I've been packing my belongings for days, setting aside books to read in the coming weeks as I gaze longingly at my bed. Just a few more nights and I'll be able to slip into a blissful, albeit short, coma. This year has finally come to a close and I can safely say that I have never worked harder in my life.
I'll be starting my internship at Hallmark in three weeks as a Copywriter in the Marketing Studio. Acquiring an internship was a tough journey that I prepared for extensively. At the beginning of my Junior year, however, it would have been nice to receive more guidance in my preparation. I used the Career Services department and my peers for guidance in crafting my resume and portfolio, but I would have benefited greatly from practice interviews. Although my portfolio was not as developed at the time, it would have been good to sit down with members of the Advertising Design faculty to establish my strengths and weaknesses prior to the start of such a pivotal year. We were well aware of what content was necessary for presentation in our Junior Reviews, but the results of the review could have been bench-marked prior to the start of the semester.
I learned more this year about Copywriting than all my years at Ringling combined. My father constantly challenged me to be the wordsmith that I am today, but the commercial art of copywriting involves so much more than a snappy headline. The most important thing I learned is to always maintain a holistic view of the work so that each individual piece works together with alternative campaign elements and the original creative brief. Keeping the big picture in mind helps to ground a piece of work so that it's bulletproof against client and consumer scrutiny.
Art Direction follows suit: I went through years of visual preparation in Fine Arts, but the advertising courses at Ringling have taught me that individual elements all need to tie into the main campaign idea. Brilliant one-offs are more common than complete campaigns with equal merit, so it's important that I prove my value as an artist capable of holding my own in more significant bodies of work.
Because I have harnessed skills in both copywriting and art direction over the past three years, this summer I am going to focus on more illustrative explorations. I believe that I can produce illustrations in my work that will round out my campaigns significantly. This year, for the first time since high school, I was able to keep up with a sketchbook on a regular basis. I plan on maintaining a sketchbook daily over the summer and completing a number of larger pieces in order to develop my rendering abilities.
Senior year, I look forward to bringing together all of these elements in order to promote myself as the total package to potential employers. The NSAC course at Ringling will allow me to continue to develop my leadership skills, which our Global Branding course will let me develop as an individual.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Illustration Abound
I've set a goal for myself over the summer to develop my illustrations as much as possible so that I can better incorperate them into my work next year. I thought I would take this opportunity to share a few of my favorite print advertisements that involve illustration.
I like how this Hubba Bubba ad applies the illustration style accross the logo and typography. I think it maes for a more complete ad that someone might tear out and hang up because it looks cool, not simply because it is selling a product.
This ad is just plain cool because they used the product as the medium. It makes dog food look so much more colorful and exotic.
And this last ad is great because the contrast between photograph and illustration really makes the problem stand out for the viewer. All of these styles look like something I could one day achieve which is why I will continue keeping work like this in mind in the coming months!
I like how this Hubba Bubba ad applies the illustration style accross the logo and typography. I think it maes for a more complete ad that someone might tear out and hang up because it looks cool, not simply because it is selling a product.
This ad is just plain cool because they used the product as the medium. It makes dog food look so much more colorful and exotic.
And this last ad is great because the contrast between photograph and illustration really makes the problem stand out for the viewer. All of these styles look like something I could one day achieve which is why I will continue keeping work like this in mind in the coming months!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Tweet Heard Round the World
Well... the cabin at least.
A recent flight announcement lead to the breaking of a quirky little World Record - all sparked by a single tweet. When KLM announced their new flight route from Amsterdam to Miami, local musicians Tweeted a request to move the flight up a few days so that they could catch the Miami Ultra Music Festival. The flight was played up with reporters and bloggers covering DJ appearances in the cabin, all leading to the presentation of a Guinnis World Record for the Highest-Altitude Dance Party.
The event was an appropriate celebration of the innaugural flight, but it has also sparked appreciation and loyalty for KLM with a young demographic. It promotes the fact that KLM listens to its customers while staying up to date with communication trends. I think more companies should embrace this kind of launch because it creates lasting effects for the life of the product or service.
A recent flight announcement lead to the breaking of a quirky little World Record - all sparked by a single tweet. When KLM announced their new flight route from Amsterdam to Miami, local musicians Tweeted a request to move the flight up a few days so that they could catch the Miami Ultra Music Festival. The flight was played up with reporters and bloggers covering DJ appearances in the cabin, all leading to the presentation of a Guinnis World Record for the Highest-Altitude Dance Party.
