I'm always on the lookout for fantastic adverts to share with you and this one is just beautiful.
A few weeks back now I saw an article on the new P&G advert for the Winter Olympics, so watched it and I was mesmerised. I have also seen this on TV in the last few days so look out for it!
If any of you remember back to the 2012 London Olympics and the P&G - Thank You Mum advert, you will know exactly why this is such a beautiful advert. For those who haven't seen it or would re-live it. See below:
Warning.. it's an emotional one..
Is anyone else crying?
The whole advert is perfect, everything about it. It is just amazing, it's so emotive and pulls at every heartstring.
I absolutely love the mum angle they have taken because so many people can relate to it and P&G's products are all household related so this advert will really reach out to Mums.
The ends gets me every time, especially when the mum is crying hugging her gymnast daughter, that's the bit that sets me off. And the music.. the buildup! Ahhh it's all just lovely really. Warm and fuzzy feelings all around.
So.. Winter Olympics
This year is the 2014 Winter Olympics and P&G have recently released another 'Thank You Mum' in regards to the Winter Olympics. See the perfectness below.
Stats Views: 12,270,103
Published: Jan 5, 2014
Likes: 26, 986
What do you think of these adverts? I'd love to know your thoughts?
As some of you may know I work in Advertising and did my degree in Advertising, so it's safe to say I always keep an eye out for good adverts, and 2013 was a fantastic year for adverts.
A lot of you seemed to like my 'Favourite Advert Of All Time' post, in fact it's the most viewed post of my entire blog. So I hope you enjoy my favourite of 2013!
This was a HARD choice, but I chose the one that I probably watched the most, shared with the most people and which really captured my heart.
So... My Favourite Advert of 2013 is Chipotle's - 'The Scarecrow'
Stats Views: 11,802,315
Published: Sept 11, 2013
Likes: 61, 103
What It's About
This advert is for the Mexican restaurant 'Chipotle' and primarily promoting their restaurant and new app 'The Scarecrow.' The advert promotes a healthier lifestyle and how Chipotle only use natural ingredients/sources for their food. It follows the story of a Scarecrow working for 'Crow Foods' who source their ingredients unfairly whilst hiding the truth & he wants to make a change.
Style
The style of the advert is quite unique. It is almost a short animated film which follows a journey and you are entranced right until the very end. It's funny how you can feel emotions for animated characters. The one part that gets me every time is that poor cow, the look in his eyes is heartbreaking.
Why I Like It Firstly I think the music is incredible. The Fiona Apple Cover of 'Pure Imagination' is haunting & fits with this PERFECTLY. It's so creepy and emotive & even has the little up beat part of the song where the healthy food starts to kick in.
Another thing I like is the message. I myself am vegetarian, for no other reasons apart from the fact I don't like the taste of meat.. but even so.. it puts the restaurant in a good light. They do things differently which I like.
I like the fact it's animated, it's not so much a shouty message as it would be with real life animals, people & factories. It's such a powerful message they are trying to portray; that we don't know what is going on behind closed doors, and it is done so cleverly. It in no way seems like it is shoving a message down your throat or preaching something. It is done with style that really makes you think.
I shared this advert AS SOON as I saw it and everyone loved it just as much.
Chipotle was honoured to see I chose them as you can see below:
So were the animation studio who made the advert:
So that's my favourite advert of 2013. What do you think?
Do you like it? What's your favourite advert of 2013?
The week before last I Graduated University, I got to have the big ceremony and yes that included me throwing my hat up in the air! It was such a lovely day. I wasn't really sure what to expect as I was only visualising what I had seen in movies, and I guess it was quite similar to that.
The ceremony was held in Guild Hall in Southampton. This hall was decorated beautifully and full of students in matching gowns and hats, as well as family & friends and we had to go onto stage to collect our award. This was a lot more nerve racking than you'd think as I was paranoid I was going to fall flat on my face. It was such a blur, I barely even remember going on stage! I DIDN'T TRIP!
Southampton
I had my graduation in Southampton as this is where I went to University. I miss southampton so much as always knew it was going to emotional going back as it is where I've spent the best 3 years of my life. I was so excited to see everyone again and I couldn't wait to go back, but it was always in the back of my mind, graduation was final. It was the final goodbye to uni and the closing of that chapter of my life. However, I am so happy I was able to go to graduation knowing I was in a job and could start that new part of my life. It's still very upsetting not being a student anymore though! That was always a great excuse to have a nap, go out every night or get a discount from shops!
