Here's the story Old Spice wanted to recruit a new face for their Old Spice campaign, they tried and failed.\
Why? Isaiah Mustafa was simply amazing! he had looks, charm, charisma and style, how can anyone top that?
And it's not like P&G haven't tried...twice! the latest venture being with Fabio as the new face, of course is the "duel"or "face-off" between the two models, Fabio lost, no surprises there. I'm not quite sure what the point of it was, maybe just a publicity stunt to maximize their use of Mustafa before he moves on to other things. Of course P&G would need a new face but why try the same campaign? A new one would be much better and more successful rather than just replacing a face. It would be new, fresh and exciting and does not give people a comparison base such as Mustafa which would be hard to beat.
So RIM is set to release their new range of BlackBerry'....about time I say!
It has been in the news awhile now, with no definitive release date, but that time seems to be drawing to a close. While most manufacturers only release about one or two amazing models a year, RIM has gone all out with a release of 5...yes five new phones! So it's going to be a fantastic time for all BB lovers out there.
Reviews about the new phones, 2 of which are touchscreen and 3 normal, are generally quite positive, which is good news as RIM could certainly use the boost. The only thing that annoyed me was the long delay in the announcement to an actual release date. I'm not quite sure of the motives, maybe it was to keep their stock riding high for a longer period? Obviously that didn't work.
I found it quite annoying as I was looking at getting a new phone at the time and would have loved to get my hands on the new range, it seems I would have been waiting a long time...
It also leads me to question why release them all at once?? Sales boost?
Well all in all, I'm glad they are releasing soon, as RIM could certainly use all the help they can get to gain market share in an increasingly Android world.
In order to maintain a good image, and appease their consumers, food chains have decided to go healthy.
Burger King is adding more healthier options to its menu including fruit smoothies (yum). It's advertising this change by modifying its primary colors to red and black. It is refreshing to note that BK is one of the few companies which as part of its re-branding has actually trying to make some concrete changes rather than just changing its logo or colors.
In reverse McDonald's decided to change its Happy Meal in order to demonstrate their commitment to children's nutrition, without getting rid of their beloved mascot. This is excellent because the lovable Ronald has been a symbol for the company since way back when and to remove him would have been a sad goodbye. But by changing the Happy Meal to a more happier option Ronald will no longer stand as a symbol for growing child obesity, but instead for something better, which will go in line with him being the mascot for McDonald's children charities.
Old vs New
But when Budweiser decided to change its colors in order to impress and (re)attract its consumers you have to wonder why. While it's great to refresh the brand style and image, this is mostly done when it plays an important part in overall strategy as well as to reflect changes in the actual product. So while Bud's new look might initally attract people to the beer again leading to an increase in Sales, this surge might only be short-lived as there is nothing to sustain it over a longer period.
While there are examples of great ads out there which really connect to the brand, at the same time, the exact inverse exists. There are ads which leave you wondering what was all that about...sometimes instead of adding any value they detract from it...why? Maybe because they just try too hard.
One such classic example is Skittles. I have been following their ads for sometime now and they seem to be steadily decreasing in sense or any brand value. I know they are trying to go for a crazy fun filled image, but it comes off being crazy nonsensical instead. Have a look at one of their latest efforts and you can judge for yourself.
moving on is the use of Russell Brand as a 'Brand' ambassador for HP (no pun intended ok maybe it was), while there's nothing wrong with it I don't see what's so great about it either. While Brand may be funny (clearly I'm not a big fan) I don't see how he contributes to HP's brand or the HP touchpad in any particular way. While he does not detract from it, I don't find him adding anything either.
I have been collecting a couple of advertisements which I find to truly capture a brand's essence and some of these are just amazing...
I'll start with the best one first:
1) Pepsi
I always thought as a rule you could not depict your competitor in your advertising. But I guess rules are meant to be bent, as Pepsi does so in this amazing ad. It not only mocks Coca-Cola directly, but uses every icon connected with the company such as Santa and the Polar Bear and turns it against them. What can Coca-Cola do when their own symbols shun them for their competitor?
2) Lenovo
I think this is one of the most amazing displays of product effectiveness I have seen, but it does leave you wondering if it's genuine....What better way to show that the laptop can boot up in 30 sec than by throwing it off a plane and having it boot up to metaphorically speaking "save itself".... so simple and effective!
3) Ireland Road Safety Authority
A bunch of guys having fun while going out for a drive...what's wrong with this scenario? they are all holding guns, definitely not normal but it's what keeps you watching to know what happens next. The end is worth watching, and has the most impact. it definitely gets to the point.
4) Nike
Shoe Evolution...Nike through the ages, simply put shows the evolution of the brand, its shoes and how it has been the one true companion of the "runner" for 40 years, by focusing only on the shoes, great product focus.
5) KFC
A feel good ad by the company .... and it actually does make you go awww, but not sure how much it contributes to the brand. The ad is a tactic being used to change people's perceptions about it's negative image by showing that it brings people together, and leads to joy and happiness, rather than obesity no matter how long you may be consuming it for.
6) LÓreal
I am a bit undecided on this one.... Hugh Laurie is the new face of Lóreal's men line and this ad shows him at his cynical comedic best. Sure he's a great role model for guys but is he a good model for a skin care line? hmm sometimes irony is just more effective.
Lately environmental commitment seems to be the latest trend for companies. Either in their mission statements, or advertising there is a line which states how committed to the environment that company is, but is this enough?
Brands today have found a more direct and creative way to depict their commitment to sustainability initiatives.
Richoh for instance put up a solar powered billboard in Times Square. This billboard is surrounded by solar panels and wind turbines to give it the energy it needs to do its job, and if it is in-sufficient then that risk is what they readily accept. This is a fantastic idea, as by using renewable sources and opting not to use electricity at any time Richoh commitment is demonstrated, but you got to wonder if this is practiced throughout the company as well.
Coca - Cola on the other hand have demonstrated their own commitment to the environment by the first actual "living" billboard in the Philippines. The billboard itself in covered in thousands of Fukien tea plants which are housed in recycled Coca- Cola bottles and use organic fertilizer. The billboard helps alleviate air pollutants in a country which have an active battle with air pollution. This form of advertising is not only sustainable but actually gives back to the community.
If i had to pick I would say that between both brands Coca - Cola is definite winner. It's innovative, promotes the brand as well as doing its job, taking sustainable advertising to a whole new level. Coca-Cola overall is very proud of its commitment to sustainability and this is just another one of it ways of showing us.
As brands find new ways of demonstrating how committed to the environment they are it would be interesting to see the creative developments, which ideally will not only help promote the brand but actually give back to the community. This would be one type of advertising people can't complain about and you got to wonder at how much energy consumption will be reduced!
