Naked French Girls Make an Impact
Bit of discussion concerning the clip in this post but the general consensus was that if a suitable warning is made then it should all be apples or in this case pommes. This is the official warning: this clip features some naked girls striding down a series of city streets. And is most certainly French in origin.
Consider this if you are in anyway fragile, remotely prudish, or just not too keen on the French or watching people walking a lot.
For the rest of us – here is a great music track with a catchy driving beat and addictive chant like lyrics supported by a very simple concept and memorable vision.
In brief – a series of girls take turns striding down a series of streets in Paris, relieving each other relay style with Dylan-esque lyrics repeatedly masking out their genitals. Okay then.
Sure sure there is a certain degree of titillating shock value to be found here I guess but I’d counter that in this day and age… it isn’t actually all that shocking. Just enough ’shock’ I’d imagine to ensure it reaches a global audience. The fundamentals of viral marketing appear to be all ticked here (let’s face it – this very post is testimony to this) ensuring a greater enhanced profile for this band.
As evidenced by their extensive touring now being undertaken it seems to be working out just fine for them… and having good music in my humble opinion certainly can’t hurt.
Artistically there is a lot to like about this project. It’s smart and simple.
And I love the effortlessly smooth transitions the ladies perform between each other. To be honest, I didn’t even see the first relief girl enter the scene until her dress came up.
From a purely commercial point of view, what I really love about this project is that for a relatively modest budget outlay – an allocation for a camera mounted vehicle or motorbike (or even a scooter), talent fees, and a reasonable block of edit time, this almost no-cost exercise has delivered a great result with huge ongoing potential for the band.
It is fair to say that this particular approach is not for everyone or for every business. But this notion of creating a strong vibe through an experiential event staged within the public arena is well worth considering for some.
It can certainly ensure media coverage. It can generate genuine word of mouth buzz around the brand or product. It can seriously elevate profiles through the ‘compounding magic’ of viral electronic marketing.
A number of things to be mindful of in considering this style of experiential marketing. Safety above all else.
If staged in the public space and your undertaking a guerrilla approach like this clip – then speed and surprise are everything. If not, expect to either be shut down very quickly or even worse – public reactions may be much more studied and contrived and let’s face it this isn’t so hot. Forced moments invariably consign video productions to the edit suites as a ‘fix-it-in-the-edit’ casualty. Suddenly there’s CGI everywhere and a budget bled out all over the floor.
Other elements to consider are -a practical budget and a strong sense of what is ‘appropriate’ and what isn’t in terms of general public sensibilities and brand identity.
You’ll also need a seasoned experiential events partner to help produce, navigate, and execute the project at hand to ensure maximum value and impact is achieved from the ‘moment’. Of course, above all else, you and your organization will need to demonstrate courage and conviction.
The music clip is not so surprisingly called “Baby Baby Baby” and is courtesy of the bands myspace website – Make the Girl Dance













very cool clip, great song… now I find myself chanting baby baby baby everytime I walk to the corner barista. i’ve always liked these type of events… the only issue is trying to strike the balance between being inoffensive and careful/prudent and throwing caution to the wind and just really going for it for maximum effect.
there is something about the French language that makes even the most mundane things sound so much more exotic than it probably is. I guess it comes as no surprise that some marketeers looking for a quick glamour or exotic shortcut look at translating their product or service setting into another language. Not sure about the origins of L’Oreal but certainly putting the ‘L’ into the mix certainly makes ‘Oreal’ much more attractive and premium. Thoughts?
i had a pal in Hong Kong who was from the northern part of France and he made a point of laying the accent on really thick when out having a drink. it was extraordinary how effective it was in him luring ladies into his bed. sod.