Esquire magazine uses an innovative approach to revive, make sexy again the media doomed by many – a paper magazine. Naturally, this is a specific situation, as Esquire target will not migrate completely to the Internet – not like in the case of traditional newspapers. Nevertheless they are paying effort to create some media buzz, so people will start talking again about something as familiar as a magazine. Video does explain most of the things, I also recommend checking Behind the Scenes of Augmented Esquire. AR is basically live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery – creating a mixed reality. So, by showing certain image to our camera, we are gaining access to some content. Here is an example how an image from a pizza box unlocked part of a website:
How does it work here? After installing the software, assuming we have a webcam, it is enough to launch the application and place the magazine cover in front of a camera. Software should recognize the code, in this case located below Robert Downey Jr., and the fun can begin. Interactive elements are located in the whole magazine (I wonder where is the legend to that, so the user will not miss a single thing), often celebrities are used in these interactions. Definitely funny and new for the potential client. Surely, this is a one-to-few times action. Not only because of the work preparation of such feature consume, but also if it would have become a standard part of the magazine, people would simply got used to it.
I do see some potential downsides, like how sophisticated that recognition is – will it work in case of the low-end webcams? Sign (code) is rather big, but still, who knows. If it will not work, some users may get annoyed. It is a step in the right direction, user has to be engaged, take part in something new and exciting. This also does harmonize with the upcoming Microsoft Natal, also a camera-movement recognition solution, where player will control video games using whole body as a controller. So, there is a future in such ideas.
Inspiration: Adverblog
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Above examples of a new campaign by Finnish Sofia Bank . Wealth, it is about attitude or as on their website Wealth. It’s an Attitude. I do like the concept – to take some ordinary people in their normal environment, add some upper class nuances, like the exotic fruits, and the most important thing – place them in graceful poses, one may say classic portrait poses. It is not important whether you are rich or not. It is enough that you do feel so. At least I see it so. From the bank point o view, the communicate here the fact that they are treating all clients in the same way, and the only thing that limits them, is their attitude. So, with the right one, you also will be rich.
Inspiration: Ads of the World
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Crisis and problems of the financial institutions are a great source of themes for promotional usage. You can literally mock them with impunity, and that’s basically what Timberland a well known manufacturer of the outdoor wears does. With some interesting catch phrases too:
‘We build things to last, maybe we should start a bank’, implied nowadays banks are not durable/reliable
‘One American institution that won’t fall apart’, implied all other major financial institutions failed
‘You’re never going to be able to retire, why should your boots?’, implied due to the crisis, or the fact that your savings evaporated, you should own some good boots…
‘How revolutionary, a jacket that can keep two people dry‘, implied saving, but the true meaning is the discount, and charity action. When you’ll return an old Timberland jacket while buying new, you’ll get 20% discount, as well as your jacket will be donated.
Advertising by negative comparison is cruel, but effective. Situation around us creates opportunities never considered earlier. Boots and banks in one advert? C’mon, this can not work. Very nice job.
Inspiration: Ads of the World
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‘Your books change so do you’, nicely done, but quite controversial. But, in the other hand, if the truth is controversial, what time we are living in? People can change, true. According to my Spanish Liberia Pocho is a sort of a book publisher/importer, as well vendor. Not only new, but also used, so it is affordable. This advert is not only showing us, that people can change, but also suggesting, that this particular vendor has a broad offer range. I like the last one, through the power of marketing a priest become a Pope – I’m surprised that they haven’t caleed it a blasphemy in Uruguay, but it only shows, how false our perception of certain countries/regions can be.
Inspiration: Scaryideas
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Very funny print campaign which is explaining the benefits of Chip payment cards. Transactions made with this card always require confirmation by PIN code. Itmakes them more secure, but this is only the theory nicely debunked here by Chris Skinner (also don’t forget who is responsible for eventual unauthorized withdrawals with such card…). Maybe it is because of the late time, but on the first sight I was under the impression, that Clients were presented as thieves. I’ve immediately though – oh crap, this is a bad idea to equate retail clients with criminals… But the second look made it all clear. Vendors are the bad guys ;-). This is even better, and the idea here is that when we’re giving someone our old-fashioned magnetic it can be easily copied and used in a malicious way. To properly evaluate this campaign you have to remember of which country does the Standard Bank originates from. It’s South Africa, a country with tremendous crime rate. But their message is universal everywhere on the globe:
‘If only they were this easy to spot’
Inspiration: Ads of the World
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Ad of a some sort of energetic (?) drink – ‘Energy all day’. The moving kid is placed in a wrong place, they should use i.e. less kids, maybe place the moving one in the middle, change background on brighter, use contrast – let the ‘static’ kids be dressed in bright colors, and the moving one in dark (now he’s standing next to another dude dressed like he – what’s that MIB convention?), etc.
