Thursday, June 21, 2012

the campaign against treason

As I've posted on here before, I run a parody Twitter account that started back in Nov. 2010 when the TSA first went crazy. Or, at least, first got noticed for being crazy.

It's sort of bloomed since then, and now has more than 25,000 followers.

In looking for new ways to keep the audience engaged, while maintaining the account's "brand," (oh yes, I approached it like a brand) I created a "propaganda campaign" aimed "against the American public." It's called, "We're Sorry You Hate America: The Campaign Against Treason." The ads are simply goofy photoshops I created as mock-propaganda posters that belittle dissenters.

For the users, it's a cool divergence from the typical 140-characters of snark. For me, it's a fun excuse to photoshop.

Below are the first three ads in the campaign. You can also click on the links to go to a larger image.

We'll see how long I can keep this up.






Monday, June 18, 2012

bill bernbach said

I'm a creature of advertising legends. My background is in non-profit marketing, so I live vicariously through the books and wisdom of the titans who came before me (and following people currently in the business via Twitter). I recently ran across DDB's publication of "Bill Bernbach Said," a spiral-bound compendium of quotes from the man who pioneered artistry in advertising.

It's fantastic.

It doesn't matter if you're starting in the industry, or have a few decades under your belt -- there is still much to learn from the godfathers of advertising.

I really encourage picking it up.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

ahab

I wasn't always a Venables Bell & Partners fanboy. I thought their Audi "Green Police" commercial was wonderfully entertaining, but did little to move Audi's brand forward. I felt the "environmentally friendly" angle probably one of the more minor points that drive people to buy an Audi.

But, Venables responded with a new positioning strategy, couching Audi as the "new" face of German luxury cars.

Holy crap. I stood up and cheered. And, to drive this new position, Venables released a remarkably brilliant campaign that was not only entertaining, but on-point with the brand strategy.

See my take on it here.

I recently ran across one of their ads they did for Audi called "Ahab." Again, it's hysterical, but the sell isn't lost in the comedy. It's a fantastic example of how to make an entertaining ad without placing humor above the brand. (see it at the bottom of this post)

As a side note, Venables recently created a brand strategy company called vpborange. I encourage you to check them out, if only to see a great site using parallax scrolling. And, as a personal side note, I would kill an unicorn to work for them. Yeah, that's right...a unicorn.