Harvey & Rabbit // Love this!

I'm not sure if it's quite simply the concept, the fun, humour-filled and upbeat soundtrack or just the characters themselves, but there is something about this ad that I just simply love.

  

To be quite honest, at first I find myself so caught up in the storytelling of this narrative to really notice who the advertisement is for. But then again it has drawn me in so well that through my self-prompted repeated viewings, I now know who's behind it. After all, what thinkbox are selling is the power of TV advertising, and this it demonstrates very well.

  

Enjoy.

  

Volkswagen // experts at making tiny appealing.

Volkswagen have produced some great ads over the years. Since their iconic 1960s advertising, their strength has always been in their honest, no hard-sell approach to their product. By appealing to their customers in a refreshingly frank and self-effacing language, they were able to change the way customers thought about the automotive category, bringing the small car to the fore. Those attributes that were valued in a car (large, spacious, expensive, impressive) were replaced with new values of small, convenient, affordable and characterful.

  

In their latest advertising campaign introducing Volkswagen's Up! to the U.K. market, Volkswagen have combined with their polished small car, a glossy well-presented book to showcase Britain's thinnest roads - perfectly suited for the Up! While adding value through additional features, giveaways and incentives is not new (advertisers will often do just about anything to get customers over the line), the honest and humble way in which this is achieved for Volkswagen speaks very strongly to the history of this brand.

  

The beautifully illustrated glovebox sized gift presents a nice opportunity to influence the perception of the small car, allowing this to be seen as a positive (perhaps even exciting) attribute and encouraging Volkswagen owners to explore and discover some of the narrowest parts of their country. With such high competitiveness in the automotive industry, it's nice to see something a little different that speaks so strongly to the product, while also being special to the customer. It's the nature of these little things that reminds us why Volkswagen is a brand that we have always loved.  

  

Volkswagen's 1959 'think small' ad

    

Joyville // Cadbury keeps it simple and fun.

Cadbury's advertising has always been effectively simple yet powerful. You just have to look to their previous 'Gorilla' advertisement to see the pure and simple expression of anticipation of joy. In their latest Australian 'Joyville' campaign they've managed to create a whole world behind the brand as well. And it's filled with the simple fun and enjoyment we love so much about the shiny purple bar of happiness (spoken like a true chocolate lover).
    
  

A nod to Cadbury here as well on their social media strategy. The centre of this particular campaign lives at its heart on a microsite (this is where all the main content and brand/campaign messaging lives), but it is also beautifully extended into social media, including Facebook, and Twitter. Cadbury haven't overcomplicated here and have kept to a few mainstream channels.
  
What's nice about Cadbury's presence in these platforms is the way that they have made them fun and social. Since its release, Cadbury has made the most of Google+ 'hangouts' through special guests and live competitions, as well as running a range of other interactive activities across these channels. They've utilised their bought and owned media to encourage their consumers to participate and feedback directly to the brand - generating earned media through word-of-mouth. Cadbury has also used these platforms as an opportunity to co-create with their communities, both on content and new introductory products as well. By enabling their community to speak openly to the brand they've gained a much better understanding of their audience. A brave, intelligent and intuitive strategy.

  

You can visit the campaign website here: http://joyville.cadbury.com.au/
  

 Cadbury's 2007 'Gorilla' advertisement 
  

Dove // Facebook gets a facelift.

Unilever's Dove is known for creating uplifting campaigns that celebrate "real beauty", and in their latest campaign they've brought this notion into the Facebook world with a simple yet clever idea. 

  

  

In a campaign against negative body image, Unilever have purchased additional Facebook ads targeted at those who would normally receive targeted "lose the belly fat" or "slim down in 6 weeks" advertising - primarily young females. Users are encouraged to subscribe to the app to create their own message, which will be published as a Facebook ad. The replacement ads include positive and feel-good messages such as "The perfect bum is the one you're sitting on." and builds the Dove brand up as a positive advocacy brand for women's issues, further cementing its position in the market. A nice way to engage with their market and give them a tiny little voice as well. 

  

IKEA // world's smallest store.

A very clever idea from IKEA! 

  

     

 Known for making the most of space, IKEA have decided to take this theory into a 300 x 250 digital banner, using this small space to showcase their product range and featuring some 2,800 products. Move your mouse around the pixel-based banner to view the products as they magnify when you roll over them. You can even click on the products, which will deliver you to a purchasing page where you can buy. Admittedly perhaps not the most practical way of browsing items, the logic of this does not seem to matter with the charm and cleverly brand-unique big idea behind this little banner.

  

  

You can also view a demo of the banner here.

The clever Agency behind the ad: