DID THAT JUST MOVE?..

cinemagraphs - absolutely gorgeous.

EXPER-INTENTIONAL?

while stood amongst a gathered crowd, watching a rather showy installer erect this poster on Brick Lane, i started thinking...

since the birth of youtube, smart phones, and social media, advertising has been able to reach audiences further and faster than ever before. an eye-catching installment or experiential campaign will be filmed and photographed, then shared and blogged, reaching millions in minutes. we know this, and many advertisers are using the free media to great effect.

but as this exuberant worker was climbing and abseiling up and down The Truman Brewery, I realised that not even traditional poster advertising is restricted to its medium. whether intentional or not, Absolut Vodka had created an experiential piece, simply through the installation of a poster (and employment of a real-life Spiderman). there was an excited buzz amidst the spectators - with everyone discussing the artistic designs that had stemmed from the Absolut Blank.

(apologies for the poor image. it was an afterthought taken from my flat window. i didn't have my phone on my at the time of the event)

INJECT INSPIRATION

I'm going to start running again.
(South American agency, once again)

VISUAL AIDS

I wish I had been in advertising before black and white became an option. Stunning.

BUENOS AWARENESS

South American agencies seem to be on top of their experiential game of late, and none more so than Ogilvy, Buenos Aires. Since visiting the addictive metropolis last year, a Latin emigration has never been far from my mind - and with installments like Coca-Cola's friendship machine and Budweiser's Poolball popping up more and more frequently, I think it may be time to dust off the Michel Thomas tapes...

THIS TESTING MACHINE MISSED THE BOAT...

a great new spot for VW from DDB.

almost a reversal of the infamous lemon.

turning the tester into the tested.

and the tested into the tester.

DDB clearly still employ the same great brains.

an agency of thinkers. and not bullshitters.

inspiring.

VERY GÜD INDEED

DDB have composed this charming commercial for the Gü brand of desserts. the beautiful subtlety of the advert works to initially intrigue, and eventually reward - with the musical accompaniment setting the tone of cheeky temptation perfectly.

BORN TO COPY

where it all began?
who knows.

FLIPBOOK OF THE FUTURE

LIVE YOUNG

lovely stuff, eh.

POWER OF MUSIC? POWER OF FILM.

Cinematic Orchestra 'To Build a Home' by shootingpeople
The Cinematic Orchestra's track is beautiful. here it becomes almost mesmeric. it emphasizes the poignancy of this short film, creating what has to be the most moving video i have ever seen. absolutely stunning.

TICK OFF

fantastically art directed illustration here.
i didn't notice the tick initially.
it was an 'aaah, brilliant' moment when i did.

PASS IT ON

Leo Burnett Columbo have produced an extremely moving short film for the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society.

WORDS FAIL ME

the inspiration behind this exhibition of ironic vagaries of the English language was, ironically, a person's struggle with the vagaries of the English language - that person being the author's Italian mother. full of grammatical peculiarities and contradictions, this book questions everything from pronunciation to spelling, all through cleverly manipulated typography.

WORDS FAIL ME - Teresa Monachino

SOME DAY...

powerful, provocative, inspiring.
what else can you say about the narrative?..
this is what copywriting is all about, and this is why i love it.

ABSOLUT LIGHT

although writing with light has been around for some time now, Gringo's latest project for Absolut Vodka, named absolute glimmer, really managed to connect and engage with the audience by going beyond the aesthetics of the trick itself. fantastically interactive and instantly viral, this makes for a great campaign, allowing the consumer to feel extremely close to the brand.

thINK

Solidarités International and its agency BDDP Unlimited released this beautiful spot to build awareness of the scourge of undrinkable water. To evoke the silent and invisible threat of unhealthy water, BDDP Unlimited opted for a minimalist approach that is both visually appealing and surprising, using water and ink exclusively. The spot shows the power of ink to reveal the invisible.

CHIP SHOP AWARDS

if people didn't complain
advertising would be so much better

JAZZ

another epic animated spot for Honda. although the core message may not be as convincing as 'Grrr', W+K have once again combined fantastical animation with an enchanting and charming narrative to great effect.

FBK. LIKE?

it has taken over. taken over social lives. taken over the web. and definitely taken over advertising.

Mark Zuckerberg has borne what is essentially a social documentary, containing details and images of our daily movements. where once a spontaneous snap could be tucked away and kept as a welcome reminder of a moment in our lives, it now acts as a potentially friendship ruining, relationship ending, employment terminating and reputation destroying piece of evidence. the flash of a camera is now immediately greeted with panic... 'don't tag me in that'. facebook terminology has even inserted itself into our vernacular; like, dislike, poke, detag... it hardly induces eloquence.

this online phenomenon does however have its obvious and real benefits. having spent a few months traveling in recent years i came to the realisation that without facebook communication, my family and friends wouldn't have had any real idea what i was up to; where i was going, where i had been. people we met along the way would just be past memories, email addresses on pieces of paper that would never be contacted.

it has become the perfect medium for direct advertising allowing specific targeting, apps, discussions, viral, and interaction. The visuals have even become iconic enough to use in offline advertising, as fantastically demonstrated in the above press campaign.