When I came across this image it got me thinking about how no matter what you try to do to change perceptions of a brand, the previous impact your brand has had will outweigh anything a new logo or new colours can change.FFFFound here.
Sunday
Different Eyes = Different views
When I came across this image it got me thinking about how no matter what you try to do to change perceptions of a brand, the previous impact your brand has had will outweigh anything a new logo or new colours can change.FFFFound here.
Applying Science to Advertising
YouNoodle is a scoring system that plans to turn the business of investment into more of a science. Reading about this company made me think that this is needed for the world of advertising.The software measures the "buzz" surrounding a company via blogs and media reports along with a variety of factors including website traffic.
The scoring tool covers nearly 30,000 start-ups, ranging from biotechnology to gaming software.
"By watching the way the world responds to a start-up, we can give advance notice of what's hot and what's not," said co-founder Bob Goodson.
Researchers adjust the algorithm (the mathematical rating), based on more than 150,000 start-up related stories, every day. Those reports are then analysed in much the same way that Google ranks content on a web page.
How easy would it be to adjust this for a campaign? That I don't know but it doesn't seem like a stretch. What would need to be done for campaigns is finding a way to identify the media noise, blog posts, story diggs, youtube views, facebook fans, page views, etc of a holisitic campaign against the target. For example a mention of a youth targeted event that is supporting the campaign on talk radio would garner a lower score or impact versus a mention on MuchMusic or MTV.
All of these items mentioned have impact on a brand, and the success of a campaign although they may not be able to be tracked directly to ROI. This is the biggest challenge our industry faces. How do we make the finance departments, C-suite execs, and others understand that their advertising investment has to be looked at in a different light? Maybe a tracking program based on the YouNoodle foundation.
What do you think?
Learn more about YouNoodle from the BBC.
More About iPhone Applications
Last week, I did a short post on the pros and cons of developing branded iPhone applications. Over the last few days, a few great reports and presentations have come up that are worth reading if your currently thinking of developing an application.
The first is a great guide on how to actually build an iPhone application. The folks at Mashable have posted it and the developers who put it together documented the entire process of the development of the application - including all of the choices that they had to make during creation of it. Great read for any developer who wants to get moving (and they made the application in about a month):
Building PhotoKast: Creating an iPhone app in one month
The second is finding from Pinch Media (through Tech Crunch) that most iPhone applications only last 30 days before usage drops off dramatically:
It looks like after the intial download, users test out the free application for a minute or two and then it sits idle on their desktop while they look for other, more interesting ones.
As an iPhone addict, I can say that this is certainly true. I just did an audit of my pages of applications and of the 42 that I have, I probably use 4 daily, 6 weekly and the rest are just there. The cool part about the free section of the application store is that you can try out and download new applications daily.
The problem for developers is that there are so many great ones already and getting the attention of a savvy user is hard - even after they've downloaded it.
The first is a great guide on how to actually build an iPhone application. The folks at Mashable have posted it and the developers who put it together documented the entire process of the development of the application - including all of the choices that they had to make during creation of it. Great read for any developer who wants to get moving (and they made the application in about a month):
Building PhotoKast: Creating an iPhone app in one month
The second is finding from Pinch Media (through Tech Crunch) that most iPhone applications only last 30 days before usage drops off dramatically:
It looks like after the intial download, users test out the free application for a minute or two and then it sits idle on their desktop while they look for other, more interesting ones.
As an iPhone addict, I can say that this is certainly true. I just did an audit of my pages of applications and of the 42 that I have, I probably use 4 daily, 6 weekly and the rest are just there. The cool part about the free section of the application store is that you can try out and download new applications daily.
The problem for developers is that there are so many great ones already and getting the attention of a savvy user is hard - even after they've downloaded it.
A Tactical Ad that doesn't suck
I can imagine what this brief might have looked like:
Main Message: Orange offers it's customers two for one movies on Wednesday's
Strategy: Show consumes why being with Orange is better than any other teleco provider
Mandatories: Explain the new service, show it, talk about Orange, show friends having fun together, 60 second spot, tag at the end, etc
Not a walk in the park, by an means. But the creative team worked with it and created a spot that is upbeat, memorable and fun. And as an added benefit to the client, it's easy to retain the key message.
