A system that can attack both fast and strong is neither a shoe, a shark or an advertising spot. Confused? You’ll understand soon enough. Kobe Bryant’s System works. It makes hard work seem like fun and the ambiguous process of achieving success seem simple.
Kobe’s impeccably delivered TED style presentation taps into the very current cultural zeitgeist of sharing knowledge while using a level of charm and wit as palpable as the drive required to win-win-win. The genius behind this campaign is the fact that Nike never dwell on product, instead focussing on end product.
Nike make content for content aggregators. Sure, everybody and their mum does that these days, but few create an array of content off of one idea that leaves each aggregator with the feeling that there’s a word they can spread that hasn’t been, as one might say, played out. Never before could a brand rustle up the marketing spend to air this much content. YouTube provides the conduit; Nike maximize the opportunity.
In summary, the strength of the idea underpins the expansive nature of the creative. Get that? You’re welcome.
What’s that saying; two things you can be sure about in life is death and taxes. May I suggest that the other inevitability is change.
Civilisations come and go, fashion and cultural trends rotate and someday we’ll all turn into robots. In the mean time, the global economy is imploding and the 99% are voicing their opinions on an economic system that has a few inherent flaws.
So where does this leave advertisers? Well it’s clearly not a time to only ‘sell’. One good and jolly sensible reason being that there’s generally less money flowing in the 99% sphere. This means an opportunity for communications that engage and create dialogue.
Inspired by some art house sensibilities, Motorola have started the conversation with a series of ads that pose an existential question of ‘What does Abundance mean to you?’.
Featuring a range of Japanese creatives and thinkers, each one in turn answers that very question. An interesting and innovative strategy that proves particularly poignant given the Japanese peoples’ attempts to recover from national and personal tragedy.
In times of uncertainty, nostalgia is often the prescribed remedy. An alignment with an audiences real concerns though, has to be the future. I’m not sure how radical the ‘brand message’ will get over on this side of the pond, but the consumers appetite [and taste] is slowly changing; becoming just that little bit more discerning.
Leading brands of the future will have to extend the idea of purpose to more than CSR policies, making them integral to their brand values and indeed communications.
Whilst on mug washing duty in our palatial offices, I noticed this Iceland delivery truck complete with distinctive branding and had to take a quick snap on the mobile phone.
When both the quality of your product and the motivations of your customer are up for, shall we say ‘much debate’, it would be wise to not leave your brand tag line as an open ended sentence. Particularly if you’re going to be driving around the streets of Dalston.
If you’re making a film or advert, there are few things more crucial or overlooked than the soundtrack.
During our recent work on Green Stories, ‘the soundtrack’ has been an interesting challenge. Thanks to Sam’s eclectic ear and The Insomniax’s knack for composition, it was a challenge that we rose to.
The subject indirectly leads me onto one of the catchiest and utterly spot on pieces of music for the Ikea Kitchen Party spot by Mother. The campaign launched last year and has recently made a resurgence, with a soundtrack so good that I initially thought that I’d heard it before. Turns out that I probably had.
We may have got our a*ses kicked by Barcelona on the weekend, but I won’t let that get in the way of appreciating some good work.
Nike covered their bases with the Glory Is Ours poster / film campaign, in what for them can only be described as a win-win situation. The glory is theirs indeed.
There’s something about the idea of Refugee Week that sticks in my craw like a fish bone: a bit like Black History Month in fact. Namely because the history of this country – and most countries for that matter – is either a history of immigration, or of people having sought refuge.
By virtue of such uncomfortable truths, these stories are an integral – not exclusive – part of a nations narrative. If I see another campaign talking about the virtues of Mary Seacole, someone’s going to get it up the seacole.
If you’re going to broach the subject of refugees contribution to a nation, then you had better say something interesting. Thankfully, these posters for Refugee Week manage to do that.
If you’ve looked at a billboard or poster advertisement over the past 10 years or so, you’ll have no doubt seen the work of top fella and digital retoucher supremo Terry Obiora.
Did I say he dabbles in photography too? Well aside from making nearly every car brand worth its salt look far better then they deserve, Terry also has a stunning body of personal work. Some of which you’re privy to right now.
Affinity Sutton has taken an innovative and creative approach to engage their residents into green issues.
Last year we started working them to create a marketing campaign to encourage the early adopter green residents to share their Green Stories by making 6 short films, which in return will inspire other residents to recycle and make positive eco choices.
Above is the fabulous, Vee, who started modelling at the grand young age of 70. She has appeared in ads fromVogue to Harry Potter to Mickey D’s, so we were very pleased she was available for our shoot!
Tangible ‘benefits’ simply, yet ingeniously illustrated. It can only be the work of Noma Bar. Banks hold up the robbers? I’d heard the banks were the robbers.
Spurious facts aside, the necessity to reflect the social outcome is clear. Perhaps done in response to the philanthropic work of Bill Gates’ Microsoft and their GOOD iniative, IBM’s new communications are a reflection of how even the technological monoliths strive for a more amiable position in the market place.
