The BBC ad featuring flying penguins was powerful because it employed both novelty and shock value to grab the viewers attention and promote the station.
The ad begins with the calm voice of Terry Jones in an Arctic setting with a group of penguins, a fairly non-descript opening. However, as the ad progresses, he piques the viewer's interest by explaining that these are not any ordinary penguins. The penguins then take to the air as Jones explains that these penguins can fly and live out the winter in the jungles of South America. The ad seizes the attention of the viewer by showing the utterly ludicrous idea that penguins can not only fly, but fly to South America when it gets too cold, making it powerful by its sheer absurdity.
The ad is an example of satisfying curiosity, for it poses a question at the beginning in regards to these particular penguins, and then proceeds to answer said question. The benefits of an ad that satisfies curiosity, is that it appeals to the innate sense of curiosity that every person has; even if someone does not particularly care for an ad they will feel compelled to discover the answer to the riddle that is presented.
The penguin ad personifies the idea of satisfying curiosity, because it is able to lure in viewers by promising a special kind of penguin, and then deliver with a powerful image of penguins taking flight. Terry Jones' narration as the camera zooms across a glacier full of penguins draws the interests of the viewer by posing an unanswerable question. The only way for the viewer to feel satisfied and receive an answer is to continue watching, until they are surprised to find a group of penguins taking flight.
The ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDRgmnm00lQ
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