Gown
As soon as I arrived in Southampton I had to collect my gown, which was very excited but I had no idea how to put it on. I was so grateful that there were people allocated to dress you as I would have been lost. Soon after I was dressed in my gown I was swiftly moved onto the photos which I had done with my family and a single one of myself. I was pretty much put into position by the photographer & have the standard graduation photo of me holding the scroll, eeek I'm very excited to see it.
Streaker
It was then photo time for me and my family and you can see some of the photos I captured dotted around this post. I am VERY grateful it didn't rain as it did on some other days. I am also grateful I was not graduating the day before as there was a STREAKER during that ceremony. Find a news article regarding that HERE. My reaction tweet is actually featured in the article, so check it out!
Ceremony
Anyway, it was then onto the ceremony and all I remember of this was waiting for the row to go in front of me as I knew I was next. As everyone worries about, all I was thinking was DO NOT FALL! And luckily I didn't. I can barely remember what the chancellor said to me but I remember being so relieved when I sat down and I hadn't made a fool of myself.
Overall
After the ceremony there were many more photos and of course the famous hat throwing. Overall Graduation was wonderful, the ceremony and the day went so swiftly and I had such a lovely time seeing and celebrating with everyone.
I am very proud of myself and a few years ago I would never have seen myself where I am today and graduating with a 2:1 in Advertising.
I absolutely loved my uni experience and would recommend it anyone thinking of going to University. You can read my post on University HERE. I am so thankful to all the people I have met over the past 3 years, they have made my time at uni the best it could have possibly been.
If any of you have graduated recently I would love to know how your ceremony was and it anything funny or embarrassing happened during it!
Quick little post today, I just had to share something with you.
My last post was about the new John Lewis Christmas Advert. If you haven't seen yet yet, WHY NOT. Take a look at my last blog post and you can see it there. Well anyway, a video has come out about the making of the advert and it is astonishing!
I cannot believe the amount of effort that went it to it, no wonder it cost 7 million! Each take a different movement and each piece of the set has been designed individually and from scratch. I thought it was computer animated, so seeing this has totally shocked me. The amount of time and effort put into this is incredible and they should be very proud of the result.
I want to share this with you all so click the link below and see the video of how this amazing, tearjerking advert was made. Enjoy!
So, the wait is over. The John Lewis Christmas advert is here.
I wait all year for the Christmas adverts, it is the one time of year that retailers know they have to get right and pull out all the stops to outdo their competitors. John Lewis have held the top spot for a while in the UK, and their adverts have now become almost iconic with people waiting all year for them and waiting to see what emotive advert they produce. I am one of these people. I have loved John Lewis' adverts from the start and throughout the year, not even around christmas time, I find myself searching for all of the adverts on YouTube and watching them from beginning.
So, if you are wondering why I am writing this blog post when it isn't even Christmas yet, it is because John Lewis have released their christmas advert. Yes people, it's been released!! It is due to be released on TV during the X Factor on Saturday night, however it has been released online for all of us searching for it prior. John Lewis have actually bought out the entire advert break during X Factor, which the agreement of Simon Cowell, to make sure their advert is memorable and everyone is talking about. Which I'm sure they will. Watch the new 2013 John Lewis Christmas advert below:
The advert tells the story of a bear and a hare around Christmas time. The advert is animated so is quite different to anything they have done before. It shows the bear not in the Christmas spirit, whereas his best friend the hare is trying his very hardest to get his best friend in the spirit so they can enjoy it together. The advert shows all the other animals enjoying decorating the tree etc but the bear yawning. It is soon clear the bear is going into hibernation, and will always miss christmas due to his sleeping patterns and is therefore not aware of how enjoyable christmas can be.
The advert really pulls on your heartstrings when the hare is looking at all the other animals enjoying christmas day and he is so upset his best friend can't be there. The next thing, the bear comes along with a huge smile on his face after receiving the hare's present of an alarm clock to wake him up just in time for Christmas. And they all live happily ever after. Of course.
The advert cost a whopping 7 million so I do hope they sell a lot of those alarm clocks!
Something I think John Lewis do perfectly with their adverts is the music choices, this again is a perfect choice and I'm sure this cover of Keane's 'Somewhere Only We know' by Lily Allen will be a hit, as all the other iconic, slowed down, covers are. The music is so emotive and beautifully fits with the story. The music for last year's snowman advert particularly stood out to me because it was so entrancing, it made the advert.
