Although this kind of sounds corny just reading it, you can kind of imagine how the commercial could potentially go.  Its always good to make the audience feel like they can related directly with what they are watching. I think child in need of money to get home could reel any parent in.

we would have to think about whom this would appeal too if we chose this direction

My crazy idea:

for 15 seconds you show this img, and nothing else



no sound, no mention of bitcoin, Nothing! just the image.

then the img nicely fades out. end of commercial!


The idea is to make people say "?WTF?... what was that" they will for sure talk to people about it and everyone will be like "Ya i saw that too... i have no clue what it is??"
Finally a friend of a friend will be like "OH ya that's The Bitcoin commercial, you really should go check it out online!"
the guy gose online and learns about this revolutionary idea that is bitcoin and falls in love with it!
he goes back to all his friends and tells them "I figured it out!! the weird commercial is B I T C O I N, and its going to change the world my friends. BUY BUY BUY!!! before its to late"

the most talk about commercial of 2012

Edit: ok maybe give them a clue .... have a short version of this song playing in the back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10fOzt-Hxfg

LMAO!

I understand what you are getting at here and it has value as I've been thinking along the same lines all day.  I think what you describe is a bit too minimalist and may come off as cheap looking though.  Plus, you may be surprised at how long 15 seconds really is when you have one static image frozen on your TV.

Everyone reading this knows there is a bit of a learning curve to bitcoins and 15 seconds isn't that much time to convey its message.  Once someone new to bitcoins picks up the bare essentials, in reality they are easy to use especially if more vendors pick up bitcoins.  We can make this simple, however, with tight shots of a single spokesperson with no clutter in the background.  I would like this much better than the God-voice narrator like in the AT&T commercials linked above.  Someone speaking directly to the viewer is more personable.

I do remember those AT&T You Will commercials.  It's interesting how prophetic they were as I see them again.  That future is here now and it isn't quite as exciting as it was imagined in 1993.

I think a simple approach would be in order for a few good reasons.

1.) Keep production costs as low as possible while keeping quality production value.
2.) An uncluttered message.
3.) Enhance the mystery and encourage the viewer to take that leap to the website.
4.) Convey cinematically the ease of bitcoin use.

As you point out this commercial would need to have a strong hook that will encourage the viewer to either scan a QR Code on their screen or else browse to weusecoins.com.  To do this I think we follow the strategy the creator(s) of the bitcoin employed in order to catch our attention.  Whether it was purposeful or not, they created an enigmatic character as the inventor who is no longer around.  I know this is one of the elements of the bitcoin that reeled me in as everyone loves a good story.  I say we go 180% from the AT&T commercials; simple visuals with clean and professional graphics but we tell an interesting story.  So here is what I've been thinking:

Tight shots on a single spokesperson with a simple, uncluttered background.  We will want to have a QR Code up somewhere on the screen at all times.  As he begins to speak it is almost as if he starts off in mid-thought.

SPOKESPERSON: Here is what we know.  In early 2009 a programmer calling himself Satoshi Nakamoto created what is now known as the Genesis Block.  This set off a chain of events that was to be the beginning of the world's most successful digital currency.  A currency that has no central authority or government to bureaucratize it.  No failing banks to mishandle it and charge outrageous fees to move it from person to person.  He called his new digital currency the Bitcoin and then... Mr. Nakamoto promptly disappeared from the scene.  Here is what we don't know.  When he brought the first Bitcoins into existence, did he know that he was about to change the world forever?  Interested?

Then we fade with the URL and maybe some text like "Where is Satoshi Nakamoto?"

Now all this being said, we can cut a :15 and :30 for television broadcast and even a 2-3 minute version for the website without raising production costs one bit...coin.

I am open to ideas.  If you guys think I'm way off base here let me know.  You won't hurt my feelings as most of you have much more experience with bitcoins than I do.  Ultimately this is Xenland's baby so as far as I'm concerned whatever he says goes.

I would like to see mock-up software and devices that show the real strengths of Bitcoin. IMHO the biggest strength is not anonymity, but transparency. Privacy is great, and should be protected, but we live in a culture of laws we create. Law enforcement can be given the tools to make every Bitcoin transaction transparent and traceable. No more money laundering, no more incentive for organized crime. Don't give me the Big Brother bullshit, that boat sailed long ago. In fact, so much money would be saved in law enforcement that because crime would decrease, prison population would decrease, and folks would save a fortune in taxes. The social benefits of Bitcoin are numerous.

The second best attribute of Bitcoin is security. It can't be stolen if properly stored and backed up. No FDIC needed. Mugging would be rare for people that don't wear jewelry.

The next attribute is obvious. Obscure securities based on credit and margins could not be bailed-out by printing fiat money.

Please add to the list.

How?

heh, yeah it would be difficult to do all of that in a short spot, but not impossible. I guess the simplest message about Bitcoin is that it re-invents the piggybank. (credit to slush for his avatar)

I like it.  Or maybe spend the first 30 seconds with sound bites from news "Fannie Mae requests another $78B in emergency funds", "Leman Brothers have filed for Bankruptcy", "US national debt reaches $15 trillion as unsustainable deficits continue", "Goldman Sach CEO testifies before Congress on charges of betting against its clients", "breech at credit card processor reveals confidental information of 14 million cardholders"

then the Bitcoin logo with "There is a better way" on the screen and no sound for 15 seconds then fade out.

I believe that's the plan, Jalum.  A line item budget can be provided for sure as I have a producer standing by who is willing to break it all down for us.  But right now we don't have a solid idea for the spot yet so there really is nothing to budget.  Xenland put a ballpark figure out there based on one I gave him.  But really, depending on the final idea we may fall below or above that figure.

I do hear what you are saying though.  It may be a good idea to hold onto your bitcoins until this thing develops further.

You may have a good point here.  I can see a talk radio audience, as one that would be enthusiastic about bitcoins(if they knew about them).  You can practically produce a radio spot for nothing really.  I bet you could get enough people that would be willing to donate voice talents, editing skills, etc. towards producing it as well.  This can also been done over the internet.  Sort of like how darkerprojects.com create their audio dramas.  I'd be willing to volunteer to help myself.

Then all the cost would go to ad placement alone.

May be we can mix this with the ATT progression of lifes idea.....

First it shows old western times with police investigators trying to track down crime, mean while it displays a sense of thriving trading and bartering going on.

Then it fast forwards to the 80s with police tracking down with a fancy gear compare to the old west days. Mean while showing people bartering and trading with credit cards and major banks.

Then it shows modern day era where police are using the internet along with scanning the Bitcoin network to track down an in-progress Hugest Bitcoin bank heist.... Mean while showing people all tied bound and gagged being kept hostage. It depicts the robbers trying to "Steal Bitcoins" and fail EPICLY! Swat team pops in takes down the criminals arrests them and as they are being loaded up they the chief of swat can say something catchy like.... "Didn't you know Bitcoins can't be stolen?"

Or somthing along those lines.......