When you think of Priceline, an image of William Shatner – The Negotiator –probably pops into your head, right? However, the latest TV commercial shows The Negotiator rescuing of group of tourists on board a bus before plunging to what appears to be a fiery death below.
While this is a “cliff hanger” ending, there’s one thing for sure. The Negotiator is gone. Most companies would kill to have this kind of brand recognition, however, Priceline has chosen to kill the face of the brand based on a shift in their business model. As the folks at AdAge.com said, “this is a case of advertising working too well.”
The move comes as the company decides to focus on its fixed-price discount rather than the name-your-own price system we’ve all become familiar with, thanks to Shatner of course!
“Bill is the face of name-your-own-price, and we felt we had to really get the message out about this,” said Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller. “The published-price segment is the fastest-growing one for us.”
But try telling that to Mr. Shatner. “No one was more shocked than I was,” he told Ad Age in an interview. He learned about The Negotiator’s demise in traditional Hollywood fashion: reading the script he was sent for the next commercial. “After they picked me up off the floor … I saw what was happening,” he said with a laugh.
But just like any good soap opera, you’re never really dead in TV. Shatner still has one year left on his current deal, which makes you wonder how he’ll be resurrected. Stay tuned…
Source: AdAge.com
In honour of Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday, we’re paying tribute to one of the world’s “greatest” boxers, who also happened to be one of the “greatest” communicators that ever lived.
published a list of famous British people who shaped the world.
interested in reading – and she has done sterling work keeping elderly British actors in work for the past 10 years to boot. And Beckham has kept the flag flying at home with his Olympic spearheading, while also opening up the mysterious low-scoring world of FOOTBALL, yes, it’s football people, to a whole new audience. But political persuasion aside, is someone like Blair, more worthy of note than say, Clement Atlee, whose government oversaw the introduction of the National Health Service, more equality for women, better workers rights such as sick leave and increased employment and wages following the second world war? Or is it more likely that readers of the Huffington Post have heard of Tony Blair and wouldn’t have a clue who Clement Atlee was?