Next time you get a brief that seems boring or complicated, remember this spot and think about all the cool stuff you could do with it.
Nice work Fallon and Orange.
Main Message: Orange offers it's customers two for one movies on Wednesday's
Strategy: Show consumes why being with Orange is better than any other teleco provider
Mandatories: Explain the new service, show it, talk about Orange, show friends having fun together, 60 second spot, tag at the end, etc
Not a walk in the park, by an means. But the creative team worked with it and created a spot that is upbeat, memorable and fun. And as an added benefit to the client, it's easy to retain the key message.
Next time you get a brief that seems boring or complicated, remember this spot and think about all the cool stuff you could do with it.
Nice work Fallon and Orange.
Saturday
A Googlers "Jerry Maguire" Moment
Sifting through some posts on Valleywag tonight, I clicked on a link to the Google Blog and read a long (over 4,000 words...) post from Google's SVP of Product Development, Jonathan Rosenberg.
It is quite a read - not because of it's length, but because it sheds some light on the attitudes and beliefs within one of the most important web companies in the world. It's a piece about the future - of the internet, how data will be used to customize content and help people make informed decisions - and of course - how Google will be at the center of everything.
One of my favorite parts (that won't seem like a new concept if you are in digital) is when Rosenberg describes his ideal online news experience:
"This is a problem, but since online journalism is still in its relative infancy it's one that can be solved (we're technology optimists, remember?). The experience of consuming news on the web today fails to take full advantage of the power of technology. It doesn't understand what users want in order to give them what they need. When I go to a site like the New York Times or the San Jose Mercury, it should know what I am interested in and what has changed since my last visit. If I read the story on the US stimulus package only six hours ago, then just show me the updates the reporter has filed since then (and the most interesting responses from readers, bloggers, or other sources). If Thomas Friedman has filed a column since I last checked, tell me that on the front page. Beyond that, present to me a front page rich with interesting content selected by smart editors, customized based on my reading habits (tracked with my permission). Browsing a newspaper is rewarding and serendipitous, and doing it online should be even better. This will not by itself solve the newspapers' business problems, but our heritage suggests that creating a superior user experience is the best place to start."
A big part about the Second Digital Decade (to steal a recent Bill Gates term) is about sites and experiences that are tailored to individual users. With emerging platforms like Facebook Connect and OpenID becoming more mainstream, this is going to occur extremely quickly. And it's something that I'm immensely excited for - as a user and communicator.
Although the article is dripping with Google "we are the best" themes, it does provide a perspective into the future from a company that makes their living off being futuristic - from developing tools that, in the end, make our individual experiences better.
A must read.
A Complex Issue - Simplified
Absolutely love this video. As communication people, we need to be able to take a complex topic and turn it into something for everyone to understand. The credit crisis - for all of the reports, articles and stories - is extremely complicated. So how do you understand how we got to our current, global economic state? Watch:
The writing, visuals and animation make it easy to understand the basics of the credit crunch. What complex topic can you make easy?
The writing, visuals and animation make it easy to understand the basics of the credit crunch. What complex topic can you make easy?
Wednesday
BK Mistake? Contextual Ads Gone Bad (#43093403)
Yet another example of why human placement is still better than computer. Ouch. First chink in the armor, BK? Hope not. Found via Copyranter.
RIP: Bud.TV
We all knew this moment would come. It's been waiting to occur for the last two or so years.
Bud.TV is dead.
When Bud.tv launched during the Super Bowl in 2007, it was hyped up by executives to be the second coming of brand sites. New video content would be produced on a regular basis, viewers would come to the site and be offered everything from free games to shows (and also have a chance to register, give their information over to Bud and - of course - watch any hilarious Bud or Bud Light TV spot from the last few years).
The original goals of Bud were to have 2 million site visits a month. But, as AdAge reports, in the second month of the site's launch, traffic had reduced to just over 150,000 unique visits. Things wouldn't get better either.
For the last year and a half, the site has struggled to retain and attract new visitors. It became a place without a purpose - filled with OK content but no reason to return. After all, if users wanted to watch something funny and new, why not check out Joost, CurrentTV or YouTube?
