What do Godzilla, Jimi Hendrix, the Wizard of Oz and Selena Gomez have in common?
While the obvious answer would be "absolutely nothing," it turns out they're all featured in this 60-second spot from eBay that kicks off the company's new "Shop the World" global brand campaign.
The ad, from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, opens on a city being ravaged by a Godzilla-esque monster. Oh, maybe it's an ad for that Godzilla movie with Bryan Cranston? Nope. OK, now there are a bunch of cars fleeing the destruction, and we zoom in on a white Fiat that somehow gets transported to a foggy country road. It's a Fiat ad! No, it's not. Now we've jumped to a bunch of marathon runners on the Golden Gate Bridge. We zoom in on one of the runners' FuelBands or FitBits or whatever it is, and suddenly it's being worn by a different woman running on a wooded trail. It's a wearable-tech ad! Again, no.
The melange continues: A chandelier moves from a fancy ballroom to some hipster apartment. A smartphone being displayed on an giant outdoor screen pops up on a beach. Dorothy's ruby slippers (what is Dorothy doing here?) turn into a woman's red sequined handbag. Jimi Hendrix's white Strat ends up in the hands of some kid (who must have a very generous allowance). And so on.
Meanwhile, in the background, Selena Gomez repeatedly implores us to "Come and get it, na na na na." Come and get what, Selena?!
The concept behind the spot—that you can buy pretty much anything on eBay, whether it's a pair of shoes you saw in a movie or a guitar just like the one played by your favorite musician—is actually very straightforward. The execution, however, is not.
The eBay plug at the end makes it clear what this is advertising. But by that point, are you a bit too perplexed to care?
CREDITS
Client: eBay
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners