Hipsterrr

Hipster, youth, fashion and dreamy la la land. Alriiiiight! It's what life and all fashion ads these days are about.

To be honest I had zero idea what the feck was going on when people started buying 'vintage' clothes and then out of no where they started bringing the whole era back including the music styles, haircuts and mindset. *omg the CANNON* I'm not dissing it. I actually thought it just added another texture into this already eclectic cultural fabric. It's very Bohemian-like... but.. this video just compiles all the little thoughts that crosses our minds from time to time into A SONG! - yeah...

Buzz Report Tips

I hate powerpoint. It's against nature...

While doing these reports, collecting and analysing comments, threads, tweets and discussion boards on Boostcrusing (yea, I know it's a forum dedicated entirely to cars = zero interest) I realised not only do people talk alot, but they talk alot of crap. This is part of my job. Yeah that's right all the tweets and comments where you felt your one cent input will justify all reasons once and for all. I read. Yes, there are times where I want to kill someone because the comments seem endless. But amongst crap I find the most honest opinions that no field surveys can ever extract. It just puts a spring in my step, it does.

The tool I use is a piece of shit, and I'm not going to hold back on this one. I end up doing alot of waiting, manual crawling and manual graphing, literally defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place. I've trialed most of the monitoring tools that are available within the Australian market. There are no perfect tools. Although I have a good idea of what it should encompass (that's for another blog post). I do however, have opinions on 'social media buzz reports'. Here are a few tips:

• Structure your query of keywords carefully: my tip is that you should always be able to say it in a sentence with a singular purpose 
• Always think from the consumers' perspective: how do they talk? What is their mentality? How might they refer to a brand's service, name or product? because that is what your query should consist of, also target high search spelling errors (get that off Google AdWords)
• Online audience IS NOT everyone: people on forums or blogs etc. are savvy, usually adopters and opinion leaders but they don't represent majority. What you need to be aware of is how 'searchable' is their opinion and how much influence could it have? e.g. Is their comment visible on the first page of Google search?
• Be thorough: check source, content and author, ensure they're not spammers or robots
• Never rely on automated sentiment: no matter what tool (Radian 6, Buzz Metrics, Sentiment Metrics, Buzz Numbers etc.) none of them have the human languages down to a tee. It's best to find a tool that can give you an approximate but also ability to manually categorise comments so the graphical display is a guarantee 70-85% accurate
• Sample size matters: 5 comments is not enough but 20 - 50 gives a pretty good indication. My reports for a brand, I source and manually analyse anywhere between 2000 to 8000 comments per report, so give or take.

There are more, but my brain is fried today.  

Social Media Fresh Meat

As much it is the hype and norm around the world, Australian companies and brands are still flirting with social media like an awkward 14 year old prepubescent boy. This behaviour has got us labelled 'fresh meat'. International ‘social media and viral’ agencies are flocking in from UK and US selling ‘seeding’ capabilities dressed up with ‘relationship with bloggers, twitterers, youtubers and internet influencers’ and 'guaranteed eyeballs' in a bid to get more business.

I know for a fact, the real influencers would never sell their credibility like what these guys are saying unless they are Kim Kardashian or truly believe a brand and have a connection with them. Online cred is EVERYTHING. We have an opportunity to do something fresh but I'm afraid time is running out as as agencies buy into these 'viral specialist' services. Sometimes, these appear to be value-adding the possible reality is that a brand just looks like a wannabe when their content is disseminated this way (bought placement). There are many contributing factors to why they might employ these services - crap content, actually, that's it, crap content.

True 'viral'has no other formula than AWESOME! (content). Brands that invest heavily into 'seeding' services should just invest heavily into creating emotional, creative and fun ideas. Aim to do something no one has ever seen before rather than making mediocre crap and paying loads of cash to make sure it is spammed out like herpes. I'm certinly not saying disregard these services completely, rather just use them when you need to such as when launching it in the first 2 weeks but not rely on it or make it the centre piece for your strategy.

P.S. I saw this video, and it just reminds me how my profession is currently being perceived... It makes me sad because I just love everything digital and will do anything to protect user experience (that's probably why we get rejected all the time). I'm not blaming anyone because at the end of the day everyone has to somehow make a living, but it just reflects what careless 'eyeball' driven social media tactics or 'apparent' strategy can do to both brands and socail media strategists.

When A Brand Grows Balls

I guess this has set standard for commercial projections for brands in the future.

