Saturday 30 May 2009

Fact is stranger than fiction

Kiddicare sponsor the Katie and Peter reality TV show, showing male and female hands 'bickering' over their products on a sparkly pink laptop.

And now the real-life couple have announced their separation.

There's always a risk when you associate your brand with a celeb. You just don't know what they might do that impacts your marketing.

Thursday 28 May 2009

Happy Birthday To You

M&S is celebrating 125 years with a great ad – the story of their achievements, as told by Twiggy.



Read all about it at www.guardian.co.uk

Meanwhile, Sainsbury's is celebrating 140 years by offering half-price cava.

Company birthdays are a great opportunity for PR.

Dear Sainsbury's. Must try harder.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Frog Mob.

Video by YouTube.
Ad by Sky.
Kit by Diving Leisure London (my dive club).

Moral of the story: Providing props can provide good PR.

Friday 22 May 2009

To be honest

Ginsters is running a radio ad campaign packed with pithy one-liners.

Example:

"My sister suffers from vertigo. I like to phone her up to say 'hi'."

The idea is that their food is filled with good stuff to fill you up.

Trouble is, their slogan is "Real honest food".

So why not construct an ad around honesty?

That would be more consistent with the brand.

Listen to the ads here (although they may have been removed for breaking copyright, ha ha!).

Talking about the ads on 'Talking Retail'.

Monday 18 May 2009

Should've gone to Croydon

Agency: "Ad opens on a Caribbean beach..."
Client: "Not sure we can afford that. How about Croydon?"
Agency: "Oh, OK then."


Advertising Demolition from Specsavers



Any other bright-eyed viewers recognise that the Specsavers 'Fairview' building is Croydon's Fairfield Halls?



Well done to the Croydon Film Commission for selling it as a location.

Today's lesson: Set a budget and stick to it.

Friday 15 May 2009

I don't drink tea. Yuk!

I had a part-time job when I was 16, serving 450 employees in the Allders of Croydon staff canteen. I had to make tea in an industrial-sized tea-urn, using industrial-sized tea-bags, and the smell of it got up my nose, in my hair and in my clothes. I haven't been able to drink any kind of tea since. Yuk!

However, I do recognise the important part that tea-drinking plays in British (and worldwide) culture. And I do acknowledge the 'art' that's involved in making the perfect cuppa.

So I admit I really like the Twinings 'art of tea' ads.

Nothing will convince me to drink the stuff though. Yuk.

The Art of Tea with Twinings



Read about the ads on Talking Retail.

P.S. What can we learn from this? That some people will never buy your product, no matter what you do!

Wednesday 13 May 2009

*That* film is on again...

'How to Get Ahead in Advertising' is on Film 4 tonight at 12.50am (Freeview 15, Sky 315, Virgin 444).

Last time I blogged about it, I called it possibly the worst film ever made and was amazed when its star, Richard E Grant, emailed me afterwards to object.

Hi Richard! * Waves.

So, is it true that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about?

You decide.

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Odd?

The TV ad for new Cadbury's Clusters shows singing Santas surprising people in a park.

The strapline is "wonderfully odd".

In the interests of research, I tested them out. (Don't say I never do anything for you!)

They reminded me of the chocolate-covered cornflakes and raisins that my mum used to make. So, apart from their shape, they're hardly odd at all.

It's a lesson in how to take one unique aspect of your product and shape your advertising around that.

Wednesday 6 May 2009

What does this tell you?



(Click image to enlarge it)

I wonder what happened to cause the need for such a sign?!

The shortest communications can give away a whole story (so be careful when producing yours).

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Pleasuring yourself

The brand positioning for Magnum ice-cream is 'World Pleasure Authority'.

They are currently running an on-pack promotion to give away £3m-worth of pre-paid Mastercards, so winners can buy whatever they like.

That's because Magnum don't sell ice-cream, they sell pleasure.

And what's the usual response to pleasure? "Mmm, that's nice."

Similarly, I don't sell marketing and copywriting services. I sell 'Writing Without Waffle', to which the usual response is "Ooh, that's useful".

So what do you sell?

Is it something that people really really want? Does it make them go "Mmm" and "Ooh"?

If not, perhaps you'd better change it.

Friday 1 May 2009

Words that should be used more often (part 8)

"Boffins"

That's the opening line of the ad that launches Boots new Protect & Perfect serum, scientifically proven to reduce wrinkles.

View the ad on Visit4Info.

Read about it on www.telegraph.co.uk.

So what's the lesson?

Any external endorsement is a powerful sales technique. Tried-and-tested ... proven ... award-winning ... all these epithets really help shift products off the shelves.

P.S. Yes, it did encourage me to buy some. Not that I have any wrinkles of course. Oh no. Not me. No sirree. It was a present, honest...