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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.
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.
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.
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.
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!”