In the end, a brand learned an expensive, $15 million dollar lession - that sites that are dedicated to creating content, or aggregating it, will always win over brand plays that don't necessary offer content that a user can get anywhere else.
Ever been in a meeting where someone suggests that the best digital idea for a brand is to aggregate a certain type of content (news, sports, business tips, etc) and provide a user with one, simple place to find and view tips? Hint: it already exists. It's called Google. Or LinkedIn. Or Facebook. Or Twitter.
What I do give Bud props for was that they wern't afraid to try something - even if it was expensive. They led the way for original content creators and brands are following but have learned from their experience. Content is still king, however some would argue that the conversation is quickly becoming the new leader (and emotional messages might trump them both).
Just remember, the next time your client or boss suggests a content portal with original video, audio and stories on a budget 1/100th the size of Bud's, flip him a link to Bud.TV and let him know what the site might look like 2 years after launch.
iPhone Applications - An Overview
A few weeks ago, I posted about the siren's song of the iPhone application for communications people. It's the new hot thing and a lot of marketers / agencies are saying "we need an iPhone application!" without thinking through the "why" part of the equation.
Adverblog has a great post about the contradictions of the app store and global brands which is well worth reading. They also have a link to a presentation with some mind blowing stats about mobile apps (sorry, the link is broken so I can't embed).
It's a bit of a sell deck to show how great applications are but the statistics are quite stunning - especially the fact that there have been well over 500 million downloads from the app store and the level of engagement for some branded applications like Audi's.
Canadian penetration is going up (even though iPhone app sales slowed in Q4) and as smartphones become more ubiquitious, the call of mobile applications will get lounder and louder.
Is your brand ready? More importantly, is your brand right for this medium?
Adverblog has a great post about the contradictions of the app store and global brands which is well worth reading. They also have a link to a presentation with some mind blowing stats about mobile apps (sorry, the link is broken so I can't embed).
It's a bit of a sell deck to show how great applications are but the statistics are quite stunning - especially the fact that there have been well over 500 million downloads from the app store and the level of engagement for some branded applications like Audi's.
Canadian penetration is going up (even though iPhone app sales slowed in Q4) and as smartphones become more ubiquitious, the call of mobile applications will get lounder and louder.
Is your brand ready? More importantly, is your brand right for this medium?
Tuesday
Ad Industry, It's Time to Step Up
To many agencies, working with not-for-profit companies or charities provides an excellent opportunity to do great creative. Most charities have little funding for agenencies which generally means that clients are more prepared to give-up some control to the creative teams (and that usually results in great work). Charities provide compelling briefs and stories that can inspire agencies to do their best (and also give them a powerful campaign to enter into awards shows). This relationship seems to suit agencies and not-for profits - we give you a cheaper rate and, in turn, you enable us to do work that is game changing (and a bit more risky).
But why don't we just do something for the sake of doing it? Rather than focus on awards, our portfolio's or resume points, why can't we just help out a good cause?
That's where 100 Wishes comes in. The small microsite has been created by a group of Toronto agenies, suppliers, editors and other industry folk with a simple challenge to the industry: help grant 100 wishes to children with a terminal illness.
Make A Wish foundation is the charitable partner and although the site is extremely straightforward, it carries a powerful message. The most notable part? The 100 wishes. Here is a sample of a few of them:
- I want to have a butterfly playroom
- I want to go to Disney World
- I wish for a piano
- I want to go on a shopping spree with my sister
- I wish to have a hot tub
- I wish to have a backyard garden
What amazed me about the Wish List was how easy it would be for an agency to help grant one or two. This is a real list, developed by the kids and Make a Wish and it's truly touching. I hope that everyone takes a minute to explore the site, read through the wishes and rally a group to donate (and pass the site on to your friends).
It's worth it.
Great work to everyone involved with the creation of the site.
UPDATE: CityTv recently featured a quick segment on the Make a Wish foundation and the campaign. Be sure to watch it here.
Monday
Will you be my Valentine?
