There was a Twitter conversation recently about the practice of buying Facebook ‘Fans’ and ‘Likes’. Apparently the way it works is that a firm guarantees a brand that it will acquire a certain number of fans and likes on Facebook – for a price, of course. And there are firms in places like Indore which employ people whose job profile is simply to ‘like’ brand pages. @beastoftraal plans to share the low down (no pun…
So Samsung and Dell are betting big on India as a market for tablets. Samsung Galaxy Tab made a big splash in the newspapers and partner ads from the likes of Croma are already advertising the brand. Dell too has followed suit with print & online ads for Dell Streak. Other players like Olivepad too are upping the ante. Apple, which pioneered the concept, continues to ignore India. Maybe Apple is right about China being…
I updated my blog after nearly 3 weeks today. And have missed several deadlines on other writing commitments – one each for Financial Express and afaqs. It’s been bugging me for a while and I was determined to write something…anything, on my blog. While work and personal commitments have kept me busy (er..work has kept me busy earlier too), I used to average 2 posts a week. So why the slack? Reason No.1: distractions (been…
Apparently, in the UK, 83% of print ads and 61% of TV ads now feature a URL. The figure may not be that high in India, but a cursory glance at your regular newspaper or magazine in India would reveal that here too, a large number of ads sign off with a URL – either of the brand website or a social media page. This includes ads from retail stores, consumer durables, gadgets, garment brands,…
Apple recently announced blow out Q4 2010 results: 91% growth in iPhone sales compared to SPLY, over 4mn iPads sold in that quarter, quarterly revenues topping $20bn and profits over $4bn. Given the negative publicity around iPhone 4’s so-called antenna problems and competition predicting a huge flop, a 91% growth is truly mind blowing. Ditto with the iPad – it has virtually created a new market and forced competition to follow suit with their own…
Imagine this: JetBlue, the US-based airline wants to convey the message that airline rules and practices suck. And that the JetBlue experience is different. The ‘rules’ include extra charges for carry-on baggage and the ‘practices’ include hopping flights and cramped seats. What would an advertising agency have done until now? Produce a 30-second commercial knocking the competitors or exaggerating the benefits of JetBlue. In a new campaign ‘You Above All’, JetBlue’s recently appointed agency, Mullen…
Going by chats with agency folks and some Brand Managers, the number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers seem to be the new benchmark for a brand’s success in the social media space. I have seen vigorous nodding of head, followed by raised eyebrows in admiration of 500+ fans for a brand on Facebook. This count seems to be the new ‘awareness’ benchmark of TV advertising of the ’90s (remember the days when every brief…
A couple of design projects caught my eye of late. One is a set of posters designed by Alan Clarke, for the London Olympics. These aren’t ‘official’ posters for the event; but going by the official logo of London Olympics, you would wish they were. Rest of the posters are here. The other set of posters that caught my eye are for IBM. The simple but obvious fact about these posters: design makes a huge…
Seen the new Gap logo? Like it? Neither do I. Image Source: Brand New Gap has always been associated with that boxed logo, that elegant typeface – it was classy, iconic in a way. Yes, there will be people who hate the old logo too. As with most ‘heritage’ brands, change is always met with resistance. But the new logo has been disliked mostly and the negative buzz is simply overwhelming on the internet. I…
One of the campaigns for Vespa which did the rounds of ad blogs late last year, has been short listed at the London International Awards in the Copywriting category. Deservedly so. (Click on the images for a larger view) Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Manila, The Philippines What I loved about the campaign was this: as you read the copy, chances are there is a 30-sec commercial that’s runing in your head, visualizing the scenario which…