We Miss You

WE MISS YOU from fireapple films on Vimeo.

We Miss You is a beautiful social campaign film by film students Sebastian Bandel, Hanna Maria Heidrich and Jann Döppert reminding us the importance of Nature and our relationship to Earth. Visit their site www.wemissyou.de for more information!

Nando’s Anthem

As soon as the news of Ard Matthews’ National Anthem malfunction hit the internet last night we were just waiting for a response from Nando’s. Good job Black River FC, this just might be your quickest response time ever.

Worth a thought.

7.000.000.000 people consuming, what now?
Advertising Agency: NOSSA™, Lisbon, Portugal

Transmoflection – Vancouver 2010

Today, I unfortunately found out about the passing of Leo Obstbaum, the design director for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. What also saddened me, is that nobody I mentioned this to had a clue of who he was or that the 2010 Winter Olympics released a graphic identity two years ago.

This post is memory of Leo and for those who had no idea… perhaps you can check it as ‘that one thing you learned today’.

For athletes, spectators, and Games enthusiasts around the world, the graphic identity communicates the spirit of the 2010 Winter Games, telling its story in the universal language of design. The Vancouver 2010 graphic identity features many illustrated textures drawn from Canada’s natural and urban environments as well as its rich cultural diversity. All creative elements of the graphic identity were developed by VANOC’s in-house design team, with one key texture created by local aboriginal artist Xwa lack tun.

How did they come up with this identity? I’m glad you ask, here’s a video of how it came to life…

Greg Durell, designer for Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, released this information via email…

On Friday - 20 August 2010, Leo Obstbaum, the design director for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, passed away unexpectedly at his home. Leo’s design leadership and influence are evident throughout Vancouver 2010’s visual identity, including such iconic elements as the mascots, the Look of the Games, the torch designs, the yet to be unveiled Olympic and Paralympic medals and podium. -thanks to Xavier Encinas

Leo’s profile and 2010 Winter Games interview here

Hats off to you Leo and the much respect

www.vancouver2010.com

The Color Bar

The American media / public are apparently getting hot and bothered over this Dove print ad – that according to some commentators could possible be communicating that this skin cream will magically transform a black woman into a Latino woman and then, after continued use, finally to a white woman.


Now the overall racial make up of Madison Avenue is also in question and the public are demanding blood.


But isn’t it just a case of a small spark lighting a bush fire that is primed for ignition. Aren’t we all just a little sick and tired of being stereotyped and convinced that we need to buy the crap that these consumer machines feed us like blind zombies? Any trigger will do.


The industry needs to realise that what people want is authenticity and transparency. In other words, what’s hot right now is something that the global advertising industry is not.

I hope this Dove Ad and others, never reach our African shores!

In the first spot for The 21st Century Beetle, cutting-edge CGI creative goes entomological, creating a photo-real lush kingdom where the Black Beetle rules, runs, navigates and out performs all the other creatures…

The Soundtrack is Black Betty….cool version sung by Spiderbai. It amazing how songs make Ads.

Guard the passages to your mind.

It's amazing how hard times inspire and bring out a resourcefulness.


The above cinema spot by BMW in Germany used flash projection technology to leave a more lasting impression of the brand’s logo in the audience’s minds. Flash projection technology allowed BMW to reproduce the effect of looking up at the sun, or seeing a bright flash of light. Once you close your eyes, the contours of that light slowly fade away, leave the sun’s silhouette seemingly ‘on your mind’.


The cinema ad featured a motorbike racer discussing why he races – to follow his dream. The ad then asks people to close their eyes following a flash of light at the end – what is left is the impression of the BMW identity’s sharp contours.


The video below discusses the making of the ad in additional detail. I admired the spot for its more entertaining and involved approach. The video itself surmises what makes this interesting:


Tell me something. And I will forget. Show me something. And I can remember. Involve me. And I will understand

Making the invisible visible

In 1991 Troy Davis was convicted of the murder of police officer Mark Allen MacPhall without any physical evidence to prove he was guilty. Of the nine witnesses that testified against him, seven have now changed their testimony and four admitted they had lied, yet Davis still remains on death row in the U.S.. In August of 2009 he was granted another trial, yet when it took place in June of the following year and witnesses came forth confessing to lies and wrongful police action, Davis was still presumed guilty.

His lawyers and Amnesty International have been fighting for his release, which brings to light another issue, how many innocent people are given the death penalty around the world? In order to bring attention to Davis’s case, Amnesty International has joined forces with the German street art collective, Mentalgassi. As part of their street art project, Making the Invisible Visible, the group painted a portrait of Davis along a street fence in central London, forcing people to pay attention.

Read more about Troy Davis’s case and take stand! www.amnesty.org.uk

This goes to show that, not all great experiential communication need cost millions and shout at you like an army drill sergeant. Done for Amnesty International, the image on a fence can only be seen if you look at if from the right angle. It’s known as a lenticular fence poster. That’s going to be my word for today, Lenticular.

Hope we don’t confuse it with Test.....

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:

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.

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......

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.