Ad Deconstructed

Haile is famous for his '20 kilometers to school' story. it's what formed his running style. he is the only marathoner to bend his arms back as if he was still carrying books (I think). it's his iconic move. He may not be sure whether or not he has retired from competitive running as yet, but he’s still an inspiring guy. Johnnie Walker have seen the potential to associate their brand with the ultimate distance runner and Giant Films (Cape Town based production company) were commissioned to make this ad.

Nice ad. Others in the series for Johnnie Walker include Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Robert Carlyle, all welding a metaphorical enough use of the keep walking phrase to fit their own occupations with the the Brands self positioning call to get out, do something, get something done. Ran twenty kilometers to school that makes him a Johnnie Walker kind of guy- maybe leaving earlier wouldn't have helped? Yes its an alcohol brand playing on the idea of the get out and do something striding man.

Inspirational ad, but I struggle to see the relation of alcohol and running.

I know Johnnie Walker ads aren't "supposed" to be anything that the ad agency doesn't make them: when they "invite consumers to spend time with their brand" they have an intrinsic duty of care, in this specific case of people who want to become world-class athletes see their work and don't become accidental alcoholics.

To introduce anaphora to anyone who doesn't know it, They *can* and must always be talking about the product and its intrinsic benefits, albeit cloaked within and behind as wonderful spinning visual and textual mechanisms and metaphors they can conjure, but never lies. Never lies, because lies may bring about disaster of misunderstanding and consumption of product for wrong reasons.

Hopefully after winning all 4 of the world’s desert marathons. South African Ryan Sandes will crack the nod to be the next ultra athlete to be featured.

Have you done something striding man?

Funny Nando’s makes fun of Cell C

Nando’s are trying to make Cell C look stupid. No – Reckon, Cell C does that quiet successfully without anybody else’s help. I would like to see how long the Cell C
campaign is going to last.

People really like freebies, some go out of their minds.

Goodness – these people are weeping and shouting as if they’re about to meet the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14). Why? You may ask, well because of Oprah and her annual Christmas favourite things give away.

Its rather sad to see how we are ruled by stuff. Brands are our gods and when they touch us in a way that we didn’t expect and with Oprah as the Archbishop of Consumerism the joy is overwhelming. Now the big question is –  are you and I, worshiper of things and brands?

If you were wondering what was making these grown people holler like they've just witnessed a miracle, well here is the list:

• Andre Walker (Oprah’s stylist) haircare products ($65)
• Apple iPad ($500)
• Baker’s Edge brownie pan and lasagna pan ($85)
• Beecher’s “World’s Best” macaroni and cheese ($30)
• Breville panini press ($100)
• Centerville Pie Company’s chicken pie from Harry and David ($20)
• Coach satchel ($400)
• Container Store Elfa closet (up to $1,000)
• Dana Rebecca Designs earrings ($1,900)
• DonorsChoose.org card, courtesy of Bing ($100)
• FedEx, whose employees served as elves during the special.
• Garrett popcorn ($135)
• Ghirardelli brownie mix ($5)
• Jay-Z’s new book, Decoded ($35)
• Johnny Mathis CD ($12)
• Josh Groban CD ($13)
• Judith Ripka earrings ($525)
• Kiva gift card, courtesy of Groupon ($100)
• Kyocera ceramic cutlery set by chef Ming Tsai ($75)
• Lafco candle collection (18 @ $55 each)
• Le Creuset cookware ($600)
• Lululemon pants ($98)
• Magaschoni tunic and leggings ($560)
• Marianne Williamson’s new book, A Course in Weight Loss ($24.95)
• Mark Nepan, The Book of Awakening ($19)
• Miraclebody jeans ($110)
• Netflix five-year unlimited membership ($700)
• Nike Free Run+ shoes (four pairs @ $85 each)
• Nikon D3100 Digital SLR camera ($700)
• Nordstrom lingerie ($500)
• Oprah’s 25th season logo long-sleeve t-shirt ($38, though really: Priceless, as this certainly put Winfrey back in the headlines ahead of OWN’s Jan. 1 launch)
• Philip Stein special edition watch, with diamonds on 2 and 5 for Oprah’s 25th season ($2,475)
• Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar ($145)
• Pottery Barn jewelry box ($180)
• Prepara herb savor ($30)
• Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater and throw ($1,000)
• Royal Caribbean seven-day cruise plus United Airlines flights (not valued)
• Scrabble app for the iPad ($5)
• Sony Bravia LX900 HDTV ($3,600)
• Talbott Teas collection ($100)
• Tory Burch tote bag and pumps ($445)
• The Black-Eyed Peas’ new CD ($18)
• UGG Australia bedazzled boots ($175)
• Volkswagen redesigned 2012 Beetle (not valued)
• Williams-Sonoma mini-croissants ($40)

After watching the a few of Oprah's videos on YouTube, I was left wondering if her audience are brand worshiping or part of a  "brand cult". The idea of cult, today is mainly interpreted in religious discourse, however, the origin of the word “cult” comes from Latin word “cultus” which means taking care of something and adoration. Cult is different from religion because it does not assume the existence of “The Devine Being”. Cult is worshiping either a person or an object. In sociology, word “cult” is commonly used to describes a movie, music band or any other event/work that has less in number but more dedicated followers. Hence, brands can be cult.


There is significant difference between terms “brand Cult” and “ cult brand”. As first one refers to religious behaviour in worshiping a brand, the second one is used to point to significant culturological characteristics of this same brand.


The usage of the term cult brand began recently to outstand special brands from “ordinary” ones. Cult brand has devoted consumers and offers most answers to questions about certain life values. A toothpaste can not be a cult brand, but Mercedes, Harley Davidson or Apple Computers can, and most certainly they are.


Followers of one brand go after it’s ideology in maybe the same way the followers of religion go after the ideology of it. Nor branding as a method, neither any specific brand is religion, but considering the principles they use in spreading ideas and tendency to apprehend more followers, I think we can consider them to be Cults. Fanatic worshiping of one brand is a Faith in it and the process of consumption is maybe “adultery”. Brand has both key elements of a cult, a dogma and a promise. Lifestyle promised by brands can be compared with Heaven. Brand promises to his followers comfortable life if they follow the dogma, rules of behaviour set by brand.


"My thoughts on branding were established as view upon world where brands seem to have great importance/value in our lives, in a world where power of brand has grown to become main shaper of the society and human relations".

This is what happened when she gave away a brand new VW Beetle to everybody in the audience:

The I Heart Revolution

The I Heart Revolution - Jackie Pullinger from Glenn Stewart on Vimeo.


Nice trailer for the upcoming documentary "The I Heart Revolution: We're All In This Together".
As United crisscross the globe they are confronted and ultimately overwhelmed by the stories of remarkable individuals facing injustice and the uncomfortable paradox of being united in worship yet divided in circumstance. If their entire focus is directed only to what happens on stage, then maybe they have missed the point altogether.

Filmed over a period of 2 years, The I Heart Revolution: We’re all in this Together follows the worship band, Hillsong United, as they travel across 6 continents 42 nations and 93 cities in a cross-cultural journey of music, animation, interviews and live action documentary as they realise every story of hope, love, loss and sacrifice ultimately points to the one story.

Ad Deconstructed

Lebron James "Rise" campaign follows: a Nike ad that featured golfer Tiger Woods in April. That effort, in the wake of scandal in his private life, was seen as manipulative and in bad taste – the “apology” featured the voice of the golfer’s dead father. 

Perhaps we can thank Nike’s relationship with footballer Eric Cantona for sowing the seeds for this sort of brand exercise. In 1995, Cantonakung-fu kicked a fan who had verbally abused him during a match. Nike’s response: an ad in which the player attacked racism in sport.

Well done Nike, for taking ownership of these situations, and reminding us that this is one sports brand that knows how to squeeze every last drop of value out of its spokespeople. 

They did it again.

Stained Words

The rains have been good in Johannesburg, South Africa.
They inspired me to do, these stained words.
Did this in Photoshop.

 

Forecast of 9 Consumer trends for 2011

Mintel, the market intelligence agency, recently released their forecast for trends in consumer behaviour in 2011.

