Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Augmented Reality - The Past, The Present and The Future

Augmented Reality or "AR" technology has a deep history, in fact about 27 Years in the Making... or is going back to the early 1960s when Morton Heilig, a cinematographer, who created a motorcycle simulator called "Sensorama" that gave the effects of the visuals, sound, vibration, and even the smell. One may even site during this time line that there were many different applications we called "Virtual Reality".

But unlike virtual reality, Augmented Reality does not create a simulation of reality. Instead, it takes a real object or space as the foundation and incorporates technologies that add contextual data to deepen a person’s understanding of the subject. Hmmmmm.... either way we are on the edge of many great uses and the slippery slope of "over-kill". The goal of augmented reality is to add information and meaning to a real object or place.

Either story helped in the evolution we are now seeing in new media worlds. Essentially, Augmented Reality allows for creators the means to layer data like audio, graphics, and animation over live video. The term was coined in 1992 by Tom Caudell while working for Boeing, where factory workers used "AR" to sort parts. it allowed workers to run wires and cables in complicated assembly of planes. Today, with video cameras in so many electronic devices, including the webcam on computers,  "AR" applications range from advertising to architecture and gaming to Papa John's pizza boxes. This month Esquire has taken advantage of the technology to a significant editorial scale. From cover to advertisers to editorial content.

Burger King recently used "AR" to continue its use of "new" technology in selling its burgers and other menu items. They with agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky have always stayed one step ahead of the technology curve. One can't forget the "Subservient Chicken" online campaign that had millions of viewers wondering "how". On the page, a man in a chicken costume performs a wide range of actions based on a user's input, showing pre-recorded footage and appearing like an interactive webcam. The site takes literally the advertising slogan "Get chicken just the way you like it". The site launched in April 2004 and still today gets traffic. The site was created for CP+B and BK by The Barbarian Group. "The guy in the suit was originally an actor, but he was claustrophobic in the suit, so he wouldn’t do it. And we had to use one of the costume’s designers... He would do about six moves and then we would have to fan him off because he would get so hot in the costume," says CP+B ECD Jeff Benjamin.

The recent BK effort has you place a one dollar bill in front of your webcam and you then watch you dollar become a value menu burger or reverse the bill and it becomes a chicken sandwich. Brilliance doesn't end there, within a few seconds your image then has the "Kings" mask appear and it will follow your every move.

In early June, the United States Postal Service introduced a "AR" application that is actually usable and not just a gimmick. In order to remain competitive and increase its strengthen on line to stimulate more use of the site and e-commerce sales, the USPS hired agency AKQA/DC and launched the "Virtual Box Simulator". The Virtual Box Simulator is one component of the current campaign, "A Simpler Way to Ship," and its objective is to leverage "AR" technology in a way that is practical for its clients.

It's a pretty simple concept, users print a small "Eagle" brand logo off the website, switch on their web cams and launch the Virtual Box Simulator. By placing the eagle in front of the webcam/screen a virtual box appears then allows the customer to hold an item up to their cameras and see whether it fits inside the box, which will move as the item moves. Varying degrees of box transparency can be selected, to see best what the item will look like inside the package; package options include Large Flat-Rate Box, Medium 2 Flat-Rate Box and Small Flat-Rate Box. Amazing!

So what will the future bring. Over the next few months we will see an overload of "gimmicky" and "for the sake of" ideas and concepts, but its really going to take some real forward thinkers to see its full potential.

Stay tuned.

Posted via web from anthony kalamut's posterous

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Chuck Porter, CP+B, StrawberryFrog, TAXI oh my! Voting for AdweekMedia Best of The Decade.

It seems like Y2K was only yesterday. I recall the fear and anxiety of the world coming to a computer decelerated doom, yet we survived.

A short nine years later we are looking at the end of the first decade. And man what a decade.
A couple of presidential elections that changed America forever.  The worst terrorist attacks in American history. The War on Terror Part 1 - Afghanistan Invasion, Part Two War on Terror - Iraqi Invasion and the tragic 2004 Tsunami that killed 500,000 people,  the concept of global warming is no longer a debate and has now changed to the "global climate change" argument,  oil prices are at record highs and that's just a few things off the front pages of news. How about the way we live and communicate. WOW! From a cellphone the size of half pound of butter to ones we can carry in our pockets to the BlackBerry's and the iPhones that just about do it all, a music player that can carry my entire CD collection (no kidding I have 14,334 songs on my iPod) and it all changes everyday.

