Red Symons on Jaycar Products

Product endorsements can come in many shapes and sizes, but I wonder if this one is an exception to the rules. Red Symons has started to put up some You Tube videos, one of which he points out the ultimate uselessness of a number of USB gadgets that all happen to be stocked by Jaycar Electronics.

The saying goes that any PR is good PR, so in this case I wonder whether the crack team over at Jaycar HQ are sophisticated enough to realize this possibility. Red certainly doesn't hold back in giving it to the products, he even shows the Jaycar catalogue a number of times. My guess is that in Red's typical sarcastic view he has found himself a target that happens to be farily deserving of the abuse directed at them. However, I suspect there could be a bit of interest in USB Gadgets stirred thanks to Red's video.

Enjoy!






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LXQK3L7Msk

Bravia Final Edit

This is the final of the much anticipated second execution for the Sony Bravia TV.

I am less excited now since I have seen it. It's not as impressive as the handy cam cut that was released during production, plus it looks too digitally modified considering they actually splattered the building with real paint.

Give me the bouncy balls any day.





And here's the first video that we saw months ago. Better in my book.

A brand is successful when it stops gathering and is gathered.

Brands start by associating themselves with symbols, experiences, emotions and other brands. The process of packaging specifically what values the brand stands for is realized through borrowing from others. How do we know when the brand is successful enough and can stop borrowing? A fundamental shift happens that illustrates and answers this question. Brands know their own success when individuals begin to borrow from them in order to create their own personal brand. In the same way as the virgining brand, an individual borrows form successful companies and iconic imagery in order to tightly package who they are in the eyes of others. At what point does a brand stop borrowing and start lending? Is there any overlap or do they never stop borrowing?


Stay tuned for what I think are the answers....

Passionate Presentations

I am not specifically a Microsoft supporter, but the clip below shows a level of passion and energy that anyone should envy. If you ever make a presentation, lecture, or pitch there is definitely something to be learned from the insane Steve Ballmer. Take a look, and save up your gusto for your next presentation.

Biggs the Australian Fast Bowler

At an Agency I worked for we developed an idea to sell cricket bats. We didn't steal any runs of the client but the idea still hit them for 6.

The idea is funny, but the real joke is me as the 'Australian Fast Bowler'. If I don't make it in advertising, there's always an acting career.

Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille Continued

In a continued dedication to understanding how we think I have found another very high quality resource offering manifesto's on a range of business topics that you can download.

Most relevant to one of my recent blogs is the manifesto by Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille. The manifesto talks about what he calls 'codes' that all of us have programmed into us as children. If we can then tap into these codes we can more effectively understand and therefore sell to people across a particular culture.

The manifesto PDF

Site with full list of manifestos

My previous entry on this subject

New Sony Bravia Execution

In a continuation of the previous Bravia campaign that I so passionately when on about, here is a short of the new execution which is in production in Glassgow.

This time the colour idea is taken a little further, I am still impressed with this idea as simple as it may be.





Sony are hosting their own site with info and images covering the shoot.

http://www.bravia-advert.com

My previous posts about the Bravia Coloured Balls Ad:

http://bigsmallbrands.blogspot.com/2005/12/sony-bravia-lcd-tvc-it-oozes-of-great.html

http://bigsmallbrands.blogspot.com/2006/05/sony-bravia-ad-spoof-for-tango-uk.html

Biggs & Bigger Advertising Newsletter Launch

We are proud to announce that we are launching the Biggs & Bigger Newsletter. A digital broadcast is no new thing these days, but we are happy to be reaching out to our clients and fans.

Our goals for the newsletter:

• To offer tips on improving your marketing capabilities both internally and through a better relationship with your agency.
• Offer actual thinking tools that can aid the process of thinking and creativity.
• Make regular commentary on current advertising campaigns and issues that affect the industry.

Interested? Signup Here

My brain made me do it.

