This set of print ads, that will also be used for an outdoor
campaign, is another example of a great use of a minimalistic approach. Created
by DDB New York for the New York lottery, each ad shows classic examples of
lottery winners dreams; a luxury car, a jacuzzi in a beautiful landscape and
the having the means to enjoy a skiing holiday. These scenes are juxtaposed
with absurd musings on random topics. It is only when the consumer reads the
tagline "What would you think about when you wouldn't have to think about
money?" that the message is finally communicated.
Creating an ad for a lottery can be remarkably
easy, the product you're attempting to sell is entirely desirable and there
will always be a demographic who will continue to play each week in attempt to
realise their aspirations. However, the tagline appeals to those who may not
currently play, offering the viewer a life free from the worries associated
with money. Ray Oranges created the artwork for this campaign and I feel the
clean lines of his design allows the user to easily imagine what situation they
would like to be placed in given they won the prize.
In this print campaign, Crest is attempting to convey their
teeth whitening strips as a natural product. The use of the strapline "As
nature intended" encourages the belief that Crest strips remove unnatural
build ups/colours and return the consumers teeth to their natural state. The
campaign consists of three print ads created by New York agency Publicis Kaplan
Thaler.
Each ad features some form of human alteration to an
environment, a factory billowing out smoke, oil in water and a girl with a
tattooed back. Personally, I feel that the campaigns strongest image is of the
girl with the tattoos. This ad truly expresses that Crest creates a product
that removes stains and it the easiest image in which to identify where the
strip has been removed. While the factory scene also communicates the brand
message, the image of the oil in water is not as strong. Crest may be better
off choosing just the image of the tattooed girl to run this campaign with, as
it is the clearest and most resonating of the collection.
Even though I often feature advertisements that are very
colourful/busy, there is no denying that my favourite campaigns generally use a
lot of negative or white space. This ad, for hair re-growth and maintenance
drug Follihair, really stood out to me for its simplicity. No strapline, one
image. Great advertising should be able to draw a consumer in and demonstrate
the products attributes, which this ad clearly does. With the imagery of the
hair follicle connected to an anchor, there is no need for any text. The
message has been clearly conveyed.
The campaign was created by McCann Healthcare in Mumbai,
India and will run as a print ad in multiple countries. Another positive of not
including any text, no translations required!
Quick post to highlight these lovely simple, colourful ads by Taxi for Audible.com. Highlight what the company does without the need for a lot of text. Great pull as well in the free audiobook tagline by the website address.
Really like this print campaign created for Mercy Academy, a
Kentucky based all girls preparatory school, by Doe Anderson. The campaign
encourages young women to step away from children's fairy tales and acknowledge
the fact that they will have to strike to achieve their dreams, and that they
do not need a "prince" to do so. The campaign quickly became viral
fodder, and was even covered on the American Today Show.
The copy is jarring, and maybe a little harsh, but
undoubtedly refreshing and presenting a clear message to future attendees of
the school. It has undoubtedly been a positive move, both on the part of the
Mercy Academy and Doe Anderson.
Boots win for weirdest song choice this Christmas, with
Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy", a song whose lyrics address issues
like homophobia and bullying, bringing in the festive cheer. No doubting it's a
very catchy song, but seems out of tone with the ad and Christmas in general.
Created by Mother London, the campaign depicts a young man sneakily giving
friends and acquaintances gifts from Boots in light of their own charitable
deeds.
Boots made a major misstep in last year's Christmas advert,
with numerous complaint of animal cruelty filed due a shot of a dog being
blasted with a hair dryer. Obviously clear to avoid controversy this year, the
ad is particularly inoffensive. It's not particularly interesting though
either. Youtube views have reached 200,000 in the past week, which is a respectable
figure. The spot uses the brand’s “It Feels Good” strapline and highlights the
retailer has offers on “1000s of Christmas gifts”. Definitely not my
favourite of this year's offerings.
In direct competition with M&S is John Lewis, a
department store that has been lauded for its creative and engaging Christmas
ads the past few years. While this piece doesn't feature any celebrity
endorsement, it still was a major investment, costing over seven million pounds
to create. John Lewis' agency, adam&eveDDB is particularly note worthy in
comparing the two rivals campaigns, as adam&eve was founded by ex-staff
members of M&S' agency RKCYR/YR, before being purchased by DDB. The animations in the campaign were
provided by a head illustrator from Disney's The Lion King.
The ad documents the story of a hare attempting to show his
hibernating bear friend the magic of Christmas, with Lily Allen providing a
folksy rendition of Keanes "Somewhere Only We Know" as the
soundtrack. It is John Lewis’ most integrated Christmas campaign yet,
encompassing an eBook and hardback book, Christmas card maker, social media,
in-store and windows, merchandise, digital outdoor projection and soundtrack
single.
The campaign has benefitted from a dramatic response on
social media. Compared to last year's Christmas ad which has over 3 million
Youtube views to date, this year's campaign has amassed 6 million views in the
first week of its release. It also boasts near 100,000 Twitter mentions during
the same period. Undoubtedly, the brand will consider this venture a complete
success.
