I’ve always been a fan of Onitsuka Tigers, and most of the advertising and marketing over the past few years, like the Hero Breath cans, has certainly piqued my interest, but this newest campaign might just surpass all the others.

I’d heard the “Made of Japan” tag in the past and knew of the “Electric Tiger Land” concept but the end result thus far is more impressive than I’d anticipated. I could go on about the branding and messaging behind this round of Tiger marketing, but what strikes me most is the actual physical execution.

The fact that Strawberryfrog Amsterdam and R&D/product design firm Freedom of Creation teamed up to execute something fairly monumental is both impressive and refreshing. Today, there are many people (many of my good friends included) who would jump at the chance to entirely digitally create a world like that of the shoe above. It could be done fairly easily. But the fact that it wasn’t is beautiful.

The fact that Freedom of Creation actually went as far as to design the meter-long shoe and other branding accessories like a mini-led-shoe-USB stick is just perfect. And it speaks to the heritage and design sense that Asics is trying to keep alive with the Onitsuka line. The branding and message they’re communicating is great, but the fact that their methods speak directly to their means is superb. Check out the “making of” video below, and if you want more details, photos, etc, check out the Tiger page on FOC’s site here.

Technorati Tags: advertising, shoes, asics, tiger, onitsuka, beyond madison avenue

As I recently viewed a new M-B commercial, I was reminded of this one that debuted about a year ago. I kind of liked this one better… so, I’ll discuss this SL History one I call “Timeless”.

This :60 spot featuring the convertible SL models over the decades successfully does more to celebrate the brand, position Mercedes-Benz as a premier, ritzy icon through the last half century than it does actually “Introducing the 5th Generation SL”. No matter…it works for me. I think most of us who dream of buying or leasing one of these 4-wheeled icons are actually purchasing the brand — both its history and its present.

Although I don’t think the execution of such an idea is all that challenging, I do think it was done well. The ad’s music is aspirational and not offensive to anyone… as it takes us for a ride from one decade to the next (in each of the 5 generation SL convertibles). We re-visit the people, the trends, the fashion (or lack there of), as we witness the timeless elegance of the M-B SL Convertible. The lines and balance of this car (regardless of which generation) never seem outdated — even today.

The car, the icon, and this ad make me agree with the partially tweaked tagline for Mercedes-Benz, “Timeless. Unlike any other.” Timeless, indeed.

Technorati Tags: mercedes, sl, tagline, commercial, beyond madison avenue

I’m fascinated with the way some movies are promoted, and severely disappointed with others. I’m becoming significantly less impressed with the “first trailers” showing a practically unintelligible glimpse of something, followed by only a string of numbers, often cryptically written so as to leave one confused, disgruntled, and generally disinterested (although that could just be me). Godzilla, Transformers, and Cloverfield all followed a similar hype-inducing pattern.

I applaud Columbia TriStar for jumping right out there and creating a giant water-hologram over Tokyo Bay to promote The Water Horse’s opening in Japan:

The projection technique is actually pretty well-suited for to movie, which earns them bonus points in my mind. It’s rare to see a flashy promo technique that truly fits with the message (or the water horse, as the case may be). Disney pioneered the water projection technique years ago in the show Fantasmic, and has continued to develop it in rides like Pirates of the Caribbean.

It’s interesting to see it being used outside of the traditional-and-expected theme park environment and to see the way movie promotions are shifting away from the screen. While The Water Horse may seem like an odd choice to promote at that level, it’s still a stunning display and an interesting application of the medium. Take that Cloverfield.

Technorati Tags: Movies, hologram, promotion, marketing, beyond madison avenue

If all the ads you see on television sound like they’ve been written by the same person, a slightly snarky, all-knowing hipster, odds are they have. Or, more accurately, by a crew of people who all strive to have the same voice: that of the creative directors who judge award shows.

And while the work that wins at these shows (especially the big ones) is generally great, it’s generally work that appeals far more to the upscale, urban, 30something white male hipsters who judge these shows than it does to say, your grandmother, who doesn’t get why those Burger King spots with the mask are the least bit funny.

