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.

McDonald's US // food-sourcing a key theme.

Responsible food-sourcing is becoming an increasingly common theme amongst the big brands. Fast-food chain McDonald's US is one of those getting on board this year, and they've found a beautiful way to do it.

With increased pressures and a growing awareness around environmental issues that 'affect us all' brands are being called into a new light. One where the quality of their product cannot be separated from its roots; increasingly consumers want a product that is not only good quality, but also fits in the basket of being guilt-free to consume because it considers the health of our environment.

Brands are building stories around themselves, becoming more transparent and creating more depth to the brand experience of the consumer. It's an exciting trend and one that I believe will continue. 

Morrisons has also put responsible food-sourcing at the centre of its recent advertising. Though for me, I understand the message but the honesty and authenticity isn't there to the same degree. What I love about the McDonald's videos is the way they tell the story of the little people, giving them a moment in the light.

Don't tell me, show me.

McDonald's // the power of insights and storytelling.

Insight-driven advertising is in my opinion the strongest form that we possess. We can draw on large insights or we can draw on small insights, those specific to a certain type of person, or those that are universal. Whatever the insight, if you can really understand it and communicate it in a way that resonates with your audience, you're in with a winner.

Insight-driven advertising builds brand equity, encourages loyalty and consumer dialogue. It helps make people like you, which hopefully in turn encourages people to buy you. Of course this is no guarantee, however when we sort advertisements into their various baskets (direct response, emotive and insight-driven, interactive) I think insight-driven is my favourite.

This McDonald's ad does just that for me, a beautiful story with honesty at its heart.

IKEA // charming with 'Make room for your life'.

This ad is one of those that I really enjoy because of the way it's produced and the gentle charm of its story. It's actually quite a clever way to showcase the product range and storage solutions whilst delivering an emotive message, 'make room for your life'.

A beautiful piece of storytelling. Enjoy.

John Lewis // keeping Christmas sweet.

As Christmas draws near, there's one brand we can always count on to continue with the same formula they've had for years, and that's John Lewis. For me though, they managed to get the execution spot on in 2011 and anything since then feels like it's trying to do the same thing but having to work a whole lot harder. And it's just simply not as good.

This year's Christmas advert 'The Journey' follows the story of a snowman in his journey across various landscapes to bring back a Christmas gift for his snow-woman friend. Ultimately it's a bit of symbolism drawn out to a lengthy 1 minute 30 seconds in order to try to create a sense of depth and gravity, but I'm afraid this one misses the mark for me.

Let's see what next year holds shall we?

This ad was created by:

You can view all the previous John Lewis Christmas ads here.

Kevin Bacon // annoying or just right?

The first time I saw this ad I thought 'thanks, but no thanks'. Who is this EE company that want to come out and proclaim that they're something worth listening to? And what an arrogant approach; go away Kevin Bacon.

The more I see this ad though, and the more stories and scenarios they weave into it, the more I like it. The more I realise that this brand in fact doesn't take itself too seriously and for that reason, I like them. 

When I saw the below ad is when I converted; some contextual film references we can all remember and a scenario which I believe we can even identify with. You don't have to be an actor in numerous films to have split thoughts or personalities that each have a different idea. In a weird and slightly funny way, I can relate. 

EE, I still don't have a clue what your service is like, though for now you've won me over (I think).