Metro Advert

I have been noticing these adverts everywhere on my train line, some of which are quite amusing. They create a simple illustrative humoristic tint on a serious issue. Although they have grabbed my attention I don't feel they will make a great difference of the recycling issue. However the ad's show that the brand is aware of issue being created with there product. Is this to create a positive brand, or are they really trying to make a difference?

The Jupiter drawing room -http://www.jupiter.co.za

This Jupiter drawing room has used some nice unconventional advertising methods. I particularly like the closet built for the Nedbank Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. It uses the well-known phrase coming out of the closet, yet I believe in a friendly witty nature. A very different way of advertising, though I would be concerned that it could blend in to the background too much.
However 'Another dimension was added to the idea by looping a recording of random knocking and screaming and playing it from within the closet. This created the illusion that actual people were trapped within, and were dying to come out. It also generated lots of smiles.' The positioning of such adverts is vital. It shows that even 3d objects can be used with advertising rather than the traditional print and new age digital.

Advertising is dead, Long Live Advertsing

I have recently read the book, Advertising is dead, Long Live Advertising By Tom Himpe and Will Colin.

The book is based upon the theory of 'non-conventional forms of advertising' that we so readily take up in today’s design society. I have to agree that grabbing people attention is harder now than ever before, purely for the immense amount of advertising about, and the more places it can be seen, mostly in a multimedia sense.’ Therefore advertisers can no longer rely on Consumers to behave like the passive receivers they once where.' 'Brands are compensating for the declining impact of traditional advertising. Here's is some alternatives traditional advertising that the author listed, Guerrilla, Ambient, Steath, Buzz, word of mouth, virals, stunts, advertising gaming, experimental, wild fire, ambush etc etc.

It is believed that there are 'Four drivers of alternative advertsing.' that are worth remembering.

Proximity. This means getting closer to the consumers on a face to face basis. Either the brand comes to the consumer or the consumer comes to the brand, without any other media involvement. One example of this is the use of promotional staff.

Exclusivity. 'Having alone time with the consumer.' The brand/ advertising agency finds a special environment away from other competition to promote their product. E.g. An elevator. Evian once used a swimming pool floor to promote their water. A very appropriate place, and is seen in the book.

Invisibility. I.e. to quietly advertise/ moving the brand to back ground. 'Advertising that does not look and feel like advertising.' 'Consumer do not like the smell of the sell.' For example, reducing brand Logo/ creating an event to help the lives of the consumers.

Unpredictability. Basically is involves catching the consumer off guard, and is something you don't see everyday. It has to come as a genuine surprise to the consumer.

Whiskas

Whiskas' Cat Food as has just released a new campaign. I must admit the advert did catch my eye within a TV magazine. Perhaps due to the simple background, aesthetically pleasing crafted origami chicken and because not many other animal food ad's have an experimental quality. So I thought it was worth blogging. However I then showed my mother who said the first time she saw it she thought it was a screwed up piece of paper and didn't take much more notice than that. Admittedly she was not wearing her glasses and we don't own a cat, so perhaps the ad didn't need to strike her. I then thought about the ad again, it was aesthetically pleasing to me, however I like anything slightly artistic. I can understand the concept that there are whole chunks of chicken/beef/fish/lamb etc, therefore the chicken/cow/fish/sheep is relevant, buy why origami? does that suggest a playful brand? and should there be a small reference a to the cat? However that may not be required as Whiskas is a big brand, and maybe if it did it would loose its eye-catching simplicity. Does this eye-catching simplicity/ arty/ wittiness actually gain more sales? Do the public like this or sometimes are they just looking for a brand who says it like it is?

I think this origami creatures could have been animated a little better online.

Plus et Plus Commercials

Design company Plus et Plus, have done some nice tv commercials.

