tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108618412024-03-17T11:25:49.264+00:00the-ad-pitWelcome to the ad-pit: http://www.ad-pit.com
A view on the world of advertising. A short sharp look at advertising in all its forms.
Email me at: rob [at] ad-pit [dot] co [dot] uk
All adverts are the copyright of their relative brand owners and creative agencies. The opinions expressed are purely those of the writer.Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.comBlogger853125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-6503086973652980092017-01-12T02:01:00.001+00:002017-01-13T03:24:40.669+00:00Forza Horizon 3... A 'First World Problem' Sob Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdbQIIsn56JVIGQpsPhdJaUQ78P4flUOfbe5xP5xD1_WpUl1TfuU7wgtPb5jw0aTT8lWkRRzIMt50T_-Z_FNjr5U_GzxImgJyil6nIYaQhT98423shzOtQVhvUROLgq80pKZmTQ/s1600/d13a3587-1f92-4556-8741-d4cf66850746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdbQIIsn56JVIGQpsPhdJaUQ78P4flUOfbe5xP5xD1_WpUl1TfuU7wgtPb5jw0aTT8lWkRRzIMt50T_-Z_FNjr5U_GzxImgJyil6nIYaQhT98423shzOtQVhvUROLgq80pKZmTQ/s320/d13a3587-1f92-4556-8741-d4cf66850746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: #990000;">UPDATE: Guess what, Australia Post didn't deliver the card today (13th) either. So now I have to wait at least another three days!!</span></b><br />
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<b>Dear Playground Games / Microsoft,</b><br />
<br />
Ever since I first saw Forza Horizon 3, I was looking forward to it. A fun mix of arcade gaming, <br />
<br />
along with a beautiful looking set of Aussie areas and cars to play with.<br />
<br />
At the time of release I wasn't working, but starting a new job in mid October meant I could finally buy the game on the last day of October.<br />
<br />
Here is what has happened since then. It must surely be that (in a first world context at least) there is no one around who has gone through more expense, time and effort to be able to play this game...<br />
<ul>
<li>Buy game from Microsoft PC download store</li>
<li>Two days later the game finishes downloading, finally I can play FH3!</li>
<li>I update my graphics driver ready to play</li>
<li>Game doesn't load</li>
<li>Find out that I need a new CPU as my dual core (despite working on every game I have ever tried) overclocked processor is not supported</li>
<li>Buy Quad Core i5 and install it</li>
<li>Hurrah! I can play the game...</li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">I get through opening race and then the game freezes, crashing my PC</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">I reboot and try again</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">The game crashes my PC halfway through race</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Try to reboot my PC and it won't start</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Use recovery to get PC working</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Test CPU and RAM to make sure CPU is okay</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Buy backup Hard drive in case of a major hardware failure, and copy all my important files</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Try another game to see if it the graphics card/driver (which had previously had driver issues, but they had seemingly been fixed by reverting to an older driver - and the card was now out of warranty)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Game crashes PC to black</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">PC won't boot</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Recovery doesn't work</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Buy a 32GB memory stick to try a full recovery</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Recovery doesn't work</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #660000;">Try several options, and only likely issue is a failed hard drive</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Buy replacement internal Hard Drive</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Try to install windows on new hard drive, and it doesn't work</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Swear loudly (this may have occurred more times than stated in this piece)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Try swapping SATA cables</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Old hard drive immediately boots (seriously, whoever heard of a crash killing a SATA cable!)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Try old game to see if cable was the main issue - game crashes to black</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Take out graphics card and start seeing if I can get it tested/fixed by manufacturer</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Try onboard graphics card, which works perfectly with no crashes for many many hours</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Decide to borrow a friends old graphics card to test</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Old card works perfectly for many many hours</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Try updating to latest drivers, old card still works</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Graphics card supplier agree to send my card to manufacturer to test if a pre-warranty fault existed</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Graphics card manufacturer says they won't test it as out of warranty</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Numerous emails between myself, supplier and manufacturer</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Manufacturer eventually agrees to test, but not repair graphics card</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Christmas Eve, and I spot a great deal on a new graphics card and decide that this is a better idea than repairing the old one. Buy card online.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Six days later and not even confirmation of received payment</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Phone up and find online orders not being processed until four days later</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Five days days later and no confirmation of received payment</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Contact supplier and get told payment is there and item will be sent</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Finally get confirmation that item will be delivered on the 9th... which is now so long after ordering that my partner won't be home to collect it</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Arrange redirect to office</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">Item now due on the 11th</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">11th.... item not delivered, but get notification that item will be delivered on the 12th</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0c343d;">12th.... get message that item is delayed and will probably be delivered on the 13th</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3UJv-o9kF8DOWU5vo6SLu5LOgkWRo7K3QMXCGHzXkl_iQTXU9EP61_pDBTY9ID5-JiBv1ZJfQGBq9gdn3QGns9GqQcl15uiLLFerOP6Xz25nQJLQhLiGk-yMIxAh_HQsKUSmPQ/s1600/2372ed02-65a4-412d-890d-51ad50335841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3UJv-o9kF8DOWU5vo6SLu5LOgkWRo7K3QMXCGHzXkl_iQTXU9EP61_pDBTY9ID5-JiBv1ZJfQGBq9gdn3QGns9GqQcl15uiLLFerOP6Xz25nQJLQhLiGk-yMIxAh_HQsKUSmPQ/s320/2372ed02-65a4-412d-890d-51ad50335841.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><b>So. In summary.</b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b>Two and a half months, $1100 (not including the game), many many many many hours of testing, fault researching, and company chasing after buying Forza Horizon 3... I have STILL not been able to play the game.</b></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Even after that, I am still excited at the prospect that hopefully, HOPEFULLY, tomorrow Australia Post will actually deliver my graphics card, and I will be able to race around Byron Bay in a green Ute.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b><u>So</u> </b>Playground games and Microsoft - I just thought you'd like to know the sheer amount of persistence, dedication, time and money that I have spent to play your game... the irony being that I could have bought an Xbox One S with the game right at the start and saved many hundreds of dollars.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I appreciate your efforts in making a top class game, I hope you appreciate mine in actually attempting to enjoy it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Regards,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Rob</div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-26194775164398043962016-08-23T06:13:00.001+01:002016-08-23T06:13:17.291+01:00More ad posts coming soon...But in the meantime, here are some more of my music reviews!<br />
<b>Warning</b>: Contains a little language :D<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IDl3-DLGZHg" width="560"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FHiMQScAK58" width="560"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x6nwwtO4fpU" width="560"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-58286486941059318042016-07-29T05:35:00.003+01:002016-07-29T05:35:44.263+01:00A musical aside...Outside of advertising and marketing, one of my <b>big</b> hobbies is music.<br />
I've decided as a fun use of my spare time to start making video reviews of new albums, in my usual slightly sweary and enthusiastic way...!<br />
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The first two are below, for the new album Wildflower from The Avalanches , and 'Hypercaffium Spazzinate' by Descendents.<br />
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If you enjoy please do like and subscribe, plenty more coming in the future :)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KgVAezQPPOI" width="560"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U_befSw6Wrw" width="560"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-49237198545497301142016-07-19T04:12:00.001+01:002016-07-19T04:12:57.843+01:00Return of the Superhumans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu83YmgG9cSig_5_F8J3Wsg5jNBG3JZ2L4T07Ttajxp3wPUfVqp4mV7Xc6JkXHe9WigwYf3YaHLJxrHL-8WYajZrbD7TESEjxjuwxebbl-7hBnemnmFpZVe84w6WxrxuyCL53Ww/s1600/963e54a2-e2f7-4777-9e10-0b5de3f6ef6a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu83YmgG9cSig_5_F8J3Wsg5jNBG3JZ2L4T07Ttajxp3wPUfVqp4mV7Xc6JkXHe9WigwYf3YaHLJxrHL-8WYajZrbD7TESEjxjuwxebbl-7hBnemnmFpZVe84w6WxrxuyCL53Ww/s320/963e54a2-e2f7-4777-9e10-0b5de3f6ef6a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now that I've had some time to get over my irritation (<i>ahem</i>) at the Brexit result, I thought it was right to post something more positive that has also come from Britain recently. Channel 4's follow up to the incredible Meet the Superhumans campaign from 2012.<br />
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For those who aren't aware, Meet the Superhumans is probably one of the greatest bits of re-framing in the last decade. Taking their coverage of the Paralympic Games in London, and turning it from a polite but mostly ignored sideshow - to an event that seemed as 'must watch' as the Olympics.<br />
<br />
How simple but brilliant the idea still is: The Paralympics isn't about disabled people, it isn't even about disability, it's about the ability to be superhuman - to achieve and push yourself to beyond the limits of what most people believe is even possible.<br />
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How much that inspired the public to attend is hard to quantify, but record Paralympic attendances and full capacity venues attest to a change of attitude of significant levels. It definitely made people watch though, and the daily Paralympic discussion show 'The Last Leg' was so popular that it continues on as a topical show to this day. (It's also shown here in Australia as the host is Aussie comedian Adam Hills)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2FvnI2mbWzkQx5mBXAj9yewhinJPhIwO6ifdbuwSldyzD7gJ3hteeZyEMWkbxUPDeP1OHRz_Eb03x22G8Rwx-48EjG6afwJ0GBWEv3huzePnfPuVQvXKYqlu_oWsvC4vedgIKA/s1600/jody.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2FvnI2mbWzkQx5mBXAj9yewhinJPhIwO6ifdbuwSldyzD7gJ3hteeZyEMWkbxUPDeP1OHRz_Eb03x22G8Rwx-48EjG6afwJ0GBWEv3huzePnfPuVQvXKYqlu_oWsvC4vedgIKA/s320/jody.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also worth watching is<a href="https://youtu.be/GH8h09p1NZ4?t=8m46s" target="_blank"> this amazing moment from the 2012 games</a>,<br />where Paralympic Cyclist Jody Cundy is disqualified and gets<br />incredibly angry. Regardless of who was right - it showed the<br />whole audience that these games meant JUST as much to<br />the Paralympic team as they did to the Olympic team.</td></tr>
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The follow up campaign arrived this week, promoting the channel's coverage of the Rio Paralympics - and it is every bit as beautifully crafted and full of the same positive attitude as the original. Reminding people that not only do Paralympians possess superhuman strength and desire, but when you look at <i>all </i>people with disabilities - you can see the same superhuman ability to adapt and succeed running through them too.<br />
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It may be harder to convince the British public to tune in this time around, to games in South America - but if there is any justice, the idea and the creative are great enough that Channel 4 deserves to succeed.<br />
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It's impossible not to admire the talent, the dedication and the perseverance of every single person featured in the video. There are also excellent short follow up videos that explore the individuals featured.<br />
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Rather like the excellent Nutri-Grain Unstoppable work from my former colleagues, it leaves you with a sense of possibility and a sense of wonder. A reminder that life is there waiting for you, no matter what your personal situation, no matter what may befall you along the way. When advertising and marketing campaigns can do that, it's something special - and this IS something special.<br />
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<b>We're the Superhumans - 2016 Rio Paralympics</b><br />
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<b>Meet the Superhumans - 2012 London Paralympics</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WmBKURb_hLI" width="420"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-350586408137398462016-06-26T07:29:00.000+01:002016-06-26T07:29:27.263+01:0012 Strategic Lessons to Learn From Brexit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4ias7dbdTisubzbkk-5b6f8NmZXH3QCMq4u8ggGpq8AdRlyFwfiaL3oFYFPWPM2zPqkU3H2neQqwfU_4FOxQEVQg15NfnHj-6yjWupztEgvGNma53rR9SBov-sEyafrGacFfhg/s1600/flag_yellow_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4ias7dbdTisubzbkk-5b6f8NmZXH3QCMq4u8ggGpq8AdRlyFwfiaL3oFYFPWPM2zPqkU3H2neQqwfU_4FOxQEVQg15NfnHj-6yjWupztEgvGNma53rR9SBov-sEyafrGacFfhg/s320/flag_yellow_low.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now that I've had a day or so to get over the shock and anger that the British people made such an absolutely stupid decision, I thought I'd take a look with a bit more detail at some of the important things that we can learn from the last few months of madness - the most emotional and cognitive dissonance filled event I've ever seen.<br />
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Some of it is perhaps obvious, but I think all of it is important.<br />
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<li><b>Gambling on the short term is a big risk</b>The only reason this vote ever happened is because David Cameron decided to take a big future risk, gambling on a Leave vote in order to prevent UKIP from splitting his votes and Tory MP's from defecting at the last general election. It's pretty clear now that the gamble failed.<br />Another good point I heard raised was the strategic mistake of the Prime Minister declaring a vote on something he wanted to stay the same, which immediately put him in a negative position. If you are pro-something, why state a vote against it as a key policy?<br />We always tell brands it's wrong to get hooked on short termism, and that has played out here too.</li>
