Many years ago I was bitten by the Direct Marketing bug and spent a couple of years in a specialist DM agency. For many, Direct Mail could either mean a leaflet stuck inside an envelope or a fancy mail package that borders on the gimmicky (you know stuff like a jack-in-the-box). For the classical DM practitioner it is neither – it is about the science of database marketing and the art of Direct Mail copy…
Here is Comedy Central’s take on why the iPhone is evil. This is not really iPhone hate but toungue-in-cheek acknowledgement of its attraction. Pretty much captures the sentiments in India too. Maybe not – how can iPhone bashing in India be complete without ‘cannot forward SMS’ and cannot capture video?! Thanks to Smoking Apples for sharing this.
I was very skeptical of PSU Banks embarking on a re-branding strategy and relying on a new logo or advertising to rejig their image. I still maintain that in order to make a real difference it takes more than just advertising – it calls for changes on the ground. The new advertising can make the brand likeable if the advertising is likeable. But any action beyond that – switching your account or opening one depends…
The 2nd installment of the Seinfeld-Gates series for Microsoft Windows is out. This one may still get a reaction like, ‘What’s going on?’ but has a lot more funny moments than the first one. Caution: the video is 4-odd minutes long and is a 10-MB file. The basic plot line: Bill and Jerry live with a family to get in touch with “real people.” This ad too may be trashed by a lot of people.…
This is one of those ‘wish I had thought of this’ moments. The One Club, New York (the people behind the One Show awards) have announced the short list for the inaugural One Show Entertainment Awards. No, thats not what I am envious about. It’s about the work for Speights Beer, from Publicis New Zealand. These awards recognize creative branding beyond product placement. One of the short lists is for Speight’s Great Beer Delivery campaign.…
Magazine design and advertising in magazines have more or less remained the same for decades now. There may have been the odd novelty in over sized magazines or odd shapes but there’s been nothing like what Esquire is attempting with its 75th Anniversary issue, due in October. In this special issue 100,000 copies (of the 720,000 print run) will have a digital cover. On it the words ‘the 21st Century begins now’ will flash. This…
A cursory check about the search term ‘iPhone’ in India over the last 30 days, over at Google Insights for Search makes a telling statement. The interest was at its highest around Aug 22, the day of the launch and steadily waning thereafter. Many have written about the lukewarm response and buyers being in the region of a few thousands. iPhone has managed to stay in the news through write ups about the App Store…
Automotive advertising in the US is perhaps the toughest category to work on. No wonder it takes more than just a 30-sec spot to create attention and interest. Volkswagen has just announced the launch of a new campaign featuring Brooke Shields for their mini-van, Routan. Touted as the only mini-van in the US to have German Engineering, the features of the car are dramatized in an interesting 360-degree campaign. The idea: the features of…
Here’s a cute little commercial for Axe Body Wash from Argentina. The premise: if you use a woman’s beauty soap you will smell like a woman. The idea: you will end up getting dressed up like a Princess. The twist in the tale: the man gets dressed up by assorted animals, apparently like a story from Sleeping Beauty – where the birds help the poor girl get ready for the prince. The Axe Effect of…
The special event to announce a new iPod Nanos, iPod Touch and an upgraded iTunes was held yesterday in San Francisco. Read more about them here. The routine with these events has become familiar for Apple fans, Wall Street and analysts: pre-event hype and speculation about what products will be announced, rumour sites will post spy shots of latest products followed by post event analysis. After yesterday’s event, blogs have written about an underwhelmed feeling…