The event was an appropriate celebration of the innaugural flight, but it has also sparked appreciation and loyalty for KLM with a young demographic. It promotes the fact that KLM listens to its customers while staying up to date with communication trends. I think more companies should embrace this kind of launch because it creates lasting effects for the life of the product or service.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Learning Zen
Ahh, Advertising… the fruits of evolution. Well, evolution, money, and consumerism. Luckily, Social Media is a cheap and innovative way to cash in on consumer awareness without feeling like a total skeezbag. With a little help from the creators of "The Zen of Social Media Marketing", I've learned a great deal about what it takes to be a true online guru.
1. Websites are completely and unavoidably necessary. I created my own personal portfolio site out of a sense of obligation. In order to promote myself, dropping a quick url became an easy way for people to see my work. After reading the chapter in Zen about "Websites, Blogs, and SEO", something dawned on me. I was able to acknowledge, as a consumer, that when a company lacked a website (company.com or even product.com), I grew irritated and felt disconnected. Artists may find it necessary to create a website in order to put themselves out there, but companies need one for customers to fall back on. It's not simply a means of accessing product information - it's a way of acknowledging a company's relevance and connectedness.
2. Social media isn't simple a way to attract and inform consumers - it's goal is to create customers. I always saw social media as a means of connecting to customers, but companies need to seal the deal by creating purchases at the end of the day.
3. This transitions nicely into my next Zen-nugget: customers aren't simply there to purchase your goods and services - they serve as salesmen as well when they attract friends, family, and onlookers. Getting a new customer is great, but it means less over time if they make one purchase without looking back. It's necessary to create lasting relationships with these consumers so that they will become salesmen on their own.
4. Strategy before tactics. I really enjoyed this statement as a brief, easy-to-remember tidbit to keep in mind when I'm crafting my own social media exploits. I cannot simply throw tactics at customers, thinking that it will benefit me in the long run. Lasting relationships and quality service require the implementation of strategy. The same can be said for traditional business practice. A company with a solid strategy in place will succeed and go further than one that implements tactics before thinking about the big picture.
5. SEO is great and all, but creating an avatar for your target consumer (like many other strategic processes) allows you to narrow your focus and concentrate your optimization efforts. I'd really like to get more involved in SEO in the future, but this tidbit seems like something I can apply to so many other aspects of my advertising career. Avatars serve such a simple, but brilliant, purpose when it comes to guiding consumers to online content. With the insane amount of information available online today, focusing marketing tactics seems like a great way to access consumer who are more likely to be interested in the content you distribute.
Zen of Social Media Marketing is a nice little book that you should read for yourself! Check out all the details here.
1. Websites are completely and unavoidably necessary. I created my own personal portfolio site out of a sense of obligation. In order to promote myself, dropping a quick url became an easy way for people to see my work. After reading the chapter in Zen about "Websites, Blogs, and SEO", something dawned on me. I was able to acknowledge, as a consumer, that when a company lacked a website (company.com or even product.com), I grew irritated and felt disconnected. Artists may find it necessary to create a website in order to put themselves out there, but companies need one for customers to fall back on. It's not simply a means of accessing product information - it's a way of acknowledging a company's relevance and connectedness.
2. Social media isn't simple a way to attract and inform consumers - it's goal is to create customers. I always saw social media as a means of connecting to customers, but companies need to seal the deal by creating purchases at the end of the day.
3. This transitions nicely into my next Zen-nugget: customers aren't simply there to purchase your goods and services - they serve as salesmen as well when they attract friends, family, and onlookers. Getting a new customer is great, but it means less over time if they make one purchase without looking back. It's necessary to create lasting relationships with these consumers so that they will become salesmen on their own.
4. Strategy before tactics. I really enjoyed this statement as a brief, easy-to-remember tidbit to keep in mind when I'm crafting my own social media exploits. I cannot simply throw tactics at customers, thinking that it will benefit me in the long run. Lasting relationships and quality service require the implementation of strategy. The same can be said for traditional business practice. A company with a solid strategy in place will succeed and go further than one that implements tactics before thinking about the big picture.