In December, the editors at AdWeekMedia will select the best marketing, media and agency performances of the decade, covering 2000 through 2009, in 33 categories. These choices surround the people, companies, brands, products and creative work that most influenced the industry and came to define the era. It could not have been easy for the editors to make these lists, as I am sure it won't be easy to place a single vote in any one category.

For me and certainly many of current and past students there a two people and one company that stands above all. It's hard to single them out but they have been generous with their time, advise and commitment. They are Chuck Porter and Alex Bogusky. Whether in New York during AdWeek or here in Toronto, both have given more then their vast knowledge and experience but more importantly their time. As an agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky has also provided the students of our Creative Advertising program at Seneca College with curriculum advise, portfolio reviews and recently a live feedback with the rest of the world via Fearless Q&A. Okay, I can now see my mailbox fill with many of the others who so graciously give of their time and energy, but it's a vote... go ahead and see for yourself, it ain't gonna be easy.

In Toronto last year during AdWeek '09, Chuck Porter spread his gospel of "power of a story" and how it can become and is sometimes be larger than life. With examples like Burger King’s Subservient Chicken, which has become a cult following first in the US and then around in places like Spain and Japan long after the site had its heyday.

Chuck shared the message that it’s not always about a new making or finding a medium. For Molson, a beer brand from Canada, he told the story of how CP+B took the age-old media of print magazines and placed ads in Cosmopolitan, Maxim with cheesy 80’s style male models with puppy dogs, and Molson Beer, then placed ads in male-targeted magazines about the psychographic effect of 100,000’s of women having a positive association of the male species due to these ads. The creative implementation of both real and faux ads and even made-up magazine covers placed on the back-cover of real magazines was all done brilliantly with a huge comedic and viral impact. It told the simple story of beer, men and their relationships. Men are from Mars and women are indeed from Venus. The campaign placed Molson as leader in the import beer market. Porter also shared the story of the difficulty of selling a risky idea to Burger King and their franchise owners who wanted to kill Porter if he implemented an idea about killing their best selling product – The Whopper.  The campaign called the “BK Whopper Freakout.” That recommendation not only won new customers for BK but added to the power of the concept of story telling, the result turned out to be wildly successful.

What needs to be said about Alex Bogusky that hasn't already been said. Plain and simply, he is one of the smartest and funniest people this business has seen in the past decade. Humble, is not a trait found often in this business either.

Last year when Alex achieved an accomplishment that any Art Director would only dream of, he took his place in the Art Directors Hall of Fame in New York. I emailed him congratulations and to share any thoughts he might have with my students. His reply was simple: 

Thanks. It’s a great honor. Shocking actually. 

A friend of mine reminded me of a conversation we had when Lee Clow went into the Hall of Fame. He asked me if I remembered what I said and i didn’t even remember the conversation. But he said I remarked that getting in the Hall of Fame was the ultimate achievement yet totally unattainable. I guess I was wrong. Again.  

But I will quietly admit that this sort of thing doesn’t really sit well with my sense of community and my connection with everybody I’ve ever worked with. I’m obviously not alone in a single thing I ever did. We did it all together and to be singled out isn’t right. 

I worry too that it continues to perpetuate this idea of singular achievement. Which to me it a potentially destructive way to look at the world. I’ll accept it for CPB but not for myself and I’ll accept it for all the people who supported all the hair brain schemes and plans we’ve had over the years.  

Positively,  
Alex
Alex remains the same today as the first time I made his acquaintance in New York back in 2007, smart, honest, humble and giving. He has remains someone I can turn to with questions and concerns about the future of my students and the ideas I have for my advertising program. He is genuine grateful for the passion young AdLanders have, sending me a simple email to say thanks for all their questions and portfolios submitted by my students for a recent episode of his webcast Fearless Q&A.

