Spring is supposedly around the corner, despite the flecks of snow in the air and the chillings winds.

However, I have noticed the influx of beer, cider and even wine adverts on TV, in the press and even via our social network sites.

So first up -

Blumers – Reverse

Turning the normal – start, middle and end of a video into the opposite is not that out of the originally, more commonly used by  foreign cinema makers (take for example the Run, Lola, Run) however using this technique for a cider advert is unusual as we normally see it being used for warning videos, showing the after effects before the cause. But Blumers Reverse advert is a refreshing take on what would have otherwise been a very standard alcohol ad. Its bright, engaging and above all looks like fun – a feeling is instilled in the marketing for alcohol for its tone of voice. But then zwhat else would you expect from Adam&Eve DDB.

We start at the end of the night and rewind to the start, with the tag line ‘It all starts with a Blumers’.

The funk track is ‘It’s Just Begun’ by the Jimmy Castor Bunch: 1972. It’s available to download on iTunes.

I think I may have been a little slow off the bat on this one, but between leaving Uni and finding a job this site has taken a few steps down my to-do list. Something I’m glad to say that can now be changed as I have a job (whoohoo!)

But that’s not why you came here to read….

In 2012 Online advertising turned 18, the adult years are about to begin and I think what I am about to explain has been such a ingenious idea I don’t know why someone didn’t think it up 10 years ago.

Take four of the worlds biggest advertisers:

Coca Cola

Volvo

Alka –Seltza

Avis

And look at some of their most famous adverts

by Harvey Gabor

by Amil Gargano

by Howie Cohen & Bob Pasqualina

And Avis by Paula Green

Then, what Google did was introduce Project Re:Brief. Not that there not already pretty good at there own adverts

Asking the original masterminds behind some of the most classic adverts, to re-enter a field they aren’t too familiar with: the Internet, hand held web surfing and most of all a whole new world of communication.

I cant even begin to start showing you all the amazing stuff on this site and if you are into your advertising…well your be like a giddy child when you see the effort put into this site to show everything from the meeting of the Creative’s to the brief, design process and of course the final product.

There is even a film! And yes I mean a 1 hour film about the project.

So if I cant convince you to go look at the website, at least have a look at this short video.

Or here is the film but do got check out the page here….

One of the biggest issues it is having is that most users are accessing the site via mobile phones and in doing so not creating revenue though adverting as the adverts do not appear on the mobile version of the site.  The idea to amend this has many Facebook users suggesting they would boycott the mobile site if this should happen.

So how do they move forward? or better yet how does the internet move forward when it is suggested that almost 20% of us will use our phones to access social sites before we have even got out of bed?

Well besides the fact that we could all do with being a little more accepting of adverts, after all they make things free for us!

I think the thing that annoys us the most about adverts is them jumping around at us out of no where and often not even relevant to us. I can’t tell you how many times I have had audio books ads flung at me – all because I have studied radio.

But how can we move forward? if its going to remain free-to-view sites somethings going to have to change and would seem already has. Apps seem to be the new ads. Free games, free tools with minimal advertising seem to be the way we can get a point across but with the user being accepting.

Someone who has discussed this further is Sean Carton but what do you think? do you have the next big idea for online advertising or are you fed up of pointless adverts?

Hence why for one company selling a sponge may have been a difficult task.
So how do you sell something that’s so everyday that it doesn’t even register on our thought patterns? Well if your from the Brazilian company, Grey 141 and working for Scotch Brite then with great flare it would seem.

By teaming up with hot spot restaurants with a younger client range in mind (roughly 20-30s) when it came to paying the bill people were given a choice. Pay the bill or wash the dishes.
A play on the old joke that if you cant pay you will have to go wash the dishes, I think this is an exceptional idea as it has brought fun and laughter to a social event and all for marketing sponges!

Criticism … will people really think to use that brand of sponge in future? They are already (suggests the video) the number one seller in Brazil so is there something else they are trying to achieve? Either way it’s a nice piece of advertising and hopefully teamed with some social networking has been a successful campaign.

Original found on Adverblog 

Does anyone remember when the search engine wars began?  Did you use Ask Jeeves? Bing? Google, Yahoo or MSN?

Well in the end it seemed Google won and today without much though I will use Google or choose it as my search engine provider when setting up my Internet homepage.

Skip forward to 2012 and have you seen the new Bing advert? Part of the Microsoft branch Bing has had some interesting developments.

And as New Media Age are keen to point out the same could be said about many areas of the online world, like how there are other sites besides YouTube for video content.

Microsoft are now thinking outside the box for its search engine. Not only will it now find results from social sites like Twitter and Facebook, but it will also have a social tool bar.

In an aim to give us a ‘perspective’ type of search the idea is that their will be a side column which enables you to view social feeds and post updates without having to leave the search engine.

