Minelab Music Video, Finally Online

[Reno Chris]

Steve and I saw this video at a Minelab meeting a few months back. Its really interesting and different, and I am sure they paid a pretty penny to make it. We were told that other than a drum track in the music, there is nothing in the music other than sounds from the detector (though I an sure they have been heavily processed and synthesized).

Not fully sure what the point is, but its different. Perhaps they will use it as a Superbowl ad.

[Jonathan Porter]

Hi Chris, I loved it and the point I assume is to put Minelab out there to a wider audience who have a totally different perspective on metal detecting than us "the converted" (they think of them as things that make all sorts of unusual sounds, so why not a symphonic noise?  ). To be honest I feel a bit grubby when detecting down at the beach or in parks, an ad like this sexes it up where it is now cool to head out and find hidden treasure.

 

JP

[klunker]

 Well, I realize I'm just a grumpy old prospector but I hope that this doesn't mean the next high end P.I. model is based on doodaderie and gizmoism instead of gold finding performance.

[Steve Herschbach]

I do not think it means anything. It is an ad. The goal is to get people talking about it. Super Bowl ads are talked about almost as much as the Super Bowl. Given that a 30 second Super Bowl ad costs about $3 million to run and this is a 3:30 minute video I think we can count that out though.

The main goal besides getting people talking appears to be to drive traffic to the Minelab YouTube site and to gather video contributions via a contest. Yes, you can win a free detector!

The contest has five possible prizes:

First Place - CTX 3030

Second Place - E-TRAC

Third Place - Excalibur II

Fourth Place - Safari PP

Fifth Place - X-TERRA 705

You submit a video about why you like Minelab and metal detecting and videos with most votes win. See http://www.minelab.com/usa/consumer/sweetsymphony for details plus behinds the scenes video.

I guess it worked. I liked the ad - it was fun. And I looked at the YouTube site, had not seen it before. Now I am wondering if I should submit a video!

That said the style of the ad misses what I observe as the common demographic in detector users and so it will probably get a lot of negative comments also. Country music would probably go over better with the people I see at most detector meetings.

Was that a cameo by Bruce Candy? Looks like they got him to sit still for a hair stylist!

[klunker]

Now be honest. you liked the video because of the purty ladies. I hope your right about it not being a harbinger of things to come. I supose the proper music for the demographics would be "The Greatest Polka Hits of 1962"

[Steve Herschbach]

Darn tootin' I like them purty ladies!

I can see somebody now at Minelab thinking "hmmm.... If we made an ad like this I could hang with the pretty ladies".

[Search and Recovery]

I liked the add. It really showed some thinking outside the box. Not the norm. Maybe the country music idea would be better to the general detecting audience, but this video is more about grabbing the general publics attention. Which they successfully did. It does mean a bit higher cost on detectors once advertising costs are added to the products, but that is just business. Minelab does tend to think outside the box and gains a competitive edge on many companies because of this thinking often times. I am sure more detecting companies will follow suit in the near future. I wonder how many more detectors they will sell down the road because their add got noticed by beginner and possibly new detectorists in the near future....and yes I liked the pretty girls too.