Did you know when you search for something using Google, you may not be getting the most trustworthy results?
That’s the point of “Scroogled,” a new holiday ad campaign by Bing. Here’s the script:
HER: Jeff, what are you making?
HIM: My famous chicken cacciatore. You are in for a treat. I just got a new pan for it. Great price online. A top pick on Google Shopping.
HER: How do you know you didn’t get scroogled?
HIM: Scroogled?
HER: Google sells it’s shopping results. And while they look like honest search results, they’re really paid ads.
HIM: So you might not get the best price?
HER: You don’t even know which stores they’ve left out.
HIM: Man, I just got…
HER: SCROOGLED! Next time, use a search engine that won’t burn you.
ANNCR: Don’t get scroogled. Try Bing.
I think the strategy is brilliant. I think the creative execution is clunky.
I think Bing should buy a bunch of TV time in 2013 and continue educating the public. (And I think Bing should hire a small creative boutique to do new ads.)
Your thoughts?
Is this an “inbound” ad (educational and helpful)?
Or “outbound” ad (whiny and selfish)?
ANDvertising,inc 
he he, this spot has all the elements of an outbound ad — the dialogue is lame, the casting is uninspired, the pun at the end is predictable, and the call-to-action is heavy-handed.
but when you isolate the news – google shopping results can’t be trusted – it does pass the “sniff” test.
i’d label it “amateurish inbound.”
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