Now this theory is fine when you’re advertising beer or running shoes. But since most products advertised aren’t beer or running shoes, we quickly find ourselves in trouble: we’re talking with one voice to an audience who speaks with another. And whether it’s TV, print or online (okay, especially online), the messages we’re putting out there are “we don’t really know you, our customers. We don’t really care what you think is cute or funny or emotional. We only care what’s cool and hip (by our standards) so get used to it.”

I’ve made it practice on my blog to call out ads that appeal to different demographics: A Canon camera spot with Maria Sharapova’s dog, for instance, that my kids find hilarious.

Now of course it’s not impossible to create advertising that appeals to a broad demographic. The Budweiser Frogs campaign from about 10 years ago did that, so does some of the better Coke and Pepsi advertising. But by and large, we’re advertising to a specific demographic. And I’ve yet to see a brief that says “here’s what the target’s taste level is. Here’s who they find funny, the TV shows they love to watch, the magazines they read.” And the award shows don’t help this situation: they often reward work that has no appeal to the intended target.

No wonder so few people actually like commercials.

If you like cute, to the point, relatively engaging commercials that are (almost) single-focused, you’ll like this introductory commercial for the then all-new Toyota Yaris. And, as my mind wanders to ease the pain of filling my gas tank each week, I dream of driving a car that sucks less gas. And, then I think of this commercial and the Toyota Yaris.

Well, this :30 spot does just about everything I need it to do (except maybe a quick shot of its interior). It playfully, but powerfully, mocks the big, bad oil company’s grip on us by (literally) cutting the gas pumps down to size — and then trampling them before sucking the little bit of gasoline the small Yaris tank needs. The Yaris, spinning about on an all-white background and floor (to show off the vehicle) cruises off after the quick fill-up - and human-like belch - while having an impressive “40 MPG Rated” superimposed prominently.

When the Yaris circles back around it splits into two — to exhibit both the 4-door and 2-door coupe options - superimposing the attractive price of “starting at $12,405″. Enough said…40 MPG, for under $15,000, built with assumed Toyota’s high quality, and pretty good looking. I’ll take two!

Technorati Tags: Toyota, Yaris, commercial, beyond madison avenue

Brands becoming more than just a brand is nothing new. Lifestyle brands have been changing the way consumers interact with product for years. Technology brands are continuing the trend at a rapid pace. Apple is developing product after product to cater to fans and platform-switchers alike. Zune brought us The Social. Our tech gadgets are beginning to orchestrate our lifestyles, and many are becoming truly dependent on technology. Today, everywhere we look, we see tech gadgets and their advertising.
Apple certainly doesn’t need any help making their presence felt any more this week with the release of the Macbook Air and their banner ads that have been making a very large presence on many website front pages. But companies with as many fans as Apple has seems to attract attention no matter what they do. Browsing through Gizmodo this morning, I ran across a trailer for an actual documentary in production: MacHeads. It’s bizarre, fascinating, and almost frightening. But it shows what can happen with a brand becomes much more than just a name and logo. And how the consumer mind can react when brands begin to transcend traditional messaging. I’m definitely curious to see what comes of MacHeads, and what it might mean for Apple.

Technorati Tags: Apple, computer, documentary, movie, beyond madison avenue

Check out the latest concept in mobile gaming courtesy of Vans and the Miami Ad School. Leveraging the iPhone’s touch screen capabilities, Finger Fracture would allow you to control the skateboard in a way similar to finger boards. Different finger movements and combinations allow you to do different tricks. Brand integration is done seamlessly throughout. Select a shoe to pick a rider and their corresponding riding style. Then see how you rank on the worldwide ranking list. Very cool! So nice to see such a smart and engaging mix of branding and technology. Lets hope this concept makes it to launch.

Technorati Tags: review, advertising, iphone, mobile, games, beyond madison avenue

A light-hearted take at selling language lessons. Grey, Tel Aviv has fun focusing on the “dramatic difference” you’ll notice after only 2 weeks with the Berlitz Language School. It’s nice to see other countries having a little more fun and not being as uptight as us — even in more politically volatile locales. Then again, the language category has always been a little more experimental. But even the liberal sensibilities of overseas consumers can be offended by our ad brethren as evidenced in this banned Dutch ad for a language institute (Warning: not for the faint of heart!).