Some major brands released their Christmas 2013 advertising
campaigns in the last week, so it makes sense to start taking a look at them
now, however far away the holiday is. Marks and Spencer spared no expense in
this television spot, showcasing stars like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Helena
Bonham Carter and David Gandy. Created by an English agency, RKCY/Y&R, tv
spots began airing on the 7th of November. The tagline, "Believe in Magic
and Sparkle", is demonstrated throughout the ad with nostalgic nods to
children's stories and fairytales.
The advert is beautifully shot and engaging, with a coherent
and sweet story line. However, the biggest triumph is the way in which the
stores merchandise is displayed. M&S is attempting to reach younger
demographics in their clothing offering, and each piece featured in the ad is
covetable and on trend. Changing potential consumers perceptions, coming into
the Christmas season, will benefit M&S radically.
Prankvertising is a new trend in video advertisements, and
there is no doubts to why companies chose to do it. Done successfully,
prankvertising often results in viral videos and increased word of mouth. A
pertinent example is this video ad by LG created by Grupolink, a Chilean firm.
The ad shot into the public domain, with 14 million views and over 600,000
Facebook shares as of today. Commonly known as the most brutal version of
prankvertising yet, many doubted the validity of the stunt, assuming
participants were paid actors. The ad also was deemed in poor taste by some
media outlets, given the current crisis in Syria.
I'm not entirely sold on the concept of prankvertising, but
will show a few examples over the next few days and maybe a satirical view or
two.
Gonna bite the bullet and look at one of this year's new Christmas ads, they'll be airing within the next week or two anyway! IKEA ads are usually well done, and this one is no exception. Created by Swedish advertising agency Åkestam Holst, for the Swedish market, this ad demonstrates that even "the busiest man in the world" still makes a trip to IKEA to stock up on Christmas essentials.
The ad is whimsical and invokes the Christmas spirit without being too severe to be seen in November. I'm not someone who is particularly bothered by the festive season starting earlier and earlier each year, but I think this ad might slip past those who are.
McCann Erickson's Paris division created a print and
television version of this ad for the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.
The television ad shows us a familiar picture of a plane with a red carpet
placed upon the air-stairs. This image indicates importance and the triumphant
music invites the audience to think of arriving celebrities or dignitaries. As
the camera pans out, the music falters and we are able to identify the red
carpet as a trail of blood. The print ad focuses on this final scene, using the
same copy as the television piece.
This ad broaches the important work the ECRE do, encouraging
the general public to think about these issues in a heightened way. Changing a
person's opinion through advertising is hard, but this ad forces the viewer to
acknowledge (and perhaps, alter) their preconceived
opinions on refugees within their own country. It's a great example of an
agency taking on Non-profit work and taking a daring step that truly engages
with the public.
Another look at a Brazilian Cannes Lion Print candidate
today. The campaign was for Volkswagen's
Area View System, a feature in their new models they wished the public to have
a greater knowledge of. AlmapBBDO was
tasked with creating the print ad for the feature.
While the ad is funny and demonstrates why the product has a
valuable use, it's focus on children is incredibly savvy marketing. Volkswagen
pride themselves on creating family cars, and by highlighting children in both
aspects of the print campaign, the real purpose of the product is displayed.
Keeping children safe. A well executed ad that deserved to be considered best
practice.
While looking at the Cannes Lions winners for 2013 I stumbled upon this
great print ad for Miami Ad
School ESPM, an advertising school based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The
print ads catalogues the overuse of certain historical figures in modern
advertising, namely Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe and Che Guevara. The print
campaign, created by the Brazilian wing of Ogilvy, highlights tired ideas and
demonstrates how the school can help eradicate this type of overused creative.
My favourite aspect of the ad is the strong copy featured in each version, encouraging the marketer to "Let Him/Her Rest in Peace". The school's message is clearly communicated with this and despite being cluttered with visuals, is strong enough to remain with the reader.
Today I'd like to continue a short look at the work
of Irish advertising agency Boys and Girls. This outdoor and print
advertisement for Power's Whiskey won them a bronze award in the Outdoor
category of this year's Kinsale Sharks International Creative Festival. Authenticity
and craft were the keywords in this campaign, and intrinsic to Power's brand
identity as a whole. The company wished to promote their strong sense Irish
heritage and tradition.
In the ad, landscape photos of Ireland are rendered
on to images of Power's whiskey in glasses. In the words of the agency
themselves; "The Burren was
photographed to provide the basis for the Hot Powers execution.
Ladies View in Killarney was shot showcasing a changing Irish landscape. A
Barley field in Louth captured a key ingredient in the Whiskey and Ballintoy
Harbour in Armagh provided a memory of a great weekend." The images
are beautiful, and truly reflect the brand image. I think this work is a great
example of a simple creative premise executed to perfection, creating an advert
that appeals to multiple generations.
Boys and Girls created this beautiful print ad for Irish jam
producers Folláin in May of this year. The campaign's simple design harkens to
the simple manufacturing of the product, resulting in a pleasing brand symmetry.
Paper manipulator Yulia Brodskaya, who has created work for The Guardian, Cadburys
and Ford, designed the image.
It's great to see emerging Irish companies chose emerging
Irish creative agencies to partner with. Boys and Girls work is refreshing and
something I am beginning to be able to identify at sight. I'll have a look at a
few more of their successful campaigns in the coming days.
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