McDonald's // what is it with kids and boxes?

McDonald's always amaze me with their ability to pull out the occasional brilliant ad amongst the mass of everyday promotional advertising.

The connection drawn in this ad is so simple, yet so wonderful. Kids love boxes; they invoke memories of being fun, stimulating and full of imagination. As well as being popular with kids, every mum remembers what fun the simple things were when they were a kid too. 

It's a winner; as an idea, it resonates.

Well done McDonald's for this lovely execution.

Canon // creating beautiful colours.

I have to say, I do love an artistically beautiful execution. 

The general art-lover in me is drawn to ads that feel gorgeously produced and simplistically pure. Less is often more.

These ads just about hit the mark for me, though I'd probably remove the image of the printer, which I find distracting. In all honesty it's probably the bright colours that draw my eye. 

It's a simple idea so this simple execution feels right.

Beautiful.

QR codes // where do they fit?

There's a trend that's been around for the last couple of years and it's one that doesn't yet seem to be slowing down. At the same time though I'm not sure its role in our media has become any clearer.

There are few great executions that use QR codes from what I've seen. Far too many brands simply place a QR code in their advertising because it seems like the 'in' thing to do. Often they don't add anything of value, simply pushing to a web page. Well, we don't need a QR code to get there.

Their common use is aided by the fact that they're so versatile. I've seen QR codes spray-painted on walls, created on ice, out of grass and even the one below, which is made out of flowers.

I love a clever QR code, sadly though I've not seen very many and their overuse is causing their potential strength to be undermined. It's a shame.

Come on now, let's get clever with our QR codes.

Dance pony dance // oh yeah.

Over 12 million channel views, who can argue with that?

At first it seemed a bit random, just an attention-grabbing exercise really. But without seeing any results, I have to say I think it probably worked. The response evoked was one of happiness and laughter, whilst triggering brand recall and talk-ability. Three's 'dance pony dance' has hit all the right notes.

A campaign strengthened even further through an integrated approach. TV ads that pushed to the 'Pony Mixer' hosted in YouTube, Facebook posts and ads to do the same, then completing the circle by playing people's pony ads on TV. 

Three found a way to enter and drive the conversations, gaining earned media and spreading its message far and wide. 

A great case study campaign.

You can create your own dance pony here.

Mercedes-Benz // symbolism is lovely.

Horsepower, perfectly distributed. 

This ad is beautifully executed and is visually refreshing. Is it the most motivating message and execution for its intended audience? Of that I'm not sure. However for me personally, I like it. 

But then again I love horses and art and I couldn't even imagine owning a Mercedes-Benz with where I'm at in life. In my opinion this ad highlights the importance of not only knowing what motivates your audience but also what they like, for ad like-ability can help build towards brand like-ability.

It's a winner for me, though I hope it resonates with those that can actually afford to buy a Mercedes-Benz as well.