I saw the ad above on one of my favorite advertising blogs (besides this one of course) Adfreak. It’s an ad for Dell’s Adamo laptop. By the way I think the laptop sucks because you cannot downgrade it to a Windows XP operating system. Anyway, back to discussing the print ad itself. The ad looks a little unusual if you ask me it looked more like a fashion ad as opposed to a computer one.
I would have chosen a prettier model though. Although, I’m not sure what type of art form they were going for in that ad or in the campaign for that matter.
But the ad created by Enfatico is extremely well done and eye-catching. Enfatico is an ad shop that was created specifically to handle the Dell account.
<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:0bb6a07c-c829-4562-8375-49e6693810c7&showPlaylist=true&from=shared" target="_new" title="Laptop Hunters $1000 – Lauren Gets an HP Pavilion">Video: Laptop Hunters $1000 – Lauren Gets an HP Pavilion</a>
So Microsoft has come up with a new advertising tactic in an attempt to combat the beating Apple has given the Microsoft brand with its Mac vs. PC ads. The Redmond company’s new advertising tactic is to point out the significant price increase between Macs and a traditional Windows PC. The price is about the only point that Microsoft can honestly combat the folks down in Cupertino with.
In the ad above the actress proclaims after visiting the Apple Store and not finding a laptop within her price range, she was not cool enough to be a Mac person. She promptly got in her car and headed to a store loaded with many “Windows” options. At the store of course, the young actress found the PC for her. To conclude the commercial the actress declares, “I’m a PC and I got just what I wanted.”
Crispin Porter & Bogusky, the hot Miami ad shop created the spot lovingly dubbed “Laptop Hunters” The Microsoft account is worth approximately 300 million to the agency. Hopefully these ads are more acceptable unlike the Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld spots the agency did previously. Those ads were a flop in my opinion. Also, with the current state of the economy I think people will appreciate the PC’s lower prices.
But I have to say I am a Mac guy myself. By the way I’ve written before on Mac vs. PC ads but from a creative execution point of view as oppose to the message being promoted here with “I’m a PC.”
You probably have all noticed the 2 new book links that are showing up from Amazon. First, I hope you like it and it doesn’t take away from the primary content. Secondly, I am testing out this new feature to give you easy access to high quality advertising books. So if you think you'd like to read one of them by all means click on the link.
I can’t believe the CIA is using the mainstream media to recruit future spooks. Now don’t get me wrong; I don’t see anything wrong with using all methods available to spread the word about your needs. But I mean come on your not going to work for Wal-Mart, it’s the C.I. freaking A! The CIA apparently needs a few good men — and women. I wonder can we blame this on the current state of the economy too?
Their ads, both in radio and in print are for the National Clandestine Service (NCS). According to the Wikipedia article about these guys they are the ones that conduct government sponsored secret missions. You know what I’m talking about Chuck Norris — Delta Force type stuff.
All of the agency’s ads use buzzwords such as "patriotism," "adventure" and they also reek of government ambiguity. But, do I have a right to complain if that’s what it takes to keep me safe?
According to one article on a government Web-site the CIA’s recruitment office creates its own ads.
Here are some TV ads that I found via YouTube. The agency’s TV spots usually appear on channels like the Discovery Channel. You can view the T.V. spot here.
Fake 911 calls are fun for teenage pranksters, but only if they don't get fined for tying up emergency lines with non-emergencies. There are people out there with real emergencies.Well, when I saw this ad, I feel like I became a victim, because I thought I was about to read a real 911 call. The above ad, created for K&B Fashion, not only fakes out its audience, it is also a terrible creative execution. The ad is a fake 911 emergency call involving a woman who bought clothes, but apparently, the clothes weren't fashionable enough. So, apparently K&B’s message is that if you shop with them, you will get stylish clothes without being a victim of high prices. The emergency phone call in the ad was terrible to listen to because of the crying woman and the emotionless operator.
DeVito/Verdi, a small shop in New York, created the spots. In my opinion, this creative execution could have been done in somebody's basement. All it would have needed is iMovie and some friends willing to help with the voices. I could have probably setup my Mac to do a better job with the voices-especially the voice of the 911 operator. The spot gave me the sense that it was made quickly and on the cheap.
I expect more from an ad agency. By the way, their copywriter’s tagline was "Fashion without the Victim." Well, in this case, I was the victim. Again, the spot felt cheap. As always, what I say here is only my opinion, take it or leave it.
