Watch this advert very very carefully.

It’s an awareness test and takes some serious concentration. Not everyone can keep up, it’s actually a very difficult challenge.

Think you are up to it? [Read more →]

Is it a spoof? Who cares, it’s funny because it’s true, ha.

No preamble, just watch. Naughty IBM Lenovo, Naughty!

How does a brand communicate that they have fixed something bad, controversial or unpleasant?

For a long time the Blue Smarty was considered bad. The theory went that this was a color not found in nature, therefore it was not only going to be artificial, but potentially toxic. Mums heard about kids going crazy on the additives and didn’t want their own little bundles of energy going the same way.
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There’s an advertising lesson to learn from the current firestorm surround the Miley Cyrus images forthcoming in Vanity Fair.

Here it is: if your brand is worth $1 billion, think deeply before screwing it up.

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This commercial from Chase is one of my favorites from a variety of angles.

First, there’s a hidden “easter egg” at the very beginning of the commercial. If you look closely, 007 is spelled out in the background during the first 3 seconds. It’s not easy to pick out, and the average person won’t discover this on the first view. But the two tires make up the 00 and the 7 is made of 2 pieces of wood that come together at an angle.

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Sometimes the point of an ad just stumps me. I can appreciate the effects, the direction, the ideas even, but am left wondering what the ad was trying to sell.

This ad struck me like that. If it wasn’t for the final frame showing the product we would be left clueless as to what impression Sony were trying to leave us with.
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I was looking through RideLust’s Most Lustable Cars of 2008 and came to the number one result: The Nissan GT-R. This got me thinking a bit about the art of creating “anticipation” in advertising.

Clearly, to be number one on the list of “upcoming” products in a particular niche, you have to do some savvy pre-product marketing. If people are going to anticipate your product, they need to know about your product.

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This is the way I want to fly.

When I first saw this site I thought “Oh no, not another flash heavy ‘brand’ site”, but just watch the videos. If you are anything like me, you will have bad memories of being stuck on eight hour flights wedged between the snore and drool lady on your shoulder and the big, flatulent, sweaty bear-like guy hogging the arm rest.

Can’t you just imagine boarding one of these A380’s?

Check out the videos here.

Dog sings, cars sell. What a clever advert! Cute plus funny sells. Perhaps not as much as saucy, hot, nubile gyrating models found in other ads, but for family wholesome word of mouth appeal you can’t beat humor combined with a cuddly animal featuring as the star.

In this regard the VW Polo advert delivers in spades.
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Think chocolate and I imagine your first impressions are not Phil Collins. I would guess that gorillas do not feature heavily either. Unless you have seen this advert.
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