Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Shake it up baby now

So I have been MIA a bit recently. There are 2 reasons for this:

1. I like Auckland, I like the nightlife. I also like to boogie. Haven't been home much to actually write anything for a while.
2. Nothing has really deserved writing about recently.

Considering the above, I am now going to do a bit of a round up of everything that doesn't deserve a post all to itself.

Mini.
Initially, I liked the Mini Soho campaign. Now, I was basing this solely on the giant billboard and I will stick to that, I LOVED the massive billboard. Unfortunately I think that the rest of their campaign they tried to be too clever and it just didn't gel for me.

For a start, I saw very few of the actual ads (I know that a 3D cinema ad is cool kids - but if the only movie you can play it in is Shrek, is it really worth it?) and I am totally going to admit it, the online ad which you had to enter you IQ, wouldn't let me in. Not because I necessarily have a low IQ (I probably do), but because I do not know (or care) what my IQ is enough to find out, let alone what may be high or low. Hows about we make it relevant?

If you want to read all about what they did do for this campaign, read last months AdMedia. I think.

Then, once the Soho campaign was over we get this:
Yawn. Is anyone else bored? I'm pretty bored. Mini bores me. Sorry. The one with the dog is worse.

Also, balloons for the Ponsonby Street Fair... whatever? Ugh. Why don't you try harder?



Orcon.
Then there was the Orcon banners which everyone talked about. You can read about them here.Honestly - the cover that these damn banners got, I don't understand. So it's a multi-video banner which was shot specifically for the banner. Cool. I mean, it's novel, but I don't think its the be all and end all to save online advertising.

TVNZ
There was a rant here about TVNZ which I think may be better not to share. Let's just go with I think TVNZ are jumping the shark.




OK - there is a lot of negativity in there - sorry kids. I just think that there is a lot of uninspiring work out there at the moment. Nothing has made me step back and go WOW for ages (except of course the amazing work my agency does, but this blog is not about self importance. Much).

It is a shame.

iPad
To end on a positive note however - I had my first play on an iPad the other day and the Herald app. Freaking aye - now that is cool. Really impressed with what the crew at APN have put together for that, and I think there is a really nice balance of advertising in there too. Not too often, but often enough.

The Yellow Page ad - that WAS uber impressive. Very cool ad. You kinda have to see it to understand (if someone wants to screen shot it for me and email it though, please do and I will upload the pics).

EDIT: Ask and you shall receive - the lovely Donna from APN Digital just sent through screen shots for me.

She's all very happy:
But turn the iPad sideways and... Opps!

I think it's great.

But if you have read my blog before, you will know where this is going.

I would like Yellow's advertising better if they would FIX THEIR FREAKING PRODUCT.

I will admit, it is slightly better than it was 6 or so months back, but if I search for Save Mart I still get a butcher.

That is all. Hopefully something amazing comes creeping out of the woodwork and I can write about how inspired I am again.

Note - I wrote this post a month ago in late August and there hasn't been much happening in the meantime, so you guys get an old post. Stink. Sorry about that.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ikea - Herding Cats

AMAZING and beautiful ad for Ikea made by Mother London who released 100 cats (and we're not talking professional cats here, just family and friends favourite felines) in the Wembley Ikea store.
I haven't seen such a lovely commercial in ages.

Incase you care, the following commercial for EDS is my other favourite cat commercial:

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

A Few Of My Favourite Things

In one ad.

Street Art, Guerilla Advertising, Banksy.
Epic.

Exit Through The Gift Shop was one of the MANY films I didn't get to see at the Film Festival. I am so so glad that it is up for general release. Check out the trailer below: