I have been blogging for over 10 years now. Some of the posts have been about my views on trends in the the world of advertising & marketing. Over the last few years I have tried to post a compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads every week. Here’s a collection of ads which caught my eye the week ending October 18, 219:
Experian: anglers
An early lesson in advertising (this was well before the internet) was to make the best use of the only ‘audio-visual’ medium back then: television (or cinema screen). It essentially meant not relying only on audio to deliver the message but using visual cues well. In real life situations, viewers are generally distracted while watching TV especially when it comes to ad breaks. This ad for Experian – a credit score brand in the UK does a great job of conveying personalised solutions through a visual hook of ‘eliminating’ people who don’t meet certain criteria to finally zero in an individual for whom there is a personalised solution.
Samsung: the mechanic
Advertising from Thailand has made a mark on the world stage for years now. Some of the hallmarks of the country’s advertising are: compelling story telling rooted in Thai culture, ads covering a range of emotions, laugh out loud humour both in terms of situations and wry dialogue and great execution across print and other mediums. A new web-only film for Samsung has some of these characteristics though it doesn’t have any crazy plot twists. The sight of a protagonist with robotic arms is attention grabbing and the film does a competent job of driving home the message of vocational training.
Agency: Cheil Worldwide
Tourism Australia: India campaign
Marketing a tourist destination would rate as among the toughest tasks in business. As with other categories the aim is to first get into the consideration set and eventually a sale. But there are several other factors which come into play in tourism – perceptions driven by current affairs, historical perspectives or bias, influence of popular culture and more. Examples abound: books & movies have played a role in romanticising Paris; over the last few years, Hindi movies have influenced travel to Switzerland. Another unique aspect to destination advertising is that the on-ground experience driven by external factors (general public, service providers) has to match the claim made in advertising. If the ads promise a magical experience and if the reality does not match up the negative word of mouth can be difficult to overcome by mere claims. In that context, Australia has a positive equity and seen as a ‘desirable’ destination in India.
The game of cricket is a common link between the two nations and that is exploited in a new campaign for Tourism Australia aimed at the India market. The creative technique of juxtaposing cricketing jargon with breathtaking visuals of natural scenery works (though similar ideas are common in the category – e.g. headline saying traffic jam and the visual showing a row of ducks in an idyllic country spot).
Agency: Scarecrow M&C Saatchi
National Citizen Service: No we can
This high energy ad for National Citizen Service (NCS) in the UK is aimed at teens urging them to overcome the oft-heard ‘No, you can’t’ response that they hear from adults.
Agency: Karmarama
Winamax: the new king
What does it feel like winning in sports betting? You feel like a king. A new spot from Winamax, a sports betting giant dramatises the feeling in a riveting, fun spot.
Agency: TBWA/Paris
Samsung: space selfie
Ever since the iPhone launched, Samsung has done a remarkable job in marketing to position itself as perhaps the only challenger to it in the Android world. A key aspect of the Android world is choice – of handsets, price points, configurations and personalisations. In the myriad brand & model choices across price points, Samsung has successfully pitched itself at the high end whereas several brands compete for the mid and low end segments. Some would argue that the high end Samsung models are more ‘desirable’ than the iPhone. In this journey, Samsung has consistently chased the ‘cool quotient‘ and attempted to beat Apple to the market at every opportunity. The hurried launch of Samsung Gear watch ahead of Apple Watch is one such example. They have also directly compared themselves to iPhone and created taunting, competitive ads in the past. Of late, the brand has done away with the comparative mindset in communication and promotions. A new campaign for the S10 5G is in that mould.
Through SpaceSelfie, Samsung is demonstrating the pioneering spirit of its brand and setting a new standard for the potential of mobile technology. With over 200 hours at 65,000 feet above the earth, the S10 5G will showcase the strength of Samsung’s innovations and how it continues to design products that make what was previously impossible, possible.
Source
There is a lot of serious tech behind this selfie: A super-pressure High Altitude Balloon half the size of a basketball court (10.5m x 18m) will ascend from a launch pad in South Dakota in the U.S., carrying a bespoke payload box in which the S10 5G is held, to reach up to 65,000 ft. The payload has been designed to ensure the best quality photos are captured by factoring in the earth’s curvature and reflective light from the sun, whose solar energy powers both the payload and the S10 5G itself.
Such stunts and the global visibility that comes with it is aimed to imbue the brand with a brighter halo as it attempts to be as cool as Apple?
Agency: BBH
BBC iPlayer: wasted on some
Self deprecation is a powerful weapon in the communication arsenal. The British are great at it as seen again in this campaign for BBC’s iPlayer. In this series of spots, stars from some of its own shows are in obvious, over-the-top disguise missing the point of their own shows. It all ties back to the idea that their shows are ‘wasted on some but not on others’. Loved it.
Agency: BBC Creative
Bite Back 2030: a social experiement
Most stunts aimed at going viral on YouTube have a format – hidden cameras, an unsuspecting protagonist or group and capturing of their candid reaction on camera to a surprise. Some of them have actors trying to be natural especially when giving ‘spontaneous’ reactions and the staging of such event shows in the final video. In this stunt it is refreshingly different.
Bite Back 2030 is an initiative aimed to ‘achieve a world where all young people have the opportunity to be healthy, no matter where they live‘. Their premise:
Research shows when we see social media ads every day that make unhealthy food the star of the show, young people are 2.5x more likely to struggle to stay a healthy weight.
Source
Transport for London: watch your speed
Aside from changing attitude, advertising is powerful when it changes behaviour. Campaigns to urge people to stop smoking or preventing traffic accidents due to drunk driving and over-speeding are common examples. I liked this campaign from Traffic for London as it switched the perspective from the driver to those commuting in the car. Pleas from co-commuters especially if they are near & dear ones is likely to be taken seriously than some ‘voice of God’ in an ad. I liked the steady tension built in the ad making it a compelling viewing.
Agency: VCCP
Argos: autumn collection
In advertising, a single line can lead to a visual idea. “Furniture so good, you can wear it’ becomes a visual treat in this ad for Argos.
Agency: The&Partnership
Which one was your favourite? Comment in.
