to better understand what the production company is all about.
In the video, the two founders of the company, Jason Bateman and Will Arnet, talk about how their videos affect advertising. Bateman states, "we try not to hammer you with some sort of product message" and later in the video both founders make it very clear that their work isn't necessarily to sell products specifically, it's to help companies connect to their target market better. Arnet specifically says in the video that "we are not necessarily an ad company, but we create stuff."
From these two quotes, it's clear to see that the company is trying to aide companies in reaching their target markets and to sell to them by under-using product names and slogans. The advertising is simple.
According to the website, on the about us tab, DumbDumb
"creates and produces brand-inspired entertainment content that reaches audiences across all forms of social, digital, and traditional media."
This is quite evident in the Denny's webisodes "Always Open." DumbDumb produces each of the episodes for Denny's, and they are definitely "brand-inspired" in stead of brand overloaded. According to a PSKF.com article, in the Denny's videos "the only reference to Denny's is that the host and the guest share a booth in the diner and the video ends with the company's logo and tagline 'America's diner is always open'." This means that being "brand-inspired" is really being carried out in the videos provided by the company.
"Always Open" seems to be DumbDumb's largest product, due to the amount of webisodes of the show that are on the home page, but it's not to say that "Always Open" is their only project. As stated in the "DumbDumb Intro Reel," the company has produced short videos for Orbit chewing gum too. The company will surely be as successful as planned with a mission statement as specific as theirs:
"Our goal is to enhance traditional marketing and advertising activities, and ultimately revolutionize the way advertisers connect with their audiences."
This idea of not over-using the product name, logo, or the product itself in the short videos is how the company will prosper, or so it seems. If the intention is to add on to what the advertisements have already stated, as a sort of reinforcement, then consumers may be more susceptible to buying the products that are in the videos because of the subtle messages used.
The more products and ideas that DumbDumb produces will help to prove their mission statement, as well as their claim to what they do. There is no doubt that the public will become more familiar with DumbDumb as more and more companies will realize how well their videos reach customers.