Thursday 9 December 2010

effective advertising...

During a trip to the cinema this weekend to watch the new Harry Potter movie I noticed an advertisement for a range of PlayStation games such as 'EyePet', 'Little Big Planet 2' and 'TV Superstars'.


It wasn't till I came across an article online that I realized the impact of a product being advertised before one of the most popular films of the year. As well as being shown before Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3’ and broadcast on live television, it seems that the effect of this cleverly placed advert have been hugely successful. 


‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1’ had been seen by 1.9 million people by its second weekend in UK cinemas last week alone meaning that it is the perfect opportunity to target families that have gone to watch films together, who may also want to play video games together.

Monday 6 December 2010

Can Facebook really change anything?

" Change your facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood 
and invite your friends to do the same. Until monday, there should be no
human faces on facebook, but a stash of memories. This is for 
eliminating violence against children"


This is the Facebook status of most of my online friends, and has been for the last week.
And it seems to have taken effect. When I logged on to Facebook last week this is the news feed that i was greeted with:




This campaign claims to raise awareness of Child Cruelty, but does it really?
Most social networkers join in because there friends did, and they too wanted an excuse to have a silly profile picture. I personally am all for supporting a good cause, but what good is a cartoon character really going to do?
It doesn't help stop abuse and it doesn't raise money, to me it seems that its just another social networking craze, something that will die out after today, without effecting anything but my news feed. 

"Yo Valley.."

Yeo Valley organic yoghurt have created a contemporary advertising campaign that relates to todays generation.


When you think about "organic yoghurt" you think of an health conscious middle aged audience, not young hip teenagers. So Yeo Valley have taken steps to target that missing audience by creating a humorous rap song. It seems that they are trying to change representations of organic food, making it appealing to an audience of all ages.


Being Yeo Valleys first ever television ad campaign, they did well to secure a spot on prime time tv, during the breaks between saturday nights xFactor. The campaign has even stretched to the internet which hosts a website featuring blogs, games, and news streams. There is even a ring tone and song that can be downloaded via the internet that is set to boost profits and reputation at the same time.


Sunday 5 December 2010

Sellotape experiment..

Sellotape have created an online competition to support there new advertising campaign that is relaunching Sellotape. The adverts ask the audience to send in videos of how they use Sellotapes, and include there top tips. These ads are then set to be aired on television.

Three adverts have already been produced, including spot the Sellotape, and my personal favourite; the boy wobble (Click here to view Ad). 

The ad shows a homemade fancy dress outfit, held together by just Sellotape. 
The boy wearing the costume is then "wobbled" on a vibrating plate to test if the Sellotape will hold tight. As well as being humourous the ads proves the strength of the product and interacts with the customers. 

A lot of people have videoed there own Sellotape tips and uploaded them to the website.
My faveroute upload was by a customer called Sara Caldas, and in my opinion is much more innovative than the actualy television ad (Click here to view Ad) .

Sunday 28 November 2010

John Lewis..

Its coming up to Christmas and festive adverts are starting to appear left rigth and centre. 
Most people are still talking about the infamous coca cola advert, but its the new John Lewis advert that's really caught my attention, and looking back at a catalogue of memorable ads I can see that its not just a one off success. 


The new ad highlights the "joys of giving" and features a cover of Eltons Johns - Your song by Ellie Goulding. The ad emphasises its strap line "For those who care about showing they care" by showing a child leaving a stocking out for his dog.


John lewis had created a series of heart felt ad campaigns, especially during the Christmas period.


The 2009 ad using Guns and roses "Sweet Child O'mine" played on the childhood memories of Christmas time...





...whilst the 2009 ad featuring The Beatles - From me to you touches on the personalisation of gifts. 






Even going back as far as 2007, we all remember the John Lewis "Shadows" ad.






There seems to be a repetition of iconic and classic songs playing over the emotional ads. The adverts work well in touching its audience on a personal level. It makes them relate there own memories.

Brand names from Miami to Ibiza..

Listening to Swedish House Mafias latest song "Miami to Ibiza" I recognised a lot of brand names being dropped into the lyrics. It wasn't until I found the lyrics on-line that I discovered there were almost 15 brand names being used in just 3 minutes and 25 seconds worth of material, including Blackberry BOLD, Calvin Klein and Nike. Although most of which are abbreviated, to its audience there abbreviations are all very obvious. It makes me wonder, did Swedish House Mafia have to pay for all the brand dropping in there song, or is all the abbreviations just a way around that. And what exactly is the reason behind such obvious branding in the song? Is it all a money making scheme to promote these brands, or is the artist trying to create an identity, using these brands to create an image.



She said she likes my watch, But she wants Steve's AP (Audemars Piguet watch)
And she stay up all hours watching QVC
She said she loves my songs, She bought my MP3
And so I put her number in my Bold BB (Blackberry)

I got a black BM (bmw)She got a white TT (Audi tt)
She wanna see what's hiding in my CK (Calvin Klein) briefs
I tell her "Wear suspenders and some PVC, And then I'll film it all up on my JVC"

Scene one, Everybody get in your positions, Pay attention, and listen
We're tryna get this all in one take, So let's try to make that happen
Take one, Action

She pose for FHM (FHM Magazine),  She like my black LV (Louis Vuitton)
We spilling LPR (Cocktail) up on my APC (a.p.c. clothing),  
I'm in my PRPS (prps Jeans) and my Nike SB's
Raving with SHM (Swedish House Mafia) London to NYC

I got my visa and my Lisa, A diva and her dealer,
Bitch I'm up on the guest list, With the Swedish House Mafia
You can find me on a table, Full of vodka and tequila
Surrounded by some bunnies (Playboy Bunnies)And it ain't fuckin' Easter

I'll wake up in the morning, With a mild case of amnesia
With a girl that like a girl , Like Lindsay Lo and Queen Latifah
If you niggas are balling Then boy I must be FIFA
And that's standard procedure, From Miami 2 Ibiza


Monday 22 November 2010

Ad campaign goes Looney Tunes..

With celebrity endorsements becoming more and more popular amongst advertisers, its no surprise that cartoon characters are now becoming the face of top advertising campaigns. 

Virgin Medias latest ad campaign features Looney Tunes favorite Speedy Gonzales to promote its "Speedy" Broadband.

The advert plays on typical problems of slow boradband, by showing a seeming old cartoon paused because its busy buffering. (Click here to see full ad)

I think that this ad plays well to the target audience as It is likely that it is middle aged home owners that will be purchasing broadband. Therefore displaying an ad featuring a cartoon that they more than likely grew up with will make them relate on a personal level.

The high profile campaign was first launched last Saturday during prime time TV, staring in the break of The X Factor.

To support the campaign Virgin media also unveiled a the world’s first billboard made entirely of cheese in Covent Garden, London. Created by acclaimed food artist, Prudence Staite. However the campaign does not stop here, there will be a further 2 television ads, prints, online ads, and radio plugs, all making the most of the well known characteristics of character Speedy Gonzales.