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One wise man from Coca-Cola once said – let’s not forget what we are selling, it’s just sugared water. Manufacturer of this ‘brush’ (sorry ladies, I’m ignorant in these matters…) remembered this. Solution implemented here is simple, but applied correctly to the advertised product. It definitely focuses reader attention, as well, his magazine if falling apart. My only concern is, how ‘durable’ it is. A lot depends on used paper, will these small slices bend and become irritating?
Inspiration: Ads of the World
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I’m not a big fan of non-direct promotional strategies. In my recognition, when you’re deciding to promote your product, you do it openly, avoiding cheap tricks – in this case usage of non-conventional marketing vehicle, i.e. placing your ads where receivers are not expecting to see them. It is a matter of treating your potential customers in a honest way. Such strategy has a great potential of backfiring, and turning back against its creators – in this case both involved parties. I have nothing against sponsored articles, but only when they’re placed in the proper section of a credible newspaper, and are also promptly marked. Los Angeles Times has lost somewhere the first condition.
NBC’s Southland TV series had been recently promoted in such way. It is an another Police oriented drama, with approximately 100% of political correctness factor, as:
Southland takes a “raw and authentic look” at Los Angeles and the lives of the LAPD officers who police it. The show’s seven episode first season[2] centers around the experiences and interactions of LAPD patrol officers and detectives, and is less a police procedural than a character-drive drama.[3][4] Among the characters are Off. Ben Sherman, a rookie cop and his openly-gay training officer, John Cooper, Off. Chickie Brown, who aspires to be the first woman on the elite SWAT Team , dedicated Detective Lydia Adams, and Detective Sammy Bryant, whose home life interferes with his working life.[5]
Classic. Los Angeles Times is recently having major financial difficulties as most of the old-media, traditional printed press, as advertising market is getting smaller and smaller. So, they’ve agreed to promote Southland by placing its ad on the front page, stylizing it as a normal article, telling the story of a heroic rookie Police officer. Maybe the knife on their throat motivated them for such move, or NBC just played it well. I do not know, and frankly I do not care. I just see a symptom, that will bring problems in the future, when media will decide to move the credibility border further. Here they’re playing secure, as MediaPost reports:
NBC says it is taking care not to deceive readers; the story is in different style than the paper’s normal content. It appears in a smaller typeface, and is also marked as an advertisement.
So, everything looks ok, right? Ordinary content can be divided from the ad, but I’d really want to see a research detailing how large fraction of readers did so. I’m not pointing in the so-called ignorance among US citizens, a point of view so popular in Europe. Stupidity, or shallowness are universal, and completely border free. There is a significant portion of people who have problems with dividing reality from i.e. television stories. So many times actors who’re playing popular characters are complying that they are not being recognized as themselves, but rather as who they’re playing. People are also i.e. copying the patterns of behavior from their favorite series. Borders between reality and affectation is melting, and while this can be a great marketing opportunity for promoting (like product placement once had been), it is tricky and dangerous for the content providers. Trust is the most precious value achieved especially by a media company. As precious it is, as easy it is to loose.
Los Angeles Times Southland case should be a firm warning, and the ultimate border.
For NBC – it didn’t backfired at all, as if people didn’t combined heroic rookie with their series, maybe they will at least remember the main character name, which will benefit for the station. If they did combined, they had just felt a bit confused, and were rather angry for a newspaper, not for NBC. But it could’ve been worse.
Pros
Cons
Evaluation: 1/6 for L.A. Times, 4/6 for NBC
More on the subject in Variety.
Inspiration: Endgame (Polish)
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An another revelation of the ‘Oldies’ category. AFAIR media used in this campaign was print, rather not outdoor. 51job.com is a leading Chinese headhunting website – well, at least according to a quickly found description. I’ve been planning to give positive review to this campaign, but the phrase ‘headhunting’ puzzled me a bit. If it would be an ordinary job seeking website, used concept would be great, but if it is headhunted-oriented, I am not so sure… This sing 招聘 should mean recruitment, so now I am rather sure of its headhunting orientation.
WRONG!
Concept is not right, or would be right if someone would have planned to seek brokers and office workers among unqualified people. It would have been a beautiful world if it would be true, but sadly it is not. Campaign is giving us mixed signals, more in the Cons.
Pros
Cons
Possible improvement
You may say:
‘Right Jan, so should we show in our print transformation of a commodity broker into a stock broker (with a distinction of a different tie color?). Where is the fun in that?’
Nope, if we’re still planning to be faithful to the original concept and our website is headhunted oriented, we should explore the path of the Office worker – Diver print, which is quite good indeed. Convince viewers that thanks to our website they may make their career dreams come true, find the fun in their daily work, but keep as much realism as it is only possible. Use common dream-jobs, like airplane pilot, writer, or anything else. Make ‘stop the daily boredom of your work’ your primary theme.
Implementation in Poland
In my recognition my fellow countrymen are cynical, and hard to buy with cheap tricks. Also, they may find hard to believe in the make-dream-job-come-true theme. Still, I think that the core concept, of breaking the daily routine in your job, nicely visualized here can be developed in any country.
Evaluation: 3,5/6
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