Posts in the category: Advertising

Amazon Kindle: Will Banner Ads Work?

Reports are saying that Amazon is set to release a new version of its e-reader, the Amazon Kindle in the US. Where’s the difference going to be you’re probably thinking?  Will this one have more than a year’s battery life or a capacity of greater than 2 million books? You would be wrong.

This time around, the Kindle is allowing banner ads to feature at the bottom of the home screen and full-page ads to act as a screen saver. I wasn’t entirely sure how Amazon realistically think this product will sell to a market of people who have opted against reading on the increasingly ad-heavy tablets and smart phones until I realised they planned on offering the product for $25 less.

Personally, I’ve never quite understood the appeal of the Amazon Kindle or any other e-reader for that matter. I like the feeling of satisfaction when you are reading on the train and everybody can see that you have read at least 300 pages of a book and they are probably thinking “Hey, that guy has keen interest in literature and is probably very intelligent.” I also worry that if I reached an insufferably boring part of a book I was reading, it would be all too easy to just leave it and move onto a new book.

That being said, Amazon now sell 6 e-books for every 10 paper books sold and so despite my reservations, this clearly is a popular product. This new ad placement does also present a good opportunity for advertisers to target an ABC1, tech-savvy audience. I will certainly be watching this space to see who taps into the potential of e-reader advertising.

The American Dream: Do US ads work in the UK?

Whilst catching up on TV during the festive break I couldn’t help but notice that there was a renaissance in American adverts being used on TV.  Some of the creatives are easily transferable whilst others can leave you feeling quite cold so here’s a quick review of the one’s which I personally saw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODB9xXLZ2oE&feature=related

Instantly transferable, George Clooney selling coffee, how could this fail. After a quick straw poll with the girls in the office this was definitely a winner in any language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knidq8QClHw

M&M’s with an American accent isn’t as engaging and I’m sure everyone would prefer a Gorilla playing the drums….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBncMqjZgsg

I understand the need for advertising to be aspirational but I’m not sure if teenagers would identify with this. Would dropping it in the toilet at a dodgy nightclub and then covering it in chilli sauce be closer to the truth…?

It’s definitely a thin line to tread, centralising creative across markets can save money in the short term but if the creative doesn’t resonate with the target audience and take into account nuances in each market then what are the long term implications for the health and sales of a brand?

I guess we’ll find out in the future but I’ll really start to worry if I start to see the Ferrero Rocher ambassadors party again or even worse the Kinder egg advert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzLoIjXcVaQ

Marmite – Love it or Hate it – but in a chocolate bar??

Ok so we all know the slogan, ‘Marmite, you either love it or you hate it’ but news is out that they are to extend their product range by introducing a marmite flavoured chocolate bar, ‘Very Peculiar’,  just in time for Christmas.

Although I’m not a fan of the original Marmite myself, more a ‘hater’ I guess, having been used to the horrible smell that floats out of the tub when my sister spreads it on toast, I can’t imagine anyone would buy the bar other than to torment the taste buds of the recipient.

However, Unilever, owner of Marmite are much more optimistic suggesting that its possible success could result in its permanent fixture on the shop floor.

If unlike me you think this is a tempting purchase then you’ll want to head to Debenhams or BHS from 4th October to get your own to try. Let me know how it goes!

Bring on the Trumpets!

Is it just me or does the world seem obsessed with the Natural Confectionary Company ad at the moment!? All over facebook people seem to be using 'Bring On The Trumpets' and my boyfriend recectly recorded himself impersonating the Jelly snake thing and finds it hilarious...

I cant decide if its funny or just highly annoying?

Seems to be some popular TV ads out there at the moment, Virgins 25 year celebration is a classic?!

Guerilla Dance!

As I write this a group of my colleagues are huddled around a computer laughing out loud - but for once instead of watching someone fall flat on their face they are enjoying the new T-Mobile ad. On what is apparently the most depressing day of the year (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7836941.stm) the sight of hundreds of people getting down at Liverpool St station on a dull Thursday January morning is enough to cheer anyone up.

 For those who haven’t seen the ad it involves Liverpool St Station, hidden cameras, a booming musical montage (from hip hop to ballroom) and people who originally appear to be ordinary commuters gradually joining in to form one big gyrating dance troupe.

This stands out from other ‘live’ ads such as Honda’s Sky Dive as this time it doesn’t simply appear to be about showing off technique but actually engages audiences – both at the time and when shown on TV. Real commuters are fascinated and many start to join in with the dancing, or film on their cameras which, at the end of the day, is the whole point of the ‘life’s for sharing’ message.

