Earlier this week I wrote about how advertising creative calls for special talent, even while creativity is all around us. I guess it amply evident if you see the follow the various creative roundups on my blog. This week’s roundup includes design work for Heinz and some radio spots which won at the D&AD awards, among others.
Heinz: brand refresh
One of the best mantras of marketing is that ‘not all brands are unique, but they can be distinct’. In a world where there is parity in most products or services in a category this rings so true. In a sea of sameness across banks, hotels, apparel brands, chocolates and other categories that we may use, we will be able to recollect only a handful among them. It is natural that the most recalled brand in a category has a better chance of dominating the mind space of the consumer and is likely to influence purchase assuming that pricing, distribution and brand equity are positive influences too. But brand recall need not necessarily be just a factor of media spends. Yes, huge media budgets and a media blitzkrieg will mean better awareness but that comes at a cost and all brands do not have that luxury.
In this context, clutter-breaking creativity plays a role in creating a larger than life image for a brand. The founder of Trikaya Advertising used to say ‘don’t outspend your competition, outwit them’. Essentially it means that for a fraction of the media spend a brand’s creative can deliver more impact. A key element of creating this impact is a distinct brand asset. It could be in the form of a logo, a memorable tag line, an audio or visual mnemonic. Some great examples include: Nike’s ‘Just Do It’, the ‘Intel Inside’ audio mnemonic (which has evolved into sonic branding nowadays), the signature music of Titan Watches ads in India, Kodak yellow, Yahoo’s purple, the ‘Have a break, have a KitKat’ property, the McDonald’s arch among others. Consistent use of such assets aids brand memorability and can build affinity if used well.
Heinz, the iconic food brand refreshed its brand identity recently, aimed to put their distinctive brands assets to better use – especially the shape on the label, known as the keystone. According to the design agency, Jones Knowles Ritchie, ‘But while the Heinz typeface and keystone were iconic examples of branding, digging into the company’s archives revealed huge inconsistency of application, both throughout its history and present. Wanting to change this, the team settled on the idea of “Celebrating simple greatness”. Once this had been established, focus turned to how Heinz’ assets could best be celebrated.’
The logo is a nod to Heinz’ roots in Pennsylvania–known as The Keystone State–and, the agency said, is going to play a bigger role in brand marketing and ads.
Source
Agency: Jones Knowles Ritchie
Febreze: ‘undisruptive’ radio spot
This work for P&G’s brand of household odour eliminators Febreze, isn’t new. It won awards at last year’s Cannes and also at the recently concluded D&AD Awards which was held online.
Agency: Grey West
Save our libraries: classics
Most radio spots everywhere follow a template – a conversation (often sounding amateurish and staged) between two people in a Q&A format with the product in question plugged in as the solution. There are exceptions of course both in India and elsewhere. Bud Light ‘Real Men of Genius‘ would be my all-time favourite.
The Save Our Libraries campaign from Canada was triggered after cuts in government funding. It depicts a future where intrusive ads and product placements can only save them. The re-reading of literary classics with a twist in the end makes for compelling listening.
Agency: TBWA\Juniper Park
TA2 Sound: get an original track
A key target audience for a sound studio would be ad agencies. A series of spots urging creatives to invest in original tracks drives home the point with humour.
Agency: Sid Lee
Sister’s: ice cream packaging
Every product needs a story. ‘A homemade ice cream made by three sisters’ is the story behind this set of packaging designs. The personal touch of a non-factory produced food product comes through in a quirky, striking manner.
Design: Azadeh Gholizadeh. Via.
Bradesco Saúde: decades
An insurance company in Brazil, Bradesco Saude, has created a tribute to health workers in line with many campaigns relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. I liked it because it weaves in the attitude of the young to have role models, whatever be the decade.
Agency: AlmapBBDO
After I published the post, I came across a few campaigns worth sharing:
BMW X2: artistic experiences
Luxury and super-premium specialise in evoking an irrational desire for them. Intrigue, mystique, great visual appeal are key ingredients. A new ad for BMW X2 in China has it all.
Agency: TBWA
48: Changing up mobile
Ireland’s mobile network, 48, targets the youth market. In a new set of spots, features such as fixed data (as opposed to unlimited data) are introduced through questions like ‘what happens to the data you don’t use?’. The illustration-led approach helps break through the clutter.
Agency: The Public House
Women’s Fund: word masks
Increase in domestic violence is an unfortunate fallout of the lockdowns enforced across the world. Women’s Aid created a powerful film in UK to highlight the issue. In the US, a simple yet arresting visual of the headline in the shape of a mask drives home the message.
Agency: Ultra Fresh. Via Ads of the World.
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.
