The American Association of Advertising Agencies recently held an Account Management Conference. Among the speakers was Carl Johnson, founder of Anomaly Communications, who spoke about how it is being a ‘suit’ – the client servicing executive- in an advertising agency. While describing it as an ‘all-access pass’ and highlighting the sheer unexpectedness of the job, he makes a valid point: if done badly, account management can be the worst job in the world. The key,…
While the TV commercials for Tourism Australia attempt to build an emotional connect, the work on static medium explains what ‘walkabout’ is all about. Each ad explains aspects of Australia’s diversity – beaches, galleries museums and national parks. What I liked about it was the way it explained the ‘transformation’ that happens after visiting Australia in the ‘Arrived’ and ‘Departed’ format. These ads have been produced in conjunction with DDB Worldwide, Tourism Australia’s new advertising…
If ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ was chalk, this is cheese. Tourism Australia has commissioned Baz Luhrmann to create a new campaign for Australia, that invites consumers to come for a ‘walkabout’. The campaign includes 2 TV spots and 11 print ads. It is getting mixed reviews in the blogosphere and trade magazines. Check out the comments section at Campaign Brief. But it worked for me. There is a cinematic quality about it that…
The launch ad for Airtel’s DTH service is out and its by far the best in the category. It has a great mix of scale, relevance and a clear, compelling benefit. What I liked about it is the bigness (no pun intended) it achieves without resorting to complicated computer graphics. The idea of ‘come home to the stars’ is nicely captured in the execution. The progressive reveal of stars works very well too. Just a…
We have all seen campaigns that knock competition – it could either be factual comparison or innuendo. And when it directly names the competing brand, it really stands out. But this is a first for me – an advertising agency taking on a competing agency. Karsh/Hagan, Denver based agency has ‘taken on’ Crispin Porter + Bogusky in a campaign. The background: Crispin gave up a small running shoes & apparel brand called Pearl Izumi, when…
Baba Ramdev attempts to make the tech addicted generation feel bad about not taking up Yoga, but taking to the latest tech products. What next, ISKCON saying that when you can immerse yourself in your iPod why not immerse in the greater consciousness? Great idea from Baba Ramdev, though. Via Dead President
When it comes to media innovation, brainstorming at the agency generates several ideas that get shot down for logistical or cost reasons. But Nissan and the newspaper O Estado De S. Paulo (The State of Sao Paulo) decided to be audaciously innovative. Subscribers of the Sunday edition received a blank front page one week, featuring vacant boxes where headlines, pictures and copy normally appear. It featured an ad for Nissan (of course) and the readers were…
Came across this great stunt for Flossie.com, a Flossie Media Group venture which connects women with content and advertisers. Vending machines were put up in New Zealand, where women got to pick the type of single guy they wanted. At the press of a button, instead of getting a print out or photo, the vending machine opened up and the guy walked out. (A fake wall behind the machine led to a room of single…
Like the PSU banks, India Post went in for a re-branding exercise recently. The PR machinery was in full force prior to the launch talking about O&M developing the entire thingamajig (reputation is a good thing, eh?). My first reaction to the new logo and the announcer print ad was not ‘wow’. It is all fine for the Government to want to project India Post as modern and ‘with it’. But it takes more than…
Amidst the sea of ads, TV spots, hoardings and ambient ideas doing the rounds of ad blogs every day, some creatives literally stand out. They do so with simplicity of message, arresting visuals and copy. Here is one such, created by Sweden’s Channel 4 to promote the screening of the Polar Music Prize. The prize founded in 1989 by the late Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson, the publisher, lyricist and manager of ABBA and takes the name…