I have recently been exposed to some new tools for understanding how the brain works. This is the whole reason that I got into advertising in the first place: wanting to understand how creativity reacts with a human brain and why people do stuff. To give a quick history, my interest and research into this line of thinking started with reading much of the works of Edward De Bono, the self proclaimed pioneer and leader of Lateral Thinking. De Bono is famous for the 'Six thinking hats', 'Serious Creativity', 'Lateral Thinking' and many others. All of which have added much value to my thinking ability. Just do a Google search, this guy has alot to offer.


My recent search for more resources and more understanding led me to Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille, an internationally known expert in Archetype Discoveries and Creativity. I went in search of him after catching TV program that if I recall correctly was called the Persuaders, in it a group of FMCG companies visit his French mansion, pay a large sum and leave with a couple of carefully uncovered truths he calls Codes. These secrets to connecting with your target on the emotional level are then the basis of brand and communication activity for the brand or company in question.

I found these resources helpful, and have inspired me to integrate these kinds of operations into any and all projects I take on.


The Persuaders - Frontline Interview with Dr Rapaille.

How he sells coffee - there maybe something in here for Starbucks and Gloria Jeans

http://www.rapailleinstitute.com/
http://www.neuromarketinginc.com/

Great Report via CQM online Journal, about Dr Rapaille's work specifically applied to management and leadership. PDF- right click and 'save target as'.


Most recently I was lucky enough to see a presentation that included even more information and techniques to understand the human brain. An expert who works with Herrmann, in particular the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI).

The concepts covered in the Herrmann session are primarily for use in one-on-one situations and for effective leadership and management. That doesn't mean they are not of any value in futher understanding people that form communities and groups aswell.

Here are some snapshots of the concept.

The 4 sectors of the brain work in different ways, and usually an individual will have a noticable preference to one sector.

Here are some fantastic products you can purchase to assist with understanding the 4 part- whole brain concept.

The below should raise your interest but they are certainly not self explanatory, but give an overview of the 4 main character preferences.

1984 will be like 1984

Apple are a powerful brand, and in one of my recent posts I proclaimed that their 1984 superbowl ad was the best ad ever created. I still think this, and there is much evidence to back it up, however, one of their claims in the ad, seem to be un-ravelling.

The sales of Ipods are bordering on monsterous in size, and since the Ipod system will only work with it's own proprietary software it is certainly difficult to avoid doing what Apple wants. Everyone has an Ipod, they all look the same, work the same, and won't let you 'think different' which was a 1990's tag line Apple used.

Here is a parody which even though I love the original, I also like, since it gets at the core contradiction that Apple have embarked upon.

http://www.theroyalwe.org/1984.html


Mike

Blogs Explained in Immense Detail

You need to know what a blog really is. They are revolutionising the media/ business world.... today.

A blog is an easily created website, that you, me, or the moron down the street can create in 10 minutes. More importantly blogs are giving media control to the people, allowing instant publication, and it is free. If this doesn't scare the pants of the Rupert Murdoch's of the world I don't know what would.

Apparently 40,000 new blogs are created every day, granted most are rubbish but the few that are relevant to your business could be doing great work to help or hinder you. You need to be aware and interacting with it.

It's a great thing, that we don't have to listen to the same voice and can choose who, and from where we take our news and opinions. Equally true is the freedom that our own publishing voice provides. Tell the world, tell your customers, tell your peergroup what you think, on mass scale, and have them converse with you by leaving comments. What could be more valuable for a business to do this in real time?


In my travels I recently come across this article on the US newsweek site. I was amazed at both the length and detail this thing goes into on the subject of Blogs in the context of business.
The article finishes with a plug for their own blog blog, called www.blogspotter.com

Read it, then create a Blog.

Mike

P and O Cruise Line sell Sex Orgies

This is what the lawyers are saying in attack on the Cruise Line during the current inquest into a death on the Cruise ship Sky in 2003.

