Seth Godin is a reknowned speaker. He was called "the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age" by Business Week. He has written quite a few bestsellers as well, among others: Purple Cow, a book about how companies can transform themselves by becoming more remarkable, and Unleashing The IdeaVirus, which is about proving that consumer-to-consumer (or word-of-mouth) interactions provide the best form of marketing for a brand or product.
Seth Godin brings refreshment and innovative solutions to the rapidly decaying world of advertising, marketing and branding. What's more, he has this innate talent at presenting such solutions in vivid terms, entertaining examples and easy-to-understand metaphors. He is the living example of intelligent mass-communication.
Every business offering a product or service should read his books. Every agency creative or exec should have one of these babies resting on their office shelves. It will change the way you see communications as a whole.
Before you run to your local library, here's a video titled "All Marketers Are Liars", featuring Seth's presentation to Google. Also, check out Seth's blog on TypePad.
Stickers remindful of "live report" television screen captions have been sticked to taxi windows, remind everyone that BBC covers the world as it happens. That's genius. Credits please? (Thanks, Marketing Alternatif!)
Funny campaign for the Thailand Government Public Relations Department by agency Creative Juice Bangkok, to encourage reading among the Thai population (and the world, which might be in even greater need). (Thanks, TwentyFour!)
If I had to be nitpicky, I'd say I'm not sure about the "s" on the "Firms Up Your Brain" copy - you'd think the action shown firms up your brain, and not reading itself - honestly, I only got the joke once I looked at the "kid on the tree" execution. Maybe the art direction on the first two is a bit challenging to deconstruct. Just "Firm Up Your Brain" would've been better, I say.
Holy smokes! This is machiavelously creepy. The art director in me loves the strange flavor in the film direction (assumed by Rupert Sanders of MJZ production house in L.A.), yet I cannot help but create a few parallels of freudian dysfunctionality. But by now, we all know that PlayStation ads are known to evoke dysfunctionality in all spheres of human emotions, to demonstrate how we just can't control our playing obsession. From a very young age.
As I'm writing this, my behavioral psychologist is sitting next to me, taking notes with a grave expression on his face.
You have to dig the art direction on these posters for the VW Touareg SUV. I thoroughly enjoy seeing agencies going the originality mile in art direction for car ads. I'm also rejoicing when the copy is spot on, considering the Touareg is both for city and outdoor purposes (and that sometimes, both are mixing up at 8am in the morning on the way to the office). Unless I'm wrong, Crispin Porter + Boguskycame up with these. (Thanks, Creative Criminal!)
A commercial by hyper-director David LaChapelle for Boots UK, a druggist shop (selling cosmetics, among others - not every country has that type of shop. It's the equivalent of Pharmaprix or Jean Coutu here in Canada). From my understanding, the commercial strives to tell women "this christmas season, think about yourselves too" - something that most women - too often - don't have the time to do.
While the direction is visually rich, there's nothing new conceptwise: It's an idea that Taxi Montreal had already plundered with Reitmans ("Made For Real Life"), a campaign showing women adopting fashion poses while doing everyday tasks - the juxtaposition of fashion and real life.
Another wonderful commercial for Orange Romania (the guys at W+K London look like they have all the fun), titled "Play". The ad encourages people to play more, stating that there's more to life than work. (Thanks, BestAdsOnTV!)
I have tried my best, I *cannot* figure out the first part of the V.O. I only keep hearing "You know, the mytsa-a-hard-rewark, there's always room for fun". Help my lack of understanding the deeper parts of the british accent.
The copy reads: "Life revolves around the sun. Use Sundown."
Wait, wait, wait. Don't you think that imperative in advertising is something that's obsolete? "Use" our products. "Do" this. "Eat" that. This belongs to another generation. Motivative advertising has long been dead and buried. This generation would probably like to read "Sundown. Life revolves around the sun", or better yet the simpler "Life revolves around the sun".
But hey. Judging from position of said title addition, and slightly smaller size, I'm sure of this: THE CLIENT MADE THEM ADD IT. Shit happens.
This being said, great photography from PLATINUM, FMD - these guys are amazing.
If you guys don't know it yet, the most loved and awaited PS3 will hit the stores across North America on November 17. A teaser campaign has recently begun, titled "Play B3yond", which is currently hitting the NYC (corner LaFayettte and Bond).