This real time update system reminds me alittle of the old days when you had a simple IM box to communicate instead of timelines and pages of feed to read from you friends. I have to admit there is something I miss about those days knowing that someone was ‘Online’ with a bleep from your computer telling you that they had signed in, instead of today never being completely sure if someone is there or on their phone and finding that your so called instant message has in fact gone to their message box.

So why now Bing? Well they have suggested that up to 90% of us would consult with a friend or expert before making a decision.  And if you are on a search engine that seems to be what your trying to do, make a choice about a site to visit or a product to buy.

So check out the Bing Blog or have a look at the video and see what you think of the new search engine breed.

Alcatraz food delivery | Adverblog.

An absolute brilliant idea!

Check out Adverblog for more great articles

Nicki Minaj is known for many things, dressing as little red ridding hood with the ‘pope’ in tow, telling fans that she would be upset if young children knew the meanings to her lyrics and recently stating that her fame is now a health hazard as people go to extreme lengths to get her picture.

On Ellen DeGeneres chat show she has been quoted as saying that “A girl literally cut through traffic and made a U-turn just to put her car in front of my car, so she could take a picture.”

However, could fame go another step further as she been debut as the new songstress for Pepsi. The remix of her song “Moment 4 Life” is played on a loop throughout the whole advert, with very little else being said just the imagery of 2 people (1m,1f) running through still shoot scenes including a beach, catwalk and La Tomatina (Tomato Fight in Spain) before finally seeing Nicki on stage.

The ad is the first step in a global campaign by Pepsi in a bid to connect itself to the entertainment industry. The suggestion of which is to “capture the excitement of now” whilst trying to break the interactive digital market.

There are set to be many more features of this campaign including digital platforms and events, feature partnerships and pop-up, Twitter-enabled concerts, all hopefully coming this summer.

Soda songs have always been big business, Coca-cola have always made lasting impressions with their adverts with recent hits including Fall Out Boy and Mark Ronson.

So what do you think? Does this Pepsi ad make you want to live in the moment? Does it feel you with encouragement and inspiration or do you prefer the comical value of the other campaigns?

Sources: Brand Republic, Youtube, Belfast Telegraph

Since becoming a public company earlier this year (Feb 2012) it has been eagerly anticipated how Facebook would go about trying to earn its money from more then just advertising. Which ironically is one of the things that most users complain about.

Over 900 Million people worldwide use Facebook and it was announced yesterday that a new Apps Center would roll out across the web shortly for them to explore. But is this going to be another unwanted change for many like the changes in privacy details and the addition of Timeline. Aaron Brady from Facebook announced in the developers blog that “the App Center will become the new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga”

The center, very carefully named so as to not be linked or confused with Apple’s ‘app store’ is set to increase mobile compatibility with FB apps giving developers the opportunity to create detailed pages, downloadable content and insight reports into the standard 5 star user ratings. All this comes just days after Facebook announced that mobile usage could have a negative effect on its advertising revenue.

“If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetisation strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected.”

What could this all mean to us as users? Will we suddenly have to pay for previously free apps? Will we see a flood of more free apps filled with advertising? Will the apps center become another unwanted icon or side menu? Or a useful tool in the evolution of social media and apps?

Harvey may have been busy since he first appeared in the winter 2010 ad for Thinkbox.  Since the ‘Dog Shelter’ he has been on chat shows in major motion pictures and British TV series Midsummer murder.

His real name is Sykes and now in 2012 he is back again for another Thinkbox production.

The idea was to create an ad with an emotional connection, making us think about how TV advertising has the power to sell.

This time we see Harvey with his stuff toy friend ‘Rabbit’ and just as Rabbits time is about to come to an end – the TV pops on with an emotional story of how important Rabbit is to Harvey.

The advert made by The Red Brick Road Agency is trying to carry on Harvey’s story suggests the Marketing Director of Thinkbox, Andrew MacGillivay.

“in this ad we discover what Harvey had in his suitcase when he left the dogs home to join his adopted family.”

I’ll admit, although I was as happy as a school child to see the new Harvey Ad the experience is not the same as before.

Harvey’s first performance was imaginative, creative, unique and fun. This time, it seems stretched and perhaps even forced as if we are suddenly supposed to feel the same as we did before for this lovely pooch.

And as much as I try I can’t find the charm that was once found for the actively helpful dog as he turns into the dog that has a smelly, gooey dripping toy.

Perhaps it is because Harvey is now portrayed as the same as our every day dogs rather then the super dog from his 2010 appearance.

A nicely made advert with an newly made soundtrack called ‘Friends’ composition by Nick Webb and written and performer by Adam Buxton.

The advert will run for approximately 6 weeks and undoubtedly live online forever. But not with nearly as much following as “Every Home Needs a Harvey”

Final thoughts: While I love Sykes, I don’t think Harvey will win another ad award this year.