Another category that seems to have caught my eye was the Best Small Agency. What caught my eye was the fact that Strawberry Frog was missing. How? How do you leave off StrawberryFrog and for that matter Scott Goodson a visionary that has redefined the agency model first in Amsterdam and now in New York, San Paulo and soon Mumbai. His concept of "Cultural Movements" has spread around the world. A complex idea for brands to identify, crystallize, and lead a cultural movement that will inspire people to belong and mobilize. Scott has hosted my students in his New York offices where he shared his vision and changed forever their approach to how they will approach client problems while making a difference for the brand and the community. One of my favorite campaigns Scott shared with my students was for Scion. Brilliance and redefining of how a brand can create a "cultural movement".

It is also difficult not to want to cast a vote for Canada's Taxi Advertising. Without question the agency that has shaped the creative revolution in Canada and has proven it can run wiht the big dogs in the USA and now expanding into Europe. Between Paul Lavoie, Jane Pope, Steve Mykolyn, Rob Guenette and former partner Zak Mroueh (now Zulu Alpha Kilo) paved the way for winning more awards then any Canadian agency on the worls stage. Hard choice for me personally.

Like any good campaign seeking out a vote from the public, here is my best effort to urge you go and VOTE!

AdWeek has narrowed down each category to a handful of top candidates. Write-ins are permitted. Use the links below to jump to specific categories, or start here to vote on them all.

For your consideration:

Agency of the Decade: Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Agency Executive of the Decade: Chuck Porter
Agency Creative Director of the Decade: Alex Bogusky
Small Agency of the Decade: This is your place for a write-in vote for StrawberryFrog or Canada's Taxi



Sunday, November 15, 2009

What Every Advertising Student Should Watch - Advertising Portfolio 101 with Alex Bogusky & Tiffany Kosel of CP+B


What should I put into my portfolio?

What order should it been in?

How many pieces should I have in my portfolio?

I'm a Art Director, does the copy matter?

Should it be about ideas, or is the execution more important?

If I got a nickle for every time I am asked these questions I could blog full-time, sip on 1981 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon and smoke Fuente Opus X Robustos. All of these questions are standard issues, standard concerns and the standard of every young future AdLander.

But as often as I offer my answers, trusted answers based on my years of reviewing books and making my frequent trips to agency Creative Directors to ask "What should my students have in their portfolios?" I get a different response everytime. Whether its how many pieces, size, quality, types of work to include, Print vs. Out of Home, Broadcast YES or broadcast NO, interactive... you get the deal.

NOT once have I got the same answer let alone even get the same recommendations. Simply more questions.

So every year as I set my young AdLanders into gear on building their portfolios I start with one difficult to understand standard line:
"EVERYONE THINKS THEY KNOW WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO"
Recently, Alex Bogusky launched a weekly webcast called Fearless Q&A. Part Crispin Porter +Bogusky "news and views", part "self-promotion" but mostly very informational and very, very entertaining. Alex may have another career ahead of him. This past week (November 12th, 2009) Fearless Q&A turned its attention to the portfolio. Alex invited CP+B VP Creative Director Tiffany Kosel to share the stage and more important her thoughts on what makes for a good portfolio.

Tiffany Kosel has won awards at nearly every show out there, from Clios to Cannes Lions. She has worked on campaigns for BMW Mini, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Volkswagen, Burger King, Victoria's Secret, Jawbone and the "Truth" anti-tobacco effort, among others. After being promoted to VP Creative Director in 2008 she is the sole female among eight creative directors at the agencyand directs up to 30 people on Old Navy, estimated to be worth a cool $200 million account for CP+B which she also led in the pitch. In June, Advertising Age named her as one of the "Women to Follow" in 2009.


The Fearless Q&A webcast offered some excellent insights and look into what Tiffany herself did to land the gig at CB+P. They both answered more questions then expected, and seeing this episode received more questions the any other episode to date. I can proudly say that my students bombarded the Twitter feed (follow my students on Twitter) in advance and several of my talented creatives submitted portfolios for review.

It was an excellent hour of conversation, the beauty of Twitter and the Justin.Tv it allows for a two-way conversation, live questions as the show goes on. Alex and Tiffany did there best not to just answer questions, but to show some samples of "what makes a idea great". I was proud that one of my students Ryan Dzur get his book shown and mentioned near the end, sadly they never got to give any feedback... the show was over too soon.

