Video commercials appearing on your screen may be a reminder to get a snack in the kitchen or check emails. Here they come again…and here I go somewhere else. But when done right, commercials are engaging information that unites audiences to a brand on a rewarding journey. As illustrations, it’s widely accepted that Apple’s “1984” unofficially launched the personal computer era and that Chipotle’s “Back to the Start” commercial put the restaurant on the consumer map.
Some of the best commercials out there are often for seemingly mundane products since brands must work harder to capture consumer attention.
Printers are a perfect example. We take these devices for granted in our daily lives — so companies have dialed up the creative juices to tell us how important they are for business and home. Let us make the case here.
Here are some of the best printer commercials ever, and be prepared to laugh or reach for a tissue:
Happy Baby (HP)
What does a baby speeding down a highway in a walker to the folksy tune “Brand New Key” have anything to do with printers? Well, you’ll see it’s about HP promoting a new photo printer that can print remotely for anyone with a mobile device. It’s darn cute, and yes, the visuals as are a metaphor and not about child endangerment.
Dad by (HP)
A printer advertisement tugging at our heartstrings? No way! But in reality, once we capture those memorable moments and people in our lives, it’s still very important today to print them for our home atmosphere. The right printer gives us those vivid photos on our walls that make the good times timeless.
The Wolf (HP)
As the internet of things expands while companies become more virtually connected, cybersecurity continues to grow as a chief concern for companies. Printer network security is no exception, as we showed in our article (printer security link here). HP highlighted this issue with a series of intense video advertisements featuring Christian Slater, whose career was rebooted by playing the alter ego of a hacker in “Mr. Robot.”
The tagline for the commercial says it all: “If you’re not taking your printer security seriously, someone else might be.”
See the first one of the series:
Stop Frame TV (Brother)
Brother promoting an new A3 printer for small-to-medium business is everything a commercial should be: direct, short, and visually arresting. There is not much else we can say, so bravo, Brother!
The All Nighter (HP)
Many believe printing is less important in an era of affordable digital storage and printing services in every neighborhood. But as moms know, sometimes you need something printed ASAP for the sake of the kids. The solution? A reasonable all-in-one printer. Check out this mom’s printing adventures and misadventures.
Never Again (Canon)
This humorous series of micro-commercials reveal that it’s sometimes just better to print documents instead of depending on digital storage. What happens if your tablet runs out of power during an important speech or a cracked phone screen stops your family from accessing tickets to an amusement park? There are many examples in this imaginative sequence with punchlines that seem more like a frying pan to the senses.
Last Minute Homework (HP)
We go back to the subject of kids and printing, this time from an HP India commercial that promotes the homework-saving capabilities of mobile printing. Beyond having the right tech at home, these two parents find some inventive ways to bail out their child at the last minute.
Smart But Weird (Xerox)
This video showcases a copier, but it’s still under the category of printing. The commercial is a homage to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001,” with a Hal-esque copier that explains to a lonely office worker about its features. Sure, AI may sound creepy to some, but many of us wish our printing devices could talk to us, especially when there is an issue.
Reinvent Encouragement (HP)
HP not only does a lot of printer commercials, as you’ve seen, but the brand loves to play with serious emotions, as you’ve seen too. We all can agree that one of the most unnerving times in our lives is that first day of work. The central message of this video is that, as we leave our families for a new career opportunity, it’s just nice to be able to take our loved ones with us in some physical form. You be the judge of this.
Do you have any favorite printer commercials that come to your mind? Regardless, we hope you’ve been entertained or touched by these commercials. We would suggest not talking to your copy machine, though…
Need cartridges for these printers? Want to see if one of these printers meets your home or business needs? Contact a local Cartridge World.