<li><b>Always remember the bigger picture</b>A number of people did genuinely vote leave because they wanted to see reform of the EU, some on the left wing also voted leave because they wanted to avoid things like TTIP and get trade deals with other places such as Africa. The problem was, that they failed to see the bigger picture until it was too late - that the key outcome of a Leave vote was always going to be a boost and insurgence for right wing nationalists and nationalist parties in other European countries. Within 48 hours of the vote, there is already a dangerous atmosphere of fear and intimidation as Europeans and people of non-white descent are facing insults and cries of "go home" on the streets. The vote has legitimised vocal racism again.</li>
<li><b>Clarity, clarity, clarity</b><br />They may have been complete lies, and retracted as "mistakes" less than TWO hours after the result was announced - but the clear numbers and clear statements of fear used by the Leave campaign were easily remembered. The £350m a week figure was used <i>everywhere</i>, and constantly referenced by Leave voters, even though it had been clearly and repeatedly debunked by every neutral source. Likewise the fear of immigration, sparked by Nazi-esque posters, were clear and simple messages that kept the leave community engaged and ready to use their vote.</li>
<li><b>Authority doesn't mean anything without trust</b><br />He may be the single most useless and ineffectual waste of political space since the Tub of Lard that once replaced an MP on a TV panel show, but Michael Gove was sadly absolutely correct when he said that people had 'had enough of experts'. Even though 85-90% of expert think tanks, economists and groups said that remaining was a safer option, and that leaving would result in a recession and severe impacts to the economy... people did not want to hear it. They were happy in the below...</li>
<li><b>People are emotional, not rational</b><br />The emotional perception of Britain as the global power, the big island that could, kept people <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpVJ2_zemXrf7296brgZCXUYIaGbNr5B3iHOxulCV56gZDeFI2KlsLBp8QPsUAplGj5yQ-XACUG3TFolxi-TepgkBo_BFwJZ-Bsixl8jKfyGAW92R3VZiRqqeZsqRSYCTSTW3zA/s1600/britain.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpVJ2_zemXrf7296brgZCXUYIaGbNr5B3iHOxulCV56gZDeFI2KlsLBp8QPsUAplGj5yQ-XACUG3TFolxi-TepgkBo_BFwJZ-Bsixl8jKfyGAW92R3VZiRqqeZsqRSYCTSTW3zA/s320/britain.PNG" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't even think of a caption that needs to be added here.<br />
Image from: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BG_n6oAioFO/">https://www.instagram.com/p/BG_n6oAioFO/</a></td></tr>
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believing that no matter what the data or analysis said - the country would be ok. It didn't matter to them that this notion is totally dated in the global world, that belief overrode any facts. This to me is one of the clear reasons why older people were massively more likely to vote to leave, whereas younger people with experience and understanding of the modern world voted overwhelmingly to stay. Likewise the emotional dislike of the EU, drip fed over many years by the media.</li>
<li><b>People don't always take the safe route</b><br />Many people, including most betting companies, were expecting that Remain would win. Even though the vote was always likely to be close, they believed that (just like in the Alternative Vote referendum and last general election) people would gravitate towards the status quo when they got to the voting booth. Indeed we often talk about this as an element of behavioural understanding in marketing... but this didn't happen at all, in fact the opposite did. I think this is largely down to the above emotional responses, they were so powerful and so long ingrained that actually for many leave voters, they felt the safest, least risky route was to change things.</li>
<li><b>People don't always act in their own self interest, or even know what that is</b><br />Today I saw a very clear chart which showed a very strong correlation between the percentage of regional GDP that relies on the EU and how likely people in that region were to vote to leave. Similarly some of the regions with strongest support for leaving were those with very high instances of EU funding for social and community infrastructure projects. It's pretty clear that the messages about the importance of the EU to these communities did not get across, or were not strong or nuanced enough to get past emotions and other reasons. See Cornwall, who are now demanding that the government match the EU funding that they were getting for local projects!<br />Also, there was a massive spike post result in google searches for 'what is the EU?'... which <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r4de8IX_ZJt2H-c-4lAKoePQUJ9pr-s7_s7igDpUtUYXFiNioBOCprBHd_gkkUmw-OUj_uBcRh01kZ0b7reSyBSSj5QD3k3AvsQUD-coaiMhn1lDLFK-fU2QZIRXyUrr6kOVEw/s1600/CltQpdtXIAAC_Fn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r4de8IX_ZJt2H-c-4lAKoePQUJ9pr-s7_s7igDpUtUYXFiNioBOCprBHd_gkkUmw-OUj_uBcRh01kZ0b7reSyBSSj5QD3k3AvsQUD-coaiMhn1lDLFK-fU2QZIRXyUrr6kOVEw/s320/CltQpdtXIAAC_Fn.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic from <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jburnmurdoch" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/jburnmurdoch</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
shows people weren't informed enough. The fault of both campaigns, but also I think a sense that Remain would win, and that many could Vote Leave as a protest and not have to see the outcome. To me this strongly shows the frustration with the First Past the Post voting system, people are used to their vote not counting, and are almost surprised when it does.</li>
<li><b>Post purchase regret doesn't just apply to purchases..!</b><br />I'd say I was amazed to see interviews with people saying they already (within 48 hours) regret voting Leave, and would change their mind if another referendum were held... but I'm not. Likewise the shocked and angry responses when the Daily Mail (who were adamantly pro-leave) published details of what it would actually mean for their readers. Including the gem: "Looks like the remain camp were telling the truth."</li>
<li><b>People can tell when you don't have passion</b><br />I've defended Jeremy Corbyn a lot, I think he is an honest and caring politician. That said, he did not do a good job at all in this campaign. He felt absent, and his previous anti-EU sentiments were repeatedly dragged up and not rebutted. This may have had a direct influence given that most of the areas where there were 'surprise' Leave wins, or bigger than expected majorities were strong Labour areas. If you don't truly believe in what you are saying, or lack a genuine passion, people can tell.</li>
<li><b>The traditional news media still has power</b><br />As stated above, people were actually genuinely surprised to learnt the real meaning of Brexit after they had already voted. The constant bombardment of lies and misleading claims from the media was surely the single biggest reason for this. Over the last 30 years there has been a never ending stream of anti-EU sentiment, mostly from media owned by ogliarchs who stand to get more power and make more money from dismantling it. The deafening cries of headlines over the last few months has no doubt made it impossible for anyone who sees them to get a real rational or honest perspective.<br />On the plus side for marketers though, there's still value in these publications, even in their decline phase.</li>
<li><b>The universe always descends towards chaos</b><br />This is perhaps more a scientific point than anything else... but given the universe and everything within it will gradually head towards a state of entropy and chaos, we should maybe not be so surprised when things like this, or Donald Trump happen. Likewise, no matter how well planned or executed a campaign is, there is never any <i>guarantee</i> of success. Anything can happen.</li>
<li><b>Everyone is a hypocrite sometimes</b>I've noticed this over the last few days. People who spent months complaining about the EU are now complaining at people complaining about leaving... people who said they would protest a close remain win are now telling those protesting a close leave win to 'shut up and accept it'.<br />Similarly there are plenty of us who have very very vocally insulted leave voters, having previously criticised them for doing the same. As we well know, emotion is very powerful... anger and disappointment especially. Everyone who wins thinks they would be a good loser, but most are always bad losers... kind of how 100% of drivers think they are above average!</li>
</ul>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-25122388288479829522016-06-24T08:24:00.001+01:002016-07-19T03:27:59.952+01:00A Calm and Rational Repsonse to the Brexit Result<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwQ9Pg5OVqVuBwfepLiuaOSt-us6e1e3qqhgTrW9o1aBswCv-MKPbHZpfdDOS3iPnlswiS0VuhJBO6o10r9m6c-XX1oQpxf0DLQkNW0x-tJJrntgcu3HlFtpEtaPK4AD4pZwdiQ/s1600/Michael-Gove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwQ9Pg5OVqVuBwfepLiuaOSt-us6e1e3qqhgTrW9o1aBswCv-MKPbHZpfdDOS3iPnlswiS0VuhJBO6o10r9m6c-XX1oQpxf0DLQkNW0x-tJJrntgcu3HlFtpEtaPK4AD4pZwdiQ/s320/Michael-Gove.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently the British public trusted this man more than the<br />
advice of Professor Stephen Hawking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Fuck Fuck Fuck. What the fucking fuckity fucking fuck Britain? Are you completely fucking insane?</b><br />
<br />
I have never been more ashamed of being British. Ashamed of the racism and the lies that have dominated this campaign. Ashamed of the ignorance and hate that has won over any rational fact or expert forecasts.<br />
<br />
I wonder what made you vote Leave? Maybe you looked at Nigel Farage and said 'Oh he looks like a man of the people.' Maybe you read a newspaper and decided removing those banana laws were worth a recession.<br />
<br />
The irony is that the people who voted most for leaving the EU are those will suffer the most under a Tory government that will rip the NHS and public services to shreds. It's not even been four hours and already:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Nigel 'Adolf' Farage has backtracked on the MAIN promise of his campaign - 350m for the NHS per week, whilst also insulting the memory of Jo Cox.</li>
<li>The promises on immigration have already been backtracked on.</li>
<li>Over 450 BILLION has been wiped from the economy. To put that into context, it's DOUBLE what the bankers cost the country in the Housing Crash, and equivalent to FORTY years of EU membership fees.</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d5wdCXk0jpihY6wx7NbQseNUaOg92MyvtFzhLvN106_vSnSfPkkn59Xl409QcqY2NpaKu-l3S6Bz2CNRsTPOIwHC86iTQRrCYafca51nN1q75Bc145_ZpGg9yAze6R7OmYkSUg/s1600/Trump+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d5wdCXk0jpihY6wx7NbQseNUaOg92MyvtFzhLvN106_vSnSfPkkn59Xl409QcqY2NpaKu-l3S6Bz2CNRsTPOIwHC86iTQRrCYafca51nN1q75Bc145_ZpGg9yAze6R7OmYkSUg/s320/Trump+book.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anything that Donald Trump believes is a good<br />
idea can't be all that bad surely? ... Surely?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>Racist dickheads like Marie Le Pen are now already trying to push nationalism movements in their countries.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The people of Britain (excl Scotland, NI, Manchester and Parts of London) have lost the right ever to laugh at American politics again. You fucking idiots just elected your Donald Trump.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Any desire I might have had to one day return to living in Britain is gone. I have had enough of the ignorance, the small mindedness, the racism and the hate. As a kid I saw my black friend's house get egged because his parents had the gall to come from the Caribbean. I saw a friend get kicked and punched for being goth. I saw a city full of racists who treated friendly Muslims like scum. Looks like nothing has changed.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Fuck you David Cameron for causing this vote through your own selfishness and desperation to return to power. A piece of terrible strategy.</li>
<li>Fuck you Nigel Farage, you smug racist cunt.</li>
<li>Fuck you BBC for making Nigel Farage into someone. No one gave a shit about him til you started giving him a constant platform.</li>
<li>Fuck you Boris Johnson.</li>
<li>Fuck you Michael Gove. The worst minister of the last 100 years.</li>
<li>...and Fuck You England. Little england. The small country with small country syndrome.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Now if you'll excuse me I have to practice. <b><i>"Austraaalians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free..."</i></b></div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-57500557775018931482016-06-23T07:00:00.005+01:002016-06-24T09:59:41.595+01:00Enough is Enough. Scam Campaigns MUST Go.<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTtEOTfAEveeh5uRXT6UHfLuhTG1xt1T9z6S8lx7AcMBAMytnHq0ZSSaWrRaC5xiBFjuZvOtpydukt3CLWJPgT1uCFwoMsoB5r0vnRa_zPX-5Peiw7na2kxoH91JVDkwBAna8bQ/s1600/I-Sea-home-pagee-still-image-468x334.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTtEOTfAEveeh5uRXT6UHfLuhTG1xt1T9z6S8lx7AcMBAMytnHq0ZSSaWrRaC5xiBFjuZvOtpydukt3CLWJPgT1uCFwoMsoB5r0vnRa_zPX-5Peiw7na2kxoH91JVDkwBAna8bQ/s320/I-Sea-home-pagee-still-image-468x334.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I see a scam ad on the Cannes seashore...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>I wrote this two years ago, after Mumbrella made a big deal out of reducing their coverage of Cannes and other awards... I didn't post it because I was working for an agency which (at the time) had been caught up in minor scam allegations, and I felt it right not to post anything that could be seen as critical of my employer (who were nowhere near the worst offender).</i></b><br />
<b><i></i></b><br />
<b><i></i></b>
<b><i>Having seen some of the work awarded this year though, I feel it's time to dig this up and post it, with a few additions for this year:</i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
There has been a lot of talk for several years about ‘scam’ advertising and its appearance in awards shows. In fact, the conversation appears to have varied from calm and reasoned, to hyperactive screeching and finger pointing.<br />
<br />
Here in Australia, the ‘big’ news to come from this, was that Mumbrella announced they would no longer cover Cannes in such a major way. This got me thinking about the causes and possible solutions to the issue…<br />
<br />
The simple answer is that we are all responsible for this. Agencies, clients, award shows and the industry media – we are all in part, to blame for the rise of what is called scam advertising – and we all need to play a role in making it less of an issue.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Let’s start with agencies.<br />
</b><br />
You are a big agency, everyone wants to work for you. Who do you hire?<br />
I know. That team who won a few awards last year must be good, let’s hire them.<br />
<br />
Bang. That in a small nutshell, is one of the key causes of scam.<br />
<br />
If you are a creative team, you can do 90% terrible work and 10% award winning, and you will guaranteed get more offers and money than a team who is 100% brilliant, but doesn’t enter or win awards.<br />
<br />
So suddenly, every team knows they have to make award winning work to get the jobs they want.<br />
<br />
…and now. Every agency wants the same award winning teams, so their value goes up even more. Over the course of a few decades, what awards you have appears to have, in many agencies, overtaken quality of overall work and the clients you have worked on for likelihood of getting hired, and the value you hold.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXBq-mVgJlm_J1Zg0tiRzKQd-6fPKCQGy6CpKaf7SUf2KSa_geWGPOxtKALJWslN7rw22GJ4rOiNoQLwf9bogXz2vy1was7Uh2UlvZYR7B9TeFEzBXbOpTGKlFeWDkIy6a-6UCA/s1600/cannes_article.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXBq-mVgJlm_J1Zg0tiRzKQd-6fPKCQGy6CpKaf7SUf2KSa_geWGPOxtKALJWslN7rw22GJ4rOiNoQLwf9bogXz2vy1was7Uh2UlvZYR7B9TeFEzBXbOpTGKlFeWDkIy6a-6UCA/s320/cannes_article.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hands up if your agency paid through the nose for you to be here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now awards are so important that creatives don’t want to work for your agency unless you have them. So if you’re a small agency looking to get more creative clients, it becomes near impossible to get the best talent. No awards = creatives don’t want to work for you = no awards.<br />
