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Inside View on NSAC

Temple University’s NSAC team did an amazing job finishing up their competition last week placing fourth out of fourteen teams who presented in front of the NY judges! That’s a great accomplishment for all students involved in the process. This week, I sat down with graduating Advertising-Art Direction student, Angela Lanza, to talk to her about NSAC in general and what it’s like to participate in the competition for future Temple students who may be interested in trying it out.

Evian’s “Baby & Me”

Evian strikes gold with another spot focusing on their “Live Young” branding and providing us with yet again a video featuring adorable babies, Evian’s signature. This time, instead of just showing the inner child that Evian’s water brings out in drinkers because of the pure quality, the brand decided to take the story a step further and have the adults actually meet their inner child. The casting for this campaign was spot on in both the commercial and print applications. Above you can see the dancing, youthful, children as they meet and below you can catch a glimpse of how the campaign is shown through print. Overall I think it’s a cheerful attitude that stick’s true to Evian’s previous advertising. And the use of cute adorable babies in ads is always a winner in my books.

Read more on Evian’s “Baby & Me”…

Google Promoting All Kinds of Love!

Valentine’s Day is all about love. It doesn’t matter if you spent it with a significant other, with family, with friends, or with your pet. LOVE is everywhere.

For those of you who’ve spent this past Valentine’s Day with your significant other, you might have missed Google’s 1 minute animation doodle about a boy trying to show his affection for a girl.

K.I.S.S: Keep It Simple, Shoppers

You treat yourself to a well-deserved shopping spree and are totally satisfied with your retail therapy finds, only to discover an amazing coupon in your inbox and/or mailbox a few days later for the exact store you just blew your last paycheck in. We’re left with two options at that point: a) Dispose of the coupons immediately so no one else can benefit from them, OR b) Take the coupons and receipt back to the store in an attempt to get some cash (or credit) back. Either way, its not a situation you’re happy to find yourself in. Ever.

H +M Bends It Like Beckham

Its that time of the year again: the 2012 Superbowl is approaching, and sports fans and ad geeks alike are getting ready for the biggest Sunday TV event of the year. Generally, we can expect big names from car brands, web domains, and a slew of other food and beverage brands with enough bling to nab a 30 second spot for millions of dollars a piece. This year, Swedish fashion retail company H&M will be making an appearance as one of the first commercials of the big game, starring none other than the insanely handsome European soccer star David Beckham. As someone who is more interested in the commercials if anything than the actual game, this is motivation in itself enough to tune in.

60 Things in 60 Seconds

This hilarious commercial has been making quite a splash on the Internet this week. It’s full title is “60 Things in 60 Seconds Your Husband Could Do Instead of Watching TV.” It’s a flawless combination of excellent writing and precise directing.

Activia Campaign by Young & Rubicam

Okay, so Activia has a new campaign that just launched, developed by Young & Rubicam. They are an agency based out of Prague, Czech Republic.

I’m sure that they were going for a concept that they wanted to really spark an interest among society towards this apparent problem, I think they just pissed a few people off though.

1Billion Hungry

Well this completely relates to the project that most Art Direction two students just finished, and what some graphic design majors are still working on.

1Billion Hungry is a campaign that is a little more edgy than anything City Harvest has done.

AT & Teapot

As far as I’m concerned, this is the first funny commercial of the year. AT&T takes a stab at repositioning its intentionally unmentioned competition. There has been much back and forth between AT&T and Verizon legally and commercially about who’s fastest and I still don’t know honestly. From my understanding, Verizon has infrastructure on its side and there wouldn’t be so much complaining about the iPhone if AT&T was really the fastest. That’s why AT&T isn’t naming names. This campaign seems to be more about prevention and lessening buyer’s remorse than an actual benefit. You’re going to get the message regardless; the last one to get it is a rotten egg even if that means everybody but you. For others who may see things the way I do, spots like this are necessary in (maybe) helping us forget the facts. The other spot in this campaign, the taco spot, does much of the same. Instead of being a rotten egg, it’s about not being insecure.

The Shack…

Radio Shack is one of those brands that makes me wonder how it’s still around. I’ve never purchased anything from there that lasted more than two years. Before I found a better option, I was using earbuds that required a converter to work with my phone– a converter sold only at Radio Shack. I’ve had the phone two and a half years now and I’ve been through several converters. I tried to get a coverage plan for it and they wouldn’t play ball. The clerk told me quite honestly, “We know it’s cheap. Sorry.” It’s not unusual to pick up a random item and find that it has been resealed after someone returned it. No matter the location, sales associates are indifferent when I tell them about my converter troubles. I think Radio Shack is struggling to distinguish itself these days.

Shape-up for the New Year with Skechers

I don’t think there were any knockout holiday spots this year. There was some singing, dancing, and shopping, but nothing too memorable (at least not for me) until I saw this Skechers ad. This spot is clever in that it’s positioned for everyone. Getting your wife or significant other a treadmill, or any piece of workout equipment for that matter, as a holiday gift is like admitting she has a fault that you would like fixed. Although some would appreciate it, women generally don’t want to hear that especially not around this time. It’s like getting your mom a toaster and then asking her to make you some toast.

