Shocking

During our daily searches, we’ve come across a trend that’s been occurring quite frequently lately.

More brands are indeed opting to use extreme shockvertising tactics [surprise surprise] but better yet, gruesome gore, in order to get their messages across.Perhaps the world is so desensitised that the only thing left to attract attention is the strategy of shock.

So, in spirit of this [...and cause we didn't know what else to do with this stuff] we’ve put together a list of our all-time favorite top 10 shockingly gruesome and gory adverts. Viewer discretion is advised…

#10 by River North Dance Company

Anatomy 101

#9 is for Vanouver’s Play Land PNE.

#8 We posted this one earlier on this week compliments of Sarti Tailors.

'Fall' Collection

# 7 Is an ad by 1 Call.

#6 This one was taken from the Government of Alberta and their bloodylucky work safety videos. http://www.bloodylucky.ca/

#5 From New Zealand, this one’s a drinking and driving PSA.

#4 What list about shock and gruesome gore would be complete without an anti-smoking ad. This one’s from Australia.

#3 Ramorama trying to sell t-shirts.

Exposing Ramorama t-shirts

#2 Superette print.

Superette 'Be caught dead in'

AND finally…

The #1 spot goes to this graphic anti-drug/substance ad from New Zealand. [Nasty]

Video links:

YouTube Video #9
YouTube Video #7
YouTube Video #6
YouTube Video #5
YouTube Video #4
YouTube Video #1

Red, yellow, blue

Jeez – just about everybody that’s grown up in South Africa in the past couple of decades as some point have owned a Citi Golf.

We had one that kept on getting broken into and slowly but surely had all of its parts removed [ah...good times].

Totsiens ol' friend

Now after 25 years – the SA legend is being put out to pasture and very soon no more Citi Golf cars will be produced – and to honour the brand the last Citi will be doing a victory lap around the country to offer everyone the opportunity to come and bid farewell to Citi by signing the vehicle.

The entire victory lap can be followed at http://www.goodbyeciti.co.za and on Goodbye Citi’s Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube pages – where the public can also post their goodbye messages.

What we didn’t know is that Jenni Button [who we've worked with in the past] was part of the creative team behind the famous red, yellow and blue thing that the brand took on in the 80’s. It’s was intended to turn the car into a fashion accessory – which pretty much worked well at the time.

If you’re keen to make your physical mark – the tour schedule looks like this:

When and where you can haul out the tissues

[thanks Amy]

A good type of 'turn-off'

In order to advertise Live Green Toronto, a new resource for Torontonians that offers environmentally friendly living advice, the city of Toronto and Canadian ad group Agency59 have come up with this bus shelter ad.

Going along with the brand/product itself, the interactive advert urges people to switch off the ad [by flicking the attached giant light switch] and to turn their website torontolivegreen.ca on.

Not a bad idea. SOMEONE was definitely ‘switched on’ when they thought this one up. Just one question though. Does the ad turn itself back on afterwards?

Website: Livegreen

via

Banks and insurance companies generally consistantly make an exciting balls up everytime they attempt to create something new anf fresh.

But for the first time ever – we’re impressed with the latest batch of advertising coming out of Sanlam [yes...that's right Sanlam]

A while back their agency ran a campaign asking people to submit their home movies for use in an ad campaign and these ads are the result.

The campaign comes across as real, stripped down, honest and above all very unpolished, which is probably why we like it so much.

Here’s the press release if you want the detailed blurb:

Sanlam’s new campaign gives you something to hope for

It started off with a mysterious call-to-action to the public to submit copies of their home movies without revealing anything about the campaign or what the movies would be used for. Our objective was to cast real South Africans and let their personal stories tell our new brand message.

The call for home movies was communicated through various channels and included an advertisement in newspapers. There weren’t strict guidelines in place with regards to content, just an invitation to submit footage of any special moments that people would be willing to share. It elicited a very positive response and over 250 home movies were submitted of which four were selected to appear in the TV commercials. . “The intimacy of the moments captured in the home videos are moments that simply cannot be re-enacted or created by a director” comments Ross Chowles, Executive Creative Director of The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town.

He continues “Our previous work for Sanlam inspired consumers to think. The new Sanlam corporate campaign will touch peoples’ hearts. The big idea is based on the insight that the purchase of any long-term financial services product is motivated by a hope for the future; whether that is a hope for a dignified funeral or the hope to multiply one’s wealth. That Sanlam is thus in fact an enabler of dreams. However we needed to bring dreams into the present tense and so arrived at the compelling thought ‘start with what you hope for’. Quite simply Sanlam understands that it is in the business of enabling hopes as it partners their clients on their journey through life.

