Guerrilla & Long Copy

Guerilla

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dInhX6ED15Y
I think this Heineken guerilla campaign is fantastic because it took what all guys dread about getting older, addressed the issue and then gave it back to them in a humorous way. The campaign brought many different men together to attend a classical music concert on the night of a big soccer match. We see their reactions of being asked (or told) to attend and then follow them into the concert hall with empty, gloomy faces. After 15 minutes of playing music, words on a projector screen begin to address some of the different reasons for attending the concert, "It's hard to say no to your boss...or your girlfriend."In the footage we see the men begin to sit up in their chairs and really begin to pay attention and finally we read "how could you have even thought of missing the big match?" The audience begins to cheer and the final copy reads "Let's enjoy the match together." The brilliance of this ad is that it takes what all guys can relate to (the responsibility associated with getting older and missing out on the fun stuff) makes a nod to it but says it shouldn't happen so we will do everything in our power to prevent it-at least for tonight. It celebrates the bigger idea of competition and sports and associates the product with it is this unforgettable way.
This idea became a hit on blogs, the news etc because everyone who watched or heard about it could feel for these guys on how horrible it would have been to have missed the game and how relieving it was to have it be a joke.
 
Long Copy

Trying to find a long copy ad just helps to prove that they are a dying art. Most of the ones I found were old or not about a product that I would want to spend time and effort reading about. Especially after looking such innovative and creative guerrilla campaigns long copy seemed that much more difficult to consume. The headline is funny so I decided to read it. Runners really do run through creepy areas that normal people wouldn't. The final lines opull the ad together, basically stating that it is your civic duty to run because running helps saves life or find their bodies...The ad addressed that runners like to run while any other athlete sees it as punishment for their sport. The header is clever which grabs people and the copy is witty, which is why an audience would continue to read it.

Only Words

It became evident that ads today are dominated by images and graphics rather than copy. The frenetic nature of the world today makes it easy to guess why-if a potential consumer feel like they have to work for your ad they will ignore it. In my opinion the most successful ads are those which use language as well as the font to make a statement.

This Wonderbra ad uses the typeface to mimic the shape of the product. It assumes that the viewer knows what the product is and capitalizes on familiarity with the product and what it does.
Comparing this ad to a Victoria's Secret print ad, which would most likely feature an almost naked woman, the wonderbra ad won't offend a viewer from a younger audience.

This Imax ad utilizes their typeface to emphasize that their 'screens curve down at the bottom' by using a smaller font on the last line. It also uses a negative criticism of Imax screens and turn it into a positive by making a joke. The copy is big and bold which parallels the Imax screens.

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McDonalds does very clever advertising with their copy. Recently I saw a clever billboard of theirs that read "If coffee is Joe then consider this Ioseph." While the billboard does have a small photo of a cup of coffee in the corner the copy brings the product to the next level with humor. 

In this ad for McDonalds they again use humor as a way to emphasize how great their product is. Everyone knows how painful it is to bite your tongue and they use the deliciousness of their food as a way to take the pain away and apologize for the mistake.

From these ads we see that copy must be brief, entertaining and to the point, otherwise the viewer will get bored and stop reading.

This weekend I took a trip to New York City. I started to pay attention to the billboards on the side of the highway in hopes of getting inspiration for this blog.  At first the drive was scenic and relaxing, but quickly became mundane and the ads didn't help. All the outdoor ads were billboards and could have been placed on any highway.
The attractiveness of outdoor ads is how to specially use the unique environment to convey your message.

 This ad uses the tunnel strategically to make a point about the rest stop. It is different and fun. I wish we would have seen one of these advertisements for a rest stop on the way.

Not all outdoor ads are billboards. This ad uses the packaging and shape of the candy bar and puts it in the environment. It's much more interesting and memorable that the typical bench ad.

 The wires are an everyday structure used to portray what the product does-detangle. If the environment is used in a complimentary clever way the ad makes an impression.

Ads Without Words

Presenting an ad with words lends itself to be one of the most difficult tasks an advertiser can do. The ads must be a completely visual representation of the message. It's a nod at not only their own ability to convey a message without a textual reference but also that a busy audience will care enough to stop and look. When an advertiser does create a good and clever visual the impact remains for much longer with an audience.

Lego has utilized this concept of without words brilliantly. They began a campaign with the text, "seen a thousand different ways," and have continued this message with just visuals. It portrays the mind of a young child to a target audience who have potentially forgotten their own creativity.











Olay plays with the keys/computer action any computer user knows " edit undo." It humorously hints that using their product will undo the signs of aging. I appreciate that a beauty product company didn't just go for an attract young flawless female to advertise their ad but instead targeted a working woman who would know this computer command.

 

Jeep plays off their live free campaign and uses a silhouette of animals (a camel and wolf) to link their product with those wild and natural.

3 Tactical Ads

I really like this ad because it omits the unique characteristic of a camel and calls attention to its absence with a suggestion of a line. Once I read the text "Dr. Brian Dower, Chiropractor 28 Park Road, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1M1 416.920.7275" I couldn't help but laugh to myself. The ad doesn't have a tagline but instead uses the visual as a clue to what this doctor can do for you. The ad's simplicity and humor sets it apart from other ads of chiropractors I've seen.

Although somewhat disturbing I love this ad. It's provocative and poignant. The copy, "only a portion of the catch in long line tuna fishing is tuna" directly corresponds to the portioned animals below. The detailed execution which incorporates the inside of each animal adds to it's emotion. Not only does the add address a problem to the public but it also calls to action or gives a solution in the text below. This allows the viewer to feel in this ad and act afterward.

I love that this ad calls attention to the "defect" and makes the association with that and the great price. The asterisk makes for a nice introduction to the copy and put me in the frame of mind that is was an actual "warning. The ad cleverly combines a unique aspect of the car with something everyone wants to know when car shopping, price. I also think that this fun and clever ad fits the brand identity of mini.

Blog 1

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