Behind the Scenes: The "Stride Shift" Focus Group

Focus groups are an important research aspect for many advertising agencies.  They are usually small groups, between six and ten, and pertain to a specific demographic or psychographic that the client is hoping to target.  The goal of a focus group for an ad agency or client, is to instigate conversations, through a mediator, about their thoughts and feelings on a given product.  This allows the agency to draw out any specific concerns or advantages they should promote or shy away from in order to better market the product.

The 'Stride Shift' commercial for gum creates an interesting fusion, combining the structure from the research of the gum into the actual advertisement.  It is a fictional glimpse into a focus group trying the new gum. Each member has a slow but instant shift in the gum, "from berry to mint," causing a freak-out reaction that requires a dousing of water to calm each member down as their gum shifts flavors.

Following the initial scene they reveal another aspect of the research and show people observing, through video camera, the reactions of the members.  This technique is also used often in focus groups in order to relate back and analyze the comments or reactions in a focus group.

It is an interesting idea to incorporate the research of a product, in this case a focus group, into the commercial advertising of the product, even if the research portrayed is fictional.  It provides a glimpse into the world of advertising research and creates humor in the idea that the fictional focus group has an actual freak-out.  The uniqueness of the commercial stands out and creates a fresh and uncommon take on what commercials can show about advertising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxEV767gxzM