Never saw it coming

It is remarkable how little we pay attention.

This ad for the Skoda Fabia, which I discovered during a Marketing Science Institute webinar hosted by Dr. Rima Toure-Tillery of Northwestern’s Kellogg School, serves a dual purpose.

For the brand, it was part of a 20-year campaign to reshape the image of Skoda. For years, its cars were a laughing stock, with a reputation for boring designs and poor quality, but the brand confronted that directly starting in 2001 with its “It’s a Skoda, honest” campaign.  This ad, called “The Attention Test,” continues that reframing, casting the Fabia as a car you just can’t peel your eyes from.

For marketers, it demonstrates how limited consumers’ visual attention is. OZs often conducts ad assessments where important visual details are tucked away in the corners of the ad or outside where the viewer’s eye is naturally led. Consumers tend to completely overlook these things.

I won’t reveal anymore. Just watch the ad.