Also, you can already feast your eyes on the recently released commercial for this upcoming launch, now available on AdKrispies. Featured soundtrack is An Ending (Ascent) by Brian Eno. The commercial is once again the work of crazy awesome agency McKinney + Silver. I bow in your general direction. Need kickass partners in Canada? Write me. Hehe. Shameless plug.
Ps3 coming. Better get those sleeping bags ready in front of your local electronics store now.
Recently I had a supporting role in a television commercial for a major international cellular telephone provider.The commercial was directed by the Perlorian Brothers and written by Mother NY.
Everyone was very nice to me, and I think I did a pretty decent job for my first time on set, but I've since learned that I'm scheduled to be slaughtered in a week.This is not good for an actor's career. I knew it was a non-union job and the residuals weren't anything to get excited about,but I wasn't expecting to be hung by my foot and have my throat slit.
Fortunately, my new friends at Reginald Pike, Toronto, Biscuit, L.A., and Mother are working to find me a new home at a petting zoo (despite all this, I love humans).
You can help me too by getting a limited edition t-shirt with my picture on it at
Stella Artois is history. History in its making, and also history in the making. Pretty much the same can be said about their commercials, which never fail to communicate emotion and then instantly pinch you with a subtle bit of humor.
And now, this. This, my friends, is the best advertising/web experience that could ever be produced for Stella Artois. It sticks to brand personality like a baby to a teat, or a man and his beer. It is called "Le Défi" (french for ze challenge). And it's from Canada! Yay.
What it is: Stella Artois once again draws the consumer within a strange universe, this time on the worldwide web.
You - and a friend whom you might challenge - will have to unravel the secrets behind a mechanical contraption, some sort of gauntlet. There are many challenges to take part in, all of which require quick thinking - as time of the essence. To the victor, a chalice of Stella Artois, paid by the loser. Of course its all a tacit bet, but still an interesting one. The whole ensemble is well narrated by a mysterious voice, and the overall "steam era" look and feel is quite a success.
The whole campaign was devised by Stella's Canadian agency Lowe Roche Toronto, whom haven't feared to put top dollar for their accompanying ambient outdoor media (thanks to Glossy for the pictures):
This is the kind of experience that should be lesson 101 in contemporary branding for announcers. Create a plausible universe for a brand, and bring the consumer to experience it. Nothing new, of course. I just don't see it applied everywhere so effectively. This is just stunning, and certainly generates a lot of word of mouth. (Thanks, Glossy!)
Just so you know, the Simple Greencompany makes 100% non-toxic, bio-degradable household products. This is the best campaign I've seen (up to now) for the general household product category, as well as the environment-friendly category. If the announcer had enough 'nads to publish these, bravo. I think the the art direction and copy ("Clean conscience") are arch-brilliant ; add that to great tongue-in-cheek humor and you've got yourself a great campaign, that really gives this product a unique, funny and moreover, remarkable personality.
These would probably get me to buy some Simple Green right away. I don't have the agency's name, but many kudos to creatives Shaun Bruce and John Rekoumis for the great idea. (Thanks, Ihaveanidea!)
I truly would have loved to see the creative's initial presentation of this commercial to the client. I'm sure I would've learned a lot of things I still don't know about advertising.
Send us your stuff ! AdKrispies will be delighted to present your agency's ads with full credit, because it is thanks to people like you that we're able to keep going. Whether you're from Guatemala, America, Canada, CentralAmerica, SouthAmerica, España, or a country that doesn't finish in "a", WE WANT TO SEE YOUR STUFF. YOUR ADS. YOUR IDEAS. Envíenos sus anuncios. Schicken Sie uns Ihre Werbungen. Emita-nos seus comerciais. Envoyez-nous vos pubs ! (Thank GOD for Altavista).
If you scroll down the page a bit, you'll see (on the sidebar) a little tab that says "Rate me on BlogHop.com!", accompanied by little color squares.
If you like AdKrispies, help us get known by more and more people by voting positively (the little green square). If you don't like us, or like us less, or used to like us but not anymore, well you're entitled to your freedom of speech - so click theotherlittlesquares.
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You might have heard through many different channels that Chicago ad agency Leo Burnett was going to launch Leo Ideas Hub, a virtual counterpart to their agency network, inside the online world of Second Life.
