As with every country, advertising is generally divided into great and terrible. Australia is no exception. For every Dumb Ways to Die there is a guy shouting about barbecues whilst giving a thumbs up.
Whilst there isn't quite the number of brands perpared to make great creative work as back in the UK, from what I've seen, the standard is definitely improving.
Here's a couple of good examples.
Carlton Draught. Not my favourite beer, but it's definitely better than the cheap stuff in the UK.
This police chase ad from last year is everything you expect from a brand whose creative work travels far wider than the product.
A silly chase that parodies the movies, and avoids taking itself seriously in any way. It's fun and entertaining, taking the semi-mandatory 'several guys in a pub' setup and taking it to somewhere likeable.
It doesn't hurt that Carlton Draught has one of the best taglines of any brand in the world either.
Australia Post. Sometimes an idea is just so simply brilliant that you don't need to create an elaborate ad concept, you just need to show people. It's also another blow for people who keep going on about how QR codes and the like are useless, without realising it was the way people used them that was the problem, not the medium itself. Any postal service that doesn't consider creating this functional
Monday, January 27, 2014
Happy Australia Day!
Yes yes, I know techincally it was yesterday. but I was too busy joining in to post then!
Australia Day is a tricky thing to get right. On the one hand, there are a lot of terrible things that have happened to the indiginous communities that were here first. I heard several people (all white I should add) wish everyone a Happy Invasion Day.
My perspective is that whilst we should never forget the bad things that have happened in the past, there is little to be gained by holding onto anger of the past. Let's use Australia Day as a time to celebrate the survival of the Aboriginal people, and the fact that things (whilst by no means perfect) are gradually improving.
The other thing for me, is that having spent six months in the upside down part of the world, I have very little to conclude that doesn't talk about how brilliant it is.
Melbourne is an amazing city. A melting pot of people from all sorts of backgrounds, friendly and social, with enough art and creativity to fill a city of double the size and population.
So whilst I spent a good few moments yesterday thinking about those who suffered over the years in the building of this country. The place it has developed into is definitely one worth celebrating.
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