[su_heading size=”22″]Are we nearing an end to the now ubiquitous selfie stick? Will it go the way of the abacus? The Betamax? Well, if so, it would be a shame not to have it around to make fun of.[/su_heading]
Love it or hate it, the selfie-stick is a genuine phenomena that has carpeted the world with an abundant layer of narcissism. Though I’ve never personally associated selfie-sticks with pizza, Pizza Hut has put together a fiendishly clever faux PSA, warning of the dangers of these ubiquitous extensions of self to the whole of humanity.
Draped in the cloak of a real PSA, the featured spokeswoman warns of the hazards of the selfie stick—a device that creates the misleading illusion that “other people, places and objects exist.”
She pulls off a wonderfully cheeky performance with a pitch perfect mixture of faux-fear and faux-anger and an urgent call to action.
Have a look.
https://youtu.be/1fmQs37YqXg
The real success of this two-minute clip is how little branding is actually being done by Pizza Hut. By making themselves a minor player in this “ad” it allows the story to fully develop while the viewer remains adequately aware that it is Pizza Hut who is bringing them this nice little slice of entertainment.
And yes, though you might miss it, there actually is a product being advertised here: The two-foot-long Big Flavor Dipper Pizza.
Pizza Hut spokesman Doug Terfehr said the intent was to entertain first, and to brand second.
According to Terferh, the idea is that the two-foot-long Big Flavor Dipper pizza, “is so big that a regular out-stretched hand just won’t do it. If you want to snap a photo of it, with you in it, you’re going to need a bigger stick. It was a fun, lighthearted way to communicate that message.”
The spot was created by the Shareability agency, whose calls itself, “The first full-service brand agency to focus exclusively on YouTube.”
Nicely done, guys.
Selfie-Sticks now Banned at Disney World
Nearly a month after music festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza banned selfie sticks, Disney World has followed suit with a ban of their own. (What happened to those heady days when venues simply checked for alcohol, drugs and firearms?)
Walt’s place posted “No Selfie Sticks” signs at several of its attractions last Friday. A Disney spokesperson has clarified that guests are welcome to bring their selfie stick in to the park, but they must remain stored during the ride. Apparently that is not obvious to some.
New Disney World policy tells you where to stick your selfie stick http://t.co/2bzE5J36f9 pic.twitter.com/Yys10mXyHP
— Geek.com (@geekdotcom) May 20, 2015
When you see this happening at a theme park, you too might agree with a ban on #selfiesticks http://t.co/AoNgDpLVMd pic.twitter.com/JtpdaSsTco
— Jaunted (@Jaunted) February 10, 2015