<br />
Suddenly awards become more important than doing good work.<br />
<br />
Even worse. If you are in a globally run agency, there's a near certain chance that head office will be setting you award targets. So now you have to plan your work, and plan your new business, around award opportunities. I saw one of my former agencies get given an award target from head office that was completely ludicrous - the same level as agencies four times their size.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Clients</b><br />
<br />
The role of marketing director has become an increasingly short term one. Companies are quick to change, and long-term often gets thrown out of the window by those at the top who don’t understand it.<br />
<br />
This means some clients want desperately to be seen to act while they still can. We’ve all experienced the <i>‘new client holds pitch two months after starting - to show they are making an impact, despite the current agency doing great’</i> scenario.<br />
<br />
If you want to make an impact, and make a name for yourself as a marketing director – you have two options. 1. Create great sales, hard to do, a long-term goal, and always at the mercy of the public. Or 2. Create work that wins some awards.<br />
<br />
So you hire the agency that has a winning award streak.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYj0aKVdxgYwQQwl5zJgu6UqCeJLflFWJmKbJoM1YNgf1SM7DxIp9W4VtGpEUQVM5RjF0T8LSbLoLHsl6sx7YWQ55P6soqYdVF5fscewy9VssbNrRuoz8SAfgCIlHLWe9qoz4LA/s1600/cannes-01-slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYj0aKVdxgYwQQwl5zJgu6UqCeJLflFWJmKbJoM1YNgf1SM7DxIp9W4VtGpEUQVM5RjF0T8LSbLoLHsl6sx7YWQ55P6soqYdVF5fscewy9VssbNrRuoz8SAfgCIlHLWe9qoz4LA/s320/cannes-01-slide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Marketoon / Ketchum.<br />
<a href="http://www.ketchumperspectives.com/issues/epiphanies-from-cannes/cartoons-from-cannes" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.ketchumperspectives.com/issues/epiphanies-from-cannes/cartoons-from-cannes</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now agencies realize they need awards to attract clients. They need teams who have them, and they need to keep winning. The value of those award winning teams goes up more. Awards essentially become a cycle.<br />
<br />
So the small agency. They need awards to get the best teams, now they need them to get clients. But they can’t get the best teams, and they can’t get the best clients, so how are they meant to win any awards?<br />
<br />
But wait, the client wants them too. Well, what if we just run this great idea you had that we can’t buy in a couple of places…<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Awards Shows</b><br />
<br />
Scam advertising is unfortunately an inherent problem in any award show that focuses just on creativity.<br />
<br />
Advertising is, at its very core, solving a business problem. Awards that only focus on creativity don’t consider (or only partly consider) whether it actually solved that problem. The best creative idea in the world is still essentially shit if it doesn’t solve the business problem.<br />
<br />
Actually. That gets to the heart of why scam is so loathed. Scam ads are basically ads that didn’t have to solve a problem. Even if they were based upon a brief designed to tackle an issue, the fact that it didn’t run in any serious way means that it never actually needs to do anything. It is there to look pretty, and is really, just a drawing with a logo.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Media</b><br />
<br />
It takes a brave media owner to miss out or reduce coverage on a big story for the good of the <br />
industry. But coverage of awards, the ranking and ratings of awards, and the use of awards in all coverage of award winners is a large part of the reason why agencies and clients are so desperate to get them. No one would give a shit about Cannes if there was no media publicising it.<br />
<br />
Ok, maybe they'd go for the parties, but that's another issue.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Problem</b><br />
<br />
The key problem with scam has traditionally been 'we place it in one small newspaper and it's eligible'. It's easy to look at that as a media problem, but in most cases it isn't. It's either the agency or client who want to run ideas that were rejected, or even generated without a brief.<br />
<br />
Now though, the biggest problem is hiding behind Beta. Come up with an unusual or interesting idea that has enough technology to look innovative - then create a prototype which will never go to the public and wait for the Gold.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
It's not like agencies don't innovate. My last agency made the magnificent 'Attention Powered Car' for RAC, and yet Cannes somehow failed to award it. (But said how great it was when announcing one of the tech developers as part of this years festival!)<br />
<i><span style="color: #660000;">[Update - In the original version I criticised the Peggy Device for OMO from the same agency as pretty scammy. Since then I've actually chatted to one of the people involved with it, who has assured me that the response from the intended audience around functionality was excellent, and that it has enough backing that it could potentially be an actual full product rather than just a 'beta'. In the interests of fairness I think it's important to note that this makes it way more legitimate an idea than the other work discussed here. It also brings up an important reminder to all of us that it's what the actual audience thinks that counts, not what the ad industry thinks - a culture that is actually another side effect of the awards focus.]</span></i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhGmLTq7lcdKdmgZtovN-7WAssuovZGqc-Dr4laAsb1ysYwsvJOgg2O9k2bUNQdYCbRMxksSBH-Nze_9bk2NIiDeuhyrMgkUN3sv6Ncho2oXq7YmMJinFTo8ODFgCildoiil4Rw/s1600/award-20150602110154129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhGmLTq7lcdKdmgZtovN-7WAssuovZGqc-Dr4laAsb1ysYwsvJOgg2O9k2bUNQdYCbRMxksSBH-Nze_9bk2NIiDeuhyrMgkUN3sv6Ncho2oXq7YmMJinFTo8ODFgCildoiil4Rw/s320/award-20150602110154129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
I prefer my idea of awards called the Canned Tigers for ads</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
that are terrible, or blatant scam.</div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
Image from <a href="http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/">www.campaignlive.co.uk</a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Look at the Cannes Bronze winning 'I Sea' app from Grey Singapore. Now the concept is great, an app that can help refugees and potentially save lives. Except that the app was never properly produced, nor researched effectively to find out if was actually capable and worthwhile of being what it was sold to awards as. The answer, as you may guess is no. An app released to public in an unfinished state, and described by at least one expert in the field as being way too expensive and not fast enough to provide the help it claims.<br />
What state has marketing come to when the lives of refugees are being used to artificially win awards? It isn't just the agency who entered this into Cannes that should be ashamed. Those who push award targets and punishments should be ashamed, and the rest of the industry who utilise similar tactics to get awards should be ashamed too. Who the fuck do we think we are?!<br />
<br />
Now of course there are very few people in the industry who mean to cause harm or produce bad ideas, but the pressure from above and the lack of effective checks and balances to make sure these things don't happen are simply not there. As soon as a creative director sniffs an award chance, they are being coerced into pushing it forward regardless of other factors. We've all seen planning award entries where you can see that data has been presented in a way to make it sound far more effective and important than it really was... but at least in those cases the idea actually happened, and the figures presented are accurate, even if they are shined up a bit. (Importantly, effectiveness awards are increasingly looking for independent verification of all figures too.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>So, No Awards?</b><br />
<br />
None of this is to say awards aren’t valuable. They are a great way to show who is doing good work, and to reward them. They are also a deserved pat on the back for creatives and other employees who often pull crazy hours to generate great ideas and get the entries done.<br />
<br />
We just need to remember that awards are meant to reward good work, rather than good work being the by-product of award entries. The long running cycle of award addiction isn't actually that far removed from the problem of clients getting addicted to sales. Maybe we need to get together and work on a behavioural approach to beating this...<br />
<br />
My position is, and has always been: Awards are great, but I would rather do great work with no awards, than do average work that wins them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>What to Do?</b><br />
<br />
Scam campaigns won't stop unless we do some or all of the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Make inclusion of a media plan mandatory in every creative award entry, and use it as part of the judging process.</li>
<li>Make effectiveness a larger part of scoring creative awards, to minimize the impact of creative which served no purpose.</li>
<li>Have the industry media (as Mumbrella announced in 2014) stop treating awards with such importance.</li>
<li>Have agencies reduce the importance of awards in hiring contracts and hiring decision.</li>
<li>Have agencies base award targets on their size and client base, not on past performance. (Otherwise success one year can leave an agency being unfairly criticised the next year.)</li>
<li>Make sure proper checks and balances are in place at agencies to stop scam entries.</li>
<li>Make sure award judges are given sufficient info about whether a 'Beta' product has been made available, and is capable of doing the job it actually is being awarded for.</li>
</ul>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-90818431060232411402016-06-06T09:39:00.002+01:002016-06-06T09:41:09.544+01:00Marketing Lies That Need to Die No.5 - Low Price + Service Charges Does NOT Equal Low Price<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFzTIqipt9tnn9enSPj6hxFP1lU-8Jl4wRUQLNcvRLHcsxNW2ZlNjf1gpMdebkwuzhDbDmmWHnwLh-vTcvWY_VOPy-DDtJUOMt7nvAnY4DyEaZ1uE1IxLC1Mcp_kWwL7GdBHY6g/s1600/130107.maslow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFzTIqipt9tnn9enSPj6hxFP1lU-8Jl4wRUQLNcvRLHcsxNW2ZlNjf1gpMdebkwuzhDbDmmWHnwLh-vTcvWY_VOPy-DDtJUOMt7nvAnY4DyEaZ1uE1IxLC1Mcp_kWwL7GdBHY6g/s320/130107.maslow.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="http://www.marketoonist.com/" target="_blank">Marketoonist</a>, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other day I went to buy tickets to see one of my favourite bands. The tickets were $70 each.<br />
My girlfriend and I didn't think this was bad for the size of band and venue, so we went online to buy them.<br />
<br />
We selected standing, and went through to the second option, which was 'Ticket selection'. There were two options: 1. Let them send you a mobile ticket - Cost $9.80 per ticket. 2. Collect at the door - Cost $9.80.<br />
<br />
Well I'm not quite sure how either of those cost $9.80, but we clicked on mobile tickets and went to the next stage.<br />
<br />
There we entered our details and clicked to the total, whereby another $9.80 'service charge' was added. So our $140 tickets ended up totaling basically $170, and that was without using Credit Card, which would have invoked ANOTHER charge.<br />
<br />
You know what we did? We cancelled and ended up not going, the extra charges were sufficient to reshape our perception of the gig cost.<br />
<br />
Now I understand service companies have to make money, but given EVERY ticket company adds these charges, is it not better for everyone to show ticket prices including ALL charges?<br />
<br />
Showing us artificially low prices just ends up creating grumpy customers in the short term, and puts people off attending events in the long term.<br />
<br />
Would you go to the supermarket and be happy with Bananas costing $1.99, then getting to the counter and having a 'Delivery' charge and 'Customer Service' charge added on? Mind you, supermarkets do usually do the 'Buy one for $5 get one free' when the cost the week before was $3.50.<br />
<br />
The desire to show low prices ends up hurting everybody in the end. Customers have an initial <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90laEqTcntKhTiceO46Ct2W0m6BFiP1PG4u6JU-cnNO_PvqDOE0-ITO7UjZAt5xMxlA4ZMm3kXNeeoHo-ING5FMbgyqmgUP3YbQx4ZM1koPqpbvynOktm4uh9ECDCPCFNCZsU_Q/s1600/bogof-467017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90laEqTcntKhTiceO46Ct2W0m6BFiP1PG4u6JU-cnNO_PvqDOE0-ITO7UjZAt5xMxlA4ZMm3kXNeeoHo-ING5FMbgyqmgUP3YbQx4ZM1koPqpbvynOktm4uh9ECDCPCFNCZsU_Q/s320/bogof-467017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
bargain rush followed by an immense feeling of being treated like shit, and business lose both long term custom and profitability in a race to the bottom advertised price. My old agency tried to get one airline in the UK (a market whose service charges are particularly hated) to change their practices, and did a good job shifting them the right way until they got merged.<br />
<br />
There's also the annoying 'permanent special offer' messaging, but I'll come to that another day...<br />
<br />
This has happened in so many industries, but still companies are so addicted to low price at the expense of all long term sense. They know that people have a behavioural reaction to low prices, but they don't see the logic and impacts for the long term.<br />
<br />
I've seen it first hand with FMCG brands resorting to 95% sales on discount because they are so frightened of having unit sales numbers drop... they then ask what they can do to improve their brand perceptions. Indeed I saw one brand who helped turned the entire category into a stream of constant discounts. This problem has also creeped it's way through to the world of gaming, where 'Free*' games dominate mobile downloads to such an extent that a whole generation of kids are growing thinking that all games are deliberately rigged to induce payments.<br />
<br />
However. People aren't completely stupid, and we no longer live in an age where you could get away with only a little bit of shared frustration. Eventually these shitty business practices must come to an end... either that or someone else will come and reinvent your market like Uber or DollarShaveClub did with shoddy taxi company service and expensive blade replacements.<br />
<br />