The most important sentence I took from the report:
‘In 2011, brands may need to get more creative to lure consumers into stores, offering more than just retail and be a venue, not just a shop. Service may extend into advice and demonstrations, while exclusivity and environment may also be key aspects to engage consumers with real life, not virtual, shopping experiences.’

Real, memoreable experiences. That’s what it all comes down to at the end of the day. And it’s ironic that something so simple seems to be so difficult to achieve.

The rest of the points:

1. Prepare for the Worst With a heightened sense of what economic collapse looks like thanks to the global recession, a renewed emphasis on prevention will drive consumers to think defensively. In the UK, 43% of consumers say “Trying to add to my rainy day savings/emergency fund” is a priority for this year, up 15% from last year. In the US, a third of consumers say they’re using debit rather than credit, and debit transactions are forecasted to rise nearly 60% between 2000 and 2010. Consumers want to know what they’re getting themselves into: no loopholes, no hidden costs and no pricey upgrades. So 2011 may see the need for brands to demonstrate how a product or service delivers long-term benefits or prevents problems down the road.

2. Retail Rebirth With online experiences developing rapidly, for bricks and mortar retailers, discounting is a no-win battle against the internet. In the UK, 47% of consumers are only buying clothes on sale, offer or promotion and 35% say their choice of store is determined by special offers or discounts. In the US, 35% say their choice of store is determined by special offers or discounts. In 2011, brands may need to get more creative to lure consumers into stores, offering more than just retail and be a venue, not just a shop. Service may extend into advice and demonstrations, while exclusivity and environment may also be key aspects to engage consumers with real life, not virtual, shopping experiences.

3. Where its App With smartphones becoming the dominant mobile force, QR codes and app technology will pique interest, provide portals into unique experiences and improve our quality of life. In the US, sales of smartphones grew 82% from 2008 to 2010. In the UK, 28% of consumers own a smartphone and by 2015 iPhones will make up 11% of all total devices used in the UK. As consumers are empowered like never before, 2011 will see people take a deeper interest in where they are: from the city to a specific store. Geography and status can be redefined through retail, presenting savvy brands with an opportunity for increased location based services, promotions and solutions. To capitalise on consumer awareness of technology, brands will need to take QR codes beyond niche understanding, using it to explain and offer exclusive content. Rather than displacing our interaction with the physical, this technology has the potential to reinvigorate our relationships with brands, retailers and with each other.

4. No Degree, No Problem Economic uncertainty has changed the workplace and the meaning of job security for the foreseeable future. As a result consumers will continue to question higher education’s ROI and alternative channels for learning will gain credibility. In 2011 we may see more lifelong learning in the workplace, corporate sponsored degrees and companies investing in employees through education and training rather than salary or benefits. Meanwhile learning while doing, rather than learning in a lecture hall, may become a focus and with DIY education gaining steam, there’s an opportunity for brands to play host.

5. On Her Own Terms Women are earning and learning more than men, creating new gender roles in business and consumerism. In 2011, age is no longer an easy marker for lifestage. Opportunities lie for brands to focus less on the year the female consumer was born, and more on where she’s at with her life right now. In the US in 2008, 27% of men reported being the sole cleaner in their household, in 2010, that number jumped to 32%. Meanwhile, among under-35s, more UK women than men research financial products online. So, 2011 may see a counter trend to the ‘metrosexulaity’ of men in a ‘masculinization’ of women. Implications for how brands market to women will be big, especially in sectors such as automobiles and sports. With men helping around the house more than ever, there may be an opportunity for brands to cater household products, as well as retail experiences accordingly.

6. Retired for Hire People are working beyond retirement – either due to financial need, or because they have grown attached to a lifestyle of leisure and pleasure. With half of Americans having no retirement account, the number of over 65s working will reach nearly 20% by 2014. In the UK, 77% of over 55s plan to continue working after retirement age “in order to enjoy and prolong a better standard of living”. In 2011, this group may prove an untapped market for advertisers, affecting a number of consumer sectors. Vitality, energy and longevity become key product qualities in the food and drink sector, while health and beauty messages may need to centre on anti-ageing properties, nutraceuticals and older models to reach this target group.