One of the questions submitted by my students was need for a portfolio if you are going into account management or strategic planning. I have crafted a unique approach to this type of portfolio over the years and I wasn't surprise that both Alex and Tiffany agree it is more  and more important as "creative" is needed in all areas of business. Suits and Planners need to bring more to the table then ever before.

Highlights of the conversation... the basics:
- Show your skill and show you craft

- Be unique, show you can think, find the difference (the Graham Crackers is an example)

- Interactive and ambient are critical, show that you know what is fresh and connects

- Make sure what you have are "Big Ideas" not just one offs

- It really doesn't matter if it's a $10 book or a $200 case... it's the work that matters

- Show who you are, it can be more then just your advertising ideas
But once it was all over (and too soon I might add), there are still a million questions... but really it's all about "Big Ideas" and  "Selling Yourself".

Watch Alex Bogusky and Tiffany Kosel on FearlessQ&A Episode "tifko"

What Every Advertising Student Should Watch - Advertising Portfolio 101 with Alex Bogusky & Tiffany Kosel of CP+B


What should I put into my portfolio?

What order should it been in?

How many pieces should I have in my portfolio?

I'm a Art Director, does the copy matter?

Should it be about ideas, or is the execution more important?

If I got a nickle for every time I am asked these questions I could blog full-time, sip on 1981 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon and smoke Fuente Opus X Robustos. All of these questions are standard issues, standard concerns and the standard of every young future "AdLander".

But as often as I offer my answers, trusted answers based on my years of reviewing books and making my frequent trips to agency Creative Directors to ask "What should my students have in their portfolios?" I get a different response everytime. Whether its how many pieces, size, quality, types of work to include, Print vs. Out of Home, Broadcast YES or broadcast NO, interactive... you get the deal.

NOT once have I got the same answer let alone even get the same recommendations. Simply more questions.

So every year as I set my young AdLanders into gear on building their portfolios I start with one difficult to understand standard line:
"EVERYONE THINKS THEY KNOW WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO"
Recently, Alex Bogusky launched a weekly webcast called Fearless Q&A. Part Crispin Porter +Bogusky "news and views", part "self-promotion" but mostly very informational and very, very entertaining. Alex may have another career ahead of him. This past week (November 12th, 2009) Fearless Q&A turned its attention to the portfolio. Alex invited CP+B VP Creative Director Tiffany Kosel to share the stage and more important her thoughts on what makes for a good portfolio.

Tiffany Kosel has won awards at nearly every show out there, from Clios to Cannes Lions. She has worked on campaigns for BMW Mini, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Volkswagen, Burger King, Victoria's Secret, Jawbone and the "Truth" anti-tobacco effort, among others. After being promoted to VP Creative Director in 2008 she is the sole female among eight creative directors at the agencyand directs up to 30 people on Old Navy, estimated to be worth a cool $200 million account for CP+B which she also led in the pitch. In June, Advertising Age named her as one of the "Women to Follow" in 2009.

The Fearless Q&A webcast offered some excellent insights and look into what Tiffany herself did to land the gig at CB+P. They both answered more questions then expected, and seeing this episode received more questions the any other episode to date. I can proudly say that my students bombarded the Twitter feed (follow my students on Twitter) in advance and several of my talented creatives submitted portfolios for review.

It was an excellent hour of conversation, the beauty of Twitter and the Justin.Tv it allows for a two-way conversation, live questions as the show goes on. Alex and Tiffany did there best not to just answer questions, but to show some samples of "what makes a idea great". I was proud that one of my students Ryan Dzur get his book shown and mentioned near the end, sadly they never got to give any feedback... the show was over too soon.
One of the questions submitted by my students was need for a portfolio if you are going into account management or strategic planning. I have crafted a unique approach to this type of portfolio over the years and I wasn't surprise that both Alex and Tiffany agree it is more  and more important as "creative" is needed in all areas of business. Suits and Planners need to bring more to the table then ever before.

