Luke... CHHHH... I am your Voltswagon

So this type of commercial isn't really my style: big name brand, fuzzywuzzycute commercial, idealized family, well known, etc.  But it's just too good to ignore.

The perfect combination of funny, cute, and no doubt any parent with an imaginative child will find it easy to relate to.  Great job with branding Voltswagon!  I'm proud of you.

Jennifer Aniston's Sex Tape!

The making of Jennifer Aniston's Sex Tape!

Well ok, not really.  It's actually a viral video for smart water, ingeniously made to make fun of the typical viral video.  In it, Jennifer says 'I can't just tell you this tastes better.  Evidently, I have to make it a virus.'  She runs through a list of things that make videos popular: puppies, babies, a swift kick to the family jewels, double rainbows, and even a little sex appeal.

We'll see how viral it gets, but according to the rules of the internet, it's bound to rack up quite an impressive view count. 

See What I Made?

Look! My first ad!  All by myself! (I'm still sort of working on my artistic skills) but you can see the concept and EVERYTHING! :)  See more of this series on my website!

It Must Be Whisky Week

J&B Whisky Advert 

By: KK Outlet UK, 2009

In relation to my previous blog post about Babies & Whisky, here's another campaign about whisky.  Why no more babies?  Because between my last post and the e-trade baby I think I've seen more than enough.  

Released in 2009, these advertisements for J&B Whisky make quite a cool statement.  In my oppinion the logo and text needs better integration & sizing.  It seems to be a clear case of artists vs. marketers where the artists won out.  Balance guys, balance.  

But still... bravo artists.

Babies & Whisky! (+chocolate)

I can't decide if it's more funny than adorable or vise versa.  These adorable advertisements for chocolate with whisky made me fall in love... and anytime the viewer falls in love, it's good news for the product. I get the same happy feeling from these advertisements that I get from chocolates (and whisky).  Job well done advertisement! Thanks for the laughs.

Click here to see more! 

Speaking of France...

France Vs. Brittan
A good friend introduced this advertisement to me recently and I was surprised I hadn't seen it already.  It's such a fantastic interplay between these two cultural figures.  What a smart move to emphasize the national pride of both France and Brittan in a way which created the association of "if you love your country, you will buy this car."  While American car companies play the "American made car" game by themselves, both France and Brittan upped the anti by directly challenging each other, creating an argument for the viewer to take a side on.  I believe this commercial would truly generate some passionate sparks.  Imagine how it would have gone over had it been America vs Britain?

Air France Flies Beautifully

This advertisement aired in France for the airline Air France. The success of a similar commercial airing in the US is doubtful.  It's slow-moving, artistic concept would quickly bore American viewers used to much quicker paced, action-filled, ads. The difference in what attracts different cultures of consumers to buy fascinates me.  I would love to one day travel to Europe in hopes that I could gain perspective for different cultures and what moves their people.  The Air France commercial is absolutely beautiful but so unlike anything I've seen.  It really just tells me how much more I have to learn about advertising to all people.

Everything's Funny With Little Kids

Trigon Hospital - Blue Cross Blue Shield

Hilarious! But does the humor really advertise the hospital well? Including a child definitely taps into pathos and the humor grabs attention, but is it at the risk of ethos?  How credible does the viewer believe this hospital really is after hearing a child's silly account? Also, how well does it incorporate the brand?

I don't believe the viewer would watch this their first time and automatically associate the child with Trigon Hospital.  In fact, even after a 2nd or 3rd watch the brand still is very unknown.  A watermark in the bottom corner could have been their first step to remedy this, but it might have been even more effective if the child was sitting in a hospital waiting-room.  At least it would have created an association to a general hospital. 

But the humor is undeniably fantastic.  So enjoy!

Dear Women -Love, Total Stud

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and how better to convince women to perform self-breast examinations than sex appeal!  That's right, gone are the ads of women in bikinis which appeal to men.  Hello studs ;)

Masterpiece

 

When I first saw this ad I thought it was fantastically clever.  Coldwater Creek has just started their first set of TV ads which will target 45+ women and air throughout the fall season.  For a demographic mostly targeted by "anti-aging" commercials, this must be a very refreshing break.  Unfortunately, the rest of their commercials are a little less fun, but at least this one made quite an impact.

Did You Know?

The video posted below is a presentation based off information originally compiled by high school professor, Karl Fisch.  Its original intention was to inform other professors at a faculty meeting of the world they would be preparing students for.  While the information and statistics are old, the message is still relevant; we are undeniably, living in exponential times.

But what does this mean for us? And for communication?

This video shows just how quickly society is advancing.  Not only are our methods of obtaining information evolving, but the types of content we are demanding are evolving as well.  We are beginning to care more about other people, and their impact on us.  This can be seen through the explosive growth of social media groups such as myspace, facebook, and twitter.  We demand social interaction at all times; pushing aside classic literature and folk tales for more current blogs, news reports, status updates, and tweets.  Is this because our minds are moving quicker? Perhaps it is through our forms of media that we have trained ourselves to have insatiable appetites for information.  We want to know more, and we want to know it sooner.

Is this the natural evolution of man?  To create futures that the present versions of ourselves can't even fathom? And then to expect ourselves to succeed in those futures?