7. The Big Issue Our attitude toward weight is polarising, pitting the rise of the super-healthy against the eternal appeal of indulgence. In the UK, almost a quarter of women wear clothes in sizes 18 and over, a third of men wear XL clothes or bigger and more than 30% of UK children are now classed as overweight. Meanwhile 34% of US adults age 20 and over are obese. Therefore, 2011 may see a wider array of products catering to an obese market: from portion control and more info on packaging to low-cost healthy fare and products to firm and salve chaffed or sagging skin.

8. Garden State Modern city dwellers have a growing love of gardening and a need for nature and with fresh, organic produce still economically out of reach for many, consumers are finding their own ways to bring healthy home. In the US, 26% of internet users purchased vegetable seeds in past year, 19% bought vegetable/flower garden fertilizer and 27% like to grow vegetables at home. While in the UK, 1 in 5 consumers grow their own fruit & vegetables and the UK Allotment waiting list has grown 20% in 2010. In the US, 40% of people with a garden agree “Growing fresh food to cook with” is important. In 2011, rural tourism, working farm holidays and garden leisure may benefit – while rising food and commodity prices may see a boost for seed sales as this trend develops.

9. Who Needs Humans As we move into an ever more digital era, automated technology has machines replacing people – for better or worse. While cashier-less checkouts have become common place, we’re starting to see machines creep into new territories, including hospitals, libraries, pharmacies and the home. Therefore, 2011 may see certain jobs permanently displaced by technology – that includes service jobs, not just manual or factory work. But backlash and balance seeking may lead to an increased cache for hyper-personal goods and services.

Source: Mintel

Airports With Life-Sized Interactive Commercials

Traveling through big airports can be boring and irritating at time.
Xerox has enlisted Y&R New York and Tronic Studio to mount giant interactive commercials at almost a dozen airports across United States of America.

I can't decide if it's evil or brilliant or both.


The stations feature Choose Your Own Adventure-style advertisements for Xerox’s b-to-b partnerships with Target and Marriott. On the up side, before getting manhandled by some airport security guard who likes his job a little too much, you can settle your nerves in front of a life-sized, nine-screen video display on which you open virtual doors to ogle people in their hotel rooms or “deliver” mail on a motorcycle, with the peppy Target dog in your sidecar. Fun!

Clever marketing?  Obviously, turning a billboard into a video game -- even one that doesn't let you blow stuff up -- will attract loads of attention, especially at an airport, where entertainment is limited to buying duty-free Kools and watching baggage carriers play football with your luggage. Apparently, the Marriott installation got more than 34,000 hits the first week it went up back in September.
So there you go.

But man. Doesn’t it feel a little exploitative? Like preying on travelers at their most vulnerable?
I totally understand if you'd rather take the bus.

Word is the screens are up roughly through November at airports in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle.


Blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality, I saw stuff like this movies like Minority Report and others.  Wonder if it will ever make it  outside the U.S.A?

[Images courtesy of Tronic Studio]
[Article Idea from fastcodesign.com]

Ad Deconstructed

So Basketball superstar Lebron James, is leaving the team that made him a star for the Miami Heat, as always fans never want to see their team's top player go and are overcome with anger. Afterall LJ spent all his pro days at the Cavaliers and now he is switching lanes.

He wants to play for a NBA championship hopeful. Knowing Nike as a company that never misses a golden a opportunity for brand-building. They didn't send a spin doctor to do apologies, they made a advert and aired the video on Youtube and TV. The advert is above and sure, its streamlined and tongue-in-cheek production, LJ asks repeatedly " What should I do", linking neatly to Nike's payoff-line , Just do it

In the slick and witty production, the player asks repeatedly “What should I do?”, linking neatly to Nike’s strapline, Just Do It.

To be continued......

Random Thought......

The type used for the new 'Where the Wild Things Are' film reminds me of the Dr Strangelove Type... :


Does anyone know the name of the typeface?