Highlights of the conversation... the basics:
- Show your craft and show your skills
- Be unique, show you can think, find the "difference" in your product/client/brand" (the   Graham Crackers are an excellent example)
- Interactive and ambient are critical, show that you knoe what is fresh and what connects
- Makes sure that what you have are "Big Ideas" not just one-offs
- It really doesn't matter if it's a $10 book or $200 case, it's the work that matters
- Show who you ar, it can be more then just your advertising ideas.
But once it was all over (and too soon I might add), there are still a million questions... but really it's all about "Big Ideas" and  "Selling Yourself".

Watch Alex Bogusky and Tiffany Kosel on FearlessQ&A Episode "PORTFOLIO"

Saturday, November 14, 2009

They Have A Winner. Victors & Spoils Logo Launched

 

Victors & Spoils, the worlds first "Crowdsourcing" advertising agency launched there logo this past week. And it's a winner!

After reviewing 1,120 entries from around the world it came down to this unique and wonderful design. Simple, clean and  memorable. What gets my attention is the power of the typography and details that play into the exact purpose and culture that V&S is all about:
"Power The Brand"
"Power To The People"
"Solving Problems with Communal Creativity"
It certainly does send that message clearly. A message that is all about being empowered. You can love or hate (lots of haters out there) the idea of "crowdsourcing" is here and will likely grow.

This logo was designed by Andrea Bigiarini who lives just outside Florence, Italy. Imagine, the message of how small and perfect the world is. Would Andrea be able to sell his design from Italy to the world without the "new model". Of course not. This isn't about "spec" work, this about new opportunities. We are living in a new world and that is a fact. Choose your side, but choose what will get better and smarter work. Spend some time and see the other entries.

When he was asked about if "crowdsourcing" is bad for design, seeing that there is myriad of reasons stated in the "no-spec" movement, he simple answers “I think that competition is part of human nature and competition makes things better. Crowdsourcing is the future and is a good way to work during a global economic crisis.”

On the V&S website, it is stated that they feel lucky enough to find a talent like Andrea via "crowdsourcing" and that it illustrates perfectly that for those who wish to embrace this inevitability, it can work beautifully. V&S found it poignant, magnificent and heartwarming that a man with the utmost of traditional design backgrounds has chosen to give this "newfangled" and much deliberated creative platforms a shot. Yes, instead of lamenting the evilness (the word commonly used on many blogs and websites have written), "Andrea came with an open mind and heart, and simply decided to jump in and give it a try". 

Sadly after the launch too many critics have crawled from under their rocks to hate! From blog to to blog it's the same old same old. This whole concept will undermine the integrity of our business. Here are a few comments posted:
"Crowdsourcing so far has undervalued our industry. It would be different if the concept paid standard logo rates instead of the $1000 I’ve seen on various "crowdsourcing" sites".

"A 100 monkeys typing on 100 typewriters for 100 years, will not produce a work of Shakespeare. Personally, I’d rather hire 1 big brain and skip the 100 monkeys hoping to strike it rich... "crowdsourcing" encourages solutions with the highest probability of being chosen. In other words: safe solutions... So go have your 100 monkeys. I’ll take the 1 big brain".

"How many people spent hours working on something for this project and didn’t get a dime, didn’t get a mention, and didn’t get anything but a “sorry, try again”... Thanks for opening the next digital sweatshop. Enjoy your profits.
Here's hoping that more talented people embrace his mindset.

See other designs not selected but also received acknowledgment.









Friday, November 13, 2009

The Advertising Design Club of Canada – Directions'09 Gold Winners and Seneca Grads Score GOLD!

In Toronto tonight (November 12th, 2009) we celebrated the 60th Annual Directions Award Show... wow sixty years!
Hosted by Pirate Radio and Canadian advertising guru Terry O'Rielly, the ADCC awarded the Les Usherwood Lifetime Achievement Award to designer and illustrator Barbara Klunder. famous locally for her BamBoo Club posters and the cover design for the Rolling Stones VooDoo Lounge recording.
In total tonight 42 Gold Awards were presented. Here is a list of all the winners:
(Seneca College Graduates working as either Art Directors, Copywriters or Creative Directors plus their agency is indicated in GOLD)
ADCC – Directions 2009 -  GOLD WINNERS

