AT&T wasn’t so bad at technology in 1993
Watching these inspiring ads it’s funny to think that AT&T (and Apple) are now so slow at adopt technologies which have been around for years like “face time”.
It’s also funny to think back when these ads were made I was playing Heaven and Earth on my Dad’s Mac and none of the other kids at my kindergarten even had computers at home.
Update on the “fake” chatroulette ad
On 18th of March 2010 I photoshopped and posted my idea for Calvin Klein to use Chatroulette to promote their products. This was three days before Merton made Chatroulette a household name and every advertiser jumped on the bandwagon
Word spread fast(ish) and by May sites on the other side of the interwebs had reported about this “fake ad” without any attempts at journalism.
It was a just an idea. Calvin Klein did not create or implement it.
If you think it is clever you are more than welcome to contact me about offering me a job!
point_your_broswer [at] annaosekerr.com
Parrots and venice
This ad is beautifully shot, but makes little sense. It plays on the fact that St Mark’s square is filled with pigeons and when the world warms up those pigeons will be replaced by tropical birds. Sure St Marks square has more pigeons than Trafalgar (which has none), BUT when they leave they will be replaced by whales.
Anyway here is another photo of St Marks Square taken by @jonohutchison the first time I went to Venice:
And here is another photo of models with parrots:
How realistic are the wax models at madame tussauds?
Since I was a little kid I have always wanted to go to MD, and a couple of weeks ago my dream came true. Except instead of Spice Girls there were a bunch of pop/movie stars I didn’t know. Still an enjoyable experience, but probably not as enjoyable as it was for the people in this video (via mtlb):
Oh and our plane to Milan was grounded meaning we had to skip having dinner with George Clooney at his fav restaurant in Lake Como (thanks for the tip @handypearce). So it was good to at least get a snap with him, to show my grandkids when I am geriatric and forget that the event never actually unfolded:
The most used painting in advertising?
I’ve arrived in Paris and out of all the paintings in this city, by far the best I have seen up close and personal is The Picnic by Manet. It is one of those paintings which can not be done justice by modern photography.
It seems quite popular with a bunch of ad creatives, because it keeps popping up in advertising. I’ve seen it in a youghurt ad, a carpet ad and most famously David Olgviy’s first ad:
Czeched in prague
Just landed in Prague.
Czech Dream is a documentary about advertisers who created massive hype about the opening of a new supermarket. Even though the location of it was in the middle of a fields tons of people came to see what they could find at the sale – what they found disappointed them all. It’s an interesting study into the power of advertising, I have the DVD if anyone wants to borrow it, or have a look at the trailer:
Checked in london
Right now I am in London, but because I have limited internet access I have to write to you from the past. I have scheduled some blog posts with ads, art & weird facts from the places I am going. They will come at you on the dates I supposed to arrive in those places. Starting in London with this ad about ads:
via if this is a blog then what is christmas >
Beer ad makes fun of the lady in melbourne with a ball of wool
Although I prefer Victorians to any other breed of Australians (oops sorry Sydney friends), I do like this ad and how it pokes fun at one of my favourite ever TVS:
Looking forward to being in Melbourne this weekend on the way to Europe. Does anyone know where that cloister is? I have always wanted to find it.
Some lessons in computer advertising
I’ve wanted to see Art & Copy since I saw the trailer awhile ago and pestered my local cinema about a screening. Finally tonight they held one and I got to see the film everyone has been raving about. Overall I loved it!
Although I have to point out Lee Clow (TBWA/Chait/Day) was wrong saying that all computer advertisers use macs to make their ads. As someone working on Microsoft as a client I can only wish that was correct!
I used a Macintosh PC for the first time in about 1991, before I could read, and have been using them ever since. Lately I have been on Windows 7 at work & home and although it does a lot of things well, running Photoshop is not one of them.
Lee Clow also talked about the reasons people think the 1984 ad was a hit:
Was it the new style of film it caused? Was it that it only ran once? Was not showing the product what made it so powerful?
No. I’ll let you in on a secret.
The reason this ad:
was so well received
is
the
boobies
bouncing up and down as she runs towards the big brother screen.
Fact.
Washing machine company apologises for your missing sock
…and even offers to give you a new pair if you add your lone sock to their lost sock database. Very engaging and product relevant, I love it.
Claim you free socks at www.lostmysock.co.nz >
Rhys darby makes hp computers look cool
Okay, it’s not Rhys Darby that does it, it’s Dr Dre… Mr. Darby just makes us Kiwis look a little bit slow as he usually does.