That said. I think Fascinating Aida said it best:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l6pj3Fdbwng" width="560"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-82678107985167717952016-05-19T09:04:00.000+01:002016-05-19T10:12:33.868+01:00Marketing Lies That Need to Die No.3: You Love Our Brand<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYRvTU0HkjXkq7Oo8bdbKTM9ZFCVaY-VX3BsjIqq0u2RuTDBGPzkRMocz-u4uISOzD1BmcjbvNo0H4bxWc8Og8e-O2qClDzP0uQHYp7oUS9PdVgu5Sb9Z11bY5WApKTh_2nae4A/s1600/manicstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYRvTU0HkjXkq7Oo8bdbKTM9ZFCVaY-VX3BsjIqq0u2RuTDBGPzkRMocz-u4uISOzD1BmcjbvNo0H4bxWc8Og8e-O2qClDzP0uQHYp7oUS9PdVgu5Sb9Z11bY5WApKTh_2nae4A/s200/manicstreet.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You. Love. <i>Brand</i>. You Love Brand. You Love <i>Brand</i>.<br /> You Love. You Love <i>Brand</i>. Oh You Love Brand.<br />You Love. You Love <i>Brand</i>. You Love.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sometimes the natural ebb and flow of the English language irritates me. From how the words Chav and Hipster have gone from specific descriptors to generic class insults, and how musical genres like emo and goth get messed with until they end up being no accurate guide whatsoever to the music you are listening to - it happens a lot.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the world of advertising and marketing, indeed most writing and opinion in general, the word 'love' has become one of those words that has such a wide ranging and mixed use, that it should almost be banned from use in any context outside personal relationships...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Two things reminded me of this. Firstly a conversation with my partner yesterday, where she described how she dislikes the way the word is overused by people - usually for regular completely silly overstatements: "I love this skirt! I love this coffee!"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Secondly, a discussion on twitter between <a href="https://twitter.com/tomkelshaw" target="_blank">@tomkelshaw</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/YeahThatMarius" target="_blank">@mariusdonnestad</a> about the word, and a study which showed only 4% of Aussie men 'love' their beer brand. The study, from the excellent (but hard to spell) Ehrenberg-Bass Institute comes to the correct conclusion that expecting a customer to love a brand is way way too optimistic. Frankly it's a naive way of thinking that completely forgets how ordinary people interact with brands, and a key reason for that is the huge variation of what the word love can actually mean.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think it's time we replaced the word love with two or three more descriptive words that better describe what is being talked about. For example: I cannot abide the use of the meaningless word 'consumer', and always try to replace it with a more human word - even just 'customer/non-customer' is far better.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For a start, if a marketer talks about 'loving a brand' as if it were some kind of deep human connection, like a sweet sweet romance in bloom... they are probably in the middle of talking utter bollocks, and you should walk out of the room immediately. People simply do NOT associate with brands in this way., and even brands that people really really like will find that their relationship with the customer is far more changeable and polygamous than accurately befits the term love.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think people CAN feel something towards this for individual products, but even then, that is extremely rare. Probably still only a relationship that promotes loyalty, and as Byron Sharp of Ehrenberg Bass has also stated, even loyal customers only buy you around 50% of the time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all, it's BEER. Sure men do like beer a whole lot more than most other categories, but (despite<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEvDjqyVvYmcpXBP4NarMA-VIhjjkoFIRURvwNKNrVRC0cNDP70uSr9aGBP1eHOgNeiPAamHSjqd7xo0vxpsJhDTwX6pKREr55Iba7-aSimXZ21oT8s6dj570CchhFk1gBDIvMQ/s1600/brewdog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEvDjqyVvYmcpXBP4NarMA-VIhjjkoFIRURvwNKNrVRC0cNDP70uSr9aGBP1eHOgNeiPAamHSjqd7xo0vxpsJhDTwX6pKREr55Iba7-aSimXZ21oT8s6dj570CchhFk1gBDIvMQ/s200/brewdog.jpg" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/brewdog" target="_blank">Brewdog </a>may be my favourite beer brand,<br />
but that doesn't stop me drinking other beers.<br />
However that <i>also </i>doesn't mean I won't<br />
recommend you try one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
mostly being owned by 2 conglomerates) there are some many thousands of beer brands out there, most of which taste exactly the same (and in some cases ARE exactly the same) it's highly unlikely that anyone would 'love' one. It might be your favourite. You might post-rationally argue that it's the BEST beer, that it tastes better than all the others. You might even use the word 'love' as an expression, much to my partner's disdain... But do you really truly LOVE it?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If I bought you a different beer would you turn it down, and forsake all other beers in absolute loyalty? No. If you went to the shop and another similar beer was half price, would you turn your nose up and pay twice the price for it? No.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I much prefer a word like 'Treasured', which suggests a decent attachment, and a positive feeling towards the product, but avoids the unnecessary connotations of the word love. That said, even that word may be too strong for what we really feel towards brands.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I suppose you could certainly be a 'fan' of a brand. Recommending it to others, and maintaining at least a notional loyalty where other factors are equal. I would definitely say I'm a fan of some brands. Pukka Pies, Sennheiser, M-Audio, Brewdog, Nintendo, Apple, Innocent. But see what I did there. I (without meaning to) mentioned two directly competing brands in the same category. Just like bands, I can be a fan of one, but it doesn't mean I don't listen to others, go to their gigs or buy their t-shirts.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Indeed there are some <i>brands </i>that I am a fan of whilst rarely actually purchasing their products. Like Carlton Draught, which I only buy at stadiums where I have no other choice (Because I prefer ale like beer, not because it's a terrible product) - I still like the brand, and talk in positive terms about them because of their brand tone and creative works that build a positive connection. Rather like Innocent, which I am a big fan of, despite rarely drinking fruit juice or smoothies, not to mention that I am 10,000 miles away from a shop that sells it. Coke has over 100 years of American history behind it, yet I doubt many Americans actually love it or would turn down a Pepsi in your home - and those who did would do so out of emotional connection to the associations rather a love of the brand anyway...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYxTHMFDk0dAQMpl38mQrPgyqOtV5azCmro0Dr5mHbSd57BV8vCMU7MvozSyroXlZg1aj9kPEt8gpS634KIoqVWj9ZVaEyqFZXiXN_-sUPjZIg6ZLr0UsOgwWfEoeXAGuwBtDZA/s1600/airwick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYxTHMFDk0dAQMpl38mQrPgyqOtV5azCmro0Dr5mHbSd57BV8vCMU7MvozSyroXlZg1aj9kPEt8gpS634KIoqVWj9ZVaEyqFZXiXN_-sUPjZIg6ZLr0UsOgwWfEoeXAGuwBtDZA/s200/airwick.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry Air Wick. You might be a<br />
perfectly decent and pleasant<br />
smelling air freshener brand -<br />
but I will never love you, nor any<br />
of your competitors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
As the survey points out. If guys can't love a beer brand, a social staple and regularly consumed product - how on earth is it likely that they will love your air freshener, toilet roll, or insurance comparison service brand?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So to sum up this ramble. Whilst people may sometimes say they 'love' a brand, that doesn't mean we should ever suggest to clients or ourselves that they truly love it. They are just a fan, or maybe they treasure the product. Whichever it is, we need better and more accurate words, because if we can't be clear about what relationship customers have with brands, how can brands be expected to trust us to develop that relationship?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Note: (for all those Saatchi folks out there) This isn't intended to be a condemnation of Lovemarks. For me, that is more a positioning than scientific behavioural theory anyway - and whilst I think some of the ideas in it are flawed, I don't dislike the idea of trying to connect and build positive relationships with brands in a stronger way than most marketers do, particularly as we know that, according to stats at least, 'loyalty beyond reason' doesn't really exist - it just mixes the idea of loyalty with the idea of emotional and irrational behaviour. Besides which. It certainly hasn't stopped Saatchi agencies producing some great planning ideas and creative work... :)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Additional Note: That said... I did see Byron Sharp give a talk where Kevin Roberts admitted he made Lovemarks up over a glass of wine. :)</i></div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-82565673392588464022016-05-05T06:23:00.001+01:002016-05-05T06:31:11.142+01:00Blighty Ad Review - Part 1 - Carling, Cadburys, Go CompareOne of the many advantages of having a Proxy connection, is that it allows me to see what's going on in the world of British advertising without having to read a million industry articles.<br />
<br />
So here are some reviews of British ads I've come across recently:<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Carling - Bird Chase</span></b><br />
<br />
Almost a lovely TV spot. A chase with a bird, featuring some silly stunts and a bit of humour. Apparently it's over a year old, but I hadn't been exposed to it til now...<br />
<br />
The problem is the end line. "It's good, but it's not quite Carling."<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRCEQz4QjIzEby_6tohMQ1hj7lmebDf5bVTm6ZJt4baCc8Mp9o0gNASQ3mLOyupLIOsLO9ZOJVQyHKHqaUV0g9lmDFboe5J7ytetebnJKO5Da7bFfnfQlFGg7yA9yWM2quMHtsQ/s1600/carlsberg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRCEQz4QjIzEby_6tohMQ1hj7lmebDf5bVTm6ZJt4baCc8Mp9o0gNASQ3mLOyupLIOsLO9ZOJVQyHKHqaUV0g9lmDFboe5J7ytetebnJKO5Da7bFfnfQlFGg7yA9yWM2quMHtsQ/s200/carlsberg.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay! They changed the tagline back...<br />
That calls for a Carl... oh bugger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Firstly, just like Carlsberg when they shifted their tagline to 'That calls for a Carlsberg', it's trying way too hard to be some kind of catchy line that makes the product sound great in popular culture. Thankfully Carlsberg saw the error and have changed back to the old tag line, just replacing 'lager' for 'beer' to match current trends.<br />
<br />
Secondly. Carling, as popular and reasonable a beer it may be for the price - everybody knows that it isn't the greatest beer in the world. Unless things have massively changed in the last 3 years - Carling has spent a long time as the ubiquitous cheap beer. Go into a pub and most of the time it will be the cheapest lager on tap, so that's what people drink. Go to a shop, and Carling will be among the cheapest branded beers, so that's what people buy. Just like Carlton Draught and VB over here in Australia, the former of which has maintained funny and memorable ads for some time now.<br />
<br />
To me it doesn't shift perception of quality, and using it in that way damages the other good elements of the work. Even a slight shift to something like (and of course I'm not a copywriter..!) 'Not quite a Carling moment' would keep the humour and concept, but lose some of the contrived feel.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9miCuoZnuEc" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cadbury's - Tastes like this feels</span></b><br />
<br />
Again, another piece of work that is so very nearly spot on. The idea of using funny or cute internet video clips representing the joy or pleasurable feelings of eating the chocolate carries on the joyful idea first seen in Gorilla.<br />
<br />
The problem here is that unlike Gorilla and other highly engaging Cadbury's work recently - this one fails to give the audience anything to work out. It just jumps straight in and tells you the perception you are meant to take out from it before showing you anything to interest you. Now I know Cadbury's has some credibility in interesting content, so people may be more tolerant of remaining attentive... but it just switched me off immediately.<br />
<br />
I get that the client wants the brand to be visible at the outset, but they did that with Gorilla without spoiling the content.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TfOumoFSs0k" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Go Compare - That fucking Opera singer</span></b><br />
<br />
Fuck off. Just fuck off. Seriously now, fuck <i>right</i> off.<br />
<br />
Get over to the corner and don't come back again. Jump out of a plane without a parachute whilst carrying lead weights. Taste test some cyanide pills. Have some risky throat surgery from Dr Nick Riviera. Go swimming in the Rio Olympic Swimming waters. Operate heavy machinery whilst very drunk. Set fire to your hair. Poke a stick at a grizzly bear. Eat medicine that's out of date. Use your private parts as piranha bait. (Hang on, that's turned into dumb ways to die...) But really, honestly, just fuck off and never <b>ever </b>return.<br />
<br />
A terrible campaign, that whilst not as bad as it has previously been (Excluding the work by Dare<br />
where they actually used his irritating value to good creative effect) - is still so bloody bloody awful that were I a billionaire I would (Remington style) buy the company just to stop them being aired. <i>"I hated it so much, I bought the company."</i><br />
<br />
<i>Ahem</i>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iNLcMd-nQ4qzwIQJsJ7FytcCGXqaaYRxKbxexicxl2ht0ujTcRfXjm4i5OaCI_uFltinOKQ3fwxBfuY28FYMBeSJSig8R2FMr4kXVtOTkLuKqx1Y4G-VdbhBT7QDto6XNUkzTA/s1600/remington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iNLcMd-nQ4qzwIQJsJ7FytcCGXqaaYRxKbxexicxl2ht0ujTcRfXjm4i5OaCI_uFltinOKQ3fwxBfuY28FYMBeSJSig8R2FMr4kXVtOTkLuKqx1Y4G-VdbhBT7QDto6XNUkzTA/s200/remington.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please Gio, shave extra close.<br />
EXTRA close.<br />
Preferably with a rusty razor blade.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;">"Go Away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">Go Away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">This fucking ad's still fucking bad.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">So Go Away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span><br /><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;">Go Away.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">Go Away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">You only work from media buys.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">So Go Away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span><br /><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;">At least the Meerkat's</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">Not a complete twat</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">So please pack your gear</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;">and go fly to North Korea..."</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jZBOe3gHBEQ" width="560"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-43457321054204635902016-05-02T09:58:00.000+01:002016-05-02T10:08:08.643+01:00Behavioural Studies in Democracy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvuDxAx9EsCfl3TdBxCykJ2EVXPKG9V-7ULSsCDgX7ZXJe6s66xxunBJw9iaBAn7VubAHX6z_ZN4016JbD7s1XPiH4SXAS_KLHF2l0CICcijb9Zs0-Vpa7UFimxeQQASJt3MC8A/s1600/rik+mayall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvuDxAx9EsCfl3TdBxCykJ2EVXPKG9V-7ULSsCDgX7ZXJe6s66xxunBJw9iaBAn7VubAHX6z_ZN4016JbD7s1XPiH4SXAS_KLHF2l0CICcijb9Zs0-Vpa7UFimxeQQASJt3MC8A/s1600/rik+mayall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A classic and often too under appreciated comedy.<br />
Also one of the most true to life, especially now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's my personal belief right now that the single most interesting event for those of us with an interest in human behaviour and social interactions is NOT the continuing misadventures of Donald Drumpf. (Also pretty sure that would make a great Nickelodeon series)<br />
<br />
Sure in a few months time that one is going to get crazy. But right now there is something going on that is full of the kinds of behavioural actions, emotional responses, and cognitive dissonance that makes a good marketing book.<br />
<br />
I'm talking about the British EU Referendum. Or 'Brexit', as someone with a terrible taste in words thought up.<br />
<br />
This referendum campaign has been one of scaremongering, misleading facts, racism, nationalism, outrageous assumptions and forecasting. Some of those from both sides of the debate, but largely from the Pro-Leaving campaign,<br />
<br />
For example - The leave campaign, (which ironically is headed by an immigrant who arrived due to EU laws) repeatedly and knowingly describes the cost of being in the EU as 350m pounds a week. Despite the fact that a chunk of that is rebated, and much of it goes back to the UK to support industries such as farming, not to mention that it secures access to 44% of the UK's current trade.<br />