Ross says that whilst searching through the plethora of footage, strange and interesting scenarios emerged. Mostly the footage provided a window into the significant moments of everyday peoples’ lives. The home movies that were chosen featured charming and engaging scenes that all South Africans will identify with.

The launch of the new Sanlam corporate campaign marks the shift away from being intellectually product focused to a more client focused approach. The brief to the agency was to reflect a shift in the company’s philosophy and to capture the essence of the brand. “I am very excited about this campaign. It is optimistic, hopeful and inspirational and reflects Sanlam’s vision of partnering with our clients to help them achieve their hopes and dreams,” says Nandi Scorer, Head of Group Marketing at Sanlam.

The series of TV ads depict a first-time father showing off his new born son in a playful way, brothers playing in a homemade car, a young boy marvelling at planes at the airport and a young woman skydiving for the first time. All the home movies convey real situations and real people’s hopes and dreams for the future. Post production for the campaign was completed by Priest, the audio recording by Big Leap and the graphics and end title design were done by 10 Kilo. The campaign launched on 23rd October and comprises of a series of four commercials. To view the home videos and the story behind them visit the micro-site at www.startwithhope.co.za.

Members of the public are welcome to submit their personal videos that they feel convey a message of hope to the website for consideration as possible footage for future advertisements in the campaign.

[thanks Nadia]

You may well have seen the Hyundai H1 tv ad and wondered how the hell they managed to pump thousands of litres of foaming water out of the back of a panel van.

Well, we were wondering and this morning the Jupiter Drawing Room sent over a disc containing the secrets of the shoot.

Looks like the mounted a huge funnel structure on top of the van, flooded the water through it and then erased all traces of the contraption in post.

[thanks Nadia]

The Selk Bag - bust a move

Sleeping bags were long overdue a design re-look. Unless you sleep like a meditating monk they’re bloody uncomfortable. So this new Selk bag – that looks more like puffy action, super suit than a bag – is the business.

Air guitar and yoga pose all in one action sequence.

Do 'the robot' in bed

Website: Selk Bag

via thecoolhunter

It’s probably because they come across as so real that these ads, which were done by Lowe Bull and Velocity Films for the Association for Responsible Alcohol use, are so disturbing.

How many South Africans can totally relate to these? Having our own recent experience with some totally wasted flyboy at the wheel of a Golf on Friday afternoon – they’re probably talking louder to us right now than ever.

[thanks Simon]

The Cherryflava Peep Show - NSFW

In addition to BRAND HOOLIGANS and SecondBase – we’re launching our own version of a live talk show called The Cherryflava Peep Show.

It’s a marketing talk show for people who would rather lick a live electricity plug than attend a marketing talk. We’ll cut the crap and get down to the bare, naked, dirty truth. Hosted by Jon Cherry and Dave Levinsohn the show kicks off at the New Space Theatre in Long Street Cape Town on Wednesday 18 November at 18h30.

Our guest line-up includes:

Rockers Fokofpolisiekar

South African hard rock outfit Fokofpolisiekar…

Celebrity TV chef Justin Bonello

…and TV chef and African traveller Justin Bonello.

Details on audience tickets and how to apply for them are all here.

So, what’s up with all of these brands with their new fangled shoes claiming to tighten and firm your legs and butt?

First we’ve got FitFlop, a shoe that’s meant to ‘improve your posture’, ‘increase muscle activity’, and ‘improve muscle tone’ while you walk [because apparently exercising isn’t enough].

NOW with a new TV advert by DDB entitled “Wandering Eye”, we get to watch Reebok try to appeal to the quick-fix club too.

The product is called the EasyTone sneaker, and the ad features a well-toned, fit woman and a camera person who suffers from a bad case of a ‘wandering eye’ [or rather a wandering lens].

According to Reebok their latest and greatest is meant to “work your hamstrings and calves up to 11 per cent harder…[and] tone your butt up to 28 per cent more than REGULAR sneakers” would. Sounds like typical marketing mumbo jumbo to us.

Wonder how long it would take us to achieve that 11 and 28 per cent if we were simply wearing our old gimmick-free favorites?

YouTube: EasyTone Commercial

via here and here

Rub me tender

Some time ago we were sent a ’sample box’ of products from NoMU. Since then we’ve spotted the South African brand in a gourmet store in Spain and have slowly but surely worked our way through the assortment of rubs – even sprinkling some on ice creeam to see how it panned out [it was ambitious we can report].

But for us the real treat was in the PR packaging. We always say that the devil’s in the detail and the NoMU box was a nice touch rather than just getting all of the tins dumped in a PnP bag. A personal hand-written note, a hand-made box that can be recycled, a touch of thought….and they had us at sign here.

Recycle it!

[thanks Paul]