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.
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.
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.”
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.
