It's NOT a Viral

Most of us know by now, but there are still some people on both sides of the client / agency fence that haven't yet understood. For those people, there is this:

It's Not a Viral (version 1)

View more presentations from Rob Mortimer.

I have a confession

Despite feeling like there is some interesting thought behind it, and despite being an interesting idea; I just don't feel any warmth towards the new Kingsmill campaign.

It seems like a good idea that has been lost somewhere along the way, and ended up being too long, too complex, and with quirkiness that has faded into weirdness.

It's a shame, as there is a lot of potential here to be saying something different around bread. The idea can be taken into lots of areas, they have already started doing Vox Pop versions, though a batch of B3TA style responses might affect that.

I think its just the execution here that is lacking for me.

10 Years in Advertising and Marketing

So, we are coming to the end of the first decade of the new millenium (It doesn't feel new despite us being only 1% through it).

It has been a rollercoaster for our industry, the expansion of media types changing the way we think about planning and creative work forever.

To mark the passing of the event I would like to call for nominations for the 'Ad Pit Decade Awards' (I use the word awards loosely). If I get enough interest I will do a big feature on this nearer Xmas.

The categories are as follows, campaigns must have run between 2000 and now:

• Best TV ad


• Best Print ad


• Best Online content (not website)


• Best Website


• Best Thought in a Campaign


• Best PR campaign


• Best Account Person


• Best Planner


• Best Creatives


• Best Ad/Mkt/PR book


• Best Industry Spokesperson


• Worst Ad


• Best Agency


• Worst Agency (please include a brief reason so I can exclude unconstructive votes)

Please reply or send your nominations to me: rob (at) ad (dash) pit (dot) co (dot) uk

Northern Ad Meet

The next Northern Ad Meet has been arranged (at last!):

Thursday November 12th
Common Bar in Manchester
6.30pm start

We welcome planning, suits, creatives, marketing folk, pr folk, digital folk, grads, etc etc.
Reply here or email me at rob ( at ) ad-pit ( dot co dot uk ) for more info or if you have any questions.

A New Breed of Apple

Dear Apple.

So smug. So bloody smug.
I love apple products but the latest Mac vs PC ad just starts to creep into desperation, a step into the gleeful little bubble world that too many iphone owners are going to.

Are you saying you have never broken any promises apple? That everything you make has worked 100% perfectly? That every feature you ever suggested appeared on time and completely unbreakable?

Don't make assertions that even you can't live up to.

Regards

Rob



Apple - Mac vs PC - Broken Promises - (2009) :30 (USA)

HHCL Yeah

Great post on HHCL and the curse of being "Campaign Agency of the Decade" by the second H.

Steve Henry on Campaign's blogs

We Wish You a Merry October

Argos have broken the Christmas hustle. Ok, so the ad isn't bad. Actually it's pretty nice for a Christmas retail ad. The problem is that it's October.

I know every brand wants to be the first in the Christmas rush, but this is getting stupid. Why can't we wait until after Guy Fawkes Night at least before we get the sleigh bells and one hit wonders out?

You don't start advertising your new year sale in November. You don't advertise Halloween in August. You don't promote your summer deals in April. Why do we think it's acceptable to shove Christmas in people's faces so damned early.

Is it any wonder people get irritated?

Now let's watch this ad again on the 6th November, when it is appropriate!

On the other hand. One ad that most certainly is not nice is the return of the spawn of musical Satan's fire laden bowels. Mariah Carey and DFS. All I want for Christmas is for them to FUCK OFF.

This is Disgusting.

A shocking and dispicable slur on gay lifestyles from the Daily Mail. How can they get away with this in 2009?

Daily Mail Homophobia

McPoetry

Am I alone in adland at liking both the new McDonalds ads.

They have shifted themselves slightly upmarket in their image gradually over a long period of time; and the result of this is two very different but equally pleasing ads.

The first is the breakfast ad, with people groggily starting the day. This is amusing, and whilst not too far removed from previous McD ads it has a new positivity and lacks the artificial glare of their older stuff.

The second is the frankly brilliant poem ad talking about the various types that come into the restaurant during the day. A little cheesy maybe, but it is done so well, with a visible love and attention that makes it probably the best thing they have done in a very very long time. Instilling variety and personality back into a brand that has been sterile and one dimensional (at least in image) for so long.

How Sacred Is The Brief?

Here is a thought or two on a topic that I have thought about a lot since becoming a planner. Just how important is the creative brief?

Now this is more a debate than an argument, so I would love to hear people's thoughts on the subject.

The creative brief seems in some circles to be seen as this all powerful master document for the creative work that should follow. An unquestionable piece of Moses esque tabletry that defies all who doubt it. But this makes no sense, we know the point of a brief is to inspire the creatives and lead then down the right direction. Yet as is often quoted, there is rarely a right answer... simply more/less right ones.

If we do our job right then being on brief is good of course. But what if slightly off brief gives a better creative territory? What if there is an idea so good that only works with a tweaked brief. What if we discover something new part way through the process?

I had this argument in the pub with a creative who was discussing a brief where the favoured work was actually slightly off brief. My viewpoint there was (and still is) that we should always be confidence our brief work is spot on, but if creatives are to believe that we have creativity at the heart of what we do, we have to be man enough to admit when an idea (whether from creative or planning) is good enough to skip brief anality. Otherwise why should they believe us when we say the next idea is better because it's on brief.

A 8-10am analogy for this was this:

A hard punch that's 90% on target is better than a weak punch that's 100% on target.

Thoughts?

Next Gen Talent Voting

If you haven't voted yet for the Next Generation Talent competition, there are just a couple of days left to vote!

Canal Boat

Love this ad. Clever and silly at the same time.