5. SEO is great and all, but creating an avatar for your target consumer (like many other strategic processes) allows you to narrow your focus and concentrate your optimization efforts. I'd really like to get more involved in SEO in the future, but this tidbit seems like something I can apply to so many other aspects of my advertising career. Avatars serve such a simple, but brilliant, purpose when it comes to guiding consumers to online content. With the insane amount of information available online today, focusing marketing tactics seems like a great way to access consumer who are more likely to be interested in the content you distribute.
Zen of Social Media Marketing is a nice little book that you should read for yourself! Check out all the details here.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Expand the Rainbow
Creating a memorable viral campaign is difficult enough, but expanding upon it months after the campaign has been released is a different beast all together. Skittles has recently released a small campaign of viral videos that are magically funny like their previous spots, with a fresh and engaging twist:
These videos are brilliant because they capture the same zany qualities as their other videos, while physically pulling the viewing into the magic. A few are even downright creepy, just like a some work we've seen before:
It really seems like Skittles is able to do more than just rely on the magicality of their initial viral fame (you can view the entire series here). But they don't just stick to video footage in their work. They brought the magic outdoors, throwing Facebook into the mix with this alternative piece:
Skittle's recent work definitely holds a few qualities I would like to keep in mind for my own work: magic, mayhem,... and beards.
These videos are brilliant because they capture the same zany qualities as their other videos, while physically pulling the viewing into the magic. A few are even downright creepy, just like a some work we've seen before:
It really seems like Skittles is able to do more than just rely on the magicality of their initial viral fame (you can view the entire series here). But they don't just stick to video footage in their work. They brought the magic outdoors, throwing Facebook into the mix with this alternative piece:
Skittle's recent work definitely holds a few qualities I would like to keep in mind for my own work: magic, mayhem,... and beards.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Bad Writing - Reflection
After viewing Bad Writing, I wanted to have some deeper dialogue about the various topics discussed in the film. You can read more about Bad Writing here, but I recommend everyone find a showing and see the movie before!
I don't think that Bad Writing was created simply for the people viewing it - I think the creators needed a few questions answered as well. I think that the film makers were trying to acknowledge their own ideas about writing while creating an illuminating experience for the audience. The interviews provided some great alternative views for comparison. The views expressed by each person interviewed seemed generally fluid and upbeat. They all had one opinion in common: Vernon's writing was bad. Beyond that, their discussions were diverse and intriguing, without providing drastic opposition.
I believe that the most important thing I learned from viewing the film was to continue to develop my craft and take outside influence more often. Like any other profession, writing takes patience and persistence. Yes, some individuals are born with more "natural" talent, but many skills can be crafted over time. I believe that this film has given me better hope for my future as a writer and as an artist.
Advertising campaigns, as visual as they have become over the years, will always require strong ideas to back them up. Writing becomes a powerful force in the creation and development of a campaign. One line of bad copy can ruin a great ad or make a mediocre ad worth remembering. I really enjoyed the reflections on storytelling during the film. Storytelling is such an important part of advertising, but it sometimes plays its biggest role behind the scenes. As a consumer, we may not realize just how much writing, revising, and re-writing goes into the production of a campaign.
Bad Writing may be intended as a good resource for creative writing professionals, but it contains refreshing ideas that apply to anyone who finds the need to occasionally put pen to paper.
I don't think that Bad Writing was created simply for the people viewing it - I think the creators needed a few questions answered as well. I think that the film makers were trying to acknowledge their own ideas about writing while creating an illuminating experience for the audience. The interviews provided some great alternative views for comparison. The views expressed by each person interviewed seemed generally fluid and upbeat. They all had one opinion in common: Vernon's writing was bad. Beyond that, their discussions were diverse and intriguing, without providing drastic opposition.
I believe that the most important thing I learned from viewing the film was to continue to develop my craft and take outside influence more often. Like any other profession, writing takes patience and persistence. Yes, some individuals are born with more "natural" talent, but many skills can be crafted over time. I believe that this film has given me better hope for my future as a writer and as an artist.
Advertising campaigns, as visual as they have become over the years, will always require strong ideas to back them up. Writing becomes a powerful force in the creation and development of a campaign. One line of bad copy can ruin a great ad or make a mediocre ad worth remembering. I really enjoyed the reflections on storytelling during the film. Storytelling is such an important part of advertising, but it sometimes plays its biggest role behind the scenes. As a consumer, we may not realize just how much writing, revising, and re-writing goes into the production of a campaign.