Really? Windows Phone…

“It’s time for a phone to save us from our phones.” People spend so much time on their phones they’re missing out on life. Interesting concept. I suppose Windows Phone is so fast that each of these people can do what it is they do and still have enough time left over to live. It sounds like a great idea… really. I don’t have a smart phone, so I don’t have this problem, but I will say that it piques my interest.

Read more on Really? Windows Phone……

Honest to Goodness Lunches May be Too Honest

“Honest to Goodness” is a new campaign from Healthy Choice. It demands more attention than the previous campaign with Julia Louis Dreyfus. It’s easier to sell an idea with unknowns than it is with a celebrity. What about people who don’t care for a particular celebrity? It creates an instant disconnect from the product. There’s no prior expectation with unknown actors. That’s not to say that celebrities don’t help, but the product should bare most of the liability. It should be able to stand on it’s own.

Korean Air: Excellence in Flight

I was up earlier than usual a couple of days ago (4AM) and I saw what I knew right away would be a cool commercial. In my sleep daze I got a bit excited to see what the brand was and it turned out to be Korea Air. Lightbulb! I remembered seeing what I considered to be the best airline spot ever some time last year. It was indeed Korea Air, but I’d forgotten all about it. Naturally I tracked it down to see it again and it’s just as good as I remember. The feeling hit me almost instantly, like I need to get out of here! It was so sophisticated (like me). It was too good to be an airline spot. I literally had a knee-jerk reaction and a good laugh “like GTFOH!”

Machinery Philly!

Yesterday we had speaker come in for Creative Thinking (an ad course). Mr. Ken Cills of Machinery Philly gave a presentation on “how to be creative” and what has worked for him. I wasn’t able to find a site for his agency, but he showed us some of his work on youtube. He echoed some things we’ve already learned from that particular course. He placed a premium on being able to think like a child and being “stupid.”

Baby Carrots baby!

I’m not sure if this will really catch on especially with the hard sell. The overall campaign can make good conversation for Intro to Advertising.

Kraft Mayo: Sandwich Makeover!

It’s homemade so as long as he has his sandwich with Mayo he can be at peace–and be at home anywhere.

Direct TV: Opulence, I has it…

It is absolutely acceptable to make commercials about other ethnic groups.

Mr. Opportunity: Knock it off…

I think he’s suffering the same ailments as the caveman. He’s a person by default and for him to stand out he has to be more than what he is.

Best Buy: The obvious choice…

Each geek would much rather have a woman who understands him rather than just any woman even if she’s not real.

Geico: Anything Goes!

Its campaigns aren’t really consistent; it has a spokesman and a mascot; and it isn’t the best nor the first yet Geico remains the most popular.

Honda: Gawk Responsibly.

Their bikes are better than his and he would rather be riding than babysitting a chain gang.

Let's Terminate Piracy…?

The strongest argument of the documentary was that “big media” re-wrote the laws to suit its own well being and not the well being of artists.

Capital One: Everyone Knows Two is Better Than One

The charm of the Capital One commercials is the announcer format with the Nordic accent and the fact that the Vikings are so destructive.

Do kids need protection from ads?

Ads can be so influential that all it really takes is for the right “opinion leader” to get on board with a product and then all of his (or her) peers will fall right into place.

Musical Chairs: Competing Line Extensions

No brand wants to be caught without a certain line extension if it’s being offered by a competitor even if it’s just for a limited time. One of the great benefits of being an industry leader is setting the example and shaming everyone else into following whether they’re ready to or not.

Has GM redeemed itself?

Many Americans didn’t agree with bailing out GM (among others), but it’s very American to feel entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

Cervical Cancer: Eau De Parfum

“Maybe it’s unfair to get your attention this way.”

Unlitter Us: Time to come clean?

The Unlitter Us campaign aims to reverse the damage by using the same principles that created it.

Brawny: A look at brand personality

Brawny made the shift in personality a long time ago, but its visual has only caught up recently.

Nike: Tiger… Did you learn anything?

I think it’s important to remember that no matter what Tiger Woods did, he’s still a man. He’s still a human. When individuals become brands, they transcend humanity.

K&G Fashion Superstore: Invincible!

It looks like K&G’s new position is the edgy brand. Its competitors all share some variation of the “warm family discount clothing store.

"U" by Kotex: Why are tampon ads so obnoxious?

The campaign is called “Break the Cycle” and Kotex has a site with all sorts of interesting media on it.

Sharing a common goal: 88% fewer beverage calories

Pepsi, Coke, and Dr. Pepper unite to provide healthier drink options in school vending machines.

Verizon: abuela, Abuela, ABUELA!

It might not be a good idea to talk to your grandmom via webcam if you have slow internet.

Welcome to the Gerber Generation!

A flip book made of babies.

The World's Greatest Spokesperson in the World!

“You’re the best I’ve ever seen! The best… anyone… has ever… seen!” (Great line!) And then I thought, “This caveman looks a bit different. He’s missing a brow ridge.”