<br />
You then see this misinformation repeated by those ordinary people who back leaving.<br />
<br />
Now I am very much pro staying in the EU. For all its flaws, it has achieved many great things*1, and leaving would not only be a disaster for the economy of Britain*2, not to mention ending Britain as we know it*3, but it would encourage growth and tolerance of extreme nationalism in the rest of Europe*4.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIwVeTS6_i24VKGBKYQfFe-9ZcrNyB77se574qSTNNo4Mi1-9zHzoCPhJBBUgN6kQtLafXH1u4cMJK4NqTnA2sRxMWmfP3C8uLaYtv7tZ4-IRE136Fz57Zs380yewCJ8HelOxLQ/s1600/brockman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIwVeTS6_i24VKGBKYQfFe-9ZcrNyB77se574qSTNNo4Mi1-9zHzoCPhJBBUgN6kQtLafXH1u4cMJK4NqTnA2sRxMWmfP3C8uLaYtv7tZ4-IRE136Fz57Zs380yewCJ8HelOxLQ/s320/brockman.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic Kent Brockman. Pretty accurate,<br />
although sadly we haven't yet found a better way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did try to have reasonable debates with people of the opposite opinion, but so far all I have found is misinformation, repeated newspaper headlines from the 1990's, wild ideas that somehow your biggest trading partner will give you a great new deal after you dump them, etc etc. Not only that, I've discovered what seems to be the most stubborn and fact resistant cognitive dissonance I've seen since working on a pitch for healthy eating and exercise. (By the end of the strategy process I was literally wanting to shout "Just fucking DO IT!"... but obviously that wouldn't have been a great strategy.)<br />
<br />
I've had people respond to my attempt to show them facts and respected opinions on the aftermath with insults and claims that I somehow don't love Britain because I live in Australia. Frankly I felt it showed I love it more, as despite being 10,000 miles away, I still knew more about it than them. Oh, and the fact that by voting their way, Britain would soon cease to exist...*3<br />
<br />
My other favourite is when they say "The USA would never enter some kind of union with Mexico or Argentina." without even thinking about the fact that USA stands for 'United States of America'... or that they have previously used "United States of Europe" as an attack line against the EU.<br />
<br />
Anyway. This has turned into <i><b>much </b></i>more of a rant than I planned. Largely because trying to engage reasonable debate on this topic is like trying to convince Trump supporters that his facts are wrong. Even though they are, it just isn't going to happen - and you are going to feel like you are banging your head on a brick wall the whole time. In the end I was commenting more for my own social studies than in any real attempt to change the opinion of people who are so emotionally dug-in on the outdated concept of a lone Britain 'RULE BRITANNIA!' able to dominate the world of the 1950's.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6qTqDk0Mn2FyhvUjCFeb2xhW9MuBr-_5t2SwWeLi6d18KdLYditlhblDhLmOzvuMQjCaTmOprNLyP5qaHgsRyJT1Y0JXcg07ey7j3tFqJyzKtJWcKZwzk0IpBVvB6kTA5alMqQ/s1600/snp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6qTqDk0Mn2FyhvUjCFeb2xhW9MuBr-_5t2SwWeLi6d18KdLYditlhblDhLmOzvuMQjCaTmOprNLyP5qaHgsRyJT1Y0JXcg07ey7j3tFqJyzKtJWcKZwzk0IpBVvB6kTA5alMqQ/s200/snp.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Not another Scottish referendum"...<br />
... I hear two people say.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That doesn't however, change the fact that watching the debates and social commentary on this issue is absolutely fascinating from a planning and strategy perspective. Working on the Pro-Remaining campaign must have been one of the toughest, but hopefully most rewarding strategy jobs of the last decade. At 41% pro-remain and 40% pro-leaving on current polls though - it may (as most Pro-Remain supporters are younger and therefore less likely to vote) turn out to be a futile attempt to save both the 'Great' in Great Britain, and the 'United' in United Kingdom.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*1 - Mandatory overtime after working certain numbers of hours. More peaceful relations between states. Free movement between countries - meaning no holiday visa fees and the ability to work anywhere you like. Improved consumer protection laws. Cross-country co-ordination against crime and terrorism. The Human Rights Act. Etc.<br /><br />*2 - '44.6% of British trade comes from the EU'. 'The CBI estimates that the net benefit of EU membership is worth 4-5% of GDP to the UK, or £62bn-£78bn per year.' 'the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) shows the overall contribution to our economy from exports to the EU was £187 billion last year, and that it could rise by almost half again to £277 billion a year by 2030.' (<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-what-has-european-union-done-for-us-david-cameron-brexit-a6850626.html">Independent</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*3 - Scotland would wish to leave Britain if it left the EU. After the close vote last time, the damage of being outside the EU would almost certainly mean any new vote would result in a separate Scotland (they poll more in favour of the EU than England, enough to sway a fair number of voters) - and the end of Britain as we know it: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon/11933486/Nicola-Sturgeon-warns-second-Scottish-independence-referendum-unstoppable-if-UK-leaves-EU.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon/11933486/Nicola-Sturgeon-warns-second-Scottish-independence-referendum-unstoppable-if-UK-leaves-EU.html </a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*4 - <a href="http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160224/1035301321/possible-brexit-cause-europe-nationalism.html">http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160224/1035301321/possible-brexit-cause-europe-nationalism.html</a> - <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/628277/Euroscepticism-right-wing-nationalism-Ken-Clarke-EU">http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/628277/Euroscepticism-right-wing-nationalism-Ken-Clarke-EU</a></span>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-18848507900884030572016-04-17T17:00:00.000+01:002016-04-17T17:00:33.717+01:00Marketing Lies That Need to Die No.2: Spreadable Butter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFEpTeBjIsGWgVsGHMthNBIntA7JK5lJ1ZeorvCgh0hAujt3UVBdNBQmtCvir6P41Y6KZNMUlHtBhhoGbuCgSuUg5cj0Bvfl8l-qv58XGlCFQgI6N4_YbvzSE9WEO-TlBHvSozA/s1600/112330011_0_640x640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFEpTeBjIsGWgVsGHMthNBIntA7JK5lJ1ZeorvCgh0hAujt3UVBdNBQmtCvir6P41Y6KZNMUlHtBhhoGbuCgSuUg5cj0Bvfl8l-qv58XGlCFQgI6N4_YbvzSE9WEO-TlBHvSozA/s200/112330011_0_640x640.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lurpak Spreadable. Probably the closest I've found.<br />It does spread, but it definitely doesn't taste<br /> like regular Lurpak. I.e.: Buttery Heaven.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now I admit that this topic is a lot less black and white than the last one about <a href="http://the-ad-pit.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/marketing-lies-that-need-to-die-no1.html" target="_blank">targeted pain relief</a>, but it's one that still annoys the hell out of me as a customer.<br />
<br />
Has anyone ever actually bought a 'Spreadable Butter' that spreads on regular bread? As I don't recall ever finding one. Note that I'm not talking about margarine type spreads or 'butter-like' brands, but those that claim to be both butter and spreadable, usually a mix of butter and vegetable oil. They don't always 'say' butter, but they are clearly positioned as being almost butter, rather than in-betweens.<br />
<br />
There are many which spread, but they don't taste like butter - and there are many which taste like butter, and they don't spread.<br />
<br />
Brand variants called 'Buttersoft' or 'Spreadable' seem to exist for every single brand. The question I have to ask is, what in the name of all that is edible are they spreading this stuff on to get away with those claims?!<br />
<br />
Seems like all of these brands are caught in this grey area where you can't have both butter taste and spreadable texture. So we end up with no clear way of knowing how soft or actually spreadable something is until you buy it.<br />
<br />
The process normally goes like this:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Buy 'spreadable' labelled butter.</li>
<li>Put out bread slice.</li>
<li>Attempt to spread.</li>
<li>Tear bread to pieces.</li>
<li>Put new piece of bread out.</li>
<li>Attempt to carefully spread butter.</li>
<li>Tear bread to pieces.</li>
<li>Swear.</li>
<li>Put new piece of bread out.</li>
<li>Dump chunk of butter onto bread and put in the grill to melt it.</li>
<li>Spread butter on half toasted bread.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Maybe I just have a shit knife, but I am so fed up of products being labelled spreadable when they clearly clearly are not.<br />
<br />
This lie needs to die, or at the very least get much much clearer!Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-69573712706690150112016-04-14T08:23:00.002+01:002016-04-14T08:23:13.785+01:00Marketing Lies That Need to Die No.1: Targeted Pain Relief<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BiQv3jf-JPg5TEUbvmenjY2rcR4xmS6xmoICXDAIcUiKv6Anoc4Id9fe82BvUSEzMOT-eVqqxPBY-H1D53jECZoIcU0rI2bkTePnH_PiRS3nOqUeoNekwqPt9avbVOxoRiqbdA/s1600/6282200-16x9-940x529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BiQv3jf-JPg5TEUbvmenjY2rcR4xmS6xmoICXDAIcUiKv6Anoc4Id9fe82BvUSEzMOT-eVqqxPBY-H1D53jECZoIcU0rI2bkTePnH_PiRS3nOqUeoNekwqPt9avbVOxoRiqbdA/s320/6282200-16x9-940x529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink for ladies? How original!<br />Image Source: <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/" target="_blank">ACCC</a></td></tr>
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I'm sure you've all seen them. Variants of pain relief products that claim to target a particular type of pain, usually migraines, back pains or period pains - but which contain <u>exactly</u> the same ingredients as the regular pain killer.<br />
<br />
Now maybe you could argue that they provide placebo relief, though I'm not sure that would make a great proof point for a campaign... but what really makes these products a complete pain in the arse is how much more they charge for them.<br />
<br />
You can buy generic pain relievers for very little money, and branded pain relievers for a bit more money - but targeted pain relievers, well they cost a bit more. Except, rather like homeopathy, you aren't really paying for anything other than a new run of packaging, and for this privilege you can sometimes be charged TWICE the price of the regular branded version.<br />
<br />
For years these products have annoyed the hell out of me, providing absolutely no proof that they do what they claim to do. Finally though, someone has been doing something about it.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb3Q4bT1qqtRDdNf8LrJZ-j7BdgFqNzo1Sbd2Jfv40nhEbjhFD7hSlqC88G-UxBXi-gESXLt-ei_VHafdtv85-MrjMAs5h7RoG4NOOzxMK4mZNMZ1I5GkFQLkqk4JXkG_iXA0gA/s1600/Placebo-band-aw04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb3Q4bT1qqtRDdNf8LrJZ-j7BdgFqNzo1Sbd2Jfv40nhEbjhFD7hSlqC88G-UxBXi-gESXLt-ei_VHafdtv85-MrjMAs5h7RoG4NOOzxMK4mZNMZ1I5GkFQLkqk4JXkG_iXA0gA/s320/Placebo-band-aw04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Where can we get these Placebos?!<br />Maybe they're in that truck!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) has been pursuing action against Nurofen* and Reckitt Benckiser* for their range of these painkillers, and not only have they forced the range to be taken off shelves, but customers now may be able to get their money back.<br />
<br />
This is excellent, because I for one am so sick of marketing that lies. In this age, we have to be truthful if we want to succeed. Yes we need to be clever, write well and look great, but the essential things we say have to be based on reality - and the simple fact is that these products were absolutely not.<br />
<br />
Well done to the ACCC for helping marketing and brands take a step towards real honesty. After all, it's the brands that really suffer in the end. I wonder how many customers Nurofen have lost because they felt so ripped off by a false claim? Given that the <i>real </i>positive features of some of the range (E.g.: Faster absorption) are actually good. But why would anyone want to pay a premium in the future for a brand that lies to them, and rips them off in the process?<br />
<br />
Hopefully this is the last we EVER see of this lie.<br />
<br />
<i><b>*I should add, Nurofen are by no means the only brand I've seen doing this practice. I recall seeing other brands by different healthcare companies doing the same thing back in the UK.</b></i>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-84056643710093621212015-10-28T07:45:00.004+00:002015-10-28T07:46:37.202+00:00Does the Unwritten Agreement need Writing Again?I little while back I wrote about advertising coming up to moment of big change, where it needs to develop in order to remain useful and relevant. I think though, it's also appropriate to look at the other side of the coin affecting this issue.<br />
<br />
For almost 300 years, advertising has helped to fund content. First appearing, as far as I can tell without a comprehensive google-day, in early to mid 1700's magazines. Over time advertising has spread to radio, TV, and now the internet - helping to provide the content that billions use every single day.<i> "I'll just skip through 700 pages of advertisements to get to the first article in this copy of in-flight magazine/GQ/Cosmopolitan/etc."</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7S0yDmQiB3Sny_cfwQ3dAKYkMTo8XuaO84YwqaHRoYwqnBvTaJ6Y-EGReiZmNL9-UKJUtbWsOPcdJgdHpirNJpZq3yZqmhVdasop14vEZM9LUd_WpowEfWW87fVFndrj6OMNAA/s1600/lard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7S0yDmQiB3Sny_cfwQ3dAKYkMTo8XuaO84YwqaHRoYwqnBvTaJ6Y-EGReiZmNL9-UKJUtbWsOPcdJgdHpirNJpZq3yZqmhVdasop14vEZM9LUd_WpowEfWW87fVFndrj6OMNAA/s320/lard.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well maybe just another spoonful...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The unwritten agreement, always in place, was simple: <b><i>This advertising and sponsorship pays for your content.</i></b><br />
<br />
The sad lack of support from many towards public broadcasters like the BBC and the ABC shows that this fundamental agreement is still technically in place, and as popular as it ever has been. Except that is, in one place.<br />
<br />
Well, I say one place, It's really many. That's the internet obviously,<br />
<br />
It seems that outside of a few small home made blogs, the link between advertising and content is less clear, and far more disliked. People have got used to free content with no strings attached. I like all people, get grumpy when a 30 second ad appears on my You Tube content. I left Myspace because the banner hell made it an unusable mess. I skip 98% of all video ads... but I still know why those ads are there, and it seems like many have forgotten, or are holding out as long as possible from accepting the truth: The internet NEEDS advertising support.<br />
<br />
Yet ad blockers continue to grow in usage.<br />
<br />
Netflix, along with Spotify and others have shown that people WILL subscribe to good content if it is well priced. But when it comes to smaller scale content like news and magazines, they are much less keen to get out their proverbial digital wallets.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZZSt6vhL7zuafVCyDVIW6N0KkGkljPmVvOlZuVvWzkz7EKv6ykoQPRKdYNg5JMKaS5ZGB3Ufn6JgCL1KoTtZ1nc5w6YzikCZxPrsDtLqCR6lX2Nkc-NyBGF34TEU2ma0gNBc2A/s1600/ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZZSt6vhL7zuafVCyDVIW6N0KkGkljPmVvOlZuVvWzkz7EKv6ykoQPRKdYNg5JMKaS5ZGB3Ufn6JgCL1KoTtZ1nc5w6YzikCZxPrsDtLqCR6lX2Nkc-NyBGF34TEU2ma0gNBc2A/s320/ad.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
<br />
It's the same mistake many agencies made in assuming that 'social' was free. They saw organic reach as a mythical unicorn. Failing to realise that it still requires time and effort, and still requires a social site paying for the network you are latching onto. Yes it's frustrating that Facebook has killed organic reach, but you can hardly blame them. We all, myself included, complain when sites start reminding of the unwritten agreement. Sometimes it even drives people away. But without doing so, the only way they can survive is to mine our privacy.<br />
