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Knightscope Associates Themselves With Clueless Company

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Brian Karas
Apr 21, 2017
IPVM

Knightscope's CEO posted a comment on LinkedIn about their K5 unit being featured in an Audi commercial:

Here is the video:

Unfortunately, their unit is shown patrolling the lobby of a company that seemingly makes bad decisions, settles for second-rate options, and is unable to attract a top candidate to their organization. Whoever is in charge of product placement at Knightscope must not have read the script for the commercial.

 

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JH
John Honovich
Apr 21, 2017
IPVM

ALL PRESS IS GOOD PRESS???

Brian, do you think Knightscope paid for that placement? I assume so...

Btw, blink and you miss the Knightscope robot in the first second of the video when the eye is drawn to the person in the center saying welcome.

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Brian Karas
Apr 21, 2017
IPVM

I hope they didn't pay for it, given the brief appearance and how the product is positioned.

It looked to me more like the kind of thing a mid-size well-connected PR company would arrange, they hear of a company (Audi) looking for "neat-o hi-tech stuff" to include in a commercial, and setup an agreement to provide the K5 robot as a way to try and win points with that larger account/company. They sell the idea to Knightscope that their product is going to be featured in a national commercial with a global brand.

Usually when I have seen paid placements the product/brand either gets a verbal mention, or some kind of close-up/key shot on the logo, Knightscope got neither in this video. If they paid for placement here, they should ask for a refund.

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U
Undisclosed #1
Apr 21, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I don't know if this was paid placement or not, but I think not;

Why?

Not because its crap, but because its too good, and Knightscope could never afford it if they were the initiators

Knightscope doesn't really have much cash.

The creative team probably was scouring for futuristic props, maybe they tried to get PP bids from multiple device manufacturers.

But more likely the Audi creative team were happy to just find someone to show up with and control the robot for possibly days, for free or at least a reasonable rate.

On the other, this exposure is gold, the focal point of the first 1-2 seconds of a national ad??  Brand or no brand, thats a tall order.

 

 

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Brian Karas
Apr 21, 2017
IPVM

On the other, this exposure is gold, the focal point of the first 1-2 seconds of a national ad?? Brand or no brand, thats a tall order.

It *could* be gold, but they need to do some SEO work to capitalize on it since they have no branding in the commercial. Searching for things like "robot in audi interview commercial" do not return any hits that link to Knightscope.

 

JH
John Honovich
Apr 21, 2017
IPVM

They are likely going to feature this in their fundraising marketing. 

Something like: "For JUST $3 A SHARE you can get the robot that was featured in the Audi commercial, yah!"

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Brian Karas
Apr 21, 2017
IPVM

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U
Undisclosed #1
Apr 21, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Good point.

Maybe you should send them a bill for services rendered :)

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Apr 23, 2017

The lost in space robot was unavailable.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Apr 21, 2017

That robot was fired from its security job after it ran over a child. Now it just vacuums that pretentious company's floor all day.

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