A business executive is alerted that “checkout is down” and immediately rushes through the office looking for answers.
She questions multiple teams—IT, engineering, and other employees across different locations, including hallways, meeting rooms, and even someone inside a bathroom stall. Every single person responds the same way: “I don’t know.”
The situation loops into a frustrating cycle of uncertainty until a Splunk representative wearing a T-shirt that reads “Looking for trouble” steps in. He explains that Splunk provides full visibility across systems, so businesses always know what’s happening.
The ad closes with the line:
“No more ‘I don’t knows.’ Know it. Fix it. Build resilience.”
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget)
Painful truth = Lack of visibility creates chaos
The ad highlights a core issue in large organisations—when something breaks, no one knows why, where, or who is responsible.
→ Lesson: Show the stress caused by not having answers, not just the problem itself.
Repetition = The “I don’t know” loop
The same phrase is repeated by every employee, regardless of role or location, reinforcing how widespread and systemic the issue is.
→ Lesson: Repetition can turn a common frustration into a memorable core idea.
Single punchline = “No more ‘I don’t knows’”
Splunk positions itself as the source of clarity in a system full of uncertainty.
→ Lesson: Promise certainty in situations where your audience currently feels lost.
Humor Breakdown
The humor is driven by repetition and escalation. Each new scene adds a slightly more absurd context—especially when the executive continues asking questions in increasingly inappropriate or unexpected places.
Despite the variety of settings, the identical response keeps the joke consistent and reinforces the problem.
→ Lesson: Repetition works best when the situation escalates but the response stays the same.
Final Verdict
Splunk avoids technical jargon and instead focuses on the human frustration behind system failures. By turning “I don’t know” into the central antagonist, the ad makes visibility feel urgent and essential.
It’s simple, relatable, and clearly communicates the value of having real-time insight across systems.
Brave-o-meter Score
B-8 | R-9 | A-8 | V-7 | E-9
BRAVE – 8.2/10
Watch the full ad & learn more
Website: https://www.splunk.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/splunk/