<br />
Maybe one route is to create a multi-site microtransaction scheme in the same manner as Spotify. Every web page you read deducts a very small amount (E.g.: 20c from an account. Saving you from ads, but avoiding the uncertainty of paying for news and magazine content that you might not always want. After all, we've seen that paywalls are generally rubbish. If you had ONE account that could send $2 to Wall St Journal, $3 to Autosport, and $1.20 to The Guardian, I reckon people would try it out, certainly more so than access paywalled sites or pay for magazine subscriptions that they never get round to reading.<br />
<br />
Of course, this is not to forget the very valid argument that people deserve a break from terrible advertising, and being targeted in intrusive and relentless ways. Some of the ways people are targeted now can border on harassment, no convincing way to get people to respond or change their behaviour.<br />
<br />
Yes, we definitely need to improve the campaigns we make. But perhaps the harassment problem is the same. The reason people are being increasingly targeted in this way, is because they have forgotten the unwritten agreement when it comes to the content they love most. They've fallen into the trap of thinking that a free and open web has no cost whatsoever. Whereas we used to use advertising to hide the costs, maybe now we need to be clear and open that there is no such thing as a free internet. When you expect things to be free AND ad-free, your data becomes the cashflow.<br />
<br />
Or to put it another way, let's take the old maxim of: <i><b>Good, Quick, Cheap. Pick two.</b></i><br />
Now it needs re-arranging into the modern internet paradigm:<b><i> Free. Unintrusive, No Ads. Pick two.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF-Gbcpv3DZ8bjwsH_SDJvqCPcQHOaPLqKA_2dEsjqCNPANwCoVriiT96iaEkE_mugUDkQbRcPfF4WoGH_BP39zalHyPhSTlMzKiUyjkmULeDRZdeWFND-3uyidlUuHMAwQCtyQ/s1600/4odlogo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF-Gbcpv3DZ8bjwsH_SDJvqCPcQHOaPLqKA_2dEsjqCNPANwCoVriiT96iaEkE_mugUDkQbRcPfF4WoGH_BP39zalHyPhSTlMzKiUyjkmULeDRZdeWFND-3uyidlUuHMAwQCtyQ/s200/4odlogo2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second best reason to have a VPN<br />
if you live outside of the UK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not just that, but perhaps the time has come to remind people more bluntly that the internet is not free. Journalism is not free. Proper content is not free. Channel 4 in the UK have started this trend by blocking access to their online video service 4OD to people with ad blockers.<br />
<br />
<i>"It may seem obvious, but this site and the resources within are paid for by the advertising within. Without this advertising we would be forced to sell your data or become paid access only. We hate terrible ads too, but if you ad block this site, it won't exist in free form for much longer."</i>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-51142866502440586102015-10-22T02:11:00.002+01:002015-10-22T02:11:54.750+01:00Looking Back to the Future and Forward to the Past<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDZPvVlFsJovoqJ38Zb_KfnOqaQNX6nCV2BJ3YVrLUeOaJSEyfSqi-iXtZ4FLey0k-hg2bIPa-7NKOLSMsGtKv98ayPhmqQa7Jr1wShhdRP520yPW2zji_15nvfMHspAzHWqJWA/s1600/backtothefuturepart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDZPvVlFsJovoqJ38Zb_KfnOqaQNX6nCV2BJ3YVrLUeOaJSEyfSqi-iXtZ4FLey0k-hg2bIPa-7NKOLSMsGtKv98ayPhmqQa7Jr1wShhdRP520yPW2zji_15nvfMHspAzHWqJWA/s320/backtothefuturepart2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is definitely how my fashion looks now. How about you?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No one with eyes could have failed to notice the saturation of coverage around the fact that we are now living in Marty McFly's future. I can only imagine how much more there would have been if DeLorean was still a car brand today. Maybe it would have been their finest moment...<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFyY7_hc-14" target="_blank"> that award probably goes to Toyota though, who timed it just perfectly with their piece including the two main actors.</a><br />
<br />
Inevitably though, this drags the mind into the regular habit of trying to predict the future. Possibly as futile a task as trying to argue with internet trolls, but what the hell, it's more fun.<br />
<br />
For me the scariest thing about this time is not that we are living in the supposed future, nor that the first film is now 30 years old. What makes me think, is that 1985 is now as dated to us as the 1950's were in 1985. As a kid the 1950's seemed unimaginably far away, and now my childhood is that far away too.<br />
<br />
But I digress.<br />
<br />
So let's look back at what was happening in advertising in 1985.<br />
<br />
For a start, it was the starting to reach (in the UK at least) the end of what some people would call the golden era. Full of John Webster, Dave Trott, and CDP long copy ads. Though as I mentioned previously, <a href="http://the-ad-pit.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/the-golden-age.html" target="_blank">I'm not really a believer in any golden era.</a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgG7uQb2-CTKSGHZlc8NUNSGAEGBCyut_leMDzQIYHVbmDwBqck419I9tc8LAVb6gNeoP0BgXCWSOKHW8aJ5DhDiUlS6E1SQQgxIHkZ1uXKlpeuNFGvSc7KbKpOSTavQ5nuNTLQ/s1600/bttf+delorean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgG7uQb2-CTKSGHZlc8NUNSGAEGBCyut_leMDzQIYHVbmDwBqck419I9tc8LAVb6gNeoP0BgXCWSOKHW8aJ5DhDiUlS6E1SQQgxIHkZ1uXKlpeuNFGvSc7KbKpOSTavQ5nuNTLQ/s320/bttf+delorean.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly you big rust bucket... fly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ads of 1985 seemed a big wide world away from the stiff, long, slow advertising of 1955, when TV ads first came to Britain. But for the media agencies, things were barely any different. bar one additional tv channel. It would be the next thirty years that really sparked massive change.<br />
<br />
1985 was also the start of the shift in advertising from creative led, to accountant led agencies. With a young Martin Sorrell buying the Wire and Plastic Products company. In two years time it would buy JWT and for a while at least, all proverbial hell would be broken loose. For many of us born in the 80s/90s, it's hard to imagine advertising and marketing without WPP - and while it would be nice to have more creative-first management, perhaps that financially careful approach has helped maintain a bigger and more creative industry than would have otherwise been achieved through such big change.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look at the kind of advertising that I watched as a three year old...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KNM_MLZVLsU" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
TV, print and radio. With most brands aiming for TV as lead if they could possibly afford it.<br />
<br />
So in many ways, advertising has fundamentally changed (if you exclude the older fashioned brands who just want TV). The huge variety of media options, the falling away of the BIG tv ad, the rise of digital and using different media for different messaging and purposes. Yet in many ways, it is exactly the same. It's still, at it's best, using clever thinking and imaginative creative to change behaviour and get people to act. I'm pretty sure that will remain exactly the same in thirty years time.<br />
<br />
Which brings us back to the future (yes yes I know). What will 2045 bring?<br />
<br />
I know many people will be shouting "ME ME! TV will be dead sir!" - but I think they are wrong.<br />
It may not quite resemble what we traditionally think of as TV, it may come largely through the internet data pipelines. But will there be a mass channel of entertainment produced by large entertainment companies that people watch in their living rooms on large screens and mobile devices? Of course. Will they be the same media companies as now? That depends on how quickly they stop living in the past and embrace the open world. Funny how we hear about reducing government and legal interference in business, except for when those businesses want to make more money. Global content availability will be key to those who succeed.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxrM1BCDNy1XH9UOVD2VxPVcCEffbgyn67DZ6nctGHHgE5unN5-aDqlwn0yDPyAhIOJI-aEZbpdRFkW025jwhYLBrJzn8t6VGggMoG5H8TcP6erMaYjP0EVZkFTB_MD935IjZTQ/s1600/pepsi+bttf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxrM1BCDNy1XH9UOVD2VxPVcCEffbgyn67DZ6nctGHHgE5unN5-aDqlwn0yDPyAhIOJI-aEZbpdRFkW025jwhYLBrJzn8t6VGggMoG5H8TcP6erMaYjP0EVZkFTB_MD935IjZTQ/s320/pepsi+bttf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps the ghost of Elton John will prefer<br />
Pepsi Perfect instead of Coke?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If TV AND the internet haven't killed radio in 70+ years, what makes us think that TV as an overall concept will die out in another 30?<br />
<br />
Banner ads on the other hand...<br />
<br />
Banner ads have been dying for several years already. Whilst they may not disappear entirely, I believe they will gradually decline as people use data and video content to better reach internet users.<br />
<br />
I also think Facebook might become the first social channel to achieve long term success. Whereas other social channels died out as they got too mass, Facebook seems to have found the right balance to keep itself relevant to users. Given their huge cash reserves and available audience, Facebook could perhaps become it's own large scale media owner. If you think organic reach is dead now, it will be spinning it its grave in 2045. It will be hard for other social upstarts to compete, and I would expect the biggest competitors as such will be those based in other countries... or perhaps those who allow absolute protection of privacy as governments continue to crack down on the ability to comment and use data freely.<br />
<br />
I wonder what else will change. Maybe this blog will still exist in some form, reaching it's 40th anniversary. Or perhaps I'll do something else entirely. Who knows. As they say, we often overestimate short term change and underestimate long term change...Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-44287596026974139522015-09-29T04:42:00.001+01:002015-09-29T04:42:13.333+01:00Advertising, Record Labels, Videos and Video Games<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLhULoZ7WTY9NGNon8X2_QV-xciFFxX5jZu08nQ9O_mvbL1TJ9e7OXuMee_EZ9r6ivtEAN72_uyxk_1Q1_DMbc_nxS0Dyu5e7Igiz-UP-y6wn1Bmh21c7Q7qbD8wfTj5POE3_fQ/s1600/mth+buiiki+kaesu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLhULoZ7WTY9NGNon8X2_QV-xciFFxX5jZu08nQ9O_mvbL1TJ9e7OXuMee_EZ9r6ivtEAN72_uyxk_1Q1_DMbc_nxS0Dyu5e7Igiz-UP-y6wn1Bmh21c7Q7qbD8wfTj5POE3_fQ/s200/mth+buiiki+kaesu.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such an awesome album.<br />
Shame I have no easy way to own it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For a couple of years I really wanted to buy an album called Buiiki Kaesu by Japanese band Maximum the Hormone (kind of insane rock/metal with jpop bits).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I looked in every record shop I could find, checking the import and rock/metal sections. Nothing. I checked online, initially nowhere stocking it would deliver to Australia. Then eventually it became available, but at absolutely extortionate prices for a used CD. I checked on Spotify, which I pay to access. Nothing. I checked on iTunes. Nothing. I checked stores in Hong Kong that stock Japanese music. Nothing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The only way I could hear the band was to play You Tube videos with iffy quality audio - most of these got taken down after a while too.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I did these actions for over two years, and realised that their record label simply didn't want me to able to listen to the band through reasonable legal means. It was even taking actions to stop me using the only real legal source I had.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So in the end I just started streaming it from web music sites. For which the record label gets precisely nothing. More importantly, the band, who I want to support, gets absolutely nothing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Amazingly, more than fifteen years after the launch of Napster, many record labels STILL do not get the world we live in. They are stuck in their 20th century approach, putting their profits above their audience.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDJVXQeg1tKVzKgOJMMBbLJTZrtOHWN2meS32ZQRk69gKf551VBD_PPoV2sYZC4l9PBaLHKYTj-P7kunDploETl_XXuGV-qotSHezLOSfUpUIsxdMWKgX20QGg6IEwgS7FHyUVg/s1600/social+network.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDJVXQeg1tKVzKgOJMMBbLJTZrtOHWN2meS32ZQRk69gKf551VBD_PPoV2sYZC4l9PBaLHKYTj-P7kunDploETl_XXuGV-qotSHezLOSfUpUIsxdMWKgX20QGg6IEwgS7FHyUVg/s320/social+network.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A million ad views isn't cool. You know what is?<br />
A BILLION ad views."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Which brings me to advertising.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everyone has I'm sure seen the recent news and posts about massive growth in ad-blocking. Some people are carrying on as normal, others are panicking like it's the end of the world... in a way perhaps it is. This for me is starting to feel very much like the launch of Napster did for record labels.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This could be our moment. The moment our audience decided they had enough with us doing things in an old fashioned and 'audience-last' way. The moment where agencies start to become divided into those who get it and those who don't.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Take DVDs and video games. Two mediums that are very wary of piracy. I just bought a DVD, and inserted between the menu and the show was a US FBI anti piracy message. Well gee, thanks for hassling me after I ALREADY paid for it. I imagine the illegal versions wouldn't have this, so making it useless.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Video games too were notorious until recently for putting the customer last when it came to security and anti-piracy measures. It started with complex sheets of paper full secret codes, then moved to software that slowed down the PC, and complex installation and registration procedures that just frustrated the very people who had already bought the game. Illegal copies meanwhile, had these features edited out. A pointless irritation symptomatic of bad profit-first thinking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(Incidentally it's why I prefer the campaign approach to piracy used in Australia. Instead of negative, it makes you feel good by simply saying thank you for buying legally, and points out how doing so helps programmes get made.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Just like record labels, this backwards thinking does nothing but piss off the very people it needs to target. A situation which feels very very much like most advertising right now in this always on world.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR33yyYH32ecKmkSBFr99_7olIt0b3e134DBkvoQUFAmkJamfCqknxpBh_UBlAWAPYgSU9LXLcl8EighEEhl_EiILQP8xOK-iO7GdyAMlZb7GzWsYeBjkxYfNqor3Hp8Oh0Tx0iQ/s1600/myspace.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR33yyYH32ecKmkSBFr99_7olIt0b3e134DBkvoQUFAmkJamfCqknxpBh_UBlAWAPYgSU9LXLcl8EighEEhl_EiILQP8xOK-iO7GdyAMlZb7GzWsYeBjkxYfNqor3Hp8Oh0Tx0iQ/s200/myspace.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most emo thing ever is the original<br />
title for a Fallout Boy song:<br />
'I liked you a lot better before you<br /> became a fucking myspace whore'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