Advertising Innovative


Advertising Innovative, Single – Zulu Alpha Kilo – “Thinking Inside The Box”

Advertising Innovative, Campaign – zig – “We Need To Talk”


Student Competition

Student Competition – Loretta Lau, OCAD – “Terminal”


Interactive Design

Business To Consumer Websites – Proximity Canada – “The Alka-Seltzer Great American Road Trip”


Viral Marketing – Proximity Canada – “ The Alka-Seltzer Great American Road 
Trip-BBQ Song/Cheese Rap/World’s Worst Commercial”

Product Promotions – Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett, Toronto – “Supercrazyalive”


Emails/Evites/Eblasts – Grip Limited – “Kokanee Ranger Live or Die Personalized Invitation”

Entertainment Miscellaneous – The Vacuum – “Watchmen: 6 Minutes To Midnight Interactive Trailer”


Self-Promotion Websites – Zulu Alpha Kilo – “Think Website”

Graphic Design

Complete Design Program – lg2boutique – “Maison Théâtre”

Environmental Design – Nolin BBDO – “Milk-So Much To Love Mobile Store”


Graphic Design Miscellaneous – Clean – “The Lakeview”

Advertising Print


Consumer Magazine Ad Single – GREY Canada – “Cheddar”

Consumer Magazine Ad Campaign – Rethink – “Paris/Tom/Amy”


Public Service Campaign – Rethink – “Treadmill/Boxing/Wheelchair Basketball”

Advertising Transit Campaign – Rethink – “Candy Floss/Caramel Apple/Snow Cone”

Advertising Transit Single – Rethink – “Caramel Apple”

Trade Ad Campaign – DDB Canada Vancouver – “Carpet/Bars/Clock”

Trade Ad Single – DDB Canada Vancouver – “Carpet”

Public Service Ad Single – Juniper Park – “Rubber Ducky”

Advertising Photography Campaign – Juniper Park – “Hummingbird/Shears/Spade”


Advertising Photography Single – Don Dixon Film + Photography – “Purell Toilet Subway”

Advertising Posters Campaign – DDB Canada, Toronto – “Brian/David/Kim”


Advertising Poster Single – DDB Canada, Toronto – “Brian”

Advertising Billboard Single – Saatchi & Saatchi, Toronto – “Mantle”


Advertising Billboard Campaign – Leo Burnett, Toronto – “Share Our Billboard Campaign”

Advertising Best Art Direction – Lowe Roche – “600 Years/Napoleon/Obsession”

Advertising Miscellaneous – BBDO Toronto – “Ice”


Michael O’Reilly Best Copywriting Award

Copywriting, Advertising Print – Grey – “Barbell”

Copywriting, TV– TBWA\Vancouver – “The Overanalyzing The Film People/The 
Not Really Into Foreign Films People/The Seat-Saving People”

Broadcast

Radio Public Service Campaign – TBWA\Vancouver – “Break and Enter/Structure Fire/Suspicious Person”

Crafts, Animation – BBDO Toronto – “Muffin Man”

Crafts, Cinematography – Target – “Find Yourself Here”

TV Single 30 Seconds – Leo Burnett, Toronto – “Pee Pee”

TV Single, 60 Seconds- BBDO Toronto – “Batlle In A Bag”
BBDO Toronto – “Battle In A Bag”

TV Single, $50,000 or less – doug agency – “Scooter”

TV Single, Retail – DDB Vancouver – “Chase”

TV Campaign – Cossette – “Karate Chop/Monkeys/Robot Friend”

TV Single, 15 Seconds – Cossette – “Robot Friend”

TV Public Service Campaign – Rethink – “Kama Sutra/Scrapbooking/Mt. Everest”

TV Public Service Single – john st. – “Help Child Soldiers”

Advertising Multimedia

Advertising Multimedia Campaign – john st. – “The Wiserhood”

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Seneca College Creative Advertising Gets Featured in Metro Daily



Today the Creative Advertising program got featured in the Toronto edition of the Metro Daily.

We have worked hard to make this program a leader in creative and strategic planning of advertising communication. Along the way we have added many a great alumni to the industry in Canada and around the world.