According to AdAge, "...Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutssel said the shop's presence within the virtual world would break down geographical barriers to collaboration between his network's 2,400 creatives. "I don't want brands shackled by geography," Mr. Tutssel said. "It lets all of our creatives live in the same place."
Great idea, Mark. But that's not all.
Among other news in the september 29th edition of the MediaGuardian (dot co dot uk) : BBH launches virtual advertising agency. And I quote: "Bartle Bogle Hegarty has opened a virtual advertising agency. BBH's move, within online virtual reality world Second Life, comes as rival Leo Burnett unveiled plans to set up Leo Ideas Hub, a virtual creative department, using Second Life to bring together its agency creatives from around the world."
BBH's virtual agency. Cosy. Of course, the general public isn't allowed.
What's also interesting is the Guardian's following quote: "Advertisers and agencies are eager to tap into the fast-growing social networking phenomenon but many have been holding back unsure about the best approach."
Eager?Now, I'm a bit surprised : Until last year and the arrival of the YouTube phenomenon, ad agencies were quite slow in adopting the general internet as a true, mass-media channel, let alone the "social networking phenomenon". Even now, the web thing is still misunderstood by most : web-based communicational actions are sometimes still a sideshow to an official ad campaign, and only when budget permits, says mommy. (Except for the recent Rush Mylo web-based campaign, but as I previously said, the guys at McKinney + Silver just rule. Don't tell me if there are TV executions, I don't wanna know.)
I'm being a tad sarcastic, but you can't blame them: There was internet, yes. There was the web, yes. But these were only enveloppes, only life support. There were no true media channels within the web that concentrated users on the same viewing point, for prolongated and recurring periods. "Surfing the net" was, and still is, an act that constantly challenges an ad agency's capacity to own the consumer.
But now you have consumer-generated content, you have branded content, you have video games, you have online communities : you have ways to reach the public on its own turf.
And now that AdAgencies are recognizing these new channels, they're re-discovering the possibility of "owning" the consumer. They're accepting these new channels as "mass-media", best proof being that they're even organizing themselves inside them. So I'm saying, great! NOW GO, AND EDUCATE THE CLIENTS. Not that all of them are miseducated: Telus, God bless them, already had the idea.
Leo Burnett, Bartle/Bogle/Hegarty, these are only the first. I'm sure Montreal agencies won't take long to follow-in, most of them are media-attention whores. Wow, did I say that?
This spot called "Miracle" was produced for the League Of Catholic Women in Brazil in 2005, and was a 2006 New York Festival finalist. The final copy says something like: "People aren't expecting a miracle. Just some help." I don't have agency credits for this, sorry.
This is the long version of this amazing ad for Nissan 4x4 truck series, made by TBWA/Chiat/Day. I wish I had digital production house credits for this, because the special effects are nothing but excellent. You can either view it now, here on AdKrispies, in full glorious YouTube half-ass resolution.
Another really interesting speaker at ADAPT conference was Christian Lorenz Scheurer, matte painter/conceptual designer/art director, a brilliant artist and teacher who has worked on incredible productions such as Titanic, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, The Matrix, The Animatrix, and the recent Superman Returns -- among others.
He had this very inspiring and motivating conference about the creation of original and groundbreaking intellectual property (IP) for feature films and next-generation video games. Intellectual property is everything that one mind can create, and that becomes a known universe to the general public. For example, everything pertaining to the Star Wars universe is proper to George Lucas's IP, even though other people are working on new content creation for it. He presented us with his approach on the conception and production of digital art for movies and games, and the importance for an artist to create his own IP for better self-development, and breaking into the movie and video-game business.
I liked his views on art direction, mainly as he was saying that it was "...not a democracy, but a soft tyranny" - funny, but true. While the process behind conception and production requires teamwork, there must be someone with a definite view on how things will end. When an art director decides something will be white with blue dots, he might listen and see if anybody comes up with better ideas, but then if he doesn't like them it's going to stay white with blue dots, and that's that.
Check out Christian's Web Site at http://www.christianlorenzscheurer.com/ . You can also buy his Gnomon Workshop DVDs (I also got myself one of these), on which he presents step-by-step tutorials on different matte painting and drawing techniques.
I'm a freelancer and free thinker in the field of marketing and communications, trying to continually expand the known universe in my little mind -- and yours.