Finished Reading

Just finished reading this rather great book. It really is well worth a read - it covers everything ....and leaves you wanting to find out even more about everything. With that in mind, I'm now going to spend some hard earned cash on adding to my cherished graphics library. One day I hope to have a wall, floor to ceiling, filled with design knowledge goodness.

A library infact. With a big bean bag.

Another good read by Adrian Shaughnessy, is How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul.

Adrian Shaughnessy is a graphic designer and writer based in London. In 1989 he co-founded the design company Intro. He is a founding partner in Unit Editions, a publishing company producing books on design and visual culture.

He writes regularly for Eye and Creative Review, and has a monthly column in Design Week. He is an occasional contributor to avant-garde music magazine The Wire. From 2006 until 2009, Shaughnessy was editor of Varoom, a publication devoted to the critical appraisal of illustration. Shaughnessy has been interviewed frequently on television and radio. He lectures extensively around the world.

Early to start Graphic Designer

Just as I was about to publish my artististically masterful childrens graphic design handbook I find that someone has taken my idea and embellished it with more creative artwork, better intuitive design and incredible historic perspective!!!

I tip my hat to the author, Pam Pease.












It is never too early to corral kids into the design world. The earlier you start, the more literate they will be. Now to help that literacy along, book producer Pamela Pease has released Design Dossier: Graphic Design for Kids (Paintbox Press, $24).

The book is a mini-class on all the aspects of graphic design, including profiles of graphic designers, each answering a few key questions about the art and craft. The book is also a wonderful tactile experience. The interviews are on flash cards, and there are pull-outs, die-cuts, and other special effects that allow the young student (I reckon 10 to 15) a chance to interact with the material.

What’s more, it’s an actual book. While this may seem arcane for children raised in the digital age, it certainly is refreshing to see that Ms. Pease does not buy into the “print is dead” myth.


Read more: Imprint-The Online Community for Graphic Designers | L’Enfant Graphic Designer http://imprint.printmag.com/daily-heller/lenfant-graphic-designer/#ixzz15ShJYf5S
For great design products, visit our online store: MyDesignShop.com

Thoughts On Changing Education Paradigms

Parkour Illustrated Animation...Wow!!

parkour motion reel

Illustrated with technical pen,frame by frame.
By saggyarmpit, a Graphic Designer in Singapore.

The audio used is Dr Dre Rap beat, not sure who's the artiste..

Post production credits goes to Noel Lee, her friend, for his patience in piecing the sequence up together!

I think its the best of flip-book animation. =D


Background.

Le Parkour is primarily considered a philosophy and includes the physical practice of traversing elements in both urban and rural settings. The goal is to move from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. This discipline was created in France, in Sarcelles, Lisses and Evry by David Belle, Sébastien Foucan, and the founding members of the Yamakasi. It is inspired by "the natural method of physical education" by Georges Hébert who first saw this form of movement done by Africans in Congo. It was then spread worldwide by films, television reports, and amateur videos on the Internet.

The term freerunning is sometimes used interchangeably with parkour. While parkour aims to enable the practitioner to be able to move quickly and efficiently past obstacles, freerunning has a greater emphasis on self-expression within the environment. Freerunning includes tricking moves such as aerial rotations and spins, while the purist definition of parkour founder David Belle would not consider these part of parkour because the moves are merely showy, not efficient, and do not help the participant to get from place to place. Although Sébastien Foucan co-founded parkour, his philosophy differed and so he is generally associated with freerunning.

A practitioner of parkour is called a traceur if male, or traceuse if female. The word is most likely derived from parisian slang verb "Tracer" which means "to move fast" or "to hurry". In proper French "traceur" is an adjective qualifying something that leaves a trace or a trail behind it.

The sport is on the increase in South Africa.

Media surfaces: Incidental Media

This is the first of two video sketches illustrating some of the ideas and principles behind Dentsu London's communications strategy Making Future Magic

Here, media includes messages from friends and social services, like Foursquare or Twitter, and also more functional messages from companies or services like banks or airlines alongside large traditional big 'M' Media (like broadcast or news publishing).


