Movement Watches Don't Move

Movement Watches Don’t Move

I recently saw an ad for Movement Watches. Movement sells watches at around $100, and they're known more for their style than their sophistication. The ad features a girl wearing a bathing suit running along the beach, and a Los Angeles hipster sitting on a roof then jumping into a helicopter. The ad would zoom in on the watch every couple of seconds and then flip to a scene featuring a blown-up depiction of the watch and its details. While the ad was well done, it was also poorly conceived. Nothing about it gave me any reason to consider buying the watch.

The ad's message was simple, that cool young Los Angelens wear Movement Watches. However, If I'm rich enough to fly helicopters and go on grand adventures in my downtime, I'm probably rich enough to afford a Patek Philippe or a Tag Heuer. Why would I buy a $100 Movement Watch?

In today's world, watches are statements, and the statement is that you have enough money to buy something as superfluous as an expensive watch. If you don't have large amounts of disposable income, you'll probably just look at your phone. The thesis behind Movement Watches is that you can have an exquisite looking watch for $100. Movement is also saying that it's moronic to pay some 10th generation swiss architect 20k to make an insanely accurate watch. You can buy a flip phone that offers more accuracy and has Instagram. Movement Watches could have provided their customers, not just a watch, but a movement. That the first generation, in generations, to be less well off than their parents can own an exquisite watch without selling a kidney. But they failed to do that.

The polar opposite of the Movement ad is Honda's Safety for Everyone. In the ad, a man named Mark is crossing the street after leaving a construction site. The ad cuts to various friends and family members discussing how great a guy he is. As he walks into the middle of the road, you see a car approaching, appearing as though it might hit him. The scene cuts to the reactions of his family and friends upon the news of his death. However, Mark is alive. The automatic braking feature on the Honda stopped the car from hitting Mark, and he's able to continue crossing the street. The commercial cuts to all the people that were starting to break down into tears feel a wave of relief flood over them as that he's ok and the commercial fades to black.

The reason why this commercial works is because it has a clear message and story. The message is the central theme that it's trying to convey. That message is: Honda has an automatic breaking feature that saves lives. The story is even more impactful. It shows two futures, one without the feature and one with the feature. Without the feature, best friends, wives, kids, sisters, bosses, are all irreparably devastated. With the feature, the people who matter most to you will still be alive.