Posted in Advertising, Brands, Digital marketing, Ideas on Mar 20th, 2012
But soft, what light through yonder taxi window breaks? This, this light through yonder taxi window breaks. The breaking light is coming from an art installation sun commissioned by Tropicana. When I first heard about this I was impressed. I was impressed because it ain’t easy being a packaged goods brand in digital spaces. If [...]
Posted in Brands, Corporate culture, Digital marketing, Social media on Jan 15th, 2012
A year ago I wrote about “The method behind the madness that is @Betfairpoker“. The post was based on a telephone interview with Richard Bloch, Betfair’s Head of Global PR. At the time the question on my lips was the question on the lips of most people who were encountering this zany, personality-led corporate Twitter [...]
Posted in Advertising, Brands, Paid owned earned media on Nov 12th, 2011
Newcastle United has changed the name of its famous stadium from St James’ Park to the Sports Direct Arena. In the parlance much beloved of digital media planners, the stadium is now “paid media” for Sports Direct. (I am not going to get sidetracked here by the fact that the club’s owner is also the [...]
Posted in Advertising, Brands on Jun 28th, 2011
Disclosure : I used to work on the Coors Light account. So, whilst I’ve tried, I can’t promise that this post is entirely objective. I find myself liking, in a bordering on admiring kind of way, the new Coors Light ad with the frozen-panted Jean Claude Van Damme. The writing, the performance and the message [...]
Posted in Advertising, Brands, Ideas on Apr 18th, 2011
T-Mobile has disobeyed its own (flash) mob rules with its royal wedding ad. Last night, on the train home, I jotted down a list of T-Mobile values on the back of a receipt. (Sorry Evernote, I still love you.) These values are my out-take from the brand’s recent flash-mob style ads; the ones that immediately [...]
Posted in Brands, Corporate culture, Social media on Apr 6th, 2011
Trying to be something you’re not is too much like hard work. It’s usually stressful and almost always unsustainable. Even if it is with the best intentions. Just ask Bart Simpson, who radically alters his behaviour to impress a virtuous girl called Jenny (voiced by Anne Hathaway no less) in the episode called The Good, [...]
Posted in Brands, Social media on Mar 25th, 2011
One is reminded of the Derek and Clive “This Bloke Came Up To Me” sketch, which we join half way through. Clive : I was watching a game against Arsenal, and this bloke came up to me and said “Hello”. Derek : Oh no… Clive : And I thought, “Christ!” Derek : Yeah. Clive : [...]
Posted in Advertising, Brands on Feb 15th, 2011
I predict that this ad will eventually be deemed an experiment that didn’t work. Whilst it’s always tempting to push the creative envelope, and to explore new and original executions of a long running campaign, there are some things that are best left alone. Incredibly powerful brand properties being one of those things. You don’t [...]
Posted in Brands, Corporate culture, Digital marketing, Social media on Jan 24th, 2011
STOP PRESS : This post was published on 24th Jan 2011 based on an interview with Richard Bloch, Head of Global PR at Betfair. I have since interviewed Richard again and the update, published a year later on 15th Jan 2012 can be read here – The @Betfairpoker Twitter story – part 2. One could [...]
Posted in Brands, Food for thought, Social media on Jan 13th, 2011
I saw Bruce Springsteen play Wembley Stadium (the old one) in nineteen eighty something. (In fact it was July 1985 and I think I’ve found – and borrowed – an image from that very concert.) And I saw The Rolling Stones play Wembley Stadium in nineteen ninety something. Two big brands. Same platform. Both with [...]