Cisco's "LOL" Ad Campaign Showcases Video's Potential

Cisco is further personalizing its "Human Network" tag line with new "LOL" online ads (that's "Laugh Out Loud" for those of you not attuned to texting/tweeting/IM'ing shorthand), that demonstrate the power of video in our lives. I've seen the Cisco LOL banner ad in a number of web sites recently.

The ad links to a video wall that features 10 videos ranging from 15 seconds to a few minutes, with all showcasing new ways that video enriches people's lives and makes work more productive. Specific Cisco products/services highlighted include distance learning, telepresence, Webex, digital signage, Flip videocameras and Show and Share. The only celebrities featured are Magic Johnson and Ellen Page, with the latter's video a replay of her TV ad. While it's tempting to think of online video as being all about media, the Cisco wall shows there are many other uses.



Cisco's CEO John Chambers has been calling video the "killer app" for several years now, and the company's "Visual Networking Index," which forecasts global Internet traffic, points to video being the biggest driver of bandwidth needs. In addition to the applications cited on the video wall, Cisco's core infrastructure technologies in routing, switching, home networks, storage and security all benefit from a video-rich future. Cisco has continued making acquisitions to grow its video portfolio, recently picking up ExtendNetworks.

Much like Intel's processors benefitted from the proliferation of more complex software, Cisco's infrastructure products benefit from more video. Campaigns like the new "LOL" one show that Cisco is doing its part to help accelerate the market.

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Categories: Advertising

Topics: Cisco, ExtendMedia