I thank my colleagues and the students enough for their endless support and passion that make my job as a professor and the leadership I bring to the program everyday.

I was asked in the interview what is the one thing I need to deliver in the program everyday. The answer is simple... PASSION!

Earlier in the year I did a similar interview with Scott Goodson of StrawberryFrog NYC for his blog and I invite you to see more on how Seneca Creative Advertising truly "Changes" the rules of advertising education.

Click here to view the Metro article

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Crowdsourcing Comes With Plenty of Opinions, Questions and Debates

When I posted the launch of Victors&Spoils many a colleague in education had questions and opinions. They varied from fear of a talent drain, the lack of direction and voice for brands and of course the employability of our graduates. But I got this Facebook post today from an repspected alumni who voiced his thoughts, it opened a big and passioante debate.

I wanted to share these thougths and gain other insights and comments. 
Anthony...  

I'm looking at - Victor & Spoils, Poptent, and all these other sites trying to crowdsource young and hungry talent and I'll I can think is what a waste.

The next Ogilvy, Goodson, or Bogusky will not get the support and learning that comes with senior staff or the support structure to make mistakes.

Instead they will sell their "brightest ideas" for pennies on the dollar to "old boomer" businessmen, then will end up get factory jobs to work on their novels. If I was you, I'd invest in Penguin Books. When we (they) are done driving away all the talent in this industry they are going to make a killing! 

In advertising we have been complaining about the RFP process for years - its a drain on paying clients, not representative of the work and thinking that goes into what we do... ect.

How is the next logical step to download that on to freelancers?

Yes, there is a hole in the market. There are a lot of talented and educated people who could be doing great work that are not.

But you know what else is tragic?

The social, economic and environmental problems facing the world today.

If your thinking of throwing your work onto a crowdsourcing site I have a simple suggestion.

BE AN ENTREPRENEUR.
START A COMPANY.
FIND A PROBONO CAUSE/CLIENT
DO GREAT WORK.
GET NOTICED.
AND NEVER EVER SELL YOURSELF SHORT.

You might just find your taking resumes instead of handing them out. 

(That's some Switch Thinking - free of charge)

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Hog Blog (Sally Hogshead) - One of My Favorite People Delivers Again


Sally Hogshead is one of my favorite people in this crazy biz. She inspires me and in turn inspires so many.

With the last name "Hogshead" it is a given that there is likely an unconventional point of view after surviving years of harassment on the playground. Sally has been described by the press as "audacious," "intrepid," a "mastermind" and "the Oracle of Venice Beach." Today Sally is a speaker, author, and branding expert on radical innovation and career coaching.

She has for the past few years offered some of the greatest insights that I share regularly with my students on career planning, goal setting and life skills. But that is just the inspiration part of Sally Hogshead, she has made me laugh more then once with witty Facebook and Twitter posts.

In just her second year in advertising, Sally won more awards than any other writer in the country, and at age 23, began giving keynote speeches on branding and personal performance. She co-founded her first ad agency the celebrated boutique agency, Robaire & Hogshead at the age of 27 and created notable campaigns for some of today’s biggest and hottest brands. In 2001, Sally founded the West Coast office of Crispin Porter + Bogusky. At CP+B she had the dual role of Creative Director/Managing Director, Sally created and led work for MINI, Rock the Vote, Fine Living Network and Ikea.

Her book "Radical Careering" is often on loan from my office for the whole semester. Radical Careering is a both a must read book and her website/blog "Hog Blog" is must read... regularly.


I was checking in on the the "HogBlog" and came upon her latest format for the blog. A wonderful typographic design and clearly as noted, "ADD Friendly Reading". These little inspirational snapshots are from what she regularly posts on both Facebook and Twitter. Each offers the reader a moment to reflect on their own career and life each day, if not that then a moment to pause and say...Hmmmmmm! A few personal favorites of mine are:

"Passion is not a luxury. It's an imperative"
"The most risky decision is not making one"
"The most risky decision is not making one"
"The best creative thinkers aren't those who can come up with THE brilliant idea, but can keep going when ideas get killed over and over"
"Results + reputation + network = your market value"
"A “balanced” life is not the same as living half-assed" "Options = power. Choices translate to greater control in your career, and in life"
"Circumstances can’t cripple your career as much as doubt or passivity.
If you haven't heard of or never followed Sally, now is the time to start. You will learn, grow and find more about your potential than in any one place.

