Anybody can be a critic of advertising. But that’s not the toughest part of the business – getting noticed is. A small number of creative ads manage to break through the clutter and get noticed. A fewer number of these go on to be recalled and talked about in a positive way. My weekly column of creative ads is a small tribute to brand teams everywhere who produce entertaining, engaging and relevant creative work. These were some…
Most ads are simply ignored. That’s a fate worse than being noticed but disliked or being indifferent about it. My weekly compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads (aside from the occasional opinion piece) is a small tribute to brand teams everywhere. Here are a few clutter breaking creative ads which caught my eye this week: Currys: trade in your old tech Recycling gadgets or e-waste is a challenge commonly accepted as a fallout in the digital world. How…
Last year Cadbury India createad a Diwali ad which was more than just your typical 30-second ad. This year too have they have come up with an initiative which seeks to create impact on the ground. I also came across another audacious creative idea from a Thai brand. All this and more in my weekly compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads (and ideas). Snack Jack: simple solutions Ads from Thailand truly stand for out-of-the-box thinking. Their…
Contrary to popular perception, people don’t hate advertising. They only hate advertising that’s annoying. Worse still, they ignore most of the advertising and commercial messages that interrupt whatever they are trying to accomplish. My compilation of creative ads every week is a small acknowledgment of the effort put in bt brand teams to produce advertising that breaks the clutter to entertain or engage the audience. In this week’s collection, a mini-movie to highlight the fast…
The adage ‘ninety percent of everything is crap’ coined by Theodore Sturgeon an American science fiction author is relevant in the context of advertising where a majority of campaigns go unnoticed. Among the handful of great marketing campaigns which get noticed, recalled and loved there are even fewer number which stand the test of time. I wrote about one such campaign – ‘Live richly’ from Citi a while ago. Another brand which deserves accolades and…
In 1989, British Airways released a campaign considered to be a classic in advertising. Back when special effects were not as advanced as they are today, it brought alive the idea of the brand bringing people together. In 2014, technology was used cleverly to make it appear as if a small boy ‘looked up’ every time a British Airways flight flew over a billboard in Piccadilly Circus. Of course there have several memorable tactical ads…
As consumers, how often have we experienced a situation where we remember elements of an ad (such as a key visual, a character or the story line) but are unable to recall the brand? Some marketers think the solution lies in placing the brand logo on the screen right from the first frame of a TV commercial, having the brand repeated many times in a radio spot or increasing the size of the logo in…
Creating clutter breaking advertising is difficult. Not surprisingly, a majority of the ads are not just mediocre but are totally ignored by consumers. During my stint in ad agencies, I too have had my share of such run-of-the-mill ads. As a token of appreciation for those crafting good ads, I attempt to share a compilation of creative ads every week (and some occasional commentary on the business of advertising). In this week’s list: B&Q: later means never As…
Every week, I attempt to share a compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads and occasionally some commentary on the business of advertising. As many have noted, a majority of the ads out there go un-noticed, so managing to break the clutter is actually a big deal. This week’s compilation includes a stunt from the mobile network, EE in the UK, TV spots from Apple, John Lewis and more. EE: a close shave for actor Tom Ellis Product demonstration is a…
Everyday, we come across hundreds of commercial messages – print ads, TV commercials, radio spots, billboards, web banner ads, social media posts and more. Only a handful are even noticed – with a vast majority not paid attention to at all. Even among the few noticed, only a smaller number are remembered. Here are a few which caught my eye this week: Tanqueray: Unmistakably Tanqueray – Since 1830 When it comes to heritage brands, one…