So maybe right now we need to decide which side we are on. Is it the audiences, or is it the industry focused status quo? This has been coming for a very long time. Just like record labels it's not like we weren't warned, repeatedly. Web ad blockers have been around for nearly as long as the internet. Displeasure at ridiculous banners has been around just as long, the death of Myspace as a serious social site seems YEARS ago, but that was largely down to bad banner utilization pissing off the users (along with shitty UX). Frustration with bad social has also been clear for a long time, and the backlash against native advertising started last year too. We know people have either had enough or are getting close to their limit with bad and forceful marketing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now good creative is definitely a great tool to help overcome this, but we need to do more - because great creative that can't be seen might as well be shitty creative. So this becomes an issue for media agencies too - are you on the side of the audience or the companies you buy space from? If it's the latter, you could be left behind. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYe_6VK4XKQXDhlLgNE7WVvPd3QAzyVWTxvDpp1jIUPpSLPRHk7jjwil8Avo5VX8gMyEMMvwJ2js-fKpFp-5cQ9p0NwkSqJb6E65CtFFKZcMGZusLlxchSv2tOpMZPH5YvSDhuw/s1600/napster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYe_6VK4XKQXDhlLgNE7WVvPd3QAzyVWTxvDpp1jIUPpSLPRHk7jjwil8Avo5VX8gMyEMMvwJ2js-fKpFp-5cQ9p0NwkSqJb6E65CtFFKZcMGZusLlxchSv2tOpMZPH5YvSDhuw/s200/napster.jpg" width="200" /></a>One positive in this scenario is that planners become more important. Understanding the audience, putting them first and trying to genuinely connect with them will be more important than ever in an age where they will be increasingly likely to have to decide to come to you. Not in a 'brand love' way, but simply because they know you respect them and give them something (be that content, offers, information, etc) that they are happy to exchange their time for.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So. Who will be the EMI, the Universal Music, or the Warner Music of adland - and who will be the Napster, the iTunes, the Spotify? I can't wait to find out.</div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-15435378736259207052015-08-28T06:50:00.002+01:002015-08-28T06:50:54.108+01:00A Whopper of an Unhappy Meal<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXhTOKsYnmzM167x96AKSPA_TEilr2FJzJPODud_S5SiQ8e_SZkirvTdGvtmoTXllRXPeu2NniXNSV5QDQ35XKMlrkDxdWjvUO9NiE-r1WNHEfLqgDRZB5Jaorr4P9pKYIcUXyg/s1600/grumpy-cat-goes-to-mcdonalds-and-orders-unhappy-meal-funny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXhTOKsYnmzM167x96AKSPA_TEilr2FJzJPODud_S5SiQ8e_SZkirvTdGvtmoTXllRXPeu2NniXNSV5QDQ35XKMlrkDxdWjvUO9NiE-r1WNHEfLqgDRZB5Jaorr4P9pKYIcUXyg/s200/grumpy-cat-goes-to-mcdonalds-and-orders-unhappy-meal-funny.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah cats. I reckon they will be the next big thing.<br />Pic from <a href="http://lotsofhumor.com/">LotsofHumor.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been all over the internet the last few days, so I doubt many people will have missed the Burger King 'letter' to McDonald's or the subsequent reply that left many people feeling disappointed.<br />
<br />
I've also read a number of opinions that range from 'McDonald's made a mistake' to ' Burger King trolled Macca's' to even 'This was stolen from a student portfolio.'<br />
<br />
I can't comment on the last one, but I definitely can on the first two.<br />
<br />
For me it boils down to this: Burger King, whether deliberately or not, put McDonald's into a situation that they could not win.<br />
<br />
If McDonald's had agreed and gone ahead with the idea, Burger King would have taken the vast majority of the plaudits as the ones who instigated and drove the idea. This meant that whatever McDonald's did, Burger King would have been the main beneficiary - so it's hardly surprising they looked to shut it down as quickly as possible.<br />
<br />
Now that's not to say that Macca's couldn't have worded their letter in a much better and less condescending way. For example, by agreeing to work together next year, or by making a donation to the Peace movement in lieu of action. But the fact remains that the closing P.S. salvo of Macca's reply was spot on. 'A simple call would do next time."<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8ZdQs32sNagOyJF9mxY2NRbjqg0K_sWfRdakTa_JkdH-K2bOwlaoiOYozoBUlHH2p-6fQZIyj-xNEEiuOFI9tRSAuuuRlOECtnj4aIR3Oz6fDfj2sHZ_0WPMbyGin6us5lXPig/s1600/the+king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8ZdQs32sNagOyJF9mxY2NRbjqg0K_sWfRdakTa_JkdH-K2bOwlaoiOYozoBUlHH2p-6fQZIyj-xNEEiuOFI9tRSAuuuRlOECtnj4aIR3Oz6fDfj2sHZ_0WPMbyGin6us5lXPig/s200/the+king.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop! Stop! He's already dead...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
That sentence calls out the Burger King ad for what it was, an ad. Yes it was hoping to team them up for a great idea, but it was done in a way that would have ensured it was only on their terms. If BK truly wanted to do something awesome in a team on Peace Day, then they would have discussed it fairly and evenly behind this scenes. A peaceful (marketing) Coup d'état is still a military manoeuvre, it is not a truce.<br />
<br />
A great idea, which was let down by the execution on both sides. It ended up trying too hard to be a marketing execution, not an idea execution.Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-16835482922456452562015-08-25T06:21:00.001+01:002015-08-25T06:24:54.066+01:00Smashing WorkOf course everyone has seen it by now, particularly if you live in London. It spread out like the usual virus across the advertising landscape, covering offices in the sound of 70's pop rock... and with good reason.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH5WhKb06D53yzAX6e-k5ErUwYd4I74MSFShaC8B3GkAfjcmVaLFV-40EBuCaKoJGWjoMvIjcOhnKUPovmam53-sv3UjlXwFjKVXxjqO3VTk8AF3kl_rf6naipskNXpcGNIfavg/s1600/John+Lewis+Tiny+Dancer+Ad.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH5WhKb06D53yzAX6e-k5ErUwYd4I74MSFShaC8B3GkAfjcmVaLFV-40EBuCaKoJGWjoMvIjcOhnKUPovmam53-sv3UjlXwFjKVXxjqO3VTk8AF3kl_rf6naipskNXpcGNIfavg/s320/John+Lewis+Tiny+Dancer+Ad.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite shot in the whole ad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It won't surprise anyone to know that the latest John Lewis ad is excellent. A piece of wonderfully thought out and crafted creativity that just invites you to want to watch it every time it appears. Even the 90 second version holds the attention enough to warrant a view.<br />
<br />
But as I said, that's not surprising. The thing that really interests me though, is the puzzle it raises about how we think about creativity across channels in 2015.<br />
<br />
You see, in many respects, this work is incredibly dated. I don't mean the 70's soundtrack and styling... but the fact it's a big budget, long, TV ad. It's the kind of work that is regularly thought of as dying, and that we should move completely away from. Not only that, it's an ad which, at the heart of it, hides its idea. That sense of nervousness and uncertainty around insurance. It could potentially be too subtle to work across every kind of format without good creative guidance.<br />
<br />
So is this a last hurrah for TV? Well, no.<br />
<br />
As we see at Christmas (the British Superbowl), people are keen to see adverts they might enjoy. John Lewis are among the very best at having campaigns that people actually go out of their way to see (as someone who has worked on insurance brands, doing so against the barrage of price pushing takes a brave client). When you think about it, that's pretty amazing.<br />
<br />
We live in a world of consistently always-on, encroaching advertising. Designed to intrude on you at all times it's possible. More than ever people are getting sick of advertising communications, just look at the rapid growth in online ad blocking tools - we may be honing the art of banner copy, but those click rates are still hiding down through the mud underneath the floor. We all know, as I mentioned a couple of posts ago, that the reason for this is simple. Most ads are shit.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTX7VnwGWG4IWmyTRx1neeLhLSLFmnC7n_UavvOjV4xpIo9BWGObrcQG_GGwG6QS-UwzuURg_TUmAsMgst9XUReFLmsI8-C8FTjx067-wGF2h3BrkHcsIx50Zhc5qPEBVnDHqow/s1600/thumbnailImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTX7VnwGWG4IWmyTRx1neeLhLSLFmnC7n_UavvOjV4xpIo9BWGObrcQG_GGwG6QS-UwzuURg_TUmAsMgst9XUReFLmsI8-C8FTjx067-wGF2h3BrkHcsIx50Zhc5qPEBVnDHqow/s200/thumbnailImage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elton back again. Still singing about Coke</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So in this complex many channel world, how does a piece of work get so well known and liked that the audience actually WANT to watch it? That simple thing called creativity. Well thought out, well written, well directed work. You Tube, for many people, is now a TV channel in itself - and simply paying your way doesn't work there. You need great pieces of work, and sometimes not achieving it is actually the cause of your channel problems. If you have the quality, particularly consistent quality, it's possible to break the cycle of advertising apathy.<br />
<br />
So yes it's great to have new ideas that take advantage of all channels. Yes it isn't enough to just have terrible TV ads anymore. But what this ad shows, is that we too often forget the third way. Doing excellent work can sometimes be the surprisingly simple answer to your channel question.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gqPM_GT8Qw" width="560"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-54526990742549226652015-08-14T02:30:00.002+01:002015-08-14T02:30:35.557+01:00Persperinnovation.<a href="http://joymachine.typepad.com/northern_planner/2015/08/why-lego-tells-us-that-innovation-is-more-perspiration-than-inspiration.html" target="_blank">Great new post on the hard work behind Innovation over at Mr Hovells Northern Planner blog. I suggest you take a look.</a>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-63801572875585011422015-08-11T06:47:00.004+01:002015-08-11T06:47:54.390+01:00The Golden Age<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi2Alobxa8Pz4_rKUZBe2aTJRmuGM6YdlrY-IVIiMt_O8v_ESues9FaB-jWI6XTbcmHrSPXj-s649qfzcJ4t3NxvGmavM3Ci_O9EWLTl4lKLvcQWFLFv07hNjT_uL9J6A64XcDg/s1600/surferguinness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi2Alobxa8Pz4_rKUZBe2aTJRmuGM6YdlrY-IVIiMt_O8v_ESues9FaB-jWI6XTbcmHrSPXj-s649qfzcJ4t3NxvGmavM3Ci_O9EWLTl4lKLvcQWFLFv07hNjT_uL9J6A64XcDg/s200/surferguinness.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I've seen a number of discussions recently regarding the standards of advertising in the modern day. These range from: 'I remember when ads used to be this good.', to 'I wish long copy was as good as this these days', and ''remember when marketing wasn't full of so much bullshit'.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All of these views make some relevant points, but the problem I see is a very simple one: Advertising has always been largely shit. We just remember the campaigns that aren't, exactly like the general public.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes it might seem strange to criticise most of the output of the industry I love, but everyone knows it. Every regular person knows it. Every client knows it. (Perhaps bad clients could argue that the 50's were a golden age, where every ad was full of endorsements, product features and packaging shots...) Everyone in adland knows it. We shouldn't shy away from this fact, because it's what drives those of us who care about creativity to do better. Watching TV and wanting to throw the remote at the screen, that's our opportunity.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Indeed, it is the same as every other creative industry, be that music, film, design, architecture, etc etc. It always has been, and more or less always will be.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJGEVunnvbSP1L4I4sA57MQ2C4iYsbz46jMI8MTwyRyIeVSV9Aa2SqlH0_QhyphenhyphenRKA5PVqAd9FpY-REueofbk9R3dXGw3hVkawaJLbDjBk09VnWNqQRrHajO-4t0k_3sRyjOZUCmg/s1600/thumbnailImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJGEVunnvbSP1L4I4sA57MQ2C4iYsbz46jMI8MTwyRyIeVSV9Aa2SqlH0_QhyphenhyphenRKA5PVqAd9FpY-REueofbk9R3dXGw3hVkawaJLbDjBk09VnWNqQRrHajO-4t0k_3sRyjOZUCmg/s200/thumbnailImage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elton singing about Coke with no irony.<br />Admittedly it's Diet Coke... but <i>STILL</i>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
For every piece of genius long copy that was made in the 70's and 80's, there was also one of waffly, feature blasting junk. For every smart creative TV ad that people adored, there were ten shouty washing powder ads. For every cool, avant garde 90's piece like Guinness Surfer, there were ten post-modern thought-free travesties promoting alcopops. For every Tango Blackcurrant there was Elton John singing about Diet Coke. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Besides, even if every single campaign made today was amazing, we would still pick the best 10-20% as the ones that were 'really' good anyway.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think it's hard to argue that there aren't too many people spouting bullshit, particularly regarding big data, social channels and online advertising... still... but this is just the same as the agencies that said radio was dead when TV came along. That's the problem with predicting the future and anticipating audience response, most people aren't ever going to be right. Trusting in the people who guide your brand was vital then, and it's vital now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgI-dXmP1j4rPU4OMwy-eAXHL-NlsHCY8fw9FNIeC5c9tThgdHus9i0xsHG4jx0b2iHFhRjdmZjjIHaA_6NNOL78PNybZB8hPMCkXI99O5IaNNtj6ru6c89UhR0Tp8Sl1y0oIrQ/s1600/hof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgI-dXmP1j4rPU4OMwy-eAXHL-NlsHCY8fw9FNIeC5c9tThgdHus9i0xsHG4jx0b2iHFhRjdmZjjIHaA_6NNOL78PNybZB8hPMCkXI99O5IaNNtj6ru6c89UhR0Tp8Sl1y0oIrQ/s200/hof.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great campaigns like this only came about<br /> because the products were all identical anyway!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Actually, it's even more important now. With the vast proliferation of available channels, and the wall to wall nature of advertising, having the right, smart people, is crucial. Were those geniuses of the good old days any smarter than the best creatives and planners we have now? Probably not. They made the best of their time, and we make the best of ours. I love the work of John Webster, but his ads for kids didn't have a hugely complex list of do's and don't's that make creativity that much harder. His awesome Hofmeister beer ads didn't have to worry about cute creatures being seen as advertising to children... or at least not at first.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyway, The point is. Advertising has always been an industry made up of both smart and creative people, and those who wish they were smart and creative. The good always produce good work, the bad always produce bad. The precise definition of what passes for good and bad will change, as will the issues that inspire both genius responses and bullshit responses. Wishing for a golden era to return is often just a sign that we are worrying too much about the past rather than trying to improve the future. Let the past, both good and bad, inspire us and remind us of what we can achieve - but don't let it get in the way of clear thinking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-91319795695557719622015-07-09T04:08:00.001+01:002015-07-09T04:08:13.354+01:00Labour Marketing Isn't Working<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMLmjzMJR6QmpGn_n_aQPZGjCqqDPAvz9zrHo_Gdy53gz9d_Q-rauSQjhHwEWQPzqlFHkcloYcqlsEi19bpJmmfrpirJjGskQVC7K33WhbG13vQOsuQrVY2wQ6aLl9H5-o98jxw/s1600/9-Labour_Party_%2528UK%2529_political_party_%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMLmjzMJR6QmpGn_n_aQPZGjCqqDPAvz9zrHo_Gdy53gz9d_Q-rauSQjhHwEWQPzqlFHkcloYcqlsEi19bpJmmfrpirJjGskQVC7K33WhbG13vQOsuQrVY2wQ6aLl9H5-o98jxw/s320/9-Labour_Party_%2528UK%2529_political_party_%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps one of the last truly impactful (in a positive way) election ads.<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (image from:<a href="http://www.hallandpartners.com/blogpost/birthdayptone" target="_blank"> http://www.hallandpartners.com/blogpost/birthdayptone</a>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The last general election in the UK was
one of the most disappointing events I've seen in a long long time.
