John West // stories and sustainability a success.

After the success of the 2011 TV ads on John West brand perception and sales, 2012 saw the release of a third 'discover the story...' TV execution. In this third execution 'Blackout' we see the return of the same old weathered fisherman as he shares with us another funny story aboard a trawler, whilst also inviting us to go online to discover the story behind our can.

What makes these ads so brilliant is their easy-to-understand and accessible humour, as well as the depth of their messaging. They help John West establish a position of brand leader as they raise a hand for fish sustainability and overall responsibility in light of questioning and criticism.

The 2011 TV ads 'Lucky Pete' and 'Dimitri's Combover' achieved great success within the advertising circles as well, being nominated as finalists in the 2012 Cannes Awards.

As we move towards 2013 there's a big question to be asked of John West, will they continue their sustainability messaging and to build the brand, or will it be time for a fresh change? Whatever they decide to do let's hope it resonates with the same sense of responsibility and brilliantly humorous insight as these.

You can view all three executions on the John West YouTube channel.

Well done to:

Muscles for music // Old Spice gets interactive.

In the spirit of allowing consumers to be part of the brand story, here's an entertaining interactive ad from Old Spice featuring who else but the one and only Terry Crews.

Viewers can create their own music mash-up with Terry's body by using their keyboard to hit certain notes, and when you're done, you can even record and share.

Proving that an old formula can move seamlessly into the new world, this interactive ad has had some serious reach; the version above has alone had over 3 million views on YouTube. 

We're not even too sure what makes this ad so entertaining, aside from the fact that it's so silly yet impressive and let's be honest, just a little weird. 

Well done to:

   

X Factor idents // TalkTalk gets consumers involved.

As advertisers and marketers, we're always looking for new ways to stand out and to engage with our consumers. One way of achieving this is to allow our consumers to be front and centre, to indulge their need to be the centre of attention.

Self-curation has been a growing theme recently as both production and media planning processes become more streamlined. We're opening up new realms of possibilities; consumers now more than ever are quite literally at the centre of our comms. 

There is also an interconnectivity of media that is becoming more prevalent as the underpinning of large campaigns, where you can track the communication journey quite clearly from online to broadcast media and often, back into online.

TalkTalk is one brand that has taken this approach, creating a series of templates on which consumers can drop their own images/video and broadcasting these as idents around X Factor programming.

Here's just one example of an ident submitted by a viewer and broadcast during the programme:

According to Creative Review, TalkTalk has seen a 40% ROI increase year on year since they began their sponsorship of X Factor. Not a bad result.

Southern Comfort // Whatever's Comfortable.

Every now and then I'll see an ad which is such a simple demonstration of truth and taps into a human aspiration so cleanly that my reaction is found in just one word, "brilliant".

There's something about this ad that you just can't help but love. And what I love about it is the way that it helps marketers understand what us advertising agency folk are always trying to say. Create a brilliant, engaging and insightful idea and let consumers decipher and allocate this within their own lives.

The aspect of this character that we aspire to isn't his big beer belly or his tiny swimmers, it's the strut in his walk that says "yup, here I am". All of a sudden the feeling of confidence and self ease that we desire is within reach, just a grog shop away in fact.

Watch it and enjoy it. A great effort by 

New York

Pinterest // the power of sharing.

In social media it can often be difficult to prove ROI and this challenge continues to affect the uptake of social media campaigns by businesses. In this post, however, I'm more interested in looking at creative ideas around how to use Pinterest to gain attention and word-of-mouth.

  

The key behind creating a campaign that will get traction in any social media is understanding how and why your target market uses a particular social media platform; tapping into this in a way that they choose to include your brand in this experience.

  

Kotex have found a way to do this very well, creating a women's 'inspiration day', at the heart of which is uniqueness, expression and individuality, tied together with the concept of a gift. All capturing ideas that seem to have allowed this brand and campaign to effectively integrate and build widespread impressions.

  

  

Guess also had a similar idea in encouraging their consumers to share their favourite fashion pics and items, with the campaign being drawn on the theme of spring colours. The notion of a contest or competition is also a popular form of engagement in recent social media campaigns.

  

  

Finally, confused.com managed to bring attention to the issue of safety when driving, utilising Pinterest as the means to reach their target market of young women - a primary segment of Pinterest users. The prize itself did not require a big investment and yet the outcome makes this more than worthwhile. The great learning here is that you don't need to put in a great investment to see results - and in this respect your ROI is just about guaranteed!

  

  

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: