I was expecting to see surfeit of ads pledging support to the Black Lives Matter movement or something related to COVID-19 – either about social distancing or bouncing back once the crisis is over. Surprisingly, I noticed a handful of compelling creative ads from Sky Sports, ITV and a few others last week: Sky Sports: The Comeback Many sports themed films – from athletic footwear to energy drinks have a template of sorts. They have…
An ad’s first task is to get noticed. The top creative ads in any era – be it in the pre-digital or digital world first stood out from the media clutter of the day. Of course, just being noticed is not enough (being ignored is a worse fate though) – a brand’s message has to be relevant (to the intended audience), engaging (either entertaining or holding attention through shock value or any other emotion) and linked to…
Last weekend, I got a chance to take part in an audio event to discuss ‘The Changing Landscape of branding’. Here are some points which I attempted to elaborate and a few others which struck me as relevant later: Branding: what is it? Over the years, I have heard the term branding being used in different contexts. When a client says ‘branding is weak’ it could mean that they fear that the viewer may not…
Every week, I attempt to share top creative ads – the ones which managed to break through clutter, be noticed and leave an impact. Occasionally, I opine on trends relevant to the ad industry such as moment marketing, controversies on social media and so on. Here are a few recent creative ads which I loved: Deutsche Depressionshilfe In terms of creative technique, leading up someone on a certain path and then provide a twist in…
Since 2015 I have attempted to publish a weekly compilation of of clutter-breaking creative ads. It is a small tribute to brand & advertising teams everywhere for their efforts to break away from the clutter – which is a tough first task of any advert. In today’s media clutter and ‘noise’ it is even harder to be noticed. Here are some clutter-breaking ads from the past week or so, which caught my eye: TAB: Australia’s…
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…
For the past few years, I have attempted to share a few compelling creative ads with the audience of this blog. Once in a while I comment on issues pertaining to the advertising & marketing industry. Here are a few creative ads from New Zealand Government’s ‘Keep It Real Online’, Mars Petcare’s Optimum range and more. ‘Keep It Real’ online: New Zealand Government Being a parent in today’s digital age can be challenging. Addiction to…
Recently I came across a post on LinkedIn which listed key ‘differences’ between branding and marketing. The post got a lot of comments (both positive and negative), was shared widely and debated. It’s another matter that there were several claimants to the authorship of that comparison (which was not pitting one against the other of course, just drawing a comparison. Anyway, I am digressing. Marketing terminology: leaving a lot to interpretation While there are many…
The current COVID-19 global crisis is unprecedented and incomparable in terms of crisis communication. There perhaps has been no single global pandemic or crisis affecting virtually all countries, citizens and enterprises. All previous crises were limited to a company (e.g. Maggi, Cadbury’s) or a category at best. In company-specific issues, they addressed product concerns on time (recalling, for example) and most importantly did not stop communicating. They communicated to give reassurance (e.g Amitabh Bachchan and…
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…
