Follihair Anchor

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! 

ECRE "Bloody Stairs"

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.