I was driving down Shk Zayed Rd. (into the city) and saw a huge billboard using a scratchy blackscreen with red velvety curtains on both sides as the visual. It has the URL
www.silentmovies.ae with a caption that goes something like this:
Celebrate your age. We are. #1: That’s fucking lame copy. I know; I’m a marketing nerd.
#2: I went to the advertised website, and it’s just a campaign site promoting Fairmont’s 100 year anniversary. There is no mention of cinema or any silent movies. Only listing of all their restaurants and spa centers.
The advertising agency responsible for this campaign may be stroking its chin gleefully, under the impression that they’ve done something innovative and different. But in my book -- the small book of a film fan -- they’ve used silent film (a great, dead art form) for their greedy marketing needs. Plus, they’ve broken the first rule of marketing: misleading the audience under false pretense. Apparently, the connection to 100 years in business is Silent Film. WTF?