Their adverts are so iconic, and are always known for being a tearjerking and emotional. They could be criticised for being very repetitive and following the same story, which is some cases they do. A lot of John Lewis christmas adverts follow the same story for finding the perfect christmas gift for your love ones, which this new advert follows too. However, John Lewis know if they feature products in their adverts, people will buy them, which is exactly what happens. This alarm clock will now be on everyones Christmas list.
As much as I do love this advert, and think the animation and disney like style really sets it apart from anything they have done before, I do prefer some of their other christmas adverts. My all time favourite one (and this is a hard choice) is 'The Long Wait' and I know this is a similar view of many others. The advert shows the boy impatiently waiting for Christmas and when the day is finally here, he cannot wait a minute longer. You assume he is waiting for Christmas all the time, but in fact he is waiting to give his parents the present he has bought him. It is such an emotive advert I do remember I did actually shed a tear at this one, because it is unexpected. Watch it below:
There have been many other brilliant John Lewis Christmas adverts and another favourite of mine is the Sweet Child Of Mine 2009 advert, I absolutely love the transition at the end, it works perfectly. Here are their 2008, 2010 and 2012 adverts for you to have a look, and probably cry at.
I'm sure there will be many more Christmas adverts I will love and I'll make sure to share the best ones with you! So that's it, another long year of waiting for the John Lewis Christmas advert is upon us.
And remember, give someone a Christmas present they'll never forget!
As you may know, I love a good Viral Video and this one does not disappoint. I don't know how I haven't seen this advert until this week, and some of you may already have seen it, but if you haven't I highly recommend you watching it. This advert for 'True Move H' is just beautiful and very touching. The story follows how an act of kindness can have an effect many years later. It is a very emotional advert, so get your tissues out if you are going to watch it, with the last line reading 'Giving is the best communication.'
The advert was an instant success and it has already been viewed over 12 million times on YouTube, with numerous articles and tweets about the infamous tearjerking video.
Anyway I am going to stop talking now and just let the advert speak for itself. Below I will be posting links which talk further about the advert. Enoy!
On Monday, I was lucky enough to go to Social Media Week's Opening Party. If you don't know what Social Media Week is, it is a week long event which takes place around the world, holding events, guest talks and lectures revolving the world of social media. For more information, check out their website HERE. The opening party is a great way to get a flavour for the week and a fantastic chance to network so I was very excited to go. For all of you that couldn't make it, I will be including photos of the night, so you all can see.
The first thing that took me by surprise was the giant red carpet outside we had to walk down! As well as this, around 20 photographers were snapping my photograph! I didn't have a clue where to look it was very surreal, but what a fantastic welcome. Upon entering there was also a lobster van which was serving various food throughout the night that went as quickly as you could even say the word lobster.
The inside of the party was decorated beautifully and the lights and effects around the room did look really good. As you can see from my photos, it was quite dark but there were a lot of strobe lights which heightened the atmosphere.
The night itself was good, there were various stalls and stands showcasing brands, but by far the best was the Duck DJ stall. When the ducks and blocks moved around the square, the beat changed and it was almost like a DJ deck. Very fascinating.
At the party there was also a great graffiti battle in which a white blank wall was covered in graffiti, it was great to see this progress and it was done only using a pen, great to see! Although I don't know what the image on the left is meant to be, eggs?
As well as this there were Nokia stands, lots and cupcakes and blue wine. The Nokia stands were showing the various new Nokia phones, which had some great new features and the cupcakes even had Nokia logos printed on them. To top this off and promote Nokia just that little bit more, the wine was blue, blue wine!
Overall I had a good night, although I would suggest more hubs next time, apart from networking there wasn't as many stands or focal points as I imagined there would be. It was a great event and I can't wait to keep updated on the rest of Social Media Week. If you would like to keep updated with Tweets about Social Media Week, take a look at their Twitter page HERE.
I recently tweeted about this subject as I find interior design fascinating and believe a well designed office can boost inspiration and imagination. My office is currently going through some renovations so I was researching into some interesting office designs and stumbled on some amazing ones! Some of the creative agencies around the world have the best interior design I have ever seen, so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you.
