One of the surest signs that the 2008 State Fair is rapidly approaching is the completion of the TV commercials. As reported here in July, this year’s spots use still photography and animation to depict people having fun at the fair. They also feature an advertising technique we haven’t used in several years — a jingle. Produced by MSA, one spot focuses on a family (see it above), while the other shows co-workers heading for the fair after a day at the office. Each spot will carry “tags”at the end promoting additional fair topics, such as advance tickets, park-and-ride opportunities and Dorton Arena entertainers.
The spots will air on cable and broadcast stations in the Triangle beginning Sept. 29, and in the Triad in early October. We think they’re fun and catchy, and we hope you will, too. Let us know what you think.
Hi that is a cute commercial, and I have seen quite a few state fair ones. People like and need silly.
I think I would like a regular commercial better than the animation.
I would love to see something exciting that highlights the midway rides, the concert artists and the sheer size of the fair, with something for everybody.
Eeek – it’s a bit “bobble-head” creepy to me, but I think kids will love it. And we all know what that means… constant begging until the parents finally give in for 17 trips to the fair in 11 days. 😉
I agree with the last comments. The bobble-head idea has been done a lot, and with much more success. Plus, this is the quality of work my teenager could do in Flash.
My favorite NC State Fair commercials were the ones done years ago that actually showed shots of people enjoying the actual fair. (Probably shot the year before.) Lately, I’ve noticed that the TV spots look cheap and amateurish. And the slogans and graphic design is certainly not something a decent local ad agency would have provided. Perhaps they are done by someone in the office at the Dept of Ag.
Give them a break! It’s obvious they had a small- they don’t want to waste our tax money on a fancy commercial.
I usually go to the State Fair anyway. It doesn’t matter to me if the commercial is lousy. It’s just a reminder to everybody that it’s coming up – and it gives you the dates.
I would like to see the commercial promote the essence of the fair … families spending the day together, children earning ribbons for their work with animals, cutting edge technology, the concerts, etc. This seems really hokey to me and doesn’t match up with the diversity and high caliber entertainment one can find at the fair. It’s disappointing.
I saw the spot with the grandma on TV last night, and the audio sounded bad – not as strong and clear as the commercials around it. I think it might be a technical problem.
I miss the little cow that says “Get a little AG-riculture!”