Have you met my friend Jet?

He is the coolest dude I know and I’m not just saying that because he is dating my mom. ;)

Are You Doing It Hardcore With Your Dog Watching?

• Another example of the power of playing with people’s curiosity. Similar to my previous post on Gatorade’s “That’s G” campaign the bold thinkers at TBWA have come up with a creative and controversial campaign that you just can’t look away from. You got to love a commercial that doesn’t even show the product.

• Personally, I had to watch this video 3 times and then watched 3 or 4 more from the same YouTube channel. (see below)

• This type of controversial, slightly confusing and virtually none-branding campaign does not work for every company. The key again is knowing your audience.

G is for Genius: Gatorade “That’s G” Campaign Explained

• Things are cool when they peak curiosity and create discussion. Also apparently very effective when they slightly frustrate the audience, but only if the frustration leads them to actively look for answers. Can’t have them watch it once and be done with it.

• Genius how Jimmy Smith, Group Creative Director at TBWA/Chait/Day utilizes athletes from all walks of life and across pretty much ever sport known to (hu)man kind and manages to craft a message that resonates with young and old.

• See the full commercial below.

gary:

Spamming has always been a part of the web culture but
what is going on right now on Facebook is pretty funny. Brands and companies are ruining their brand equity not only to the target but to everyone that visits it. It is time for peeps to stop before they hurt themselves even more.

Sneaky King - You Got To Have Cojones To Be King

• This advertisement demonstrates the importance of truly understanding your audience. Burger King’s typical customer is not looking for a gourmet dining experience when they are rushing out for a quick bite to eat in the morning. They are rather looking for a familiar and easy (i.e. low risk) option.

• McDonald’s has already done all the legwork and spent millions (if not billions) of dollars building out the brand equity of the McMuffin breakfast sandwich. Burger King very wisely sneaks in and piggybacks off the existing brand equity of the McMuffin and differentiates itself as the lowest price option.

• Now at face value this will cost Burger King a good chunk of revenue, but in the long run it will save them boat loads of money by branding themselves as just like the McMuffin, but cheaper in the minds of the consumers. I am sure eventually they will raise their prices, but not till they hit a critical mass of breakfast sandwich sold.

• Not sure how they managed to squeeze this past legal, but good for them for having the cojones to pull it off.

(Special thanks to Paul Crowe at AdJoke for finding this YouTube video.)

Hands Down Cutest Kid I Have EVER Seen!

• Apparently this is a commercial for Petronas, one of the largest oil and gas companies on the planet. I have no clue what it has to do with the brand, but frankly can’t blame them for somehow trying to utilize this amazing footage. This kid makes my heart melt.

• This commercial won a gold at Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2008 in the category of “Comprising Film”. I have watched it at least 10 times and each viewing makes me love it even more. So pure, so innocent. Takes me back to a simpler time.

(Special thanks to my friends at Creative Criminals for the video link.)

Who Said Advertising Can’t Be Artistic?

• How do you promote a remarkable new product? Well Philips thought what better way than by creating a mind blowing short film that truly captivates the audience.

• I think this video is incredible, but do believe it falls short on being able to clearly demonstrate value to the customer about the new product. Let me ask you this, did you even know the video was a promotional campaign for the new Philips UltraWidescreen 21:9?

• The key question is how much more likely are the viewers to purchase a Philips UltraWidescreen 21:9? I think it is a move in the right direction and applaud Philips outside of the box creativity, but still feel an ad like this needs to be a part of a much bigger campaign that does indeed educate the consumer on the specifics of their new product.

NOTE: Pay special attention to the beginning and the end of the video. (Do you see it?)

• UPDATE: I found the making of this commercial for anyone who is interested in the behind the scenes explanation. Trust me it is worth the 3:33mins of your time. Special thanks to Jeremy Abergel for the link to the second video.

PlayStation Demonstrates That Not Listening To People Really Pays Off