Yes I know the flashmob thing has been done before before I think this brings a fresh take to the idea - and if nothing else it cheers up the most official most miserable day of the year. Check it out below and let me know what you think.

 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mUZrrbgCdYc

BJK&E Book Club

Most of you should be fully aware of the BJK&E charity book club venture - old books for sale available for the bargain price of 50p to Marie Curie in Katy's Office. And we're not talking car boot sale style ancient yellow paged books that nobody actually wants to read, these are actually decent acclaimed novels like as We Need to Talk About Kevin.

So in the spirit of book club sharing, I thought I'd blog about the book I'm reading now.... except ... I've been reading the same book for the last 6 months and I dont think I can bring myself to read anymore. Its called Overtaken by Alexei Sayle. Reasonably witty, reasonably engaging, intelligent enough but nothing in it has gripped me - I would honestly rather be enjoying some trashy chick-lit. I feel wierdly committed to slog through the rest of the book and force myself to find out what happens even though I've forgotten all of the characters names already. Why is that? Although, lets face it, nothing's ever going to be as good as Harry Potter.

What are you reading? What would you secretly rather be reading? Or what book has left a big impact on you?

Are you there God....?

I prayed for a pony when I was a little girl. It never came. I prayed for a free holiday to Hawaii. It never came. I prayed (along with others) for Cheryl Cole to guest appear at our BJK&E Christmas party... it's not looking likely. Is there no one up there looking out for me?! It's enough to make a girl an Atheist for God's sake (sorry!)

I just wish there was some other form of reassurance I could turn to. Well, come January, there will be, in the form of a controversial bus campaign around London Town. The Atheist Bus Campaign, launched yesterday, with a  target of raising £5,500 through donations on its site - this morning it had reached over £50k!  They intend to run 30 of CBS Outdoor's buses across the capital for four weeks with the slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." This will be the UK's first ever atheist advertising campaign.

It all seems a little light-hearted, and by their own admission is intended to brighten everyone's day on the way to work. But does it raise a more serious debate about mixing advertising and religion? Is an atheist advertising campaign more offensive than a religious one?

http://www.justgiving.com/atheistbus

Since I've Been Gone

While I listened to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” on the tube on my first day of work, I found myself happy to be returning to BJK&E.  Last summer I was fortunate enough to intern for them in an internship program I learned about through my university in the States.  Proudly named ‘the American intern’ last summer I was now a university graduate and returning as ‘the American ex-intern’ and could not be more excited about it.  No longer the intern, I was somehow more excited about being able to work longer hours and have more responsibility….I might be a glutton for pain.

      The great thing I’ve noticed about the media industry, and most likely the reason why I returned, was that everyone you work with is amazing.  Whether it is helping you understand something or being able to go out for a drink and be completely relaxed.  Then again, this just may be the difference between the American lifestyle and the British lifestyle.  I am American by the way……in case you missed that.  It might just be me but I feel that there are very few people who dislike working with media.  I imagine every person will say this about their industry, however, I can think of a few accountants who dislike their work but only work for the fact that they are earning a lot of money.  Does money really buy happiness?  I think it gives you options but not happiness.

      Anyways…..since I’ve been gone I have noticed: Facebook has changed its format, a lot of those digital screens on my way down (and up) to the tube,  screen projectors on the tube walls, much better cell phones (the Nokia N95 8GB is amazing), less rain this summer, tons of new business, and lastly even MORE road construction.

      It is good to be back...Magic Friday has made an official return.

Beans beans make you fart (and possibly gay)

Did anyone see the new TV ad for Heinz? It features two men kissing! HOW SHOCKING!!! That's not me speaking, but the 200 people who complained the over the next few days. It seems most complaints (according to the Daily Mail, naturally) were from parents who were subsequently forced to explain same-sex relationship to their children. A tricky job, but then isn't it a case of sooner rather than later? You can only shield children to an extent from the world around them, and wouldn't this have to be explained at some point anyway?

Despite deliberately creating this potentially controversial advert, in response to these complaints Heinz quickly buckled and removed the ad. But you can't please everyone. By removing this ad they have aroused the wrath of the gay community, with gay rights group Stonewall, and Gaydar condemning the brand as "gutless" and "homophobic". The two groups are now calling for a gay-boycott (never has the phrase felt so appropriate), amongst the 3.6million strong UK community.

The ASA is now in the tricky process of deciding whether the ad is offensive or unsuitable for children enough to be banned.

But hang on, I think we need to get our priorities straight here! There's something in this debate no one has mentioned... BEANS MAKE YOU FART!! Isn't that just so much more offensive?!

