great idea, great script but is it a great ad?

Transport for Wales encourages people to explore the country by rail, bike, bus, foot, or water.

With that in mind, here is their latest ad 'The Real Social Network'. 

Love the idea, love the hook, love the script. So that makes it a brilliant ad, right? 

I think that depends on what you want your ads to achieve. Call me old fashioned but as top dog at Transport for Wales, I'd want my ads to give people a reason to use my products at the expense of the competition, which in this case is the humble motor car. I don't think brand salience is enough. 

Although there is the subtle use of both a bus and a train in the ad, the 'social' activities they lead to can arguably be arrived at much easier by car. 

The ad may well be a success in encouraging people to re-engage with whatever their real social network is; my fear is they haven't got enough reason to ditch their 5-door hatchback in doing so.

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