The advertising industry last week joined the #TimesUp movement with #TimesUpAdvertising. I'd respectfully suggest that it should read #TimesUpMarketingAgenciesAndTheirClients. Over the last 19 years (!) I've worked for four different marketing agencies and freelanced for many more and I've ended up with a love-hate relationship with the marketing industry. I love the speed at which … Continue reading Marketing, your #TimesUp
So pretty much every retailer has shown their hand now in The Great Christmas TV Ad Showdown. Judging by online views and my friends with kids, Sainsbury's Mog is by far the most popular. And the grocery gurus I follow on twitter say that cuddly Mogs are flying out of stores. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuRn2S7iPNU But it's actually not … Continue reading Sainsbury’s might win The Great Christmas Ad Showdown on views, but Lidl and Asda nailed it
Having passed no less than eight McCain 6 and 48 sheet posters on the way home from my client meeting today it would be hard not to notice their new campaign - the first from Adam & Eve / DDB since they were appointed last year. It's very good. The brief must have been something … Continue reading good stuff from McCain
I'v always been unimpressed by yogurt advertising generally and Activia's advertising in particular. But I hate their latest ad campaign (which googling suggests was by RKCR/Y&R) with a shouting-at-the-TV passion: That's the 'New Year' execution. On air at the moment (but not on youtube) is an even worse seasonally-unspecific happy women eating yogurt execution. The whole … Continue reading Activia and the awful ads
Whenever you open a marketing magazine or head over to a marketing website these days you’re inevitably greeted by an article about the Internet of Things or Digital Content. Since 44% of UK the £14.7 billion UK media spend in 2013 went on ‘Internet’ (including PPC, display and content) the focus on all things shiny … Continue reading don’t forget that it isn’t all about Digital
Krow recently launched a lovely campaign for Pets at Home aimed at upping their warm brand fuzzies KPIs. The real-life clips seen in the ad below were all crowd sourced through social media and the campaign activity runs across TV, online and instore. It makes me want to a) rush out and buy a puppy … Continue reading lovely work from Krow for Pets at Home
There’s been a bit of a hoo-ha in the press today about UKIP’s new outdoor campaign, some executions of which, it’s been suggested, could be interpreted as racist. Rather than paid for by UKIP itself, the media and creative has been funded by Yorkshire entrepreneur and long-term Euro-sceptic Paul Sykes. But is the campaign racist? … Continue reading a view on UKIP’s posters
I've always struggled to understand why business owners feel that their reputation will be somehow enhanced by becoming the focus of a fly-on-the-wall documentary. BBC2's Life in the Freezer Cabinet did nothing for Iceland's positioning and made CEO Malcolm Walker look like an idiot. Which according to a mutual friend is a misrepresentation. the Chief … Continue reading documentaries – is all publicity really good publicity?
I've been working on a project for a category recently that I had to politely refer to in client meetings as "a low interest category for shoppers instore". Jon Steel in his Planner's bible Truth, Lies and Advertising recounts the story of a 1980's client who, flushed with excitement that their new chocolate biscuit bar … Continue reading how do you turn questionable product features into relevant differentiation?
A few things recently have made me question exactly what qualifies as a ‘good’ ad. Is it one that the client likes? The best job the production company / director / creative team could do? How about award winning? Well reviewed? That got the client and/or AD promoted? That kept the client’s account with the … Continue reading what exactly IS a ‘good’ ad?