This is part of a collaboration between Dentsu London and BERG. You can read more about both films at Dentsu London's blog bit.ly/​mediasurfaces and on BERG's blog here bit.ly/​incidentalmedia and here bit.ly/​thejourney_ms

This film is under a Creative Commons 3.0 license, which means you're free to share or use any of the ideas in it, with proper attribution to Dentsu London and BERG creativecommons.org/​licenses/​by/​3.0/​

Kabelo Ditibane

Designed for friend, Kabelo Ditibane.

Lobo is back!

SWU "MENINA" from Lobo on Vimeo.

Lobo is a graphic design and animation studio located in São Paulo, Brazil. Founded in 1994, it has been working with most of the major advertising agencies, TV channels and the fashion industry, providing creative solutions in design, animation and special effect.

TV spot for Starts With You (SWU), an NGO dedicated to raise awareness of environmental issues and ecological sustainability, encouraging small scale, individual actions.

Think we can expect some great animation, since they are doing work for the next FIFA World to be in Brazil.

INFLUENCERS

INFLUENCERS TRAILER from R+I creative on Vimeo.

A full documentary for your Wednesday coffee break viewing pleasure.

INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture.

"Influencers” belongs to the new generation of short films, webdocs, which combine the documentary style and the online experience.

Do you feel ‘enlightened’ now, who is your influencer?

Cattle Print

This is one of my vector illustration inspired by the countryside & farming.

New Malawian Flag

Various vexillological societies and The Wikipedias are reporting that Malawi has changed its flag to restore the previous Pan-African colour layout, a change the opposition party is none too pleased with. I don’t pretend to know or understand the political motivation behind the change, but I like it. It looks brighter, more cheerful :).

When I was growing up I was intensely interested in flags and history.

Heita Tribe

Odd product endorsement

I am almost certain that in Pretoria a Steve Hofmeyr car freshener would not be too out of place, but surely the ‘Noble Peace prize winning former president and father of the nation’ version shouldn’t be allowed?

I’ve heard stories that the Nelson Mandela brand is being abused by unscrupulous people to make money, but clearly there is more power in the brand than anybody realised if it sells car air fresheners.

Something tells me that this was one of those unsanctioned attempts.

This is the Brand Identity of my Creative Consultancy, called Signal Hill.







We're a creative consultancy.

We believe in capturing people’s imagination with refreshing brand strategy and iconic creative work.

We think brands should work hard for a living both creatively and financially.

We have a taste for entrepreneurial clients.

We are based in Johanessburg.

We are strategists, writers, designers, art directors and producers.

We think about brands from every perspective, from internal culture to advertising, digital to broadcast and print. We make brands that are well rounded.

We are young and growing creative consultancy.

We like to send distinguishable signals not nonsense.

We are Signal Hill.

What’s the single biggest challenge holding design back as a key business strategy? Is the term “design thinking” what we should be using to explain the power of design to the C-suite?

Paula Scher:

The biggest thing holding design back as a key business strategy has nothing to do with "strategy" or "design." It has to do with various people within corporations and organizations making commitments and decisions about things that they really don't know how to decide about. It has to do with the inherent arbitrariness of certain decisions that always seem to boil down to personal taste.

Design can follow all sorts of strategies to appeal to all kinds of audiences. A business can use successful design as a tool to enhance their brand image to whomever, but sooner or later someone will have to make a decision and a financial commitment about what constitutes the "successful" design. Therein is the problem. In too many instances, I've seen a corporate executive abandon strategy and research because they just didn't like a color, or a shape, or a material, or a typeface. They just don't like what the thing looks like, or behaves like, regardless of the process and research that helped achieve it.

In the end, design strategy works for businesses when the ultimate decision maker likes the final design. Decision makers who like the final design generally have an ability to appreciate successful design when then see it, and are also capable of making decisions and taking risks. There are too few of these types out there, and I don't know how we make more of them.

Beeeautiful work from Mikey Burton, a Philadelphia based creative. Theres a kind of precious and collectable quality to his work, a very nostalgic feel. Such lovely use of type and letterpress.

Below is his thesis project - a branding project that illustrated classic novels aimed at children in secondary education. Lovely!