As someone who is awful at Valentines day, I thought I'd post a short spot about a man who kicks ass. Nice execution, simple idea and a great final product:
I do wonder how this guy was selected to be the person in the spot. The pre-lead up to this selection could have been pretty cool (ie. Tell us why you are brutal at being a Valentine and we will give you an experience that your partner will never forget). I have a feeling that they just cast someone quickly and went from there but maybe next year they could blow it out into a bigger thought.
Found via Scamp.
I do wonder how this guy was selected to be the person in the spot. The pre-lead up to this selection could have been pretty cool (ie. Tell us why you are brutal at being a Valentine and we will give you an experience that your partner will never forget). I have a feeling that they just cast someone quickly and went from there but maybe next year they could blow it out into a bigger thought.
Found via Scamp.
How to Present Better [Part 3]
In the last couple of days, we've posted a few times on how to improve your presentation skills (Part 1 and Part 2). After a quick chat tonight on Twitter with social media expert / guru David Armano, I'm going to add to the series with a presentation that he recommended (and wrote) called Thinking Visually:
Finding and creating the right visual to help illustrate your point is critical and David has some of the best visuals in the business - they are simple, easy to digest and straightforward. When I asked him how he created them, he said that Adobe Illustrator was his software of choice. Still, it's the thinking behind the design that makes it powerful - not the tool that created them.
Thanks again for the presentation and comments, David!
Finding and creating the right visual to help illustrate your point is critical and David has some of the best visuals in the business - they are simple, easy to digest and straightforward. When I asked him how he created them, he said that Adobe Illustrator was his software of choice. Still, it's the thinking behind the design that makes it powerful - not the tool that created them.
Thanks again for the presentation and comments, David!
Sunday
My Wishlist: Better Facebook Metrics
There have been rumours that corporate Facebook pages are changing and become more like profile pages. For some brands with a heavy FB presence, this is exciting news. There's nothing worse than the infinite scroll down content that you don't really care about. The tab system on pages will help to streamline content and allow brands to create more immersible pages with much more content.
1. Page Metrics that go further than the click - what tabs are the most popular and what are users actually doing on them? (ie. The Wall vs. Events, etc) How does tab position differ in terms of impressions (ie. being on the landing tab vs. second vs. fifth in the navigation.) Most importantly, Facebook does not currently show time spent or bounce rate on anything. These two metrics are critical to determining engagement with the page. It's one thing to say "we had 12 wall posts!", quite another to show that the average time spent on the photos page was 10 minutes.
2. News Feed comment tracking / aggregation - now that groups are becoming more like profiles, changes and interactions will be broadcast into the news feed - a huge bonus for brands and viral impressions. As a result, users will be able to comment on those news feed updates. Those comments can tell a brand a lot about sentiment. For example, if Audi uploads new photos of a car to their fan page. Are users going to respond to them as "those our cool" or as "this car sucks"? Tracking all comments could lead to solid insights about users.
3. Unique Return Visits - I have a strong feeling that people join brand groups initially (due to an incentive / contest) and never return. How many users are net new vs. current fans and how many are returning on a regular basis? Facebook always talks about the power of a fan but if that fan doesn't care about any of your page updates, what good are they other than a name on a list?
4. Viral News Feed Impressions - one of the biggest selling points of corporate group profile-like pages is that updates / interactions are broadcast into a users newsfeed. That's great. But how many people are being shown this impression? Right now we can manually see but there is no metric to show the total amount of viral impressions that have been created through news feed updates. It's always surpirsed me that Facebook doesn't share / track this metric. It's the power of their service - the viral impression - and they don't even share the number.
5. Fan Segmentation by Influencer Ranking - said another way, I want to know who are most popular fans are and be able to target them. Who has over 1000 friends? Who is our top person by friend network? Can we get in touch with them for special offers? Or the top 10%? Or users only in BC or another location? All facebook users aren't equal. Those with bigger networks can spread their messages to a larger group and we need to do everything to engage them.
5 Spots You Need to Watch
This afternoon, I was pouring through the Shots DVD's and found a lot of excellent TV spots. While my life is very digital focused, it's always nice to watch some great commercials. Here are my favorite 6:
Australia - "Come Walkabout"
When I first saw this spot, it stopped me dead in my tracks. The problem was it was the 30, not the full length. The 30 comes at you out of nowhere and I think that most viewers didn't get the story. You don't have that problem with the full length. We all know that vacations help us to get away from the stress of daily life. The strategy of ths spot isn't new - but the execution is fantastic.