The way they are designed and the thought process that must have gone behind them is amazing, I would love the be inside the designers mind. Most of my examples are advertising agencies. I would personally love to work somewhere that was designed somewhere like this, I think it would boost my creativity, I could just look up at the ceiling and an idea could pop into my head. I also think a nice office makes a better working place, and therefore you will enjoy coming to work even more. If you don't already enjoy going to work, maybe you are in the wrong career! I know it is not everyone's cup of tea but I would always be in amazement and never want to leave the office! Below are some of my favourite examples I have found of office designs around the world. Hope you enjoy them!
Google Headquarters London
Google Headquarters London
JWT Amsterdam
NPIRE Germany
BS2H
Jakarta Advertising
Mother London
Leo Burnett
TBWA New York
These are some of my favourites but I'm sure there are plenty more out there so if you see any make sure to Tweet me or leave me a comment with your favourites.
Now, this may be a surprise to some people but I love Cinema Advertising, always have, always will. I believe this is a very underrated advertising platform as I think it is potentially one of the most powerful. I am definitely one of those people who will get to the cinema early or run if I am late so I can catch the adverts. By cinema advertising I do not mean the regular adverts which are shown on TV as well, I mean the specific adverts which have been made for cinema. Therefore I do not mean the horrendous phone adverts before each film, or the 10 car adverts you will see, but the adverts made only for cinema, that use special effects and you won't see anywhere else. Although I work in digital advertising and I agree this is the most upcoming and shows the most potential of the moment you cannot fault the power a cinema advert can have on you. Below I will be talking you through some of the reasons I find it so interesting.
It Gets Your Attention
Think of a cinema. A large dark space, a single focus point and silence. There couldn't be a more perfect way to attract your audiences' attention. Not to mention you will not only be getting the attention of one person, but a mass amount of people who have been squeezed into that one space. Once the advert is playing there is no distraction as there is only one focal point in the whole room. For however long your advert is, you will have their undivided attention and focus. There will be no other noise as someone will most likely shush anyone who talks, and you will not notice the people finding their seats as it will be dark, unless you are one of those people who put their phone on the highest brightness setting to find your seat.
Personal
Once it has grabbed your attention, it will become a very personal message. Everything in a cinema advert is heightened, sound and size are magnified and it almost becomes an advert which is directed at you because of the scale of it. Although it may seem overwhelming, it could be seen as someone almost reaching out and speaking to you because you feel as if you are the only person in the room, making the advert just for you. Because it is dark, you can sometimes feel like you are the only one there, unless of course you are in front of the kid throwing popcorn. This type of direct messaging can sometimes be the most effective and the message of the advert is more likely to stay with you if you feel it is personal.
Effects
Cinema advertising has the potential to have incredible effects, ones that regular TV advertising doesn't. For one the sound of a cinema advert will be a lot better. It has the potential to be played out of different speakers at different times to target various parts of the cinema to keep you entertained and interested. The lights and colours of cinema adverts will also be bigger and bolder as the screen is so large and it is a dark room. Everything will be heightened and seem so much better than a regular advert. A good cinema advert done well has the potential to be fantastic and leave a lasting impression on the audience.
Lasting
I remember a specific advert- A Radio 1 Cinema Advert, and it stuck in my head throughout the film. I was amazed by the sounds and visuals and being a radio advert this was very important. I remember coming out of the cinema and thinking more of the advert than the film, and that's saying something. A good cinema advert will be unique, you will only see it in the cinema so it will have a lasting effect on you as you will not be constantly reminded of it. This could either be a positive or a negative, a positive in that it is unique to cinema and it will always be that special experience, or negative in that you will never be reminded of it.
Specific Audience
This platform can be extremely targeting. You as an advertiser know exactly what time of person will be in that cinema, roughly what age range, whether they will be with their group of friends or partner depending on the movie type, what type of person they are depending on the genre and how many people you will be targeting due to ticket sales. Targeting and showing your advert to a bunch of people who are more likely to take note and be interested by it is extremely important and by doing this in a cinema it will be so personal and powerful. You can also potentially measure the effect of the advert, by and call to action or increased website activity after the film has been shown.
Potential
I believe that cinema advertising also has a lot of potential. Understandably at the moment it is just sound, lighting and the scale of the advert which give it the wow factor. However, maybe one day we could see cinema advertising becoming interactive, the more 3D films that are coming out leaves great potential for 3D cinema adverts, which would be incredible and visually beautiful. Other effects which could have potential could involve wind of water machines like in some interactive theatres currently, thought not everyones taste, this type of advertising may have to be suited to a specific audience and film.