Bad Writing may be intended as a good resource for creative writing professionals, but it contains refreshing ideas that apply to anyone who finds the need to occasionally put pen to paper.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Bad Writing Movie Screening
Today I'll be blogging about a film, appropriately named, Bad Writing. Vernon Lot will be taking us through his journey to ask questions about writing - the good, the bad, and everything in between. You can learn more about the film here.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Copy Cats Aplenty
It's time to call out a few copycats for their work in ad campaigns circulating around the globe. The fact is, great ads do exist - and they are quickly copied by agencies that are, for one reason or another, too busy to create original work of their own. This concept concerns and confuses me.
Everyone recognize this classic?
You can easily see how the Mac vs PC ads evolved from this series.
But now that the Mac ads have become so popular, other companies are attempting to use the same exact format against Apple:
This just makes T-mobile look extremely unoriginal (and worthy of being bought out by AT&T)
Advertising is the art of creating a pliable framework for your company's unique selling point to thrive. Where's the excitement, thought, or integrity in rearranging aspects of existing campaigns to fit your needs? I believe that individuals in the advertising industry shouldn't thrive on the originality of their peers or simply revamp existing campaigns. I acknowledge the merit that exists in browsing current trends, but I think that outright copying an existing ad's theme is just cheep and sad.
Recently, I noticed another series of ads reminiscent of the unequivocally popular Old Spice campaign, as seen here:
Direct TV has created a sadder and slower version of the randomly funny Old Spice commercial with their new ads:
Although I think that the comparison of Direct TV to Old Spice does not create as clear of a connection, I think it's important to show that Direct TV hasn't come up with anything significantly moving or relevant to this particular product. They are trying to use current trends in humor to promote a product today, in a style similar to the Old Spice campaign that was recently made so popular.
Old Spice and Apple have campaigns that will be talked about years from now because they're the ones that are truly original. I believe that the remaining ads are what cause people to mock advertising as an art and as a career - so, with any luck, I will be striving to dispel these stereotypes in my own work.
Everyone recognize this classic?
You can easily see how the Mac vs PC ads evolved from this series.
But now that the Mac ads have become so popular, other companies are attempting to use the same exact format against Apple:
This just makes T-mobile look extremely unoriginal (and worthy of being bought out by AT&T)
Advertising is the art of creating a pliable framework for your company's unique selling point to thrive. Where's the excitement, thought, or integrity in rearranging aspects of existing campaigns to fit your needs? I believe that individuals in the advertising industry shouldn't thrive on the originality of their peers or simply revamp existing campaigns. I acknowledge the merit that exists in browsing current trends, but I think that outright copying an existing ad's theme is just cheep and sad.
Recently, I noticed another series of ads reminiscent of the unequivocally popular Old Spice campaign, as seen here:
Direct TV has created a sadder and slower version of the randomly funny Old Spice commercial with their new ads:
Although I think that the comparison of Direct TV to Old Spice does not create as clear of a connection, I think it's important to show that Direct TV hasn't come up with anything significantly moving or relevant to this particular product. They are trying to use current trends in humor to promote a product today, in a style similar to the Old Spice campaign that was recently made so popular.
Old Spice and Apple have campaigns that will be talked about years from now because they're the ones that are truly original. I believe that the remaining ads are what cause people to mock advertising as an art and as a career - so, with any luck, I will be striving to dispel these stereotypes in my own work.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Trying hard to hardly try
Artists Oli + Alex, who have experienced prior internet meme-dom, have recently worked on some more traditional viral exploits. Their work with Brylcreem reminds us that hair care product ads for men don't need to feature the shirtless brawn or flashy flip-kicks that we've become so used to as Americans:
Of course, ironically, this ad took an incomprehensible amount of effort to shoot.
The production team first created some buzz about Brylcreem in their casting exploits, seeking out talent for both music and trick production. The commercial itself has risen in viral stardom (by a few thousand views on Vimeo and a few hundred thousand on Youtube) in the last few weeks, rounded out nicely by a behind-the-scenes documentary about the journey of the lead stuntman through his training and filming:
Of course, ironically, this ad took an incomprehensible amount of effort to shoot.