It's almost terrifying to think that we might create a future we one day are unable to live or succeed in.  I believe a lot of people today are fearing that exact thing when we examine our government's spending habits, the state of the economy, nuclear advancements, and even the fluctuating job market. We're all afraid that the future will be too different for us to adapt to.

I think we're testing the limits of our bodies and minds.  Stretching our mental capacity 

I viw the search for that limit as a terrifying, intimidating, and incredibly exciting endeavor.

Higher Quality Link

Wait... Not everything is CGI?

I'm not exactly sure how much money it takes to produce a cgi-intensive advertisement, but I can bet that it costs much less than these real life promotions do.  Along side the extra costs of doing a real-life promotion, is all the extra planning.  The thought and detail which must have gone into creating each of these advertisements impresses me more than any generic apple advertisement ever could.

Also, Sony Bravia has managed to create a uniform theme of extraordinary color in unexpected places throughout all these advertisements.  I know I'm certainly sold on their brand, but I wonder just how much the wow-factor really pays off in terms of brand or product recognition. 

Typography!

Letter: Caviliers Owner -> Lebron James.

(note: the image is homemade; not stolen off the internet)

Nokia N8 Ad

A couple years ago I ran across this advertisement for the Nokia N8 phone.  It has held first place on my list of favorite ads ever since, so I think it's appropriate that I put it as one of my first posts on this new blog.
The storyline behind this advertisement is absolutely fantastic and it's execution is even better.
It follows this process:

Idea -> Attempt -> Problem -> Brainstorm -> Solution -> Success

But what's so amazing is that it manages to follow this process through 10 different technological scenerios, without using words to directly tell the story, without being visually complicated, and all in just 1 minute.

Incredible.

To do this, the commercial relied mostly on sound effects and quick visuals.

The visuals are fantastic: first person perspective, perfect use of color, clear focus on important objects, comfortable transitions, and smooth (but subtle) camera panning that allows the viewer to feel pulled in.

But the audio is by far my favorite element. It perfectly utilizes the power of sound to give the commercial interest, rhythm, flow, and a fresh feel even before the music starts.  The clicks and beeps set up a high-tech feel and provide an intro so the actual music doesn't simply start blaring.  The music is cued in right as the characters begin to be successful which gives the viewer an uplifting feel and allows the commercial to move towards its close. 

The voice over that is included instead gives an inspired feel to the commercial.

A woman's voice-over is clear, unique, and emphasizes the consonants to perfectly match with the clicks and beeps that are placed alongside.
She says:
"It's not technology. It's what you do with it.
That's what really impresses us.
Makes us laugh out loud. Or wonder, how do they do that?
Hampster powered phone charger...
Genius!
The Nokia N8, what will you do with it?"

Just... perfect.
I could write many more pages about it, but after all, this is a blog.  I should probably cut it short.

What Brand Am I?

The enormously popular colorful pieces of Skittles candy are not only delicious, they’re surprising.  Skittles unique flavors and colors pop out from the candy crowd and as of recently, so has their brand. After re-designing their facebook page and homepage, skittles has begun to establish a brand personality that may be even more likable than the little candies themselves. They send out promotions, ads, wall posts, and tweets packed with a personality that seems to be stolen right from their flavors. My love for this zany, eye-catching brand goes deeper than just appreciation. I find myself relating to their attitude on a consistent basis.

So exactly what does their personality taste like? & How do i taste in comparison?

Skittles  vs.   Me 

High Energy  

Skittles: Their energy can be obviously seen through brand colors, font choices, and the exploding design of their logo.

Me: “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” seems to govern my lifestyle as I often find myself jumping from one event to another.  

Quirky/Playful

Skittles: This Skittles gif reads “Touch the rainbow” with an arrow saying "hold your finger here" pointing to a skittle.  The skittle counts down to a surprise: Skittles Countdown Arrow

Me: As one of my fb posts reads:

“Successfully ambushed Claire Hackett outside of cobeen today using Nerf Guns and the help of Rubber Ducky aka: Tyler T Tylerson.  All out war was quick to follow.”  

Clever:

Skittles: Their recent facebook post saying...

“When it rains Skittles, it pours rainbows.” 

September 8 at 3:00pm via The Rainbow

...is a pretty clever idea.

Me: Is this conceited to claim? 

Unusual

Skittles: I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen a skittles tree before, but It’s a pretty new thing to me:

Me: I find myself drawn to the most exotic things available.

Last year? Fencing. This year? Who knows. 

Bold/Fearless 

Skittles: The skittles home page is gushing with colors and vibrant images.  Atypical organization and unrelated imagery cooperate to grab at the senses in a way that other companies may be afraid to do. http://skittles.com/ 

Me: I do a variety of tricks with the jet ski at my cabin, I’ve jumped into a frozen lake after a 200 degree sauna, and I’ve climbed to the top of a cliff alone with no harness or support.  And I have yet to be scared to do something.

Most brands and people often lack bravery, energy, and uncensored playfulnes which makes it rare to see a company take those elements to the extreme.  Some may argue that both Skittles and I have a lack of professionalism, but I'm going to go out on a limb to say society wouldn't be nearly as excited to participate in professionalism, as they would be to participate in fun.


So to all those uptight companies and plane-jane people out there, I dare you to taste the rainbow.