Metro Trains // dumb ways to die.

Wow.

This ad is brave, creative, entertaining and just plain clever.

Created by McCann for Melbourne Metro Trains, it's no surprise this campaign has won five Grand Prix Awards at Cannes Lions Festival this year.

When I first started watching the ad I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I did know however that I wanted to keep watching. It was entertaining (almost silly) and the echo of appreciation and amusement from others was all around me. And I certainly wasn't disappointed.

It highlights the strength of simple entertainment, the power of insightful thinking around 'how' we approach a topic and the strength of song and word of mouth.

Everything came together beautifully and the rewards were plenty.

Great work.

Well done

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

    

Schwepper... wah?

Schweppes finds a touch of magic.

Anticipation of joy proved a strong theme in Australian Advertising last year, with Cadbury's Gorilla and Chocolate Scientist ads and this beautifully captured water balloon ad by Schweppes.

This ad explores a pure and simple moment and shared experience of joy and happiness; wouldn't you love to be a part of that? I love the soft colours of the bar scene and the contrasts to the sharp light of the outdoor scenes; for me this ad is a visual splendour.

Speaking honestly it took a few exposures for me to realise which brand was behind the ad. Perhaps I would make a more direct correlation if it was promoting a digital camera or printer, based on the quality of the visuals.

The sweet, slow love-story emotions are a little lost on me, my relationship with fizzy drinks just doesn't run that deep. 

However, a beautifully shot ad, enjoy!

Welcome. This is my Wonderland.

"As the warm fur of the rug tickles my cheek, I feel the comfort of the burning log fire against my back. I inhale deep into my stomach and feel my body fill up with this warm memory."

I love the story-telling nature of some of the ads being produced. Such an internal and external exploration can be triggered from storytelling in the most subtle of ways; the ability to transport and transform what we know into a new destination.

A delicate art I believe. Ultimately we want to associate the brand with a bigger idea, cause or movement to build a brand awareness, an identity. If association is lost for the sake of storytelling or the connection is not strong, we are no longer selling the brand effectively. The very basis of the industry.

I may be a romantic, but I prefer to work with the attitude that brands can act as a positive catalyst for change; to have a positive value in society. With the tech- and media-savvy audiences of today, we need to go further, to encourage interaction and to be experiential; to add real value to the consumer.

Ultimately, audiences will decide whether a brand is of value and is relevant to their lives. Knowing your audience means you can decide where you need to be and when, what messages will resonate with your audience and become something more than just another advertisement.