Technorati Tags: review, advertising, broadcast, beyond madison avenue

If you are one who believes capturing attention - and luring one to a special website - makes for a successful ad, then I think you’ll like this one from Hyundai. But, if you believe ads should directly help sell something and move people to want to purchase it NOW because of what they saw or heard, then this may not be your cup of tea.

I’ll try to explain…

I’ve watched this TV spot more than several times. It is odd and captivating…but, I’m not so sure it really sells the product (in this case, a brand and a car). But, it may move folks to type in Hyundai’s special, off-beat website ThinkAboutIt. And, I certainly have been thinking about it. And…I did do as the spot tells me, and checked out the website. So, I guess it worked on me. But, did it work for me and for Hyundai?

In all honesty, the spot engages me and makes me think a little — which is good. But, it doesn’t highlight the car well or tell me much — except the vehicle has a fine powertrain warranty (10 year/100,000 miles). So, am I more apt to go test drive and buy a Hyundai? I don’t know…probably not. But, it did make me go to its special website.

You tell me…is this a successful ad?

Technorati Tags: Hyundai. commercial, ThinkAboutIt.com, beyond madison avenue

As I mentioned in an earlier post, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter would have made my teens and twenties a far more interesting time. These sites are ideal for the sort of audience whose social life is of paramount importance, whose lives revolve around their friends and going out, and who’d rather not be interacting with the people around them (e.g. their roommates and/or parents.)If indeed there are actually any people around them.

Add people—spouses and children, in particular—and suddenly the allure of constant Facebook updates dims. You’ve reached a different point in your life. One where social life takes a back seat and family life becomes your primary focus. Which is why the oft-repeated notion, that social media is going to take over our lives and become our primary means of interacting with the interweb strikes me as so completely naïve.

As much as I enjoy them, it’s refreshing to see travel/hotel advertising without Shatner or that gnome. Renaissance Hotels, cleverly referencing their namesake, has created a new series of print ads in which they’ve taken classic Renaissance paintings like Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Leonardo’s The Last Supper and re-created with a hotel flair. The references to real-life hotel features adds a nice touch and takes it beyond a simple parody. The background of the venus is inspired by a pool at Renaissance Orlando Resort at Seaworld while the the portico below echoes the arches on the facade of the Renaissance Hamburg Hotel. The art historian in me wants to balk, but the execution is well-done and shows a definite appreciation of the original artwork. I’m enjoying them.

Equally interesting is their website which carries on the “renaissance” mentality beautifully. The images have hotspots bringing up more details like hotel amenities and even cocktail recipes & wine pairings. The site kept my attention for a few minutes, and even had a random and enjoyable surprise here and there. In a market where hotels and cheap often tend to go hand-in-hand, it’s always interesting to see hotel advertising in general-market channels going the other way with their message.

via

Technorati Tags: advertising, hotel, renaissance, Beyond Madison Avenue

Chris Bosh plays basketball for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors (he’s a star forward.) But while he plays basketball in Canada, he’s originally from Texas. And this video, designed to get fans to vote for him in the All-Star Balloting, is an homage to the auto dealer commercials he saw while watching late-night TV back in the Lone Star State.

Bosh claims the spot cost him all of $20 (for the cowboy hat) and it’s admittedly hilarious- Bosh is a natural ham. And while I don’t usually approve of CGC (consumer generated content) I’m very happy to recommend this CGC (Chris Bosh-generated content.)

Props to him as well for having the insight to make this and post it on YouTube, where it’s already garnered close to 400,000 hits.

It seems like only yesterday when Tivo first came on the market much to advertisers dismay. Marketers everywhere attacked the service, with the CEO of Turner going so far as to accuse commercial skippers of theft. A lot has changed since then. Advertisers have slowly come to terms with the fact that people will fast forward through ads and Tivo has introduced a new products in an attempt to appease these advertisers including pop-up banners and other more interactive units.