Carlton - Woman Whisperer
Hilarious.
Herringbone - Small Hands
I don't know if this 3 minute spot ever ran on TV, but it's like a short (fictional) documentary. It reminded me of the current Monster.com campaign but better (and the CGI is great).
Amnesty International - Channel Surfing
What if the important events in the world were on every channel and we couldn't ignore them? In an Amnesty world, it would happen.
Telnor - Rock Star Myth
Epic commercial and although the pay-off at the end is a bit of a let down, it gets the point across - TV has changed.
Thx to Bud for the inspiration.
Australia - "Come Walkabout"
When I first saw this spot, it stopped me dead in my tracks. The problem was it was the 30, not the full length. The 30 comes at you out of nowhere and I think that most viewers didn't get the story. You don't have that problem with the full length. We all know that vacations help us to get away from the stress of daily life. The strategy of ths spot isn't new - but the execution is fantastic.
Carlton - Woman Whisperer
Hilarious.
Herringbone - Small Hands
I don't know if this 3 minute spot ever ran on TV, but it's like a short (fictional) documentary. It reminded me of the current Monster.com campaign but better (and the CGI is great).
Amnesty International - Channel Surfing
What if the important events in the world were on every channel and we couldn't ignore them? In an Amnesty world, it would happen.
Telnor - Rock Star Myth
Epic commercial and although the pay-off at the end is a bit of a let down, it gets the point across - TV has changed.
Thx to Bud for the inspiration.
Thursday
Bill Gates in 1996
I just came across this quote from the Microsoft man himself. It's amazing to see the amount of foresight this man had into the future (even though banner CTR isn't exactly stellar in this day in age). And also amazing how many people still don't understand the true value of the digital space.
"Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet.... I expect societies will see intense competition-and ample failure as well as success-in all categories of popular content-not just software and news, but also games, entertainment, sports programming, directories, classified advertising, and on-line communities devoted to major interests....
...If people are to be expected to put up with turning on a computer to read a screen, they must be rewarded with deep and extremely up-to-date information that they can explore at will. They need to have audio, and possibly video...
...For the Internet to thrive, content providers must be paid for their work. The long-term prospects are good, but I expect a lot of disappointment in the short-term as content companies struggle to make money through advertising or subscriptions. It isn't working yet, and it may not for some time.... In the long run, advertising is promising. An advantage of interactive advertising is that an initial message needs only to attract attention rather than convey much information.
A user can click on the ad to get additional information-and an advertiser can measure whether people are doing so.... ...technology will liberate publishers to charge small amounts of money, in the hope of attracting wide audiences.
"Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet.... I expect societies will see intense competition-and ample failure as well as success-in all categories of popular content-not just software and news, but also games, entertainment, sports programming, directories, classified advertising, and on-line communities devoted to major interests....
...If people are to be expected to put up with turning on a computer to read a screen, they must be rewarded with deep and extremely up-to-date information that they can explore at will. They need to have audio, and possibly video...
...For the Internet to thrive, content providers must be paid for their work. The long-term prospects are good, but I expect a lot of disappointment in the short-term as content companies struggle to make money through advertising or subscriptions. It isn't working yet, and it may not for some time.... In the long run, advertising is promising. An advantage of interactive advertising is that an initial message needs only to attract attention rather than convey much information.
A user can click on the ad to get additional information-and an advertiser can measure whether people are doing so.... ...technology will liberate publishers to charge small amounts of money, in the hope of attracting wide audiences.
Wednesday
Peer Into a Soul
Full disclosure before this post. This campaign came from my agency and I work with a ton of the great people who helped put it all together. It's been getting a lot of attention in Canada (and around the world) and we couldn't help but post about it. So here it goes.