The production team first created some buzz about Brylcreem in their casting exploits, seeking out talent for both music and trick production. The commercial itself has risen in viral stardom (by a few thousand views on Vimeo and a few hundred thousand on Youtube) in the last few weeks, rounded out nicely by a behind-the-scenes documentary about the journey of the lead stuntman through his training and filming:
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Happy Horrors
Having just finished a campaign about antacids, I thought I would be repulsed by seeing another campaign for pharmaceuticals - but this visually stunning work by Saatchi and Saatchi Cape Town is definitely an exception.
This print campaign for Mebucaine sore throat relief tablets is really quite beautiful. It reminds me of how individuals in the advertising industry spoke about the colorful Apple iPod ads when they were first released, or the origins of advertising itself. Advertising really can be more than just a good headline here and there. At times, it's a work of art.
These pieces really appeal to a modern sense of design, using distressed images, quirky situations, and intricate typography. I think it appeals to all demographics because of the nature of current design trends, but also harkens to a day when sideshows like this were more prevalent.
Lastly, I think it's important to note that there is still some great Copywriting happening here. "Escape the Mouth of Horrors" brilliantly sums up the campaign and the mission of the product.
This print campaign for Mebucaine sore throat relief tablets is really quite beautiful. It reminds me of how individuals in the advertising industry spoke about the colorful Apple iPod ads when they were first released, or the origins of advertising itself. Advertising really can be more than just a good headline here and there. At times, it's a work of art.
These pieces really appeal to a modern sense of design, using distressed images, quirky situations, and intricate typography. I think it appeals to all demographics because of the nature of current design trends, but also harkens to a day when sideshows like this were more prevalent.
Lastly, I think it's important to note that there is still some great Copywriting happening here. "Escape the Mouth of Horrors" brilliantly sums up the campaign and the mission of the product.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Foreign Pop Culture Equals Viral Gold
Here's an interesting campaign that takes pop culture influence from Singapore and translates it into an American viral video goldmine. The basic idea is that each visitor to the site gets the opportunity to guess what the dog will choose from the new BK snacking quick pick menu.
Countless TV shows have popularized those quirky game shows from Asia involving contestants going through crazy stunts in wacky outfits. This new series from BK Singapore uses that same game show style to promote the various menu options available at Burger King all day long:
Scoreboard at the end depicting results? Check!
Now it's time to post the series of resulting videos on YouTube and wait for Americans to get a whiff of something they're bound to pass on to their friends and family. I think that this concept will come in handy the next time I need to come up with a crazy viral video idea. What's great is that it takes very generic influence from the aforementioned game shows while containing 100% original content, rather than just pulling visual and conceptual elements from existing advertising campaigns. Bravo BK Singapore.
Countless TV shows have popularized those quirky game shows from Asia involving contestants going through crazy stunts in wacky outfits. This new series from BK Singapore uses that same game show style to promote the various menu options available at Burger King all day long:
Fun, peppy music? Check
Cute dog in a silly costume? Check
Scoreboard at the end depicting results? Check!
Now it's time to post the series of resulting videos on YouTube and wait for Americans to get a whiff of something they're bound to pass on to their friends and family. I think that this concept will come in handy the next time I need to come up with a crazy viral video idea. What's great is that it takes very generic influence from the aforementioned game shows while containing 100% original content, rather than just pulling visual and conceptual elements from existing advertising campaigns. Bravo BK Singapore.
Monday, February 21, 2011
This madness is getting old
After spending weeks on a script for a commercial and toiling over the smallest details, it can get really disheartening to see a competitor's successful TV spot involve nothing more than a few bags of skittles and two man-headed sheep. Why do I spend hours crafting the perfect line of copy or the most convincing visual, while consumer trends could flip a switch without warning and turn advertising as we know it on its head?
In an ad that brilliantly contains both the spontaneous and the intuitive, VW depicts one of their cars lasting the test of time. Two joggers are shown preparing for their morning run, edited to take place over the course of many years.
Even more challenging for me as a viewer is my need to read the subtitles while watching the two joggers age quickly over the course of the ad. When I watched it the first time, I only caught the last few pieces of dialogue. I was able to grasp the concept well enough – but I was very intrigued by what I had missed and proceeded to watch the spot again until I heard every line. The copywriting is brilliant across the spot and the visuals are strong enough to keep consumers aware of the story without their full attention.