But even as this un-easy alliance has been forged, no one seems to be taking much notice of Apple TV. With the latest version now supporting not only a slew of popular tv shows but the ability to rent movies — and with both options being available in HD — I’m surprised we haven’t heard more screaming from marketers. Imagine if everyone started consuming all of their tv and movie entertainment in this a la carte style and the implications it would have not only for advertisers but cable providers as well. Let’s do the math. I’ll use my own television and movie consumption as an example. As someone employed in advertising I figure it’s my duty to watch tv, and I do enjoy a HD picture so I currently subscribe to DirecTV. My package includes some premium channels, the HD and the DVR options and currently runs me $101.97 a month. I also use Netflix which runs another $18.43. So a month of tv and movies costs me $120.40. The reality is I don’t watch that much tv and often don’t get through my 3 movies a month — who has that amount of time? Out of the zillions of channels I have I really only watch a handful of shows: 30 Rock, Lost, The Office, Project Runway, Top Chef and a few others that I’ll just refer to as guilty pleasures — so 7 shows in all a week or about 28 a month which is probably a little high since I never seem to catch them all.

If I were to purchase those same programs through Apple TV I’m looking at $55.72. If I throw in 3 movies, which again is a little high, I’m looking at another $14.97 assuming I’m going with just new releases in HD. So for only $70.69 I can have access to all of the content I regularly watch (with much of it in higher quality HD) at a savings $49.31 a month and all without any advertising! Hmmmmm. Advertisers and cable providers need to prepare themselves as an increasing amount of different entertainment distribution models become available. TV spots, it’s been nice knowing you. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Technorati Tags: review, advertising, broadcast, beyond madison avenue

If you watch TV or surf the Internet at all, I’m sure you’ve seen at least some of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu’s “Can’t Ignore” campaign. With an impressively sizeable investment in this critical launch, GM’s Chevrolet division has done everything by the book (and then some) in hopes of securing success. It has teased us with :15 spots with only a glimpse of the all-new 4-door sedan, it has roadblocked popular search engines, it has snatched key phrases from critics’ positive remarks, and even tried to be humorous in capturing our attention in a few executions.

But does it work for me? I guess a little. But, one does not easily shift feelings that have been imbedded in us for years (if not decades). One spot even uses a Car & Driver quote to dramatize a warning to the Toyota folks, “Camry beware.” I don’t think the manufacturer of the best selling car in America is all that scared. But, I can appreciate the bold attempt to strive to that gold standard set by the Toyota Camry.

Overall, the campaign has pinned its hopes that we prospective consumers cannot “ignore” this particular 4-door sedan. Is it all that different? Is it the stunning beauty that takes your breath away? Probably not. But, is it a good value? With an attractive advertised price “starting at $19,995″, this may be its best asset. The price/value relationship may allow the 2008 Malibu to be placed on the shopping list of those hundreds of thousands of us who want or need sedans. But, I’m not so sure I really can’t “ignore” Malibu and just buy another popular, high-quality sedan that has already proven itself.

Click here for more.

Technorati Tags: Chevrolet, GM, Malibu 2008, Beyond Madison Avenue

While Apple has been making a splash this week, tech-giant Microsoft has been busy with shopping carts. They have started a nine-month pilot program with MediaCart and Wakefern ShopRite stores to display point-of-purchase ads in 220 grocery stores in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. While Microsoft doesn’t have the same web advertising presence as Google, Yahoo and other giants, they are rapidly expanding into emerging digital channels. Last year’s acquisition of aQuantive, Inc. puts them in a unique position to market via new digital channels.

Equally interesting will be the consumer reception to one more screen vying for their attention. Not to mention the cart’s abilities to check your location in the store via RFID, specifically target ads based on what items your near, and the ability to track your shopping habits. Highly effective from a p.o.p. view, and tentatively useful for understanding consumer habits and patterns, but if the consumer doesn’t befriend the machine perched at the end of the cart, results could be lackluster. Early responses to the idea from the public seem to be mixed, but the technology certainly has a good deal to offer, if utilized effectively. I’ll be curious to see how effectively (and creatively) Microsoft can handle the task of in-cart-advertising. If you’re curious about the carts, there’s a bizarrely mesmerizing video of the carts in action on the MediaCart website.

Technorati Tags: marketing, Microsoft, shopping cart, beyond madison avenue

This video for the new Apple Macbook Air is everything an Apple video should be. Simple, nicely lit, well cast/costumed (”John” from the Apple store, a Steve Jobs lookalike in a logoless black long-sleeved tee, his salt’n’peppa hair gelled into a youthful “Ross.”)