Recently, Kia launched a series of TV spots and a tease microsite to promote the launch of their new car - the Soul. The spots get your attention immediately. Here's the 60 (there are 3 in total, edited into 15's, 30's and this 60):
My favorite:
And the third:
Pretty good stuff. In the first phase of the campaign, a series of short spots were launched that were just a tease of the main character(s) looking peering into the cars. All the spots ended with was the URL: peerintoasoul.ca
On the microsite, users could explore images of the new car and register to be the first to learn more about it (and see the spots before anyone else had).
A number of blogs are picking up the campaign and I suspect that as the TV spots begin to hit airwaves harder, traffic to the site is going to increase dramatically.
What I love about this campaign is that it shows how digital thinking can amplify a traditional tease campaign. As Marketing magazine reported, people watch TV with their laptops. If something peaks their interest, they search it or type in the URL - immediately. Campaigns that know that and can work off that insight will win and be remembered. I suspect Kia will be one of them.
Nice work team.
Recently, Kia launched a series of TV spots and a tease microsite to promote the launch of their new car - the Soul. The spots get your attention immediately. Here's the 60 (there are 3 in total, edited into 15's, 30's and this 60):
My favorite:
And the third:
Pretty good stuff. In the first phase of the campaign, a series of short spots were launched that were just a tease of the main character(s) looking peering into the cars. All the spots ended with was the URL: peerintoasoul.ca
On the microsite, users could explore images of the new car and register to be the first to learn more about it (and see the spots before anyone else had).
A number of blogs are picking up the campaign and I suspect that as the TV spots begin to hit airwaves harder, traffic to the site is going to increase dramatically.
What I love about this campaign is that it shows how digital thinking can amplify a traditional tease campaign. As Marketing magazine reported, people watch TV with their laptops. If something peaks their interest, they search it or type in the URL - immediately. Campaigns that know that and can work off that insight will win and be remembered. I suspect Kia will be one of them.
Nice work team.
How To: Create Better Presentations (Part 2)
Found a great post on the Fallon blog tonight called "How to present like Steve Jobs." They provided a link to the video below and the tutorial is great - from slide creation to speaking style, it's worthwhile for anyone to watch who is doing presentations constantly.
The best point? Reherse, reherse, reherse. Don't wing it. You're not good enough.
The best point? Reherse, reherse, reherse. Don't wing it. You're not good enough.
Monday
How to Present Better [Wired]
I've been reading a few books lately on how to create and develop better presentations. One of the best (from a practical, slide-layout perspective) is Presentation Zen. It's a guide that helps you think differently about the power of the slide and the type of story that you are trying to tell. The main message that I've gathered from it so far? Slides support you, they are not there for you to read from.
I'm sick of slides with 100 words on them in 10 point font. It's visual time, baby. And notes.
To that end, I've also been doing a quick search for various presentation posts / blogs to help give me ideas on style, comfort and public speaking. I've copied a great post from Cory Doctorow (BoingBoing) that Wired did in 2008. Some great thoughts:
I'm sick of slides with 100 words on them in 10 point font. It's visual time, baby. And notes.
To that end, I've also been doing a quick search for various presentation posts / blogs to help give me ideas on style, comfort and public speaking. I've copied a great post from Cory Doctorow (BoingBoing) that Wired did in 2008. Some great thoughts:
1. Don't read a speech. Write out bullet points on index cards and practice elaborating extemporaneously on each one. Focus on the transitions. Be sure to number your cards in case you drop them.
2. Videotape yourself practicing the presentation. Note awkward body language, stilted movements, and annoying verbal tics. OK. Now stop doing that.
3. Don't read from PowerPoint slides like they're cue cards. If you must use them, keep the text short (two words and a picture).
4. Don't use the conference's Net connection for your demo. It's embarrassing to stand on stage whining, "Everyone please stop using the Net!" Turn your demo into screenshots or bring an EVDO card for your own high-speed connection.
5. Don't rely on the event's A/V setup, either. To play an audio clip, try holding your mike up to your laptop's speaker.
6. Use your Q&A time wisely. Field the big-picture queries while you're onstage and deal with the minutiae offline.
Some fantastic thoughts. I'm sure most people would hate video taping themselves and watching it. But that's the only way to see what everyone else is looking at. I remember doing this in some communications training a few years ago. It was humbling but very effective (and it made me see that crossing your hands while standing up is extremely weird...). Any good tips to share?