The video below is the Radio 1 Cinema Advert I talked about earlier. This is the first cinema advert I remember thinking how good the effects were. The advert itself is showing the different DJ's on the radio, and in itself that seems a quite long winded and boring job to do. The advert though, being put in cinema sounded incredible, all the different voices echoed through the cinema, and the constant light changing and colourful lines was visually great. This is actually the first time I have watched it back since seeing it in the cinema many years ago and it is so weird watching it back. I didn't remember the advert actually being that long, so in the cinema I must have been so entranced I kept watching. Obviously on a YouTube video it is not going to look the same as it would on the big screen, but try and use your imagination and picture this in the cinema.
Stats
Views: 21,463
Likes: Disabled
Posted: Jun 23, 2008
The next advert is a Lego Cinema Advert, which is aimed at children. The advert is perfect for a children's film as it will entertain and amaze them. The advert is set up as if the lego people are in a cinema as well which will attract the children and make the lego people seem real to them. It is also cleverly done because parents will most likely take their children to the cinema, and after seeing this advert they will ask their parents for the lego city harbour.
Stats
Views: 41,298
Likes: 10
Posted: Aug 12, 2011
Now, I'm not sure if this was released in Cinemas, but researching Cinema Adverts, I stumbled upon it and remember being so amused when it first came out last year. It also involves a cinema, which it somewhat topical, so I thought I would share it with you.
Stats
Views: 13,559,967
Likes: 41,989
Posted: Sept 22, 2011
So, that's it. My reasons for loving Cinema Advertising. I know that was a bit of a ramble, and I commend you if you are reading this now! Next time you are in a Cinema, try and spot the adverts which have been made specifically for Cinema and see if you think they have utilised this medium to its best potential. And for all you people who skip the Cinema adverts, you're missing out!
Now, because I only started this blog on Saturday, this is effectively last weeks top Adverts. Normally my blog posts like these will be posted on Fridays to sum up the week, but today it's a bit different. I personally love viral videos, I believe they can be so powerful and their reach can be extraordinary. I will share both viral videos and adverts with you as I think a viral video done well can have as much influence as any advert could.
LG Ultra Reality
The first video which caught my eye this week was LG's Ultra Reality meteor prank. I found this video so entertaining and hilarious I shared it around the office and with my Twitter followers. If you haven't seen the video yet, check it out below, a very clever way to advertise the new product. I can't imagine what was going through people's minds when it was happening! There is a lot of hype about this video being a set up, but either way LG have pulled it off as everyone is talking about it.
Stats
Views: 7,468,523
Likes: 43,250
Published: Sept 3, 2013
Guinness- Made Of More
The next advert which was brought to my attention was Guinness' 'Made of More' which features men in wheelchairs playing basketball. I actually found this through a link via Twitter on Friday and when I watched it, it has around 100,000 views. Today it has 3,687,743 views, showing the sheer power the internet can have. This advert has a very heartfelt and touching message that really sums up the last line of the advert 'Made Of More.' The advert itself is quite basic and very simple, but that's what makes it so great, it's all about the message, no gimmicks or fancy lights, just the important and underlying message. The music in the background- 'To Build A Home' is also one of my favourite songs. Definitely worth a watch and share.
Stats
Views: 3,687,743
Likes: 20,845
Published: Sept 3, 2013
Nike- Possibilities
I actually saw the shortened version of this advert for the first time on TV last night and decided to go to YouTube to find the longer version. Again, this is a powerful advert with a strong message of your possibilities running through it. The way this advert blends and is put together is brilliant and it does make you think you could be doing more with your potential. Spot the famous faces in here too! Check it out below.
Stats
Views: 10,367,690
Likes: 25,538
Published: Aug 21, 2013
Twerk Fail
Now this is a funny one. This viral video has been circling my social channels constantly! I first found this video via Twitter and went on Facebook a minute later and it will over my Timeline. The video features a girl recording herself doing the latest dance craze 'Twerking' but ultimately failing in the most unfortunate way. I do not know if this video is real or fake but it is hilarious either way and definitely worth a watch!
Stats
Views: 8,353,278
Likes: 36,091
Posted: Sept 3, 2013
So that's it, my Top Ads/Virals of the week. Hope you enjoyed them! Let me know what your favourites were and if you have any great Ad's you've seen this week, share them with me.
