Madonna descends on Poland, sort of
Yes, Madonna is in Warsaw. And she's hooking up with famous actor Zbigniew Zamachowski. At least that's the premise of a new TV spot for Radio Zet, set to debut Monday of this week. The ad uses state-of-the-art special effects, combined with footage from the artist's legendary music videos, to make it look as if she were right here in the Polish capital, and running into a very lucky Zamachowski. This is Radio Zet's latest effort to wow Polish audiences in an attempt to regain the number one spot on the airwaves.
"We have succeeded at something that appeared to be unachievable," says Robert Kozyra, president of Radio Zet. The station claims to be the first ever to receive the mega-star's permission to use her image in a commercial for a TV or radio station. In the past, Madonna has been the face of only the BMW, Mitsubishi, Pepsi, Gap and Max Factor brands.
"It was great fun to shoot this film," says Zbigniew Zamachowski. "I liked the idea from the very beginning. Especially since I would co-star with Madonna."
Of course, Madonna herself has had little to do with all the shenanigans. Radio Zet told Gazeta Wyborcza that the illusion of her being in Warsaw and having a chance meeting with Zamachowski is made possible through "the latest film techniques, like those used in The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix."
So why blow several million złoty on a 30-second TV spot?
"We want to be number one on the Polish radio market and we are very close to achieving that," Kozyra told the WBJ. "Earlier this year we were number one and now we want to regain that position. Madonna is a very powerful brand in the world and Radio Zet is a very powerful brand in Poland. This symbiosis will bring massive results for both of us."
But not if RMF FM-the current number one in Poland-has anything to do with it. The WBJ also spoke with the head of marketing at RMF FM, Krzysztof Nepelski, who said: "We have a new campaign already produced and we are just waiting for the right moment."
Nepelski points out that RMF FM organized a campaign in December in which Madonna was one of the big names, and that her image was indeed also used, albeit not on TV, implying that Radio Zet is not really the first to use Madonna.
Besides, he says: "What is Madonna today? She is not in the first league today," and he cites artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Shakira and Beyonce Knowles, all used by RMF FM. These, Nepelski says, are the A-list acts these days. (Not that he wants to bad-mouth Madonna or anything, of course.)
Most people would be hard put to find much of a difference between Radio Zet and RMF FM, although-aside from the music itself-RMF FM might claim to have better news coverage, with over 100 reporters out on the streets, two of whom were the first Polish journalists in Baghdad, according to Nepelski.
Nepelski goes on to say that RMF FM is "closer to the street" and more in touch with Poland as a whole, whereas their competitor is very much Warsaw-based.
Either way, it will be tough to top Radio Zet's latest coup.
When asked about what to expect from the most-hyped commercial to hit television in a long time, Kozyra told the WBJ: "I can only say that it will be a classic commercial with a very nice plot. The whole story happens in Warsaw. She meets Zbigniew Zamachowski and there is a funny situation... "
Finally, a reason to pay attention to the reklama break on Polish TV. Sort of.
"We have succeeded at something that appeared to be unachievable," says Robert Kozyra, president of Radio Zet. The station claims to be the first ever to receive the mega-star's permission to use her image in a commercial for a TV or radio station. In the past, Madonna has been the face of only the BMW, Mitsubishi, Pepsi, Gap and Max Factor brands.
"It was great fun to shoot this film," says Zbigniew Zamachowski. "I liked the idea from the very beginning. Especially since I would co-star with Madonna."
Of course, Madonna herself has had little to do with all the shenanigans. Radio Zet told Gazeta Wyborcza that the illusion of her being in Warsaw and having a chance meeting with Zamachowski is made possible through "the latest film techniques, like those used in The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix."
So why blow several million złoty on a 30-second TV spot?
"We want to be number one on the Polish radio market and we are very close to achieving that," Kozyra told the WBJ. "Earlier this year we were number one and now we want to regain that position. Madonna is a very powerful brand in the world and Radio Zet is a very powerful brand in Poland. This symbiosis will bring massive results for both of us."
But not if RMF FM-the current number one in Poland-has anything to do with it. The WBJ also spoke with the head of marketing at RMF FM, Krzysztof Nepelski, who said: "We have a new campaign already produced and we are just waiting for the right moment."
Nepelski points out that RMF FM organized a campaign in December in which Madonna was one of the big names, and that her image was indeed also used, albeit not on TV, implying that Radio Zet is not really the first to use Madonna.
Besides, he says: "What is Madonna today? She is not in the first league today," and he cites artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Shakira and Beyonce Knowles, all used by RMF FM. These, Nepelski says, are the A-list acts these days. (Not that he wants to bad-mouth Madonna or anything, of course.)
Most people would be hard put to find much of a difference between Radio Zet and RMF FM, although-aside from the music itself-RMF FM might claim to have better news coverage, with over 100 reporters out on the streets, two of whom were the first Polish journalists in Baghdad, according to Nepelski.
Nepelski goes on to say that RMF FM is "closer to the street" and more in touch with Poland as a whole, whereas their competitor is very much Warsaw-based.
Either way, it will be tough to top Radio Zet's latest coup.
When asked about what to expect from the most-hyped commercial to hit television in a long time, Kozyra told the WBJ: "I can only say that it will be a classic commercial with a very nice plot. The whole story happens in Warsaw. She meets Zbigniew Zamachowski and there is a funny situation... "
Finally, a reason to pay attention to the reklama break on Polish TV. Sort of.
