A majority of the ads suffer a fate worse than being disliked – they are ignored. Creating advertising that is noticed, remembered and liked is not easy. My weekly collection of clutter-breaking creative ads is a small tribute to teams which manage to entertain or moves us while meeting a business objective. Amazing Thailand, HP among others caught my eye this past week or so:
iPad: Jay Park music video
Since its launch in 2010, the iPad has largely been perceived as a ‘consumption device’. Given its relatively larger real estate it was seen as a great option to watch videos or read content. Over the last few years, Apple has made conscious efforts to position it as a device which can help people ‘create’ stuff – be it simple documents, presentations or edit images & videos. The stylus (which was mocked by Steve Jobs in another context when launching the iPhone) and the Pro versions of the iPad have helped change perceptions, albeit slowly about the iPad as a potential replacement for a laptop. As with ‘Shot on iPhone‘, Apple’s approach is the ‘show and tell’ kind demonstrating what’s possible with their devices.
A visually stunning new music video, created by Korean-American artist Jay Park is not only riveting but makes you curious to know how an iPad Pro was used in creating it.
Agency: TBWA\Media-Arts Lab, Seoul
An explainer video gives a glimpse of the device in use. It’s true that an ordinary user of a device such as the iPad Pro may not be as creative or even have such use cases. But it’s the possibility that attracts creative professionals and regular users alike. Pretty much like the iPhone 13 Pro Max which has video features promising a Hollywood-like video experience complete with ‘cinematic mode‘ but such features are unlikely to be used on a everyday basis by regular users.
Dettol: Let life flow
Our residual imagery of antiseptic brands such as Dettol and Savlon is most likely be one of ‘safe’ ads (no pun intended). A new ad for Dettol in the UK shows stark visuals of grime and other icky stuff which needs wipes, sprays and other forms of cleaning products (from Dettol, of course). It reminded me a bit of the Kruger ad from Canada which was even more ‘gross’ in its depiction.
Agency: McCann, London
Globant: 1000-slide presentation
B2B advertising, especially those for tech services has rarely opted for mainstream advertising route. When done – be it for Accenture, TCS or Wipro the tone of voice has been serious. In this context, it is interesting to see humour as route adopted by Globant, which is positioning itself as a challenger brand to the big consulting companies. Many consider ‘the deck’ to be an important output from consultancies and usually expect them to be lengthy and full of complex charts & graphics. A new ad pokes fun at the 1000-slide presentation and offers Globant as the ‘future of digital transformation’. While it is a compelling watch and brings a smile I wonder if it convinces the C-suite folks at large enterprises to include Globant in the consideration set as the communication does not say much beyond promising to do away with ‘old style’ of long presentation decks. Over at the microsite, they promise ‘No more copy paste solutions,
no more endless talk with no real actions’.
Agency: GUT, Buenos Aires
AAA Insurance: Rickrolling
I am a big fan of Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”. Rickrolling, as you might know is an internet meme involving the unexpected appearance of this video. AAA Insurance in the US has recently done the same with Rick Astley himself with the lyrics actually being relevant to a ‘trust worthy’ promise.
Agency: Deloitte Digital
BAFTA: behind every BAFTA
Here’s a career ad with a difference. The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) has launched an initiative to attract various talents with respect to the entertainment industry. A TV spot with some great copywriting showcases the various career options in film & television, smartly juxtaposed with relevant footage from shows and sets.
Agency: Digital Cinema Media, London
DIRECTV: get your TV together
Delivering live TV and ‘on-demand’ in one service has led to an interesting premise of ‘clash of two worlds’ in the past. Continuing on the same vein, is a hilarious spot in which actress Teresa Giudice from ‘Real Housewife’ confronts football star Dak Prescott (‘I just want to talk!’) on the field.
Agency: TBWA
Marshalls: get the good stuff
I thought this was an interesting take from a fashion brand to shift away from their merchandise, celebrity or a model to their internal team of buyers. A new spot positioning their team of buyers as hard-nosed, quality conscious folks who are focused on getting the best value for their customers worked for me.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
ResMed: awaken your best
Sleep apnea and disorders pertaining to sleep are serious matters. To create awareness and yet not get all preachy about it or fear-inducing is a task. Baba Seghal who still has a fan following in India (though his active years as a rapper was quite a few years ago) seems like a good choice for a fun film for ResMed – which is a home test service. I thought the service too was innovative (not just another mattress brand promising a good night’s rest) and even motivated me to sign up.
Agency: Bang in the Middle
Vodafone: crucial moments
There are several ‘behind the scenes’ products or services whose presence is felt only in their absence – i.e. when they don’t work. Car tyres. for example are hardly given a thought, until there’s an issue. Similarly we tend to think of telecom service providers when there is a network issue – if the speed is good and work gets done seamlessly we hardly notice its presence. ‘Trusted by those who you trust’ is a theme that sits well such a provider – Vodafone UK in this case.
Agency: Ogilvy
Which one was your favourite? Do comment in.