To quote Jean-Paul 'off-of' Hollyoaks last night: "Gay is the new black"

Simple as ABC...

Isn't it strange how we seem to spend most of our lives attempting to classify the various things, people, places around us.  Its almost as if we require this process in order to fully understand, to put things into perspective as it were.  Racket sports as opposed to motor sports, dairy products, horror movies...

However as media planners and buyers will agree, there are certain classifications that are imperative to our work.  Geographic segments, income brackets and of course demographics generally.  And its the latter of these three that I think deserves some inspection.

According to NRS the Social Grading classifications were born from a survey dating back over 50 years.  They also claim "it remains a highly effective way of classifying readers of different publications".  Certainly the natural hierarchy of Doctors and Lawyers still holds true, but surely there must be instances of social migration; leading to a shift in the traditional running order?   For example, teachers (according to NRS) are classified as B, whilst Junior Managers come in at C1.   Subtleties aside I think it's fair to assume that teachers are generally considered underpaid for their efforts and that it's certainly not the desirable austere profession it was some 50 years ago.

More obvious discrepancies include skilled tradesmen (sparkies, plumbers etc) that can demand a very high premium for their services now that they're seemingly in short supply.  Then there's musicians, celebrities, and sports personalities... where do they fit into this antiquated rank?   

In my opinion it no longer 'remains a highly effective way of classifying readers of different publications' but rather an old fashioned way of doing business that's no longer relevant to today's consumer.

Sci-Fi Reality

I saw an editorial piece on the BBC programme 'Click' this weekend and it scared the hell out of me.  It described and even showed the next generation of what they called pedestrian satellite navigation.  It will allow consumers to receive information whilst on the move.  It came in the form of......wait for it..... contact lenses!  Yes, small pieces of technologically advanced film that you stick on your eyes!  What you see with your normal vision is then recognised by the chip inside your lense, analysed and information is displayed into your line of vision.  An example it gave was one for tourists e.g. you're in a new city, your vision lands on an impressive landmark and you wonder what it is. The contact lense recognises this building, displays its name, its use, when it was built and any other pieces of historical or cultural information. 

Now, I wear contact lenses so the insertion of a lense is not what scared me, it was more how close we are to the Minority Report age!  If this can truely be done, then where will this take advertising?  Can we really expect to be sending special offers to people's eyes?  Will we blink into the epos system at WHSmiths and receive 20% off the purchase of our favourite magazine?  Or will it give us reviews of restaurants as we pass them?  I can see it happening within the next 5 years.  In fact it may not even take that long but my only question would be this.  What next?  Chips to be embedded in our brains? 

By Hook or By Crook

On one hand we get told how we are becoming an ever more unshockable society, desensitised by ever increased violence, sex, drugs (and of course rock n roll) in the media around us. Yet 2007 experienced the highest ever number of advert complaints (a total of 14,080) according to ASA.

Coming out top was the Department of Health with their "Get unhooked" advert aimed at getting people to quit smoking, which prompted 774 complaints. Running on TV, press, internet and posters the campaign was unmissable, and certainly seemed to create a stir! Those who complained said the adverts were offensive, frightening and distressing. Don't worry - you won't be chased by a real fishing hook piercing your cheek! They just want you to drop the cancer stick! I have to admit it made me shudder and feel uncomfortable, but then don't we need more shocking tactics like this when it comes to changing people's perceptions and behaviour on topics like this?

On a lighter (and rounder) note, the 10th most complained about advert was awarded to the Sun for their bus T-side campaign, with page 3 girl Keeley promoting the new 20p cost of the paper. I actually worked at CBS outdoor at the time, who surprisingly have a rather stringent copy approval process. The 10p pieces were originally considerably smaller when copy was first submitted... these complainers should be grateful that there are these measures in place - I'm sure the original nipple-clad buses would have ranked this ad higher in the complaints chart!

I'm forever blowing bubbles...

After bouncing balls, exploding paint, plasticine rabbits now it's foam. Exactly what this has got to do with cameras and camcorders is pretty much anyone;s guess but it looks like someone had a lot of fun filling a few square blocks of miami with foam and letting it all float about a bit.

Guess it's not something you see eveyday so probably worth a picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpP_BlSDBgc

Wombles Go Yank!

Tobermory calling 911, Womble Tomsk asking 'what's going down in the hood?' If this seems almost like treason to you then PACT are doing the job with their new clip intended to highlight how British Kids TV is under threat.

British cult classic, The Wombles has been given an American makeover to highlight the need to invest in British children's TV as just 1% of all new programmes are made in the UK.  Check out the clip at http://www.britishkidstv.com/ and then register your views on the petition!