The apparent complete lack of knowledge and judgement by the British
people was on a scale that makes American politics look sane.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As a planner I find it fascinating to
understand what it is that actually makes people vote, and why they
don't vote with the facts. Because, from everything I've seen,
there's no way ANYONE could have voted Tory based upon the pure facts
of their time in government. Perhaps people's hatred of the Lib Dems
allowed them to morally justify voting Tory, maybe the apparent lack
of charisma that Ed Miliband showed scared them, or the threat of the
SNP daring to unravel austerity for the pile of economic bullshit it
is was too much.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One thing that did seem very apparent,
even from Australia, was that Labour's communications and their
election marketing did not work. It simply did not convince people to
vote for them in any way shape or form.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Perhaps part of this problem is that
election campaigns are generally attack ads, they fit into a
typically fear-mongering, cheesy and unlikeable form of advertising
that most people want to avoid. They generally say nothing new – or
do so in a way that is unpalatable. Or they even presume that
people know the facts, which we know (or can very likely presume)
that they don't.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So what can we do about this? Labour's marketing isn't working, and the public are simply
not getting the key facts that might actually help to change their
mind. This is largely because the media, especially those owned by
Rupert Murdoch, do not want people to know the facts. They want them
to hate benefit claimants not wealthy recipients of inheritance –
even though both get something for nothing. In fact arguably benefit
claimants do more, as they have to visit a job centre and often do
unpaid work to allow their claim. They want them to hate high
spending wasteful Labour, even though the last government spent more
than Labour ever did. Etc etc. Not to mention that most Tory voters
probably aren't that interested in seeking out a contrary fact or
opinion in this increasingly partisan age.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So what if we change the election
marketing game completely. Do what many brands are doing, and being
advised to do – and move to an always on approach?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Instead of creating unlikeable and
ineffective attack ads, and trying to sell personalities that no one
wants to like – we take the facts, the simple things that people
need to know and are not being told, and create simple clear
advertising that gets those messages across. We do that 365 days a
year, with a thinly spread but well targeted campaign that makes the
facts harder to miss, regardless of what party you generally support.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Immigration creates a profit of xxx
for Britain.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Tax evasion costs Britain over four
times as much as benefit fraud.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“xx people have died due to benefit
cuts in 2014.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“George Osborne lost $13bn of
taxpayers money by selling RBS early”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Historically this would have been on
billboard posters, but now we can do it through online banners or
Facebook targeting. It doesn't matter if people don't click, because
they see the clear factual message, and see it repeated. The
advertising starts to question the usual narrative and provide
answers, but in a clear and concise way that it is easy to pick up.
Advertising interrupts, and in this case we use that very
deliberately to push the narrative of discussion with seemingly
unknown facts.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The difference is, by doing this all
the time – for a year or two leading up to an election – you make
it harder for the opposition to escape the facts, and you have time
to repeat messages so they are absorbed instead of rushing at
election time to get summation sound-bites that mean nothing to
anyone.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm sure it's not a flawless plan
yet,but I fail to see how it can be any worse than election
advertising has been in the last two decades.</div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-13243734501664967152014-12-31T06:08:00.002+00:002014-12-31T06:16:27.465+00:00Review of 2014 Part 2 - Top TweetersWhen you follow over a thousand people, it can be quite hard to pick some that really stand out. However there's definitely been a few that are on my essential to follow list.<br />
<br />
So, in no particular order, here are my top tweeters of 2014:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/charlesfrith" target="_blank">@charlesfrith</a><br />
The ever controversial Charles. I don't always agree with everything he says or posts, but it gives me heart that there are people like him around that never accept what we are told on face value, and are constantly looking for the truth. There are several big national/global scandals coming that most people will have heard about first from him.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/marlespo" target="_blank">@marlespo</a><br />
Just an awesome human being. She writes about difficulty and struggle, but in a way that shows true strength.Also incredibly dirty. Incredibly so...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/ShaunKing" target="_blank">@shaunking</a><br />
Following yet more unnecessary deaths of black american males, this has become one of the most important twitter accounts there are. A great person to follow to stay informed of what's being said in America on this major issue.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/IndigenousX" target="_blank">@indigenousx</a><br />
Arriving as a pom to Australia, it's very difficult to get a true understanding of aboriginal or indigenous culture. This is a great account to really understand the history and realities of the first people in Australia, in a society where too many are left with the scars of past generations. When I first arrived, I was shocked that probably 80% of indigenous people I came into contact with were on the streets begging, and it's only by understanding decades of inferior treatment that you can appreciate how this has sadly come to be in some parts - and also understand the (usually unseen) great things others are doing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/OreoSpeedwagon_" target="_blank">@oreospeedwagon_</a><br />
A wonderfully funny and slightly dirty person. Not as bad as Marlespo... but close. Also great at retweeting crazy posts from others.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/dailebree" target="_blank">@dailebree</a><br />
A late edition. Writer of an excellent blog on dating and single life. Although with her recent change to looking like a superhero comic book librarian, she may need to find another subject to write about before long!Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-56831285041487600652014-12-20T09:37:00.002+00:002014-12-20T09:52:51.514+00:00Review of 2014 - Top Albums2014 has been a year of great albums. Here's my top five, with a shout out to some others that didn't quite make it:<br />
<br />
Yellowcard - Lift a sail<br />
Wiley - Snakes and Ladders<br />
Caribou - Our Love<br />
FKA Twigs - LP1<br />
Murkage - Of Mystics & Misfits<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Azealia Banks - Broke with expensive taste</b><br />
<br />
I know right? A great single followed by tons of record company hype didn't provide much hope. A record company then not sure what to do with the recordings didn't help.<br />
<br />
So Azealia stopped playing the system. Bought herself out of contract and released the album she wanted to make, announcing it suddenly with no forewarning.<br />
<br />
Frankly she made the right decision. Musicially this is a mixed up bag, but that's what makes it so much better than many of her contemporaries. Idle Delilah starts you wondering what is coming next, and then the one two punch of the immensely funky and catchy Gimme a Chance and the fast wordplay of Desperado (a cover of a track by Manchester's talented Fallacy) delivers a big hit to any record exec who ever didn't see the value of this record.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/2hwg465rtFiu9UqPs0k7Ku">Azealia Banks – Broke With Expensive Taste</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Ariel Pink - Pom pom</b><br />
Don't even try to make sense of Ariel Pink. Don't even try to make sense of this record. An album full of some ridiculously weird, silly and creepy songs, with unusual 1980's cassette tape production. But these are probably the best songs he's ever done, and at least one of them is guaranteed to get stuck in your head.<br />
<br />
Seriously. All week. Singing "freckles, freckles, where'd you get those freckles?"<br />
<br />
Awesome.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/4UhaqAS8V23KozB3dzLMax">Ariel Pink – pom pom</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Painted Palms - Forever</b><br />
<br />
This is definitely an indie club, triple J kind of album. But in all of the good ways. Catchy and tuneful but with solid writing and an interesting 60's influenced sound to back it up.<br />
<br />
Forever is probably the best Beatles song written since 1969. If the fab four had released it, it would be deemed as an all time classic. It probably still is, of all the songs I've heard this year, none has instantly and powerfully struck me as being magnificent. The rest of the album backs it up superbly, proving them not just to be a one trick pony.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/0puR26LfcW3CUdCUTKGsV8">Painted Palms – Forever</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Gerard Way - Hesistant Alien</b><br />
<br />
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance is still an amazing album. Maybe overtaken by what the concept of 'emo' ended up becoming, it was an alt-rock masterpiece. The band gradually seemed to lose their way though, becoming a pale shadow of what they were.<br />
<br />
So I didn't come to this album with much expectation, and was very pleasantly surprised. It feels like what My Chemical Romance should have become, freed of the constraints of sounding like a punk style band, and exploring a range of sounds that still coherently make a whole. It also avoids many of the angsty cliche's that this kind of album could easily bump into.<br />
<br />
Action Cat is one of the best pop singles I've heard in a long long time, but it keeps that edge that stops it being lightweight. Millions and Zero Zero are two further great tracks, and the excellent Drugstore Perfume is one of the saddest song stories I've heard in a long time. I can imagine this album being a seminal moment in the lives of many 16 year olds, it's powerful, energetic and tuneful, but with a sense of meaning and emotion that cannot be ignored.<br />
<br />
Most artists who go solo do it for fame or money, this album suggests that Gerard Way did it for the music, and on this evidence at least, I can't fault that decision one bit.<br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/6eIESGFbd6HVMqlO8e1mYT">Gerard Way – Hesitant Alien</a><br />
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<b>Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues</b><br />
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If you'd asked any fan of Against Me! whether they were likely to remain successful in America after their lead singer came out as transexual and started living as a woman, you would have probably got a disappointed no. If you'd then discussed their new album being almost entirely about that coming out and transformation, most people would have expected a niche underground success of existing fans at most.</div>
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So for it to be their most successful album ever in terms of chart positions (US Rock No.6) tells you how good this album is, and just how well Laura Jane Grace (singer) and the band have dealt with and utilised something that would have killed bands with lesser spirit.</div>
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Not just a great album, with magnificent songs like True Trans Soul Rebel, this is an album that sets a new benchmark for transgender issues and artists - demonstrating that being who you truly are doesn't have to mean sacrificing a career,</div>
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Wonderful.</div>
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/7ntaQxbZ8oO7vUBV3nA0HS">Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues</a></div>
Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-25147584802656990402014-11-12T10:54:00.000+00:002014-11-12T10:55:49.082+00:00Looking backward to look forwards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh5NOq8JjBP0L_9xn0A2SNqK_S-Msr1116rgCzuJmtM4u1pEpdAvSdlPPzoRF8ykOSMR1qyI__61ftIZcaONmhWI5nz4uaoCzImfXjZaa5PRFVxp4ofeXSfQOfD3W1Ds-teOpnA/s1600/Qantas+747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh5NOq8JjBP0L_9xn0A2SNqK_S-Msr1116rgCzuJmtM4u1pEpdAvSdlPPzoRF8ykOSMR1qyI__61ftIZcaONmhWI5nz4uaoCzImfXjZaa5PRFVxp4ofeXSfQOfD3W1Ds-teOpnA/s200/Qantas+747.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Sometimes I think it's okay to say... you know, what we did a while back was pretty damn good. Perhaps we should something similar again. Take the best of the past, moments that people connect with the brand, and combine it with the present and future to step forward.<br />
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In a way, what Qantas have done with their latest campaign is exactly that.<br />
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For years they had the amazingly powerful "Still Call Australia Home" campaign. One that became essentially a part of the fabric of the country, such that even when they changed the tagline - they still used the music.<br />
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Then they changed it to something that was hugely epic, but basically felt like it was trying to be like every other airline, 'oh we're all about the customer'. It looked great but wasn't even a patch on where they used to be.<br />
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The good news is that they have clearly seen sense. Whilst they haven't exactly brought back the old creative, they've essentially revamped it.<br />
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This is Still Call Australia Home + Real Customers + John Lewis Soundtrack<br />
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Excellent decision. Instead of just well produced and good looking, what we have is engaging and moving. I find it hard to believe that any expat either in or from Australia wouldn't tear up when watching the full two minute version. I certainly did. An example of when using real people can be truly powerful.<br />
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Qantas is never going to have the huge backing and budgets that the Middle Eastern/Asian airlines often get. On product and service it will always struggle to compete. But what it is starting to rediscover, is that a strong emotional bond is worth more than any product feature or discounted price. Going beyond patriotism and national pride to something far more powerful - memory, childhood, and the unmistakable connection we have as human beings to the places we call, and have called home.<br />
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When I was planning my move to Australia, I would see the red tail fin of a Qantas plane and look forward to where I was going. This work makes me think about both where I am, and where I've come from. For a brand, that's pretty amazing - even if <i>most </i>people aren't expats... outside of Bondi anyway.
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/16RhgfA662k" width="560"></iframe>Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861841.post-53930474465881748762014-11-06T02:51:00.000+00:002014-11-06T02:51:00.446+00:00Flake it til you make itEvery year we see loads of brand crossovers, where a company (usually a big holding brand) mixes together two products in order to try and leverage the benefits of each.<br />
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Makes sense in most regards. Oreo bits in chocolate, that's pretty awesome. Chocolate in Philadelphia... maybe!<br />
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One brand crossover that I'm currently intrigued by is between two brands that maybe don't match quite as well as those.<br />
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Head and Shoulders with Old Spice.<br />
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At a product level it makes sense. At a brand level though, it seems like a far bigger win for Head and Shoulders, and potentially a damaging move for Old Spice. Head and Shoulders has traditionally had terrible functional communication, whilst Old Spice has revitalised itself by moving into a strong creative area.<br />
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The comms to promote this (at least here in Australia) is essentially a weaker version of the Old Spice idea, set against Head and Shoulders brand colours. Whilst it's better than anything I've seen from Head and Shoulders, it pales compared to what has been seen in the past year or two for Old Spice.<br />
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I can see three potential plans in play here.<br />
1. The success of Old Spice being used as driver across a range of brands until the core product branding suffers from over-stretch and dilution.<br />
2. This is the first step towards launching an old Spice shampoo. But given there is already Old Spice bodywash, why wouldn't they just jump straight in? Or at the very least utilise the most liked brand to drive the combination. As even if Head and Shoulders sells more, it lacks the strong connection.<br />
3. A short term attempt to revitalise one brand by risking the credibility of another.<br />
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Either way, it will be an interesting one to follow.Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10070962082242558718noreply@blogger.com0