Chances are that you’re a fan of at least one critically acclaimed HBO series. True Blood, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, The Wire, Flight of the Concords, I could go on all day. Well now the fine folks over at Home Box Office (HBO) are bringing you an application/website that allows you to watch any HBO program whenever, wherever you want. You have to love technology now a day.

HBO's New Streming Service: HBO Go

HBO approached the launch of this new application a few different ways. They used very clever parody commercials, that make me laugh whenever I see them. They used commercials that feature a person in an awkward situation, and then tell them “The story you could be watching is better than the one you’re in”. And lastly, they featured exclusive content by displaying the most recent episode of the hit show, “Game of Thrones” before it aired, on the app. Let’s take a look at each of these tactics.

HBO Go: Parody Commercials

So there are three advertisements that fall into this category. Hospital, Underdog and Yacht. The three of them are some of the most clever advertising I’ve seen from HBO in a long while. They each take a scene/idea from a movie and provide pretty accurate commentary on what’s going on. Then at the end, “Watch something you haven’t seen a million times before”. Let’s take a look at my favorite from these three, the Underdog.

The ad plays off the sports movie cliches we’ve all seen before. When the coach says, “When you look back on your life something, something, something,” I nearly lost it because it’s the honest to God’s truth. Often the movies we see are all carbon copies of another movie we’ve seen, or exists. Originality is a lost cause in Hollywood, they only care about money. But this isn’t a Hollywood rant, this is praise for an ad that does it’s job perfectly.

I only have one problem with this ad. It’s the copy at the end. I’ve watched Sopranos/Entourage a million times before. I get the message but HBO fans watch and rewatch their favorites over and over again. All in all it’s a very small problem, but still the wording could’ve used just a little improvement.

If you want to see Hospital, (“And the music will tell us how to feel”) or Yacht, (“It’s him, he always plays the bad guy), just click the links!

HBO GO: Life Commercials

I’m calling these ad’s life commercials because the message in them is pretty clear: escape your life and watch HBO. Hey, that’s why I watch Entourage, that’s why women/girls watched Sex and the City. There is nothing wrong with a bit of escapism, nothing at all.

We have No Worries, Elevator, Fan and Pen for the Life Commercials. Fan has to be my favorite, because it’s so freaking stupid.

We all have a co-worker that we can’t stand. This ad capitalizes on that idea in a big way. Also who the hell hasn’t made sounds by “Ahhing” into a fan? I know I spent many a Summer day at Grandmom’s house doing the same thing while playing Smackdown 2 for Playstation 1 and drinking Mountain Dew. That’s neither here nor there. This ad campaign reminds us that yes, our lives are a bit dull compared to Vinny Chase, Lord Stark or Tony Soprano. Reminds us that there is nothing wrong with living vicariously through our Television friends/heroes/villains.

I really don’t have any problem with these ads, although Youtube comments have been left angry that HBO is telling users their lives are boring. I really don’t see that as the message here, but I guess different people take things different ways.

If you want to watch No Worries (“no worries…no worries…no worries”) or Elevator (“Weekends are never long enough.”) or Pen (“It’s so smooth, it makes me wanna circle everything.”) then just click the links!

HBO Go: Exclusive Content

Let me just preface this with saying that “Game of Thrones” could easily be one of HBO’s best shows in years. The plot is great, the acting is great, the characters, everything is great. So it’s only natural that HBO took the seventh episode of the short season and broadcasted it on HBO Go a week prior to it airing on the Network. Genius idea.

The concept behind this idea is that fans of “Game of Thrones” (pretty much anyone who gives it a chance) would flock to the Internet and watch it on the service, or watch it on their mobile devices. Well I watched it, but only because some pirate ripped it from his computer and posted it online. You have to love modern technology right?

Either way I think this shows that HBO is in tune to their audience. A streaming service app for a network like HBO is a long time coming and I’m sure other networks will soon be following suite. This also shows how much the media spectrum is changing. Mobile viewing isn’t just an idea now, it’s numbers are up all over the place. It acctually ties into an ESPN campaign I will be discussing in depth tomorrow.

Until then make sure you’re reading the Social Medianaires for all your advertising analysis needs, and make sure you’re caught up for the final season of my favorite HBO show, Entourage.

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