BUT WATCH THESE ADS ANYWAY BECAUSE THE ARE QUITE FUNNY
By the way I went to the New Zealand consulate (in Sydney) today to get a new passport. It was nothing like the one in Flight of the Concords which was disappointing. On the lift up I was honestly imagining 70s wallpaper and a platter of Mainland cheese to greet me.
There is a better way to experience volcanoes
Ad concept for New Zealand Tourism which was proposed to run the morning of the volcanic ash story on the SMH story.
Funny dunny ad campaign
We were driving home from the Easter show when out of the window I saw this gem (although less pixelated and darker in real life):
Because the others in the car missed it the driver turned around and we drove back for a closer look. At one point the car was 50/50 split on whether or not it was legit, with one person pointing out it would be a lot of money to spend on a glorified post-it-note. I gave my “professional” opinion that it must be part of a bigger ad campaign because every art director dreams of putting comic sans in a billboard just to give the shits to every graphic designer that drives past.
Looks like we were right.
Mumbrella confirms it’s an ad for the Red Cross’ new facebook app urging people to challenge their friends “for the love of humanity”.
Run your own tv ad with google!
This is kind of amazing. So I can basically air my awesome concepts and legitimately enter them in award shows.
I love Google, but I am starting to get scared.
via If This Is A Blog Then What Is Christmas >
A better use of chatroulette for advertising (nsfw)
Here’s a free concept for anyone who wants it. Have a program scrawling Chatroulette for naked people (not hard to find) and play their webcam back to them with their boobs, vag or penis covered in CK lingerie and underwear. Perhaps even tempting clothed rouletters to strip off and try on some of CK’s new range.
Users get to “try on” CK underwear without leaving home and discover that sexy often leaves something up to the imagination.
A compilation of reactions could be posted as a viral video; including at least one fat naked man who’s manboobs have mistakenly been covered in a sexy bra by the programs breast recognition. The vid would provide many LOLs for everyone.
As part ‘ a long term strategy you could also create an online program which allows viewers to try on different lingerie in front of their webcam (with the safety knowing it’s not being watched or recorded). Users could show off lingerie before buying it.
This idea has not been implemented by Calvin Klein, it is a digital extension to a set of billboard concepts I did (with Hayden Maskell) on work experience in 2008.
Real or fake?
Real or Fake is a concept for a website which tests your knowledge of handbags. Users are presented with a number of handbags which they must determine the authenticity of. At the end users are given a percentage score of how many they got right and a subtle tip is given you wont find Marc Jacobs at a fleamarket. Implying if you dont want others to confuse your handbag as a fake, make sure you get a brand which isn’t ripped off. Shop Marc Jacobs.
Creative ideas lost in the business of it all
Circa 2006 I was involved in putting on an art exhibition. The date coincided with the Grey Lynn Festival, an annual fair celebrating the suburb where the exhibition would be held. I suggested we promote our event by handing out bottled water with custom labels to the festival goers. They would be grateful on a sunny November day for the free refreshment and would carry our advertisement throughout the day. When 7pm arrived they would have the address of the event still with them, and hopefully attend.
The idea was well received by the business student organising the event. He called up Waiwera Water and they quoted 60c a bottle for custom labeling, but they had just released a new Sarah Ulmer water and they were selling that at a discounted rate of 35c a bottle.
The business student purchased hundreds of Sarah Ulmar water bottles and we handed them out at Grey Lynn Festival with printed fliers about the exhibition. People threw out the fliers without even reading them. When 7pm came the festival goers had water bottles promoting a New Zealand cyclist and we had no one at the event.
This wasted idea is how I feel about the whole of advertising at the moment. Creative Directors aren’t looking for young people to teach, they are looking for someone to do flash or layouts or write pages of bs for client websites while still being paid a “creative” salary.
How do I get a job where ideas actually matter?
Don draper takes another shot at tourism israel account
Looks like he’s been boning that Jewish lady again.
Don’t get caught with the lights on
An acquaintance working at Earth Hour was looking to engage an audience who thought the event was too serious. I gave them this idea for their website where people could dob in neighbours in awkward situations who had not remembered to turn their lights off.
Adshells would support the campaign with thick black plastic covering all but the window in the ad. At night light shines through this window revealing neighbours in embarrassing situations.
Tagline: Don’t get caught with the lights on. 8:30 PM Saturday 26th March lights go off for Earth Hour.
Also go to this website and share your stories of neighbours who leave the light on.