Props to VW for some quality ad work in a world where stumbling your way to the top sometimes involves a touch of insanity and a dash of bad taste.
In an ad that brilliantly contains both the spontaneous and the intuitive, VW depicts one of their cars lasting the test of time. Two joggers are shown preparing for their morning run, edited to take place over the course of many years.
Even more challenging for me as a viewer is my need to read the subtitles while watching the two joggers age quickly over the course of the ad. When I watched it the first time, I only caught the last few pieces of dialogue. I was able to grasp the concept well enough – but I was very intrigued by what I had missed and proceeded to watch the spot again until I heard every line. The copywriting is brilliant across the spot and the visuals are strong enough to keep consumers aware of the story without their full attention.
Props to VW for some quality ad work in a world where stumbling your way to the top sometimes involves a touch of insanity and a dash of bad taste.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Blog
Like any nerdy copywriter, I took notes and assigned grades to each commercial I saw during the Super Bowl. Right? People do that?
A few commercials stood out to me, my favorite being the Motorola Xoom spot:
What's great about this ad is that it doesn't just go after every other tablet competitor - it aims straight for Apple and hits hard. They did a beautiful job mimicking the 1984 commercial by Apple and, to drive the point home for those who don't pick up on the visual cues, they even depicted their main character reading the book "1984" within the first few shots. Once they establish the white ear-bud-infested setting, a nice little love story develops and lets us all know just how hypocritical Apple has become sicne they launched the first 1984 commercial. I don't think the tablet is shown doing anything particularly groundbreaking (like video chatting, or something specific that an iPad can't do), but it establishes Motorola as Apple's competitor-to-watch. It's nice to see that they went after Apple in a way other than mocking the Mac vs PC style, like T-mobile has recently.
My runner-up commercial was One Epic Ride by Kia. It was initially released a few days prior to the SuperBowl, but it was aired on game day as well. Kia isn't known for their high-end product line, but they've produced a spot here full of CG content which I'm sure didn't come with a small price tag. The commercial is quirky and easy to watch much like the brand itself, as opposed to being stuffy and bland. They chose a style that went well with their existing consumer perspective on the company, rather than trying to rebrand themselves altogether. It's like saying, "Hey, we've got a great new car - but we're still Kia!"
Which commercial could I have done without?
The answer to that is tied between Tibet by Groupon and In The Boot by Mini. I can't even bring myself to embed them, they are just that awful. Go ahead and scroll back up and watch the other two commercials again and save yourself a headache over the future of the advertising industry.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Take It Off! Oh God, Put It Back On.
It's not illegal if it's done in pencil! At least that's what American Apparal seams to think in their new campaign for cotton underwear.
For me, the work is downright creepy. The artist responsible for these... pieces... is known for his work in Hustler Magazine, among other less-than-conservative exploits. It looks like he pasted the head of a fourteen-year-old onto a nude adult body, and drew the resulting collage. Work on his personal website makes similarly disturbing use of unsuspecting actresses, such as Emma Roberts, Alexis Bledel and Taylor Swift. The small, chubby facial features are clearly meant to make the girl in each image look underage. At this point, I think American Apparel is simply pushing their advertising to be as controversial as possible, under the guise of misunderstanding and conservative bias.
Here's a more interesting, modern, and appropriate take on current censorship standards:
This subway campaign for Daffy's clothing provides a way for consumers to get involved that makes great use of the Twitterverse and social networking strategies, as opposed to simply presenting us with gratuitous sexuality.
Come on American Apparel, overt nudity isn't impressing anyone - even in graphite.
Free Doritos, Not-So-Free Advertising
Agencies are always working on their Superbowl commercials to make them relate to their customers better. Doritos took their million-dollar spot a step further for Superbowl XLIII by holding a contest for the best fan made commercial, with top winners receiving six million dollars overall in cash prizes. The winning spot, full of pent-up work related frustration that everyone can relate to, features a crystal ball that grants it's owner a day of free Doritos:
It's hard not to see just how well this worked our for Doritos. Not only was it a great spot that went viral as soon as it was aired, but it cost far less than the company writing, casting and producing it themselves. Well, minus the millions of dollars on prizes and Superbowl air time.