Additional Hogshead Reading:


Eighty-Three Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me WHile I was Learning To Be Creative
Communication Arts - Slaughter the Sacred Cows

 

Friday, November 6, 2009

Breaking the Myth of Soya... The Facts and The Fiction



"Customized" YouTube Channeling is nothing new but here's a bit of a twist. YouTube and Silk Canada launched a new "channel" that will use "deep link annotations" allowing for Questions and Answer videos and redirects like never before.

Silk Canada is helping Canadians sort fact from fiction through a new four-week multi-platform campaign that supports the soy milk beverage brand.

Developed by Leo Burnett and its digital arm Arc, the campaign will have its own "branded" YouTube channel that will ask consumers to “bust” or “believe” various facts like “It takes seven years for gum to work its way through the body.”

On the site there are 10 questions that offer the consumer choices. When the consumers picks “Bust it” there are directed to another video that dispells the myth. “Teachers made this up so we’d spit out our gum,” it reads.

The campaign uses allows users to interact with the content and view different videos while staying within the branded page. This is first time YouTube has offered these annotations anywhere in the world, and are now available to all advertisers, said Bill Tighe, account executive, Google Inc.

“The client is very focused on debunking myths around soy specifically and our objective for the campaign was to do it in a disruptive and highly engaging manner,” said Robin Hassan, director, digital, Starcom MediaVest, the agency responsible for campaign buying and planning.

In addition, the YouTube "SIlk" channel also contains directed links to the brand’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The effort also includes online banners and starting Nov. 16, print ads in Toronto’s Metro containing codes that readers can scan with their cellphones, plus printable coupons are offered when you join the Facebook group.

Currently over 8,000 views have been made.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Concept of Crowdsourcing Grows - Snickers

There has much written in the past few weeks about crowding sourcing. Last week the opening of Victors&Spoils, the worlds first "crowdsourcing" model agency comes a major brand seeking the best of what is the "crowd".

Snickers, yes that unique, delicious, and substantial combination of peanuts, chocolate, caramel and nougat... well they have launch a opportunity on PopTent to create and develop video content starring Snickers.

Snickers is looking for either traditional ‘commercials’ or pass-along (viral) videos — original, authentic and entertaining Snickers content which consumers will pass along, and use as inspiration for their own content creation.

The challenge is to be creative, so don’t just follow the approach of previous Snickers® campaigns. You can either:

• Produce a fun, engaging traditional :30 second commercial
• Or produce a pass-along (viral) video of about :30 seconds in length … you choose

The Brief
Your creative ‘bulls eye’ is males age 18-34. Snickers® has played a memorable role in ‘guy culture,’ with a long and celebrated history as the ‘go-to-bar’ for satisfying hunger.

The Pay-off

You could earn $5,000 for each video they purchase or one of the $2000 in guaranteed awards.
Go to the PopTent site to register and read the Creative Brief for all the details and some more delicious inspiration.


Monday, November 2, 2009

Hopenhagen. Join the Movement!



Hopenhagen is a movement, a movement and a chance at a new beginning... a grassroots movement.
This December, world leaders will gather at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to determine the fate of our planet. The hope is to turn Copenhagen into Hopenhagen... and "Hopenhagen" is a movement to create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. Hopenhagen is change — and it can be powered by all of us.

The hope that in Copenhagen – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – leaders of the world can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life. It is the hope that we can create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. The promise that by solving our environmental crisis, we can solve our economic crisis at the same time.

"Hopenhagen" is about change – It has a simple mandate, connect every person, every city, and every nation to Copenhagen. Not that simple, but as we learn everyday that the globe is getting smaller and smaller. in addition, to give everyone hope, and a platform from which to act, and to create a grassroots movement that’s powerful enough to influence change.


Using several "socila media" platforms, "Hopenhagen" has developed one of the best in terms of engagement, they created a Passport connected exclusively with a Facebook apps and Facebook group with 8,550+ members at the time of writing this. The