I came across this advert. It’s by Delifrance a European Bakery chain.
The tag-line for this advert was: “Delifrance. Ready to Bake at Home”.
I’m not surprised that this advert won the Gold Print award at the 2010 Epica Awards.
The concept of loaves in the shape of bedroom slippers gives such a good connection to the meaning of “home”. The message is so simple and so clear. I Love it!
This world just gets more creative! Since electronic companies are finding it harder and harder to significantly differentiate their products, they seem to have turned to focusing on the creativity of their marketing strategies. However in some cases it seems like even various company advertising fails to be unique. Check out the following ads by Samsung and Sony.
Clearly these two companies have fed off each others ideas to create a not-so- creative advert. Looking at each one seperately, the creativity of the advert definitely is appealing, highlighting the importance of music/ sound to our ears. However, personally, seeing and comparing these two adverts together I seem to sense the lack of creativity amongst the two companies, hence making the products seem less appealing. This is because the similar adverts make the products less unique and as a consumer I, personally would be indifferent when it comes to choosing which brand to purchase of the related product advertised. Therefore, keeping all other factors constant, I would fail to see the differences in these products except the brand names.
Very creative concept however not so creative competition.
Microdermabrasion, chemical peels, retinoids, antioxidants…know what these are? Ever heard of them? These are just some of the many methods women turn to during the “anti-aging” process. Not to mention the hundreds of anti-wrinkle creams, botox as well as the ultimate solution: plastic surgery! So why do women go through all this hassle in order to eliminate those few wrinkles around their eyes? Shouldn’t we let nature take it’s course?
After reading Anna’s blog on the Age Defying Barbie it really got me thinking. In todays world, appearance is everything. Of course, its always nice to look good. However, I feel women these days are becoming barbie fanatics- they want to look too perfect. We’re all human and no one is perfect. Don’t mistake me for saying we shouldn’t look good. Im simply saying we shouldn’t cake ourselves in make-up. Which is why I like the idea of coming up with an older barbie with a less perfect body. That is a big step in todays’ world where image is everything. In fact, our beauty lies in our imperfections.
T-Mobile has definitely captured my attention as a consumer. I admire the time and effort T-Mobile took to put together such amazing performances in the middle of public areas. I recently posted a link to a video of T-Mobile’s Guerilla marketing. Well this video shows another stunt they pulled off-this time in Heathrow instead of a train station. AMAZING!
“We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me”
Michael Jackson
Listening to Michael Jackson’s lyrics, you do realize that children are tomorrow. They will be the decision-makers, the planet-savers and the ones setting an example for those to follow. Having lived in Kenya my whole life, I have seen what poverty really is. It is a universal problem, and is no different in any country. Yes, we have a number of NGO’s doing the best that they can to aid the problem, however the problem is far too great for them to solve alone.
We often take our cosy, “cushioned” lives for granted. We don’t know what it’s like to go for days without food, or to have to walk miles every morning just to get water. We don’t know how lucky we are to get an education; the pleasure of knowledge. These are the some of the many advantages we have. Even living in Vancouver, people don’t seem to realise how awesome it is to have such an efficient transport system, such cleanliness and more safety than most countries.
I cam across this advertising campaign. It was run in Ukraine to further advertise the seriousness of the problem. Instead of ordinarily-shaped posters, the organization, posters in the shape of holeless children were put in all corners of the city with the saying
“You can remove me but not the problem”
Here’s what it looked like:
This to me is very affective as it makes you sympathize with the posters as if they were real children. It triggers some emotion in you and makes you actually want to participate in making a change.
So we’ve been through the production era, the sales era and now “Consumer is King” is the current motto. But it’s amazing how far companies will go to show they really care about each and every individual. Yes, there’s the 24 hour customer service, free give-aways, charity donations and environmental sponsorships that companies take the pain, time and money to offer their consumers, but with increasing competition and the strive to cosmetically differentiate identical products, companies need to look for more innovative ways to show why they stand out.
Yes, you could consider this as a follow-up on my previous post on Guerilla Marketing, where companies such as T-Mobile plan random, out-of-the-ordinary events to capture public attention.
But here what I’m focusing on is the blurry boundary between guerilla marketing and the extent to which companies will go in order to convince consumers they care, hence why they should purchase their good and services. This has been seen in the form of public apologies and reassurance (e.g Maple Leaf) and millions of dollars worth of recalls and reimbursements (e.g Toyota). However, these gestures have evolved into somewhat more creative and less formal.
In the video below, we see the hand-carved, wooden Lays billboard being constructed. The carefully-carved, time consuming advertisement is a very clever pun – all natural ingredients, hand crafted with care. A spot-on marketing strategy and method of communication. Definitely catchy to the passer-by.
The dictionary definition for Guerrilla Marketing is: ” any number of unconventional methods of marketing with minimal resources for maximum results; any marketing campaign that uses non-mainstream tactics and locations”.
Firms are constantly looking for new, unique ways to market themselves and make sure they stand out from other companies, and so guerrilla marketing happens to be the new craze. Random, hilarious and epic are three words I can think of when effective and successful guerrilla marketing comes to mind.
T-Mobile is an excellent example of this. An 11 am dance in the middle of a busy train station in England definitely caught the public eye, and managed to engrave T-Mobile’s name in the spectator’s minds.
Check it out: 
Definitely random, hilarious and epic.
The world’s most famous brands can be recognized from anywhere. Just by taking a look at a simple figure or design, one can know the company it belongs to. Over the years company and product logos have become key in the company’s search for prominent and original identity. Logo’s can be more powerful than words. 
What really interests me is the stories behind each famous, multi-billion dollar brand, and how it came to be.
Take a look at the Adidas logo. The three parallel stripes visible in each and every product actually symbolize the company’s three principles: design the best sports shoes that satisfy all requirements, to protect the athlete from injury and make durable products.
Although the Apple logo evolved from and apple tree to and apple itself, the e product name and logo was based upon the story of Adam and Eve and the tree of knowledge, encouraging each person to follow their dreams, with the bite mark symbolizing the seduction and attractiveness of Apple’s products.
The four rings in Audi’s logo are somewhat similar to that of the Olympics: coming together. However, instead of countries, these four rings symbolize the merging of the four companies: Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer.
Therefore, although almost most world-famous companies identify themselves with logo’s that may have no relation whatsoever to the good and services they provide, they symbolize meaning, culture, beliefs and carry a legacy that has been passed down through the years.
And that’s what drives success within a company.