Everyone knows that creative agencies didn't come up with the idea of 'building projections'... it's the guerilla street artists. It always kind of bothers me that a medium such as this is used commercially. Knowing that in the first place it's all about making a statement and sticking the finger up in the air. I hope brands that use this medium will take on a bit of that rebellious DNA - edgey, brave, design to raise eyebrows and entertain.

This projection has certainly carry some of that spirit through. No judgement, I'm just a bit impressed



On a separate note, a brand that is usually associated with prestige, too out of reach and somewhat a bit of a wank… has just repositioned itself to appeal and ‘fun’. It’s a 180 for a bulky brand with an engraved image. This is the thing, kudos to BMW for having the balls to try something different to ‘traditional’ (let’s go nuts with slapping our logo and photos on every printable surface possible). And look at this video I just embedded, somewhat this great idea has disseminated with little effort… damn! Love it.

Logorama - Movie made of Logos

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

For some reason I'm being pointed towards everything branding, logo design and print today. It's making me depressed.

Heart then Pocket - When Advertising holds your Emotion Hostage

I've been contemplating why I post TV ads up and not print, or outdoor? Then, I stumble upon this ad and I realised, nothing can ever replace TV ads and this is one of the reasons why. (Don't get me wrong, there are some print ads I like, I'll post them later).

Nothing can tell a story better than motion pictures - the speed of which the camera moves and zoom to focus; the clever transition; the music setting the mood; the furniture describing an era and the short period of time that we get to spend with the character commands our attention and hooks in our intrigue. The one minute and 30 seconds of footage of a lifetime behaves just like the way we see the everyday - in movements, rhythm and objects that subtly connects us with a familiar moment and subsequently a set of emotions.

We know that when humans are emotionally influenced, our memory either solidifies the experience into an inescapable reminder or completely fails and blanks out. In this case they've got us where they want us, emotionally wrenched. The result is...

Mumbrella: Created by UK agency Adam & Eve for department store John Lewis, the retailer says that the ad – which features a reworking of Billy Joel’s Always A Woman To Me soundtracking a woman’s life story – has resulted in an astonishing 39.7% leap in sales.

Get their hearts then their pockets. (haha)

Putting that aside, you know I only post good stuff on here. This ad worth sharing simply because of its beauty, heartfelt storytelling and where it transports the viewer. A life we've never lived yet it is so familiar. We all grow up, live, love, and grow old - a fact that no one can escape from. An ad with something that half of the population can relate to and executed well.

The quote that comes to mind when I watch is 'life is flicker between two great silences' - ahh citing this always puts me into an urgent rush to get things done, cherish the tiniest details and appreciate every breath. Who knew advertising can get so zen.

Anyway, enjoy this find. Until next time.

Richard St. John's 8 Secrets of Success

Ahhh too true. I love TED. A little lunch break inspiration never hurt nobody.

Nashville Flooding

It's amazing how something so graceful can be on an event that so disasterous. If you're reading this and would like to help, please go to: http://www.nashvilleredcross.org

Alot people complain about the video camera shaking, personally, I think it added to the realism of the situation.

Inspiration for the Day

by Carlos Lascano

Advertising that Inspires

I just got brain damaged from one of those ‘buy now!’, ‘sale sale sale!’ ads. I swear if I see another tacky 3D animal animation talking to a real person about magical broadband speed or ugly typography I might quit TV. I’m craving some good, perhaps inspirational ads.

Advertising and inspiration don’t appear in the same sentence often, actually, it’s more of a once-in-a –blue-moon type things. Rarely do I find an ad that’s going to ‘inspire’ me to buy that washing powder, take up that health insurance policy or skull that vodka while keeping in mind the brand rather than writing off my urge that is second nature.

Inspirational ads do exist. They entertain us, bring perspective and ever so subtly introduce an idea, splashing a bit of colour into our mundane average lives. I never give too much thought to the brand, not until the end. But always without fail, I find myself admiring their creative agency’s capacity to weave a story and bring to life the saying ‘accentuate the positive’. These stories play on our emotions, dreams, curiosity, identity, moral values, pride, child-like innocence and most of all possibility to be greater that what and who we are.

As an ad enthusiast, I love it when I stumble upon such gems. It gives me faith that creativity and aesthetics has once again prevailed over sales objectives. Ads that makes me feel good about a brand? Ads that I watch like episodes of Gossip Girl? Bring it on!.

