Monday, May 31, 2010

Write The Future - Nike



Once again Nike gets it right. This time for the 2010 World Cup. I haven't seen a sports ad that truly captures the impact of a game like this in years. The last campaign I can think of that comes close is the Sports Illustrated 'You may not get it, but our 6 millions subscribers do' campaign. That campaign may get an edge as it was a print campaign that managed to capture all the suspense and drama of sports without any live action, but you still have to give full credit to the way this ad covers every imaginable impact that the World Cup could have, even if it's a tad exaggerated, which is part of its charm. Still, I don't think Rooney will be living in a trailer if all goes awry in a month's time, but considering that the English love their footie like Canadians love our hockey, it's not completely impossible, unlike England winning the World Cup. Oops.

Monday, May 17, 2010

1 Y&R New York Job (0.17 seconds)


I can't get enough of the brilliant simplicity of this job seeking campaign by copywriter/director Alec Brownstein. Taking advantage of the egos of creative directors and the fun of Googling yourself (it just sounds dirty, doesn't it?), Brownstein bought ads under 6 New York creative directors' names so that his ad would come up at the top when their name was searched. The total cost: $6. Brownstein's campaign of the moment didn't just get him a job at Y&R New York, it also got him on the CBS Early Show.

Friday, May 7, 2010

New Music Friday - Mumford & Sons



While the lead singer's voice is frighteningly close to that of Dave Matthew's - frightening because I hate that guy's preachy voice - the frenetic folk sound of Mumford & Sons propels forward in spite of this minor drawback. Little Lion Man is a perfect example of their trademark sing-along sound.

Built around raw yet poetic lyrics, the song weaves back and forth between soft reflective moments and a full throttle knee slapper of a chorus. Part hill billy folk and part pop rock, Mumford & Sons are like Block Party and Fleet Foxes had a baby - a baby with Dave Matthew's voice. Hey, nobody's perfect.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop doing ads like this.


Creative ads are refreshing. Insightful ads are inspiring. But ads like this one are unique, because they change behaviour.

I've read some criticism in the media about this campaign being upsetting, but that's the point; it gets an emotional reaction that solves its problem. This is what public service advertising should be. Actually, this is what all advertising should be. Persuasion in its most powerful form. Hmm, I think that may be the slogan of Zig. (Please don't sue me, Zig.)