In the U.K. the game industry is upset because of the new ads appearing in U.K. government's Change For Life campaign, let's just say it puts them in a negative light and the industry isn't too happy about it. The image of the board-looking child with a joystick in his hands and a headline that included the word death really ticked the industry off. The campaign was only intended to promote a healthier lifestyle not cause riots.
The video game industry's main complaint is that the ad pictured above implies that video games can cause a premature death. Now that certainly isn't true but they cause you to not have very many friends, not very well read, and many other things but not death in my opinion of course.
I have yet to discover who the ad agency behind the print ad above.
Last night I was watching the TV show Trust Me, a show that I've previously discussed on this blog. One of their two storylines for last night's episode was about about a guy who was fired because his work was just not very good. Several years later the main characters in the show give him another chance only to discover that he still isn't very good. So now they need to fire him again and the show takes off from there.
So here is my question, when do you realize that you aren't going to make it in the ad business and look for a new line of work? Maybe I should stop thinking that I'll be working for an ad agency anytime soon.
Go humans go is the main theme for the new campaign by Quaker Oats, a division of PepsiCo. The campaign is intended to provide you with a lift. I am guessing they mean a boost in energy? The campaign will appear in three different media vehicles which include: television, print, online, outdoor, promotions, and events. Supposedly using Quaker Oats products will make you feel good about yourself. Apparently, we need advertising's help in feeling good about ourselves in these poor economic times.
Here is what I want to know, since when does Quaker Oats qualify as a replacement for good, old-fashioned ice cream? When someone is dumped by their significant other or feeling down about anything they go for pint of Ben & Jerry's not Quaker Oats.
But again, this is just my opinion.
This Quaker campaign is worth over $100 million dollars and is being handled by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. OMD, is handling the media part of the campaign, both of these agencies belong to the Omnicom Group of agencies.
The way the ad was executed is outstanding because it requires the audience to take a second look to understand but the rest of the ad is an attention grabber that entice people to take a second look. Poker enthusiasts will absolutely love this ad.
Wongdoody has several other executions in print and TV formats. All the ads employ famous poker players which makes them a believable authority.
I love this ad by the Ad Council concerning children with Asthma. I love how expressive both the copy and the image, they go together so well. I saw this ad while shopping for jeans at a local mall. It was executed so well that I felt I had to take a picture with my iPhone. It wasn't the best of "snaps" but it got the job done while I was in a crowded mall.
This outdoor ad is part of a campaign sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is called No Attacks. The campaign will use many different advertising vehicles including: print, TV, outdoor, and and interactive. Interactive is an especially important medium for today's younger generation.
The ad agency that volunteered for this campaign is Campbell-Ewald I have to give the Detroit based agency props for taking this assignment.
As an Asthma sufferer myself, I think this is an absolutely great campaign to be a part of.
To get into the swing of March Madness Adidas came up with something pretty cool in my opinion. It's taking four of its NBA endorsers back to college in a series of ads. What is important to note is that the four NBA stars being used in the commercials jumped from high school right into the NBA.
Also, being a huge Kansas fan I have to show this one:
Anyhow, Dwight Howard will be at Kansas, Tracy McGrady at Louisville, Josh Smith will be headed to Pitt and Kevin Garnett will be here in not-so-sunny L.A at UCLA. There are some other players I would have liked to have seen on these ads like Kobe and LeBron but they are Nike People.
I've been trying for the past couple of days to find out who the ad agency behind the ads is but I haven't had much luck.
You can see the rest of the spots Below:
Oh and of course I'll be buying brand new shoes just for the tourney. Yeah....
Saatchi & Saatchi, London created commercials that feature a disabled dancer for its "Life Flows Better" campaign for Visa. The dancer, Bill Shannon uses his crutches and skateboard to perform his dance routine. I guess they figured that his routine meshes well with the theme of the campaign. Out of all the creative campaigns that they could have done they chose a commercial idea that centers around a disabled dancer? Does visa have an image problem that they are trying to resolve?
I mean I have nothing against the disabled making a living, I am one myself. But I am sure that an agency with Saatchi's reputation could have come up with something more with all of its creative power.
And no I am not jealous of his dance skills I just hope he asked Visa for money. And that he wasn't one of those people that say oh I am so grateful for the opportunity to be in your commercial I'll do it for free.
