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. 

Volkswagen's Area View System "Nap" & "Scout"

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. 

Miami Ad School ESPM "RIP"

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.

 

Energia

Another look at a campaign by Irish agency Boys and Girls today as part of our small retrospective.  This print campaign for Energia was accompanied by a series of radio ads that focused on Energia being the country's largest electricity supplier to Irish SME's. Energia were faced with an issue, despite having a large business consumer base, they were largely unknown by the general public. Competing against established names like Bord Gáis and ESB, this campaign aimed to put Energia's name into the public conscious and build brand awareness.

The ads juxtaposed two business environments together in a humorous fashion, highlighting the wide range of companies in Energia's client base. These print ads were the beginning of a massive campaign, involving television ads and the sponsorship of Pat Kenny's infamous move to Newstalk FM. 

Quick link

Just a quick link to the site Joe la Pompe. Around since 1999, the site finds copycat ads the world over and names/shames. Great reminder that plagiarism is quickly spotted and rarely forgotten!
http://www.joelapompe.net/

Music Faux Passe

Today I read about an advertising music faux passe I had to share. All three of these ads ran concurrently, some even airing in the same timeslot. Choosing a popular song to identify with your brand is all well and good, but it seems like a massive misstep to not view who else is using the exact same song. Major blow for the agencies media buyers also, as running the ad in the same slot as another with the same backing music deeply diminishes the chances of the second product being remembered.

 Realistically, while the song (M83's "Midnight City" if you're interested) is great, it is so deeply ingrained in my head as Made in Chelsea's theme song it is a poor choice for any brand!

 

Powers "It's Ours"

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.