HOW TO GET PEOPLE TALKING. STUNTS

some absolute gems in here.
this method of advertising always seems to inspire some of the most creative thinking.

LOOSE MEN

andy gray and richard keys.
any worse than this lot?!
this daytime TV drivel sees the haggle of middle-aged misandrists spout out endless sexual innuendo's and slate the opposite sex. the only difference between this and graykeysgate is that for this sad show, the conversations are meant to be aired. for entertainment!
it seems odd that a group of guys sat around chatting during half time of a football match should be chastised for voicing an opinion, or making a laddish, if slightly lewd comment... off camera!

EPIC EXPERIENTIAL

Y&R London's infused with imagination campaign for Bombay Sapphire is a fantastic piece of ambient experiential. captivating and almost hypnotic, i imagine such a display would have driven a fair few of the guests to gin-based cocktails at the ensuing event.

SKY STUNNER #2

the gorgeous panning shots across the new york skyline, enhanced by the flashes of sun glare and coupled with a mesmeric narrative makes for another incredibly enchanting advert from sky.

PRINT OF THE WEEK

a couple of stand out print ads i have come across this week.
TOP Feel like a star. for Dr. Tint, a glass-tinting service for cars.
BOTTOM Extends Life. for Sekunda Glue.

ANECDOTAL METAPHORS & METAPHORICAL ANECDOTES

dave trott's blog.
always a great read.

REQUIEM FOR A NIGHTMARE

a loose recommendation lead to myself and 3 pals watching Requiem for a dream on a "relaxed" friday night in. we were not expecting what has to be one of the most forceful and abrasive anti-drug narratives ever. the film presents the darkest take imaginable on a story of hopes and dreams shattered by drug addiction. there was no preaching or sermonizing, just a hypnotic and almost-clinical depiction of lives laid to waste. Aronofsky's chillingly graphic vision succeeded in giving us a nightmare not lightly forgotten.

DEAD COOL

WHO ARE WE TRYING TO IMPRESS?

having quaffed a couple of tins last night, i showed my friends this ad idea for Wharfedale that i am working on. a reasonably simple graphic and clear visual message i would say. yet after a few seconds gazing at it, the lads proclaimed that they didn't get it.
fair enough, the graphic may not be working well enough. the idea may not be strong. or the details of the visual may be lost. i can accept that.
however, i then asked - would it work better as an ad for you if there was simply a picture of the speaker with huge text next to it reading "BUY THIS SPEAKER NOW!" ? to which the answer was a resounding "yes".

i think sometimes it is easy to try and be too creatively clever. it may impress a left-hand-side-of-the-brainer, but will it impress the consumer.

this tussle invariably becomes apparent when i am leafing through a publication such as Lurzer's Archive. the majority of the ads featured in it are ingenious and leave me in awe. yet when i hand a copy over for my friends to peruse, they generally comprehend just 2 or 3 ads from the entire magazine. and that's on a good day.

it does raise the question do many ads work too hard?
or are my pals just stupid?...

JESSIE J

so gald this girl gained the title she deserved.
on Jools Holland earlier in the year she shone.
hoping her hip-hop instincts don't ruin what is the best female vocal in a long long time.

ARTIST OF 2011...
(and of course James Blake)

NEED A BREAK

i bet even the most discerning of Art fans would welcome this piece of perfectly placed ambient.

SEX AIRPPEAL

how do you make an airline sexy?
it seems just ask Y&R.
this stunning advert for Virgin has succeeded in distinguishing the airline as the stylish flyers' choice.
sexy, yet elegant.
luxurious, yet unassuming.
voguish, yet classic.

on every viewing i can hear the iniquitous cries of sexism.
it would be naive to emulate an James Bond opening sequence without expecting to rouse some feminists, eh.

i think will be flying Virgin in my ECD years...

COGGLES. YORK

York's Sarah Coggles boutique offers one of the most diverse designer collections of any store i know. great atmosphere. friendly staff. and effortless interior. well worth a visit.
(and with Betty's Café Tea Rooms a mere stroll away, why wouldn't you)

Sarah Coggles

GUILTY PLEASURE

i love silly cameras.
i don't know why.
i'm not trying to be edgy. (at least i don't think i am)
i hate edgy.

my polaroid camera is too bulky for a pocket. too bulky for some bags.
regardless of the quality of the shot. it has cost over £1.
but each photo is itself a piece of art.
something immediately tangible.
passed between friends. scribbled on.
born framed.

my Holga has the same logistical drawbacks.
each roll of 120 film costs in excess of £10 to develop.
few photo processing shops house the equipment to do it.
the prints often draw a blank.
but each image that does come back holds excitement. anticipation.
a double exposure. leaked light. that vignette.

my point and shoot film camera still doesn't fit in a pocket.
the films cost. the developing costs.
beautifully taken shots are returned scarred and overexposed.
moments are lost.
but every mechanical click and whir.
every wait.
every film returned.
brings something aberrant.

taking photos on my digital camera is free.
the image is high quality.
it can be digitally enhanced and altered.
it can be seen instantly.
but can be as quickly erased.
it has no imperfections.
no character.
no charm.
each image will spend it's entire life lost in a sea of thousands just like it.
inside an electric box. on my hard drive.


a salient comparison might be a relationship with, say, a woman.
one who is attractive will draw you in straight away.
she is modern. trendy.
immediately you can see that you like her.
you feel you know everything about her from one electric encounter.
everything seems ideal.
however this transparency soon becomes boring.
there is nothing more to her.
cue detachment.
she ends up a forgotten memory in that black book with many just like her.

but that girl who keeps a bit back.
the one that requires time (and money) for anything to develop.
her imperfections become endearing. personal. lovable.
each time you look at her your love grows.
she is timeless. a real one off. a treasured gift.

she is the one you keep hold of.

LIFE SAVING

sex sells.
the lingerie market is surely built on this premise.
therefore it is kind of a prerequisite that a lingerie advert be sexy.
although maybe not medically accurate. this still works.

and works well.

FANTASTIC AND UNERRING COPY

from Droga5 (click link)

i love this industry.
i wish i didn't.
i want to spend my career keeping it relevant.
i wish AMV BBDO or DDB or TBWA implemented nepotism in their selection process.

DOG SHIT

i thought the whole charm of the Andrex adverts was the cute puppies..?
baffled why JWT have animated it.