I like the Sunsilk commercials. There are four commercials in total for Dry, Frizzy, Flat and poofy hair. Each advert uses animated vector shaped illustrations. Each has the distinctive colour. The colours relate well to the target market and create a contemporary yet girly ambience. Conceptually they take the essence of what the shampoo does and animates it through other means, by the use of funky, fun, girly images. For example for dry a drink/cocktail is animated and for poofy, a poodle is used. I like the quick snappy tone of the advert, which holds just enough information for the busy modern women. However despite this I feel some of the copy could have been worked on further ‘quench that dry’ doesn’t make that much sense for the dry hair advert, however with the voice over and the added line get hairapy, there is a suggestion of the cute/ girly/ fun/ carefree/ attitude. The adverts defiantly works well digitally/ animated, rather than a still advert, I also like the way the product is revealed at the end, the girly illustration captures the woman audience and draws them in before showing what the product is.




Another ad I quite liked, not for persuasive value but rather artistic direction is the Volvo Zipper, where multiple cars and envisaged a zip.

Paint Advert Spoof

I know others have blogged this, however I feel it deserves my appreciation.

The Wind

This ad uses the great concept of personification of wind, which turns a potentially boring advertisement to a fun and witty perception. The personification is not revealed to the end, which makes the ad intriguing. However there are clues, with the wind turbine behind him. I love the wind scenarios when you watch it the second time, although you already know the ending, the scenarios are still amusing. A good advert that expresses environmental friendly morals.

We perceive this man to be a pest? Instead he is a part of nature and all of a sudden you feel sorry for ever thinking he was a pest. Therfore perception change.

Heres a bit of a cheeky post but here goes..

An Advert I found on http://coloribus.com for impotency aid, I am surprised this was allowed to 'go up' (just realised - little joke for you there), as rather an embarrassing topic. Can't seem to find where it was, as I am almost certain it was not Britain. Following my previous post this again shows the potential for changing the 'regular format' of an advertisement. Purely based on this concept you could develop lots of ideas in all different media's. I think the changing of the standard makes something more eye catching.

Billboards

Just a random find, I was intrigued by the shape of the billboard, and how the player looks up in to the sky looking for the ball - which advertises the essence of the brand, the action. Very, very simple but I like it. The size suggesting how grand and powerful the sport is.




Here is a billboard similar to a billboard posted of Lucy B's blog. The billboard is a big object so you can do big things with it. It really does play on size and scale of the advertising media. Found on http://coloribus.com/admirror/

Drink and Drive Advertising

Recently drink and drive advertising has indulged in to shock tactics. Here is a different take on a drink and drive advertising! However is it effective? I Like the copy line idea - as an idea- its clever - or more to the point fortunate- however I don't believe its persuasive. I like the basic white copy on a black background- basically stating you either drink or you drive it is as easy as that!

This made me look to an article that I found on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1813012.stm? To find out is government advertising actually effective?

'New Labour has used advertising like no previous administration, tripling the annual amount spent. Last year it spent £192m, more than consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble.

Are drink/Driving shock tactics wearing off? News that much of this was blown in the run up to a general election, prompted the Conservatives to accuse Labour of sneaking party propaganda into government ads. A welter of campaigns appeared on health, education, anti-smoking and crime prevention, designed, the Tories say, to create the impression of furious government activity. Labour vigorously denied the claim, saying the campaigns were part of long-planned government initiatives.

Advertising is good at selling specific products or policies. But when it comes to altering deep-seated behaviour or entrenched attitudes, the effects can be varied and notoriously difficult to monitor. The government invariably points to successive drink-driving campaigns as an example of advertising that has worked - and saved countless lives. But it seems that campaign's shock tactics may have run their course, with drink-driving figures on the rise again for the first time in years. By contrast, critics say, millions have been spent on anti-drugs ads or anti-teenage smoking campaigns by successive governments with little discernible effect. '

If as suggested shock tactics has run its course, what’s next - do we need to become more extreme to grasp people’s attention?

Here are some more drink drive ad campaigns




I really like the idea bellow- and think could be developed further!

Orange Banner for gig tickets

Created in a similar style to the most recent orange ad's on TV ( see example bellow), I really liked this funky banner, which allows you to choose what style of music you are into which then leads you on to a stage of objects based on your chosen music type. (See above for Hip hop and pop), which then leads you to the website. I like this banner for the multiple roots you can navigate through. It seems fun, friendly, and easy to understand. There is no real complex message but is rather based on appropriate aesthetics (it appears like a collage of 3d paper with plasticine texture). It lets you choose what you want and what suits your needs, making 'orange' appear a helpful company, a little like the different types of orange phone packages that are available. They use the appropriate line 'life as you like it!'

