Leave it to WCCO to try and reinvent the topical. While I think the idea is kinda cool - they seem waaaaayyyyy too mellow for me. That said, I do think its refreshing to not have anchors shouting LATE BREAKING DETAILS!!! and all the other typical promo crap. I also love the very distinctive style.
Judge for yourself.
13 comments:
I agree with you. I love the style - very clean, easy to read graphics. It's definitely a departure from the norm. I think they would work well perhaps during daytime programming or maybe as a cluster buster in a newscast, but am not sure about breaking through in primetime. Just seems to mellow. I'd be curious to see how they handlebreaking news or harder stories.
I actually love these spots. For me, they really break through the clutter. I think our minds are growing immune to standard high-energy promos or trailers or any old commercials. When something like this comes along, it forces me to slow way down and I really absorb what it's saying.
Also, it treats it almost like a programming lineup for HBO or TCM. Name of the movie, and a brief synopsis. These promos give the news a very cinematic feel.
Hate 'em. I'd be interested to hear how the anchors feel about less (or should I say none) of a presence. I know a lot of talent gripes about having to do them but they can be great imaging opportunities and deep down they know that.
Awesome! The first thing I thought of was the HBO lineups. But these are better. It totally breaks through. Gives me what the story is and why I should watch in two sentences. Gives me options..if I'm not interested in story A, I might be interested in story B. These could work for breaking news...change the announcer's inflection and music. Different is good!!!! (too bad we're all pretty much doing the same thing).
Definitely agree these would be great for morning and afternoon topicals. Not quite sure how it would play during prime.
I have to agree with digital vic. These topicals are great. Kudos to WCCO for trying something new and out of the box. After all, television screams at us all day long. It was quite refreshing, not to mention, attention grabbing, when I first heard these topicals
love love LOVE this format.
I don't like it... too boring, almost like a PBS station. I do agree that it's a nice change from "TONIGHT AT 11!!!"
They are great. Reminds me of the the teases inside the Sunday Morning show on CBS. Simple and clever! They always get me to stick around.
Only complaint is some of the generic stock footage. Could be more interesting if some video or stills from actual stories were included.
I think these are fantastic, but maybe a little ahead of their time. Wait until TV becomes completely on-demand... then you've got yourself a great dual promo. Not only do you get the clean pictures and animations at the top, but you've got a link at the bottom that will take you directly to that story (or add it to your newscast playlist). Very nicely done.
i think, too, that they are obviosuly missing the 'anchors forward' approach ((put your anchors in as many promotional opps. as you can - that way they are selling the story as well as re-establishing the brand of the news team - PLUS they could easily have sold it better than the footage (described as 'generic' above)
i remember Graeme said something once at a seminar, like' "think of your viewers as being at home juggling flaming chain saws while trying to take care of their families, themselves AND then, watching the news (or the breaks, there-in)
i think that's the main flaw here! we as producers like the style, like the cleanliness, like the production... hell, the message is even there in the 'promise' amde for each story -BUT- these promos will probably not grab the attention of the viewer to 'hook them' so they stay across the break
my opinion
-nick
For the guy who said they're boring... Well they probably work for Minneapolis, where KARE 11 has been the laid back news leader for quite a while until WCCO stepped up their game.
Wow...this station is morphing into WGCL Clear News...
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