Here Be Monsters|blog

Nice work from Coke

2009-11-18T22:47:00+00:00

Here's something that WCRS might want to learn from (see last post to see what I'm on about, it's right below so I'm not going to both to link. Scroll down you lazy buggers). Last week there was all sorts of coverage on the fact that Coke were going to pay buskers to sing their holiday jingle. (Ah, I hate the fact it's the PC holidays and not Christmas, but I'll let that ride for now.)

Okay, that's solid ambient idea, did well for Oasis, and no more annoying that christmas carols blasting out of stores. And then there was this posted without too much fanfare onto the YouTube. The opening shot being the unnecessary give away, but hey-ho.

I would expect to see more versions in the coming months, as Coke go about claiming the tube.

Arrogant or just old-fashioned thinking?

2009-11-17T11:09:24+00:00

I'm no hater of traditional advertising, I don't believe it's going to disappear (in the short term), in fact I enjoy a good commercial as much as the next consumer. My main gripe is that there's just not that much out there worth applauding - but that's always been the case and not something restricted to advertising either. We're all well aware of the 90%-10% rule.

I just wanted to get that out of the way as I'm about to lay into an agency that I've always had a lot of regard for, even if they aren't the force they once were. There are people in this agency that I have nothing but the highest regard for and one individual in particular who has had a massive impact on my formative years both professional and personally.

The agency in question is WCRS. They've done some okay work for Weetabix lately. (I particularly rate the use of music here). But then they go and do this - a website whose only purpose is to show a commercial -an online-themed commercial admittedly but just a sodding commercial none the less.

Why?

The only explanation can be that they thought it was too funny/clever to bin.

It's about as traditional or as arrogant thinking as you're likely to experience.

You can just see the agency scene as creative stereotypes rush around congratulating one another on their great TV script (and to be fair, it's an okay idea), as the creative director tells them it's not gonna work on TV, as some bright spark suggests, lets stick it on the net (with all the implications that implies).

What we're effectively seeing is some astonishingly old-fashioned thinking that people really do want to see ads, and will happily seek them out, even when the only 'reward' is the entertainment within. And some some good old-fashioned arrogance that those very same people will be so impressed that they won't be able to send it to friends ana make it go viral.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

This has to be one of the most outdated pieces of work I have seen in recent years. And all that's really been communicated is that everyone attached to it has no interest in what is happening around them.

What business should really be about

2009-11-06T13:43:02+00:00

Isn't this what business should really be about? I love this guy. I love his values? I love his passion?

if you were to advertise travel

2009-11-03T16:00:32+00:00

I think this film does a wonderful job explaining the rewards of travel. Beautiful in lots of way, by mainly for it's heart.

If only all ads were this good

2009-11-03T13:08:48+00:00

One of the reasons I'm bored with most ads is because they're just not very good.

And then something comes along and changes all that. This is one such ad.

A little poetry

2009-10-21T08:24:21+01:00

I wrote some poetry recently. Never done it before It happened because I was reading something on the subject where they defined poetry as, making the familiar unfamiliar and the unfamiliar familiar. I don't know if that is true or even a good definition of poetry, but I liked it and I thought I'd give it a go.

Of course I've no intention of subjecting you to it up here, that wasn't the point. But I did discover something useful.

Usually when I have to write something, the number of words aren't too important and so I can ramble on a bit, even when I write to a short(ish) word count. Stuff like this.

Poetry is something different in that each and every word counts. And counts massively. You really have to think about it's value, you really have to search for the exact words. It's fucking tough. It's not like polishing a draft or rewriting something to make it flow better, poetry only works when you give each and every word complete consideration.

And so I'm going to write some more, not because I want to be a poet, not because I'm any good, not even because I enjoy it, but because I think I will be a better writer for it, I think I will respect words more.

I really do recommend you give it a go