A Making-Of Video that Doesn’t Quite Make It

This month, we’ve been talking about the power and effectiveness of “behind-the-scenes” or “making-of” video as part of a larger video campaign or production. The Honda Insight “Let it Shine” Vimeo homepage takeover was executed perfectly four months ago. The page takeover expanded Vimeo’s recognition as a channel for high-quality video, and the video is beautiful.

Wieden + Kennedy, the agency behind the video, provided a making-of video in addition to the feature piece. It’s the right idea but a terrible execution. It doesn’t try to engage the Vimeo audience and focuses too much on marketing lingo.

Corporate strategy strangles behind-the-scenes personality

For the first two minutes or so, the video focuses on an assortment of talking heads explaining the Insight itself and where the hybrid car fits into Honda’s business model. Boring.

The video tries to sell the viewer on the company’s mission. It has little to do with the actual video execution. It turns what could be enlightening educational content about the complicated technical aspects of the production into a commercial for the brand.

This is where a little channel knowledge could have gone a long way. Vimeo’s audience appreciates and consumes high-quality video. The making-of video should have focused 100% on explaining the logistics and complications of the shoot, completely leaving out the brand and product — which are the centerpiece of the feature video.

Letting them in on a little secret

Most of the video is talking heads describing what we’re looking at, intercut with the cars in action. Effective behind-the-scenes video is voyeuristic — it should present people who are not aware that they’re being filmed. While the talking heads are on camera, the authenticity suffers.

Outtakes! That’s what people want to see: people acting like people. It’s endearing to the viewer to see people hard at work, being themselves. You can’t capture that looking right into a camera. It’s the same reason reality TV is never quite as real as actual reality.

Was there some friction on the set? Did things not work as planned? These are the questions an effective behind-the-scenes video answers.

Frequent cuts, musical accompaniment, and heavy production value further defeat the purpose and reduce the insider value — it just becomes another marketing feature. The beauty of a behind-the-scenes video is that it costs nearly nothing to produce, and yet endears the brand to the viewer. It’s a thrifty value add, not a marketing message in and of itself.

Verdict

Honda and Widen + Kennedy came really close on this one. Their feature video for the Honda Insight was a real winner, and including a making-of video was the right idea.

However, they missed the mark by including corporate-speak and talking heads when they should have just shown the shoot in action. Better luck next time, I guess.

About the author

Brad Schwarzenbach -

As an analyst on the Tippingpoint Strategy team, Brad explores new opportunities for clients to build relationships with their customers. He’s always testing new social media channels, poring over analytic data, and identifying emerging trends. He also speaks at conferences & events about uncovering powerful messages hidden within brands' unique values.

Brad’s research has contributed to the development of content & contributor strategies for such clients as Breville, Rodale, Long’s Jewelers, and Fusionapps, as well as being a frequent contributor to the Tippingpoint blog. He’s been “listening” to the way we communicate online since the old AOL People Connection days and watched the way that digital communication has evolved.

An English and Creative Writing major at the University of Connecticut, Brad’s spent most of his career creating web content and becoming intimately familiar with web theory for Bayard, Inc. and TomTom Inc., giving Brad keen ears and eyes to what, exactly, makes web content valuable.

Outside the office, Brad feels most at home with his beautiful wife-to-be Kristina, or on the golf course. “There’s a distinct pace and rhythm to the way people communicate online.  Understanding and taking part in them yields amazing opportunities for my clients to not only grow but to improve their business. I’m constantly looking for those opportunities.”