Apologies for the poor 'screen shots'

‘Who do you think you are? Michael f—king Angelo?’ Charles Saatchi

‘The Persuaders’ an article featured in ‘Seven’ a supplement of The Sunday Telegraph was my reading of interest this week. Written by Sam Delaney, expresses the business side of advertising in a short tale of the Saatchi brothers ‘bid for world domination.’

It expresses the limitations of working as a graphic designer, i.e. what is achievable, what can you get away with and how, their way of working and how to be persuasive.

So how do you become persuasive? You need to give the public something they want! Make them think they need it, what ever you sell needs to appear desirable or better than what they had before. And you need to be ruthless! Charles Saatchi was ruthless ‘who do you think you are? Michael f—king Angelo?’ Saatchi used the phrase when a ‘notoriously precious art director complained that his layouts had been tampered with behind his back.’

I admire the ‘ruthlessly simplistic’ approach to Charles Saatchi’s advertising work. Saying it how it is! When advertising for the Conservative party when Margaret Thatcher was in town, he completely criticised the opposition to show their weaknesses. I think some times we can be all too concerned with elaborating too much, being too arty, when sometimes the line needs to be raw punchy and simplistic. I think it’s a brave thing to do so, yet if used correctly can be very successful.

However being abrupt can cause problems of offence rather than persuasiveness. I would quite like to explore in today’s society, how perception can lead to offence, and how far it can be pushed. Is telling the truth or being to raw too much for our politically correct society? I think being raw, using shock tactics, overwhelmingly exagerating truths, needs to be used appropriately.

It makes you question how bigger impact does advertising and media have on our perceptions. ‘People living in every region of the planet had in one way or another have their perceptions, aspirations and behaviour impacted by those super sonic, neon lit, 30 second films that punctured their favourite television shows,’ supposedly.

It amused me to read, there was a time when ‘Creative people were being judged on the basis of how long they took for lunch. If you were gone for more than four hours, you must have been the most creative person in the agency. It was like Andy Warhol said, “Art is what you can get away with”.’ It suggests a simple, rash and easy way of working; I may try it myself one day!

Mail On Sunday

I love this ad, It's not afraid to be too stereotypical, which makes it funny. It suggests that Sunday is the day of rest and the best way to rest is to read The Mail on Sunday. It is both for women and men. It takes the form of a battle scene that reminds me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings.

It just shows how elaborate and exaggerated an advert can be to sell a simple everyday product, which has already been out for a long time. Good use of digital design to elaborate the battle.

Ariel's 30 Degree Adverts

Saatchi & Saatchi have formed adverts unlike the usual woman smelling her freshly cleaned whites in the kitchen. They have dwelled on the concept of using images from around the word such as ice fishing and monks washing their clothes in freezing conditions, to exaggerate the 30-degree concept. Changing your wash to 30 degree will help the environment; therefore it seems appropriate to have images of nature and far away cultures. A good advert with a clear message.

Please view this link http://www.saatchi.co.uk/local/theWorks.asp. - As I am currently unable to find a YouTube link.

In terms of Ariel's new branding... (Product and Concept). They are a producing a product that in the long term is more cost effective to the consumer and environmentally friendly.

Maybe an obvious issue to draw upon, however very valid, are we currently in design world taking enough notice of environmental factors that are now so vigorously drawn upon in our media? (Including TV programs concerning the environment, climate change, energy efficiency, ozone layer, cost effectiveness of energy consumption), Politically there are many major debates, on the importance of the Green Party, "Other parties are now falling over themselves to adopt the Green Party's Policies." ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2006/09/whats_the_point_of_the_green_party.html.)

I can agree that environmental factors are very important in today’s design, (including graphics design.) I hope to look further in to these issues and how they affect art, architecture, literature and design etc. What designs have been created to be 'Environmentally Friendly?'

Socially are we taking environmental factors a plus point when purchasing a product yet? Have we discovered this importance? Or does the initial extra cost still detain us? I am not too sure.