It continues the whole Total Branding Experience that Apple’s famous for. No one else could have done that video, the whole feel is so Apple.

The underlying message? “Look how cool this machine is. Don’t you want one? Don’t you want to pay a little more for one?”

You know that you do too.

I’m a real sucker for clever music, nostalgic warm feel, and an ad that puts a smile on my face — WHILE still taking away some points of information about the product! Wow…what a concept! Good ads that entertain and inform!

This 2007 spot introducing the new crossover SUV Kia Rondo does all of that…and does it extremely well. The 1960’s music/feel singing “let the sun shine in” (complete with hippie-type waiving young people and a rainbow highlighting the Rondo as it moves through the commercial) makes you take notice and smile throughout the :30 spot. Hence, while you’re captivated by the music, you pay attention to what the commercial is trying to communicate.

The psychedelic theme permeates the spot with talking points such as “MPG Happiness” (29 MPG), “Huge Cabinocity” (comes with available 3rd row of seating), “Precision Steerology” (drives like a car), and comes with a solid 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. And to top off this :30 spot is the final frame welcoming us to “Rondoism” that starts at a price of only $16,995.

We are shown the car (inside and out), learned about some of its appealing attributes, set an attractive/affordable price, and made me smile. I think this spot really rang the bell…and didn’t take itself too seriously. I enjoyed it.

Technorati Tags: kia rondo, powertrain warranty, beyond madison avenue

So Sony has finally bitten the bullet and starting January 15, 2008 will be offering their music catalog DRM-free. Hooray! In an attempt to regain some market share from our good friends at Apple, the clever folks at Sony have finally ditched DRM on at least some of their catalog. Yes, not all, just some — 37 albums by artists including Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Lopez and I’m hoping at least 35 others. But it gets better. Never mind that they were the last of the major labels to do so. Nor the fact that you can already purchase DRM-free music on iTunes, all be it for a premium. What really sets Sony apart is their ingenious model. Yes now if you want to buy Sony music online, you first have to go to an off-line retailer, buy a “Platinum MusicPass” then go online and visit MusicPass.com, where you then enter the code from the back of your card and finally get your music. Voila! Online music shopping really couldn’t get an easier than that. Amazing. And I’m assuming that because they are just so confident that hordes of people are going to run to stores, and then run home to buy their music they are not really promoting the new offering at all. Guess they’re counting on all that great word-of-mouth they hope to get.

Technorati Tags: review, music, advertising, beyond madison avenue

The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was this past week and being the tech geek I am, I was catching up on all of the event coverage, but nothing stood out quite as much in my eye as the Taser personal mp3 player, which apparently offers us “Fashion with a Bite.”

Is there really that high of a demand for a taser/music player combo? Maybe on the heels of “Don’t tase me, bro!” there’s a new market that has opened up I wasn’t aware of. I do applaud Taser International for executing such an unexpected combination, but my question remains: How does one effectively market such a device outside of a show like CES? Is it an ipod competitor or a personal protection device with the added feature of an mp3 player? The possibilities of music and tasering pairings do intrigue me. Maybe Taser could give us a Pandora station? In a world where products are constantly evolving to accomplish more, it’s always interesting to see what will come next. I can’t wait for next year [another interesting article (and video) on the mp3taser at The Guardian]

Technorati Tags: marketing, taser, leopard print, mp3 player, beyond madison avenue

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The Escape Pod, a new-ish agency and bright light in an otherwise lifeless Chicago ad market is running this self-promo ad in the March issue of Fast Company magazine, which features the “50 Fastest Companies”
Now just doing a self-promo is pretty smart, in and of itself– so few agencies remember that they need to market themselves every bit as much as they market their clients.

But I was equally as impressed with the media placement (a magazine aimed at forward thinking start-ups and businesspeople) and with the ad itself.Illustrated by Joe Simko, who’s done a lot of rock album artwork, the ad is less a mission statement than “a poster to explain our agency in a light way,” according to agency founder Vinnie Warren, he of “Wasssup!” fame.

Given the degree of seriousness which so many agencies take themselves these days, this attitude is quite refreshing. Hopefully the client base will feel the same way.