They connected with their target audience by letting them sell the product - in a way that promotes current trends in home-made movie making, embraces the frustration we hold toward our jobs, and captures our desire for overly-processed cheese snacks.
It's hard not to see just how well this worked our for Doritos. Not only was it a great spot that went viral as soon as it was aired, but it cost far less than the company writing, casting and producing it themselves. Well, minus the millions of dollars on prizes and Superbowl air time.
They connected with their target audience by letting them sell the product - in a way that promotes current trends in home-made movie making, embraces the frustration we hold toward our jobs, and captures our desire for overly-processed cheese snacks.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Back Up, Romeo
American's hate advertising. It interferes with our lives so much that we complain about it almost as much as we're subjected to viewing it. With new methods of encroaching on our lives popping up every day, is amazing that our critique of the ad industry can keep up with its output.
Alfa Romeo has surpassed the human capacity for annoyance in their recent campaign that, quite literally, chases you.
The headline is cute, don't get me wrong. But good copy does not a happy consumer make. Time to ditch the gimmicks and go for something that will strike your target audience in a witty, I can't-believe-they-wrote-that kindof way, rather than taking the stalker approach. The used car salesman persona has been boiled down to a sandwich board and a remote control car - leaving sanity and our hope for future ad success in the dust for Alfa Romeo.
Alfa Romeo has surpassed the human capacity for annoyance in their recent campaign that, quite literally, chases you.
The headline is cute, don't get me wrong. But good copy does not a happy consumer make. Time to ditch the gimmicks and go for something that will strike your target audience in a witty, I can't-believe-they-wrote-that kindof way, rather than taking the stalker approach. The used car salesman persona has been boiled down to a sandwich board and a remote control car - leaving sanity and our hope for future ad success in the dust for Alfa Romeo.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Calvin Covers Up
The only thing that gets between me and my Calvins is this pesky QR code.
In a witty little campaign by Calvin Klein, QR codes have replaced a few racy billboards in Los Angeles. Consumers can snap a photo of the fancy grid and they'll be guided to a not-so-conservative video of super model Lara Stone with her shirtless, Calvin-clad counterparts.
Out of context, the billboards are simple and make use of current technological trends in advertising. What makes this campaign stand out is the darker history that Calvin Klein has with having to censor their ads. They've heightened our desire to know more about their new line of jeans while giving the finger to existing censorship standards.
In a witty little campaign by Calvin Klein, QR codes have replaced a few racy billboards in Los Angeles. Consumers can snap a photo of the fancy grid and they'll be guided to a not-so-conservative video of super model Lara Stone with her shirtless, Calvin-clad counterparts.
Out of context, the billboards are simple and make use of current technological trends in advertising. What makes this campaign stand out is the darker history that Calvin Klein has with having to censor their ads. They've heightened our desire to know more about their new line of jeans while giving the finger to existing censorship standards.
Monday, January 17, 2011
I Don't Need a Map
As consumers, we love putting the pieces together and finding solutions to little problems within ads. A quick visual story can provide the perfect opportunity for letting people fill in the gaps, and Nescafé has done a brilliantly minimal job in their recent coffee campaign.
These ads are clean and calm - but the narrative quality draws me in and let's me know that there's something more to understand besides looking at an attractive image. I move through the quick story and get lead straight to the logo and headline, where I get my final "ah-ha!" moment.
The coffee stain circle brings a tactile quality to the otherwise cold overall feeling of the piece and reminds us of the product being advertised. There are some negative connotations with coffee stain rings, but I think the benefits of the visual impact outweigh the negatives in this cases.
Without butchering the classic advertising commandments, Nescafé has created a modern narrative with an intriguing solution waiting to be discovered.
These ads are clean and calm - but the narrative quality draws me in and let's me know that there's something more to understand besides looking at an attractive image. I move through the quick story and get lead straight to the logo and headline, where I get my final "ah-ha!" moment.
The coffee stain circle brings a tactile quality to the otherwise cold overall feeling of the piece and reminds us of the product being advertised. There are some negative connotations with coffee stain rings, but I think the benefits of the visual impact outweigh the negatives in this cases.
Without butchering the classic advertising commandments, Nescafé has created a modern narrative with an intriguing solution waiting to be discovered.
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