Christmas lols from @droga5 & @mcgarrybowen NYC
Every year agencies (read: junior creatives) struggle to come up with a quirky new way to send out holiday cards. This year Droga5 NYC simply sent out this press release saying:
NEW YORK, NY – December 19, 2011 – Droga5 today announced its selection of McGarryBowen as the advertising agency of record for its holiday card business. The hard-fought win caps a stellar growth year for Dentsu-owned McGarryBowen. The agency will handle lead creative duties for the Droga5 holiday card account.
“We’ve decided to go with McGarryBowen,” said David Droga, Droga5’s Creative Chairman. “After a lengthy review, we simply couldn’t ignore the strategic insights into holiday cheer that McGarry brought to the table.”
This is funny because in the past year McGarryBowen has won a ton of new business, some of which Droga5 pitched for. For a long time we have been considered the best independant advertising network and now the Dentsu group is starting to challenge that.
McGarryBowen responded by posting this photo of their offices:
“New Biz: Droga5, welcome to the mb family!”
Looking forward to seeing the cards they come up with!
All I want for Christmas
So I thought I should make a Christmas wishlist because if anyone’s looking for clues they’ll look here. I do not mean to imply than every blog reader should buy me gifts although you will not be scorned for doing so.
1. Canon S95 – this is what my BF is getting me! Any accessories for it would be welcome.
2. Kas Metro cushions – I want these cushions so bad after seeing them at someone’s house. I almost bought one on TradeMe and then the app crashed and someone else bid last minute. The worst. If you can find them at Harvey Norman or elsewhere please get me a couple. Look the colours even match those on my blog perfectly!
3. Laneway ticket – I’d particularly like to go to the Melbourne show. Throw in flights if you want to. If you’re looking for an under $10 present how about some MP3s from the bands playing?
4. Headphones – My current Sennheisers are terrible. Need some decent quality ones which aren’t too big to throw in a handbag.
5. Furniture from Mr Bigglesworthy – although I have a lot of furniture, perhaps too much of it, I wouldn’t say no to anything from this store. Amazing.
6. Make up – I have the basics from Natio (who I like because they’re natural/ don’t hurt bunnies) but could probably do with a bit more and instructions so I can look like Kourtney Kardashian. Lol. Honestly I don’t even own any nailpolishes or eyeshadows.
Reward your curiosity
If you’ve ever been curious about the original recipe for Coca Cola I’m sure this week has been a delight for you. Whether or not the recipe uncovered by This American Life is the real deal people seemed pretty excited about it.
I can’t help but love the Coke brand and everything they’ve managed to achieve. I mean Nestle, one of the world’s largest companies barely has a hold on Easter and yet Coke INVENTED Christmas as we know it. A celebration which has nothing to do with sugary water and for a lot of people doesn’t have much to do with “happiness” either.
What a great proposition for your brand though; happiness. In blind taste tests people often prefer the taste of Pepsi, but Coke is said to “taste like childhood”. They say the best thing about nostalgia is we only remember the best things.
There is really no competition between the two companies (at least in this part of the world). Everywhere I’ve worked has had a fridge stocked with Coca Cola products, including an agency who had Pepsi as a major client. (To be fair this was inside the giant Publicis building).
So what are my favourite Coca Cola ads?
1. The happiness machine was brilliance (if you haven’t seen it do watch).
2. I also loved the use of Facebook at Israel’s Coca Cola Village allowing teenagers to “like” things in the real world.
3. Being a huge fan of Mel Ramos I always hoped a brand would borrow his artwork. Which Publicis Mojo NZ did in 2007
Probably my favourite outdoor campaign ever was also done in NZ. I can’t find images of it anywhere (please send them to me if you have some!). For a couple of weeks there were billboards all around the country with riddles on them. Cream writing on a red background. The brand seemed like Coke, but the lack of white made me unsure. I was incredibly curious about what these billboards could be advertising.
A few weeks later they were replaced with the line “Reward your curiosity” and a Vanilla Coke pack shot. I was in Wellington when I first saw this billboard and I stopped at the first diary I could find to buy a Vanilla Coke.
Merry Christmas
I can’t believe Christmas isn’t over yet. I’ve been working on it since November, the perils of being a junior in an ad agency I guess.
My first Christmas project was the ASB Santa Parade float for which I wanted to create a Rube Goldberg machine. Kids on a seesaw flip a hairdryer switch on and off which blows wind into a trumpet which plays music.
(Drawn by Russell Chambers).
Unfortunately we lacked money, time and OSH regulated safety features so the float ended up looking a bit different. However the kids loved it and everyone was impressed with what Three Sixty managed to pull off in 4 days. I was at their warehouse at 9pm on the night before the parade putting on the finishing touches (a black and gold Christmas tree) and then ended up in the car which pulled the float down Queen St.
The music in that video is Holy Night played by Alaska. You can download that and a bunch more Christmas songs by kiwi artists here >
Speaking of kiwi artists, for the ASB Christmas cards we worked with three talented ladies to create unique kiwi images. (Click to go through to their websites).
At first I was mind boggled trying to think of things which were yellow and Christmasy (cellotape, panatone, franklin rd), but black on yellow actually works so well for NZ Christmas. In a sea of green and red these will certainly be standing out on people’s mantlepieces.
As for my personal Christmas colours, this year I wrapped presents in tiffany blue with gold ribbons and used Lotto scratchy cards as the gift tags.
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
A present for you
If you’ve heard of the Five Love Languages you may be interested to know mine is gift giving. I don’t whine about how “I don’t feel loved unless I get a present every day”, I just genuinely enjoy receiving well thought out gifts. Which is probably why Poppy is one of my best friends. I think I’m pretty good at picking out presents too.
And what have I got for you, a pretentious blog reader?
A calendar filled with the kinds of pictures you’ll find here. While I have no authority to reproduce these images, almost all of them I have paid for in some form through posrcards, tshirts, gallery admissions and prints so feel good about putting them on your wall.
And for those of of you feeling the pressure to get me something good, don’t bother using the Twitter Gift Guide. I will tell you what I want baby Jesus to bring: a car, a rose gold twitter necklace, some nice 8.5″x10″ and 14″x11″ frames, JPG’s Classique Summer and enough Lindt chocolate for me to rank in the agency’s “Biggest Winner” competition. Thanks!
Good king wenceslas
This is hopefully as Christmassy as I get, but I would like you to know Good King Wenceslaus was most likely one of my ancestors. Also here are some facts:
1. I am Bohemian, you are probably not despite that hippy fashion phase you went through in 2006.
2. The 12 days of Christmas are post-event and they lead to Epiphany Day on the 6th of January. If anyone tells you otherwise it’s because they are trying to sell you advent calendars!
All i want for christmas
Adcult USA by James Twitchell (US$23)
I can’t find this book in any library and really want to read it. In fact any of James Twitchell’s books will make me happy.
Diamond & Ruby earrings (US$599)
A Kitten
+ a box or two of hayfever tablets and a more animal accepting boyfriend.
1950s Seafoam Green Dress (US$87)
Macbook
This is more a need than want, being painfully aware that after next week I will no longer have a computer or a phone. An android phone would also be good.