Johnnie Walker



Simple and full of flavour. What is it accentuating? History. Johnnie Walker is timeless, it just is. It makes me want to grab that bottle and drink down all the pride, reinvention and drive. I love Robert Carlyle's accent and delivery. In other movies he often came across as a bit icky (Trainspotting) but he cleaned up nicely for this TVC.

Optus Whale



I have to say this is a beautiful ad. I love the music and whale sounds. The idea of communicating to whale is way awesome (like Dory from Finding Nemo but with more grace). If you haven't had the chance to visit their website definitely check it out. I go there to relax. Hope they never take down the site. It made it on the Favourite Website Award (FWA) too!

XBox 360



I remember the first time I saw this ad nearly three years ago. My friends and I immediately put the story to practice. Like careless children we ran around the uni campus shooting at each other. It was fun. It made me want to buy an Xbox360 and let me tell you not many ads have that effect on me.

These are some ads I found crawling through my Youtube 'favourited' videos. I'm sure there are many more out there that I’ve missed, if anyone has suggestions post it and let me know

Get Inspired

This is really great! I love the 'idea' in it's simplest form. Brilliant! This is how PR, advertising, experiencial and social media come together. No divide between agencies or 'areas of expertise' just pure effort to bring the idea to life.

Heineken İtaly Activation from Kreatif360 on Vimeo.

Go Font Urself

‘Go Font Urself’- was pretty awesome. My inner typography addict was completely satisfied. I took some pics which I’ve compiled here for keep sake and to share on tumblr.

The immediate above is my favourite work out of all the ones I saw tonight. White on white (reminds me of Mondrian), typographically stunning, with meticulous attention to detail and pressure. Also it is quirky. Unfortunately in my state of appreciation I forgot to take down artist names and for that I apologise. Hope you guys enjoyed this compilation.
 

Knock On My Head

That's right, pay attention!

1. START TELLING THE TRUTH
To each other. To our clients. About our brands.

2. STOP THE BLOODY POLITICS
Because we're an industry run by bankers, it is the conniving crowd pleasers rather than the cream that tend to rise to the top. A general rule: in most agencies, those with vision who 'get-it' are bullied and undermined at every turn by those with no vision, who don't.

3. START HAVING FUN AGAIN
We used to be the envy of the salary-man. Why have we let it become so serious and dull? The greatest work ever done in our industry, has always come from places where people like each other and enjoy...really enjoy... playing and partying together as a team.

4. STOP OVER-THINKING EVERYTHING
What we make doesn't really matter. If we accept this, we get somewhere immediately! It is also true that what we make matters less when we over-analyse it in order to appeal to lowest common denominators.

5. START DOING SOMETHING!
Instead of taking 8 months to do 1 thing...we need to be doing 8 things in 1 month. Many of these things may fail. Allow. Today, one in ten meetings are necessary, one in ten people at those meetings actually get it, one in ten jobs get made, and one in a hundred are any good.

6. STOP THE INCESSANT RESEARCH
Put ten industry professionals who know what they are doing into a room, ten people who know what makes people tick, and who understand a good piece of communication from a bad; and whatever comes out of that room, can and should go straight into the media. We absolutely do not need to waste time obtaining prior validation from a postman, a bus-driver or a housewife.

7. START DOING GOOD
We need to bring our clients to CSR programmes...all of them...not just the cigarette boys, the oil companies and the huge conglomerates who make sugary, cheesy comestibles...all of them...doing it cos they want to, not cos they feel they have to.

8. STOP BANGING ON ABOUT "DIGITAL"
There's no such thing. We are all one and the same now and have been since the start of this century. Agencies need to start walking the talk because right now, clients are leaving.

9. START UPS AGAIN, PLEASE
Go out there and do your thing. Don't suffer it...change it. Make it better. You've learned how not to do things...now put that learning into practice. Be ethical. Be creative. Be nice to other people. Protect and care for your staff. Be the next Clow or Hegarty or Chiat. Be brilliant.

10. STOP USING ANIMALS IN COMMERCIALS
Ads with chimps, dalmatians, koalas, ostriches, mooseseses, rhinos, warthogs, water buffalo, lizards, clydesdales, horses that aren't clydesdales, dolphins, the list goes on. These are today's equivalent of Two C's in a K. And we really can do better folks.

Thanks to Campaign Brief and Wassim Kanaan for dropping this on my head.

The GFC Explained

Very neat video.