Over the last few weeks as I’ve been moving around London on the Tube, I’ve seen these lovely little adverts:
Now, I’m sure I’m not the only one that think this is a crap advert for a new range of showergels, but you (and indeed I) would be wrong, they’re even worse than that – they’re crap adverts for a new range of drinks from a company called Neuro. Quite why they’ve been designed to look like bathrooms products I’m not sure, I’d love to have read the strategy document!
But it was only the other day that I saw the product for real (rather than a dodgy 3D rendering) in a shop, amazingly, not one of the ones listed on the advert. And they look like this:
Mmm… nice.
When I’m thirsty, I always reach for a showergel. My heart really goes out to the agency as I can only imagine (hope) that it’s a crap brief that’s lead to this – really dodgy branding and plain weird packaging.
They also appear to come in a variety of ‘flavours’ (benefits?) which I’m sure are really tasty – especially the one called NeuroGasm with its graphic of a woman arched backwards with fireworks. Classy.
Love watching The Gadget Show (Channel 5) but usually only get the time to see it repeated on a Saturday morning with a nice black coffee – bliss. A nice way to keep up to date with consumer tech.
This week’s was even better as it had a challenge relating to advertising, and Jason and Suzy have to promote the show using different methods. Suzy goes with a digital twist on traditional methods (eg: posters with interactivity, augmented reality adverts, etc…) whilst predictably Jason goes the techy nerdy route (that’s why we love him) by creating a viral. The challenge focuses on them creating then releasing their campaigns and then one is chosen as the winner.
What I’d really have loved to see is how they actually compared against each other in terms of; cost, measureable impact in viewers / actions, longevity, etc… as it wasn’t really clear how the lovely lady from Ogilvy came to the conclusion as to which was better. I suspect (although I have absolutely no proof) that Jason’s would have been the most successful (bearing in mind the target audience) in terms of cost, relevance and as an idea with legs (eg: viral itself, ‘making of’ video, PR) – so well done Jason, even though you lost (yeah, I know I just spoilt it for you but it’s not about who wins it’s the participation, blah blah…).
Here’s Jason’s rather nice GadgetVader viral (as shot by a member of the crowd):
This is a really nice video I saw (on Creative Review) for Vodafone, showing the value of both a team and teamwork. It’s nicely executed and both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton come across as both nice and normal which I think is great testament to both the idea and the film crew (and of course their natural rapport).
We all trekked down to the Bath School of Art & Design (the new name of Bath Spa University College – my old Uni) Graphic Communication (the new name of the old Graphic Design course) graduate show. Now when I was there the course was a 50:50 mix of graphic design and illustration and according to their website, it still is.
Sadly after arriving an hour or so in to the Private View and finding no free booze left we went to look at the work. Which was rather disapointing really, it seemed that apart form two pieces of work on show (which were information graphics – yawn) the rest was illustration.
No branding.
No advertising.
No packaging.
No literature.
Just illustration.
Now, there was some nice illustration but we had hoped to see some graphic design.
There was also a very interesting concept of everyone’s business cards being placed together on a table by the door, not by their individual work. So if you saw someone’s work you liked, you had to remember their name, wander over to the door and try and find their card in and amongst all the others. Not a great idea if you’re wanting folks to take your details.
On the other hand, coming out of the show on a wall two doors down there was this rather lovely piece of street art of Lily Allen.
Walking round the back of Oxford Circus I came across these window graphics for a new Costa Coffee, advertising the new store (that had workmen swarming in and out of it like ants) and hiding the internal rubble / building work. They have a nice charm to them that also makes you think that it’s going to be a nice little independent quirky coffee shop – even though you know it’s part of a huge chain.
