Friday, November 17, 2006

YouTube Britax Video or Advertisement?

Why I Think The Britax Video is a PR Stunt.

By now you've probably seen or heard about this video. Kyle died in an accident due to his seat belt not working correctly. It's very touching and yes I cried when viewing it and wanted to buy the Britax for upward of $300.

Like most parents my first thought was to the safety of my child. What if it happened to me? I wanted to buy the Britax 5-Point Harness Carseat which runs upward towards $300.

Sixty-six percent of the people who watch videos online have seen an ad clip. About one-third of those viewers visited the marketer's website, and 8 percent made a purchase.


This is a quote taken from the Inc Magazine article Contagious Commercials which I read the day before my nanny sent me the YouTube video.

How far-fetched is it to believe this is another publicity stunt? This is PR gold for Britax. It's been picked up on radio stations, television stations, web sites, blogs, and newspapers nationwide.

Take a Look

1. Britax was specifically mentioned. It;s the ONLY car seat to prevent this from happening.
2. The daughter is featured in the car seat, safe and secure, looking very hip and cool. She's rockin' her shades and music while comfortably and securely seated in the Britax.
3. Incidentally the Britax is flying off shelves and the manufacturer is having to supply more than ever - at least that was the buzz on this morning's talk radio show.
4. Appealing to emotions is not new in this industry.

I want to add I am not being heartless in this statement. I simply want to bring up the very real possibility that this is an amazingly successful publicity stunt.

I am a parent. This video hits too close to home.
I am a business woman. If this is an ad I wonder if Britax realized the full potential of releasing this to the world.