Just a bit over a month ago I wrote a post on Windvertising and now its great to see that its being noticed on a much larger scale. According to a Brandweek article, Ricoh a large provider of office technology is teaming up with WePOWER to implement a more eco-friendly advertising solution for the company. The company's more eco-friendly advertising will display in the middle of Times Square.
WePOWER will implement its technology which will consist of 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels. This new execution will supposedly save $15,000 in electricity bills. This will obviously reduce the company's carbon footprint tremendously. Lots of companies are attempting to "go green" these days which will undoubtedly help the environment and give them a good corporate image.
My boss at my real job asked, how much will implementing this new form of advertising cost the client? Is it worth it in the long run to implement this advertising method? I am not exactly sure how much Ricoh is being charged by WePOWER but since the outdoor advertising is being placed in Times Square I am sure they can spare the money. Also at the end of the day consumers will respect Ricoh more for looking out for the environment. In return Ricoh will gain more loyal customers and of course revenue added to their business.
I got this image from a buddy at work. I asked if he was the "Photoshopper" but he said that it wasn't his work. I honestly believe that the American auto-industry is laughing at us. I am almost positive this was some quick Photoshop work and its awesome. I truly appreciate the humor and it tells the auto-industry that consumers aren't stupid, we know what your doing.
I am sure that most of you have heard by now that in an effort to engage the audience Jack in the Box debut a spot during the Superbowl where Jack, their mascot, gets hit by a bus. After he is hit he goes into a coma that he was in for a month. Now that Jack is out of the coma, The Hang In There Jack campaign is coming to an end. You can see the campaign at Hang In There Jack.
The famous Jack is announcing plans for a new logo and a new Web-site design. Advancements do help get people out of comas, right? Personally I was turned off of the burger chain a few years ago because of an incident but that's not saying they aren't good. They just aren't what I prefer.
I can't find the ad agency responsible for the Hang In There Jack" campaign but I am working on it. I must say they went all out for this campaign, developing a site where people can visit Jack, Leave well wishes, and even a physical address to send get well cards. Also you can of course see the drasma happening in the hospital.
One of their ad agencies is Secret Weapon Marketing but I am not sure if they are responsible for the Hang In There Jack campaign. But Jack isn't so they can come up with more cheesy campaigns.
I read the advertising section of the New York Times a featured article by Stuart Elliot where he discusses the new ad campaign by Mars which is the parent company of Snickers. The Snickers folks are at it again. There campaign this time is centered around the a make-believe language called Snacklish.
According to the Times article Snacklish is a humorous way of speaking everyday phrases into the Snicker-centric language. For example, the phrase Patrick Ewing becomes "Patrick Chewing" according to the Times piece. The site Snickers.com will soon have a translator where people can translate their own phrases.
My question is, who are you kidding? Are they really targeting the correct audience in this situation? Are males 18-34 really going to engage on a campaign that focuses on make-believe language. To me a make-believe language is more suitable for girls ages 9-15 not adult males. But really what do I know. Men that old are not going to want to speak in their own "special" language with their friends. I think inherently it lacks masculinity.
The campaign by TBWA Chiat/Day, New York will be introduced in stages according to the Times. The campaign will appear through several media TV, online, and outdoor. This campagin follows some that were considered inapproperate or homophobic. Lets hope the candy maker does better with this one.
So I've been extremely ill this weekend. I've been in my apartment pretty much the entire weekend. Since I cannot be out gallivanting around in my van due to my obnoxious cold, I decided to check out a relatively new TV show titled Trust Me. A show about the goings on of an ad agency. it revolves around the lives of 2 friends, the primary Art Director and Copywriter at RGM, the fictional ad agency. It shows how the two main characters balance their careers, private live, and friendship with each other. The main rival is the ARC Mobile account that is constantly in jeopardy of being lost.
I think this is a great show for cable television, I appreciate it a bit more then Mad Men the show on AMC. Mad Men gives the me the feeling that I'm watching a show that provides a cultural analysis of the 50s. Maybe be how men and women interacted with each other at that time and advertising is simply a secondary story line. Trust me is the show for the year 2009. I feel it reveals more of the business side of advertising as it is today and it actually focuses on "Advertising." Advertising is what we are all here for, I am sure everyone agrees.
The one thing I would change about the show is how TNT decided to present it online. In my opinion their video streaming technology is sub par and they should have simply authorized Hulu to show it online. The site is a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp.
Anyway, I still like the show. I get to be inside of an ad agency even if it is just on TV.
