NeverWet Gets 30-Second TV Ad, But Product’s 5-Minute Demo Is Real Viral Sensation

Can a simple product demonstration outperform a slick TV commercial? You bet, in the case of Rust-Oleum’s NeverWet, the spray that seemingly causes anything to magically resist water. The product’s five-minute YouTube video demo has had four million views since it was released a month ago, versus its new 30-second ad-agency produced commercial with at 600 views.

The demonstration, which went up on June 16, has company employees, including the CEO, demonstrating various ways the NeverWet hydrophobic coating spray can be used, from waterproofing a toilet bowl scrub brush to coating the inside of a cardboard box to make a cooler.

While NeverWet’s demo lacks the high-quality production of a professional commercial, it drives home the product’s amazing water-repellent capabilities and keeps the viewer engaged the full five-minutes or more. I even caught my husband watching the video a second time after I shared it with him last week.

Now that their demo has reached viral-status, AdWeek reported that the company recruited Chicago ad agency mcgarrybowen to produce a more polished 30-second TV-spot for the product. With a professional voiceover and copywriting (“Imagine a surface being rained on, but never wet, spilled on, but never wet…”), special effects, and background music, the 30-second ad includes the high-quality production value the five-minute infomercial lacks, but doesn’t pack the same punch.

Since being released on YouTube on July 9, the 30-second commercial has received fewer views (about 600). I’m inclined to agree with AdWeek’s Gabriel Beltrone who writes, “Despite the agency polish, the spot, with fewer than 1,000 YouTube views, feels less convincing than the more awkward, yet more authentic online commercial.”

You can judge for yourself, here’s the 30-second spot produced by mcgarrybowen:

[youtube width=”560″ height=”315″]http://youtu.be/_y_yIERW10Y[/youtube]

And the five-minute infomercial with more than 4 million views:

[youtube width=”560″ height=”315″]http://youtu.be/DZrjXSsfxMQ[/youtube]