Goodbye Saturn

I have been a critic of GM car lines for a long time now but I was sort of sad when I heard GM was giving up on the brand. I still stand by my opinion that American Car-makers can make good cars but if foreign companies can do it for cheaper than we should let them and focus our labor supply elsewhere.

Are you advertising-resistant?

Many people that work in advertising can attest to the fact that when you first tell your friends or family that you work in advertising, the first reaction besides the initial hatred for your profession is that they often say "Advertising doesn't really effect me or my purchasing decisions". Recently, when my aunt emphatically claimed she is no way swayed by advertising, I launched into a passionate defense of my profession trying to convince her that the role of advertising is to make consumer familiar with the brand and communicate a unique difference in a product which may not be actually existent. In essence I was making the case that the job of advertising is not to sell products but to create a psychological difference between the brand and competitors in the market... She was unconvinced and so was I. Advertising as it exists today sucks and thats why people want to avoid it at all costs. Bad advertising is actually what led me to get into the industry. I figured there must be a better what to communicate with consumers. I believe that the best advertising (in any media) is based on a deep consumer insight that attempts to get to the core of why people use a product. It is both entertaining and informative. Most advertising I see is superficial and hardly gets to the essence of the relationship between the brand and the consumer. This leads to the advertising being rejected and disregarded as an annoyance that should be avoided if possible. Here is a quote whose source I can not remember 

“Advertising is a Trojan horse, good advertising has an attractive exterior, resembles a gift and delights the heart. But inside, the hard-hitting core is consistently aimed at a specific target”. 

Are you advertising-resistant? Although messages you are exposed to probably have an effect on your behavior that is outside your awareness, bad advertising is extremely distasteful and probably ineffective. Good Advertising based on a deep consumer insight however cannot be so easily disregarded. 

 

Top 3 Ads by Media-Neutral Agencies that happen to do video

I think the proliferation of different media options is driving advertising (and agencies alike) to get down to the true essence of marketing. Howard Gossage said "Advertising may seem like shooting fish in a barrel, but there is some evidence that the fish don't hold still as well as they used to and they have developed armour plate. They have control over what type of ammo you have, when the trigger gets pulled, and how fast your shot moves. Oh, and they're not all in the same barrel anymore". The shift from traditional media to digital isn't a revolution, the shift from screaming at people to buy a product to advertising as a 2-way dialogue between a brand and consumers is. This dialogue can happen using any medium as long as its relevant and targeted. Some agencies were built on this premise, some deny it but most are trying to keep up.


1. The Spark by 180 Amsterdam




180 Amsterdam is a Wieden+Kennedy break away, founded in 1998 by Alex Melvin (who’s still MD), Chris Mendola and Guy Hayward. The name 180 reflects the desire to see things from the opposite perspective and thus to give brands a unique image through unique advertising. In this commercial, 180 is able to make a captivating story about a star football player and the shoes that make him a spark.


2. Are you my man with the jacket by Anomaly



Anomaly is more of a marketing agency than an advertising agency. Anomaly is a new type of communications company specializing in the creation of entrepreneurial marketing opportunities and holistic solutions for brands. Comprised of a proven group of executives with broad experience that spans brand and business strategy, advertising, design, media-strategy, innovation, content, mobile media technology and client-side management. This youtube video is stealth advertising at its finest. Thousands of views in a few days advertising a jacket using a fake youtube video. 


3. Pablo the drug mule dog by Mother advertising





When a line of cocaine costs less than a drink, persuading young people to steer clear of drugs is an enormous challenge. But not too big for Pablo, the drug mule dog. Mother not only won several awards for this campaign but more importantly got people to talk about drug issues. 

Matt Damon freaks out on Adrian Grenier

I know what your thinking... This isn't advertising. Or is it?

Baseball World Cup finals: Safe

Starbucks Via: Difference by BBDO

I love this one. "I can't taste the difference!!!!"

Starbucks Via: Difference by BBDO

I think it makes since why they would only launch the product in store initially but they might have to lower the price if they want to put it in the grocery store next to nescafe... I'm not a big coffee drinker myself but I'm interested to see if this would cut into their brewed coffee business a bit.