Archive for October, 2007
I’m official
I’m now officially on the AdAge Power 150 list of bloggers. Except I’m actually at number 377 (it seems to move around a lot, I was at 365 yesterday). Lots of lovely new blogs on the list, well worth a visit.
What a turn off
I was reading November’s UK Marie Claire at the hairdressers last weekend and was struck by just how lazy their feature ‘What a turn on’ (featuring the stars of TV’s Autumn schedules) was.
Its just disappointing. From the tired concepts (photographer’s studio with subjects sitting on camera cases, ladies in evening dress in grounds of country house, Billie Piper in a man’s shirt and not much else), to the shot that looks like it was bodged together from two separate sittings.
And god help the stylist that thought those trousers fit
(and trust me, I’m an expert on these things).
I just expected something better.
Blogosphere, I need your help please
Can anyone think of any good examples of interesting typography being used in well known UK ads where you have to work relatively hard to actually read the copy? Even better if it comes with an effectiveness case study.
I’m trying to get a client to sign off on some really nice work, but their boss needs a bit of convincing…
best advice
I’ve had a couple of instances recently where I’ve had to tell a client that what they are proposing is mind numbingly, completely the wrong thing to do. To explain that I’m giving them our best advice and that we wouldn’t do it if it was our money.
But do they act on my advice? In some cases, no. In some cases, they even adopt a “la la la I can’t hear you” approach.
If clients are paying their agencies significant fees to give them best advice on communications, surely they should be at least listening? I do appreciate that sometimes there are other factors at play that the agency hasn’t been exposed to, but I’m getting quite depressed at the amount of clients (and new business prospects too) who seem to want to employ ‘yes men’.
Maybe its the slightly wobbly state of the economy that is denting client confidence, maybe its a reflection of the changing client/agency power balance.
But I’m way too bloody minded to just take the money and run.
(pic by bullish1974 via Flickr)
Spooks
I’m loving the new series of Spooks (aka ‘MI-5′ for any Americans out there).
Not only do they appear to have thrown out all one-off militant military/anti vivisection etc storylines in favour of one big national security story arc for the series, but the interactive element is spot on.
In 2005, I got hooked on Spooks Interactive on BBCi (even getting 100% in my Garbology exam) and now I’m loving the extra content online and really appreciating the seamless link between the TV show and the online experience. The quality of the Interactive site is incredible in terms of production values and specially filmed sequences (Adam fans, log on to see his latest chat with his shrink).
Anyhow, you’ve got to give some respect to the previous winner of an Interactive TV Bafta and D&AD silver.
Alternative job titles for a Planner (Account, Strategic or otherwise)
Seeker of Insight
Chief Post-Rationaliser
Head of Desk Research
King/Queen of google
Master of Disguise
Director of Negotiation
Futureologist
Data Analyst
Librarian
Voice of the Consumer
NPD Consultant
Market Researcher
Brainstorming Trainer
Freelance Journalist
Senior Vice President of Brief Writing
more avatar fun
I found more Simpsons make-your-own-avatar style fun on HP’s Gwen Stefani microsite.
This time, its make-your-own-harajuku-girl. Whatdayathink of mine?
when great ads (sometimes) get killed by focus groups
Produced for the New England 2007 Hatch Awards by Arnold, this is a sobering example of why the average focus group stuck in a meeting room and forced to watch an animatic don’t necessarily produce the kind of feedback that leads to great creative.
In fact, there’s a whole other rant here bemoaning the demise of holding groups in recruiter’s homes. I think its something to do with insurance, but certainly round my way its come to an end.
Which is a real shame because the best, most honest groups I’ve moderated or observed have come from a group of women (who might even, shock horror, have met each other before) cosied up in someone’s living room with cups of tea and biscuits chatting about Life – rather than a group of strangers holed up in a meeting room with a flip chart.
Come fly with Pam Ann
I found this on youtube, which lead me to the tie-in website too.
Sooooo much better at communicating BA’s quality-and-service ‘upgrade to British Airways’ message than the very corporate and slightly weird ad set in Australia.
OK it isn’t going to win any awards, but it made me smile. And lets face it, we’ve all travelled with airlines where the entire cabin crew make Pam Ann look like a customer service goddess.
What I’m loving right now
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – if you haven’t seen it yet, hurry hurry there’s only 11 episodes left to air, as NBC in their wisdom decided not to commission a second series
- Radio One: Established 1967 – especially Keane’s fabulous cover of Under Pressure
- Antibiotics. The Bug has finally gone. I managed to infect a good half dozen of my co-workers first though…