Nice Work, Heineken
PJC posted a spot a few days ago for Heineken's new global campaign - featuring a male's dream walk-in closet full of cold Heineken's.
Advergirl recently posted a follow up that a couple of guys (most likely with the help of a good ad agency), just made. Call it, the ultimate follow up to the global launch spot:
What do you think?
Advergirl recently posted a follow up that a couple of guys (most likely with the help of a good ad agency), just made. Call it, the ultimate follow up to the global launch spot:
What do you think?
Sunday
Account Service Tip
While reading "The Art of Client Service" by Robert Solomon, I came across a great tip (#19):
"I didn't understand my job was to improve the work not approve it."
Suits exist to help sell creative work and be the client voice within the agency. Don't ever forget that your role is to help create the best work in the world - not tear it apart.
"I didn't understand my job was to improve the work not approve it."
Suits exist to help sell creative work and be the client voice within the agency. Don't ever forget that your role is to help create the best work in the world - not tear it apart.
The trailer I never watched
After what feels like a lifetime I finally saw the move Slumdog Millionaire. The trailer that is currently the second most viewed ad on YouTube in the past 30 days with 999 post (I will be 1000 if I am quick enough) and around 3.2 Million views was sent to me about 10 times and I refused to watch it. Why? Because trailers spoil movies.
After seeing the movie I watched the trailer and I am completely happy with my decision. This trailer would have ruined the movie.
Trailers should pique interest, allow movie-goers to understand a premise, the style of a movie (horror, drama, porn, etc) and identify if favourite or hated actors are in the movie. Too many trailers these days turn the entire movie into a 60 second long version.
Movie trailer industry please quit doing this. Ok thats my advertising rant for the week.
After seeing the movie I watched the trailer and I am completely happy with my decision. This trailer would have ruined the movie.
Trailers should pique interest, allow movie-goers to understand a premise, the style of a movie (horror, drama, porn, etc) and identify if favourite or hated actors are in the movie. Too many trailers these days turn the entire movie into a 60 second long version.
Movie trailer industry please quit doing this. Ok thats my advertising rant for the week.
Tuesday
Does School Kill Creativity?
When Presentation Zen recommends a TED talk (and calls it his favorite of all-time), I watch. This is a fabulous talk about how the foundation of education needs to foster creative thought - not kill it. So many industries operate under the same "follow this path to success" model that many creative ideas are killed because they fall outside cultural norms. People who can foster change within their agencies through creative process and thought will be big, long-term winners.
Nothing sells like a baby
I have been seriously entertained by this E*trade campaign. Press play on all the goodness below:
Amazing copywriting, cute as hell visor:
Check the golden pipes:
And of course we have shared this campaign before...here, here and here.
Amazing copywriting, cute as hell visor:
Check the golden pipes:
And of course we have shared this campaign before...here, here and here.
Monday
Want to have an affair?
Then register a profile on AshleyMadison.com. The dating site for people in a commited relationship who are looking for a random outlet (not a relationship) from their day-to-day partner. Their tagline?
"Life is short. Have an affair."
Think I'm making this up? Here is a TV spot that the site tried to run during the Super Bowl (banned in Canada and the majority of the US)
What an idea. Nothing shows how long the Long Tail is better than a site like this. By last count, the site has over 3.2 million profiles. Need an example of a niche social network in your next presentation? This is it.
Thanks to EV for the video link!
"Life is short. Have an affair."
Think I'm making this up? Here is a TV spot that the site tried to run during the Super Bowl (banned in Canada and the majority of the US)
What an idea. Nothing shows how long the Long Tail is better than a site like this. By last count, the site has over 3.2 million profiles. Need an example of a niche social network in your next presentation? This is it.
Thanks to EV for the video link!
Sunday
Here Come the Ads...
It's the most important day of the year for TV-obsessed brands: the Super Bowl. A number of lists have been released already (and I'm hoping the place we are watching get's an American feed) and tomorrow will be a big day of "best commercials" from the big game.
We'll be doing a search for the new "Canadian content" out there and will hopefully find a few gems...
We'll be doing a search for the new "Canadian content" out there and will hopefully find a few gems...
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