A line of copy on a postcard is what has prompted the hoo-haa. It reads "Seamen Wanted." Not sure where the licence to rape is, but hey I am just an Ad guy, not a sharp witted lawyer.

What is happening around us where an innocent line of copy that basically says you can meet girls and have lots of fun can be taken to extreme levels of responsibility. Who knows what kind of fun you like, maybe playing shuffleboard on the top deck with girls in bikini's is your idea of a hot time, I know it's mine.

The postcard certainly does not say, bring your mates, your GHB and drug the female passengers because thats what they are here for. It doesn't even come close.

The case is sound, but the postcard is not a piece of evidence.


Mike

Sesame Street memories are powerful for brands

I saw this clip on a TV show the other day and was transported to the time that I originally saw it.

It comes from Sesame Street and I must admit that the emotion evoked when seeing what was a big part of growing up, was quite strong. And it's not just nostaglia, it's more than that.

The original feeling of being highly impressed, captivated and amazed by the clip were all re-activated. Even though I am much older, I was unable to look at it as an adult, the only way I could see it was as I used to when I was a little boy.

How is this of any use?

Brands should strive to do the same thing. The job of highly effective and engaging brand communications is to install the same kind of higly evocative emotions. Brands, and Ads, can borrow these emotions from wherever they like in order to attach the emotions desired.

This article talks about the role of creative advertising, and the way in which brands borrow value from relevant souces that we can relate to.

Briefly it tells us:

"The role of the creative idea in advertisements is very simple. It is to transfer meaning from something we understand well to something that we understand less well or need reminding about." from the Adliterate blog.

Need I say any more?

Mike

via Russelldavies

The Greatest Ad of all time

Apple have an engaging, likable, and extremely powerful brand. Some of their recent advertising is a little tired although very effective, even if it does rely on the brand rather than the strength of the idea.

I can't say it all started with a single great ad. But what I will say is that the ad below was a pioneer. It ran only once during the superbowl of 1984. It was voted the best ad of the last 50 years by some hot shots in 1995. Plus I think it's a great ad.

The challenge for you is to see if your brand can let lose an ad that will be talked about with such gusto for the next 22 years. Or is the real challenge to maintain a brand that not only lasts the 22 years but evokes such interest and even carries it's own nostalgic value, as illustrated here.

I'd like it to be as easy as creating a good ad and automatically having a great brand, but today, it is not so. Apple have worked very hard to bring their brand to where it is today. You too will have to work hard to keep all of your brand stakeholders engaged.

So here it is, 1984 the ad.

Copywriters can't write

Sorry, but hear me out.

Incorrect English is a pet hate of mine, even if I am one of the biggest offenders. I endeavour to read as many articles, and books if I have the time, on the subject. Recently I have been reading a book by Lynne Truss. Called Eats, Shoots & Leaves, it's the catalyst for this article.

The title can be misconstrewed and misunderstood which is the point of the book.
I.E. He eats two things; bamboo shoots and leaves. It could also be taken as a record of events; He eats then shoots then leaves.

Getting to the point, so many times in advertising do we see comma's, apostrophe's, and ampersand's in the wrong places. The reason: either Writer's can't write, or in an attempt to create the precise idea that the rules of our language come out second best. Which just means our Writer's can't write.

I'm not saying Copywriters are poor at developing fantastic campaigns through beautiful storytelling. This is something they do well. But does it need to be at the cost of proper language?

The answer is NO it certainly does not.

Further adding to the problem are those individuals like myself who have a creative and a business function in the company. In my quest for creative freedom in writing ads, I find myself bending the rules when writing in a business sense. The less than perfect English in this article is a prime example.

I am also disgusted by the abuse of our language displayed in the modern world of SMS and email. Maybe it's my age, or my desire to be more conservative than I really am, but I just don't' relate to the whole 'C U L8R' crap.

Tell us what you think?

Mike