Category Archives: Campaigns of note

14May / 2007

The a-a-a-h-h-h moment

I really like the new Strongbow ad, it’s brilliantly simple. As far as I’m aware not many brands have actually focused on people’s relationship with their tipple in this way. It is such a simple observation I love it.

I’m sure anyone who likes a drink can relate to that release of steam after a hard week. The ‘yeah, now I’m relaxed feeling’. Irrespective of whether or not you drink Cider, next time you are down the pub after work see if you do the same as the guy in the Strongbow ad – I bet you do. I personally don’t drink cider, but my mouth does water a bit just writing this.

With advertising regulations getting increasingly stringent, alcohol brands have moved communications away from people actually having fun drinking, into sometimes unrelated territories that are more about entertainment and portraying a certain personality.

WKD is about the social interactions and the nature of ‘lads’

 
Bud Light is as much about being an entertaining ad as the light beer feature

Bulmers and Magners (not sure what the difference is, if there is one a at all) gets a bit closer for me with ‘Time dedicated to you’ – it’s just rapped up more in the ritual rather than the feeling.

Posted in Advertising, Advertising regulations, Alcohol, Behaviour, Bulmers, Campaigns of note, Comms thinking type stuff, Magners, Strongbow

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29Mar / 2007

Even ruddy CRM guff can sound nice

I signed up to E4′s newsletter the other day and this standard confirmation came through. These days I sign up to so many things I rarely bother to read emails like this, but it did catch my eye. E4′s attention to detail on even the most boring part of CRM is awesome. Have a bloody good read.

‘Thanks for requesting the E4 newsletter. To confirm your subscription and start getting the newsletter wedged lovingly into your inbox, please click daintily upon the link below:

http://www.channel4.com………..

Do this now! It’s the only way you’ll get the newsletter, you know.

If you’ve changed your mind, or if you didn’t subscribe in the first place, or perhaps you just want us to ruddy well go away and stop hassling you, please ignore this e-mail.

The E4 Team’

Ever since Paul Feldwick’s Poetry and Planning evening I’ve tried to pay close attention to how brands use language and I’m yet to see one that doesn’t just do it so well, but also so consistently. A round of applause for E4.

Posted in Campaigns of note, CRM, Divergence, E4, Email marketing, Paul Feldwick

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19Mar / 2007

Save our Sauce

I have to admit it, there’s nothing better on a Sunday morning than a bacon sandwich with some HP sauce to cure a hangover. Proper British, as they say. Or at least they used to.

HP’s new TV ad aired last week and I noticed they had dropped the ‘Sauce of Great Britain’ line in favour of the ‘Sauce of Weekend Pleasure.’ The former was much better, why have they dropped it I thought? Well all became clear when reading the papers on Sunday. HP is moving the production of HP sauce from the UK to Holland.

As a result the country is up in arms. This isn’t just a dissapointment economically, it is another example of a less than impressive British branding at work. You can sign a petition to save the jobs of British workers here. Tommy sauce it is this weekend!

Posted in Advertising, Britain, Campaigns of note, culture, HP, Planning, Politics

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06Mar / 2007

Oh no, the brand police won’t like this

Every year E4 gives people the chance to go mad with its logo in its ESTINGS competition. In association with Creative Review, this competition is attracting some of the best young talent. The lucky winner will see their work commissioned and turned into series of indents for the channel. In E4’s own words they are giving people ‘the opportunity to weird us out with your crazed imaginations’. You can view previous entrants efforts here, here and here. Branded content at its best I’ll think you’ll agree.


I love Channel 4 in general, not just E4 and cult programmes like Shameless and Skins. In my opinion it is one of the most interesting media brands of the moment. It’s approach to creativity, media and programming is way ahead of the others. Until recently Channel 4 worked with Naked and has also developed its own commnications agency 4Creative. I think the thing I love about the brand is its confidence and fluidity. It has the ability to evolve quickly and the nerve not to be ‘consistent and on brand’ all the time.

Posted in Animation, Branding, Campaigns of note, Comms thinking type, Communications, Creativity, Digital, E4, Interactive, Naked, Planning, stuff

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27Feb / 2007

You either love them or hate them!

I saw this advertised in the Observer at the weekend. Now I love Marmite and Guinness, but I’m not convinced I’m going to like this, I will give it a try though. I know my girlfriend won’t be kissing me after a couple of rounds of this on toast (Weird. I just noticed you have rounds of toast and rounds of Guinness). It’s like someone picked the two things that make your breath smell the most and put them together. I wonder if they are going to do a Marmite flavoured Guinness as well?

Posted in Advertising, Campaigns of note, Guiness, Marmite, The Observer

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