31 posts tagged “creative”
I adore these photos by Thomas Allen. Using pins, tape, wire, and dramatic lighting (no digital manipulation here), Allen creates little dioramas out of pulp fiction book covers. They almost feel like little movie stills. Allen says he was inspired by childhood memories of pop-up books and View-Masters. View more of his work here and here.
Via Drawn.
I've already written about the pioneering television work of comedian Ernie Kovacs. Below are two commercials he created for Dutch Masters cigars as part of his network show.
Keep in mind, these commercials are live. Everything, including the interesting camera angles (can you see how they did the shot between the cowboy's legs?), the fun special effects, even the on-screen graphics, were done in front of a live studio and national television audience. I mention the studio audience because Kovacs was forced to have one by the network. While other shows in the fifties were performed primarily for the studio audience (assuming the home audience and the studio audience were the same), Kovacs pushed the medium. His show was meant to be viewed through a television set. Many of his unusual effects and pioneering skits would have made no sense to the studio audience. He hated having a studio audience. Kovacs even went so far as to print "ADMIT ONE PASSING STRANGER" on his studio audience tickets.
In an era where TiVo and DVR and other technologies allow us to easily skip through the commercials, networks and advertisers can learn something from this early pioneer. Be relevant (Kovacs loved cigars and his audience knew it). Be interesting (Kovacs put the same desire for groundbreaking work into his ads as he did the rest of the show). Be entertaining (the products played a role, but the main purpose of the skit was always to entertain). Be transparent (Kovacs wasn't hiding the fact that his skits were ads).
Can't a show like Saturday Night Live do this today?
I love this. To promote inflatable beach toys for the summer, Toys 'R' Us turned an advertising kiosk/column into an air valve for the entire world. What a fun and simple idea from Grey Worldwide, Duesseldorf.
Via AdGoodness.
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair continues through Tuesday at the Javitz Convention Center in New York City. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, be sure to drop by the Straight Line Designs booth (#2218). These guys design some of the most imaginative and whimsical furniture this side of Toontown. What kid wouldn't want furniture like this in his or her room? Personally, I would love one of those Daddy Long Legs end tables (the tallest one is seven feet tall).
In an earlier post, I highlighted a designer who turned a negative into a positive by putting the electrical cord on full display as an essential part of his lamp design. Here's another fine example: Button Light by Silvia Campan of the University of Bozen (in Bolzano, Italy). Currently on display as part of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
Via Core 77.
Here's an ad from a grand Clio winning campaign for 42 Below vodka (created by Saatchi & Saatchi New York).
I don't like it.
Don't get me wrong, I love the concept. Using free clip art to tell a linear story is a superb idea. I'm just not sure "get drunk with our product and you'll do stupid things that will make you regret ever using our product" is the best possible strategy. Then again, award shows couldn't care less about strategy.
From what I understand, this is a very good vodka. A very unique vodka, too, since it comes from New Zealand (42 degrees below the equator, thus the name). Every single vodka in the world—heck, every single bottle of anything at your local liquor store—can get you drunk. How common.
And yes, I understand the comedic value of drunkenness. I'm no prude. But since you could switch out the bottle with a Heineken and the story still works, this ad is not particularly well crafted. In sharp contrast, the Lego ads below can work for no other brand. That's what makes them powerful.
Want to win advertising awards? Learn from this ad, which actually placed higher than the Lego ads. A good pussy joke will bring home the gold every single time.
Both of these print ads were honored with gold Clio awards last weekend. Both are fantastic, obviously. Simple but imaginative—just like the Lego brand itself. It's no fluke Lego has been behind some amazing advertising over the last few years. This is a client who understands creativity.
But pretend you're the client. You need to pick one idea to roll out in your new worldwide campaign. Your German agency (Jung von Matt AG) brings you the top idea. Your Singapore agency (Saatchi & Saatchi) brings you the bottom one. You know both are great, but you also know you have to choose one. Which do you choose and why?
This past weekend in Miami, Clio awards were handed out to the creative masters behind the world's best advertising. I went to the ceremony one year. Let me tell you, there is no shame in not winning. But there is a little shame in constantly having to get out of your seat to let people in and out of the row so they can claim their statues. People were high-fiving over me. One guy even knocked me in the back of my head with his statue.
The Clio people like to pretend they're the Academy Awards of the advertising industry. The shiny gold statuettes they hand out even look like Oscars. I prefer to remember 1991, when the Clio ceremony went awry and everyone stormed the stage and stole all the trophies. I'm not kidding. That's how much ad people love their awards.
Here is the TV spot that received this year's Grand Clio, one of the highest honors in adland. The spot was created by Leo Burnett Italy.
First off, I'm not entirely convinced these elevator ads are real. The tubes that comprise the Interwebs are chock-full of fake ads these days (mostly made by clever students looking to dupe us old timers and take our jobs while we're not looking—I SEE YOU OVER THERE!). Nevertheless, I present all three of the above concepts as an intellectual curiosity. And I ask you: Are you cool with this? I mean, these are pretty clever ideas. I used to feel that an advertiser can invade my space a bit if he or she offers me a little something in return. Even a smile will do. But is a smile payback enough for not only invading our elevator space, but overpowering it? Personally, I don't feel entirely comfortable sharing tight spaces with scantily clad men, so that third concept is not my favorite. And ever since I was duped into clicking on a certain email web link back in 1995 or so, I don't do well with anything involving hands and pulling.
So what do you think? Is this kind of advertising too invasive? Or is it a fun advertising experience? Seriously, I'm not sure I know the difference anymore.
Via Medialne.
