(LESS) of (RED)?

red2

Product Red (styled (PRODUCT)RED) is a for-profit brand which is licensed to some of the more iconic brands: Apple, Motorola, AMEX, GAP, etc., who are then entitled to use this brand on their products. In return, they donate a percentage of profits towards the AIDS cause in Africa.

I don’t harbor warm feelings to this campaign – a marketing gimmick that leverages on human compassion to dig more gold from the consumers. Look at the copy of what (Product) RED is about – if this isn’t marketing and branding fluff, I don’t know what else is:

“Each company that becomes (RED) places its logo in this embrace and is then elevated to the power of red. Thus the name — (PRODUCT)RED. You, the consumer, can take your purchase to the power of (RED) simply by upgrading your choice. Thus the proposition: (YOU)RED. Be embraced, take your own fine self to the power of (RED). What better way to become a good-looking samaritan?! [bold mine, ?! theirs]

Stemming from a reaction against the (RED) campaign, the (LESS) campaign invites donation to the same charities for AIDS as (RED), but without the conspicuous consumption of the branded goods. When I first saw the ads/pictures, I thought it was rather refreshing. I must say I’m a little less inspired when I went to their website though.

While they sharply challenged the (RED)’s ideology of copious consumption in the poster ads, they have inherited and duplicated (RED)’s style – be it in their web design, approach or their overtly-marketing tone, complete with slogans and a faux sense of grandeur. While reacting against the superficiality of (RED), they seem to be sorely lacking in sincerity of their own.

It does make me ponder if (LESS) is even operated by the same people in (RED) – like you’d learn in Marketing 101 – it never hurts to capture more segments of the target demographic.

Thai Movie-Ad: Smooth E


Once in a while, you get an ad that transcends the very definition of an ad. One that is so remarkably and creatively different from the pack, it shines. I think this is one of them.

The product is as typical as any – a facial cream. You can already picture how an ordinary ad for this would be – a pretty (fair) model rubs the cream into her palm, uses it, and the slow-motion sideview take of the water splashing her face, which leads to an end cut-scene extolling the virtues of Brand X cream, and your life becomes perfect.

But this one manage to narrate it through a series of four short movies (or long ads) – the story can either be cheesy or touching depending on your point of view – but the ad scores brownie points for me when they were able to laugh at themselves: ridiculing the very medium of an advertisement while being on an advertisement. It also doesn’t make it seem like magic will ooze out once you use it like most ads would have portrayed – so there’s an element of honesty there as well (wow!). It’s Thai-produced, so you’d recognize their almost trademark exaggeration and comical humor as well.

They have managed to produce one that in my opinion, even draws people to want to watch it, to “can’t-wait for it to be screened”. That is some feat indeed!

VW EOS Shadow Ad

vw-eos-shadow-ad

Following right on the trail of leveraging sun-and-shadow, here’s a really clever and engaging VW ad that also cleverly uses the sun. Pitching for the new EOS convertible automobiles, the shadow poster was mounted horizontally so that when the sun shines through the message is revealed – a message saying “Perfect day for a test drive.”

Sony Bravia Bunnies


An ad that people eagerly discuss when you’re in the process of making it; an ad that people speculate and wonder about before it even screens; an ad that turns into an almost cultish following; an ad that is cinematographically excellent and inspiring.

Personally I hope that advertisements in the future are more like these Sony Bravia series – rather than brainstorming on how else to push your advertisement agenda – strive to create unique, interesting and memorable ones like these. If you have people eagerly waiting and wanting to watch your ad (not to mention evangelizing your ad for free, like what I’m doing now), you can’t be wrong.

The Sony Bravia ‘Color – like no other series’ have just released the latest installment to eager fans (it’s quite weird, and yet refreshing, to have fans of advertisements aye? Usually these terms are more for epic movies). Bunnies hopping around the New York City. Watch it!

Touching Ad


Thai advertisements are usually known to be funny – they are especially deft in comical exaggeration. This, however, is probably one of the most intense advertisements I’ve seen – it might simply just qualify as a short film instead. Narrating a simple but powerful story, it’d probably touch a nerve or two.

The client is a Thai insurance company.

Blood Donation Ad

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I thought this ad was very well done – an extremely elegant way to convey the message for the Blood Bank. The outline of a man and the Red Cross are respectively printed on either side of the hourglass, depicting the symbiotic relationship between the (potential) donor and the Blood Center – anytime one is short of blood, the other can help.

Agency: TBWA, Shanghai

Concerned Communicators Award 2007

concerned-communicator-award

If you’re the creative kind, here’s a fun and rewarding competition that you might consider entering:

Concerned Communicator Award – which is a reputed and well-recognized social advertising award in India. It invites ad professionals and free lancers all over the world to make print ads (within 500sq. cm size) on any social issues. Winner will be awarded US$11,000. There is no entry fee. Foreign entries are accepted by emails also. Entries can be pre-published or un-published.

Check out here for more details – the deadline’s 25 August. Here’s an example of a winner from last year (from Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai):

concerned-communicator-award-winner-2006

 

Suicide Awareness Ads

suicide-awareness-ads

The visual impact of these Suicide Awareness posters are already very high – but what I really liked about them are also perhaps the depth behind. The core message on the posters read: “Help yourself”- and it’s so cool that the falling men/women were rescued by the outline that they were cut from – the concept here isn’t simply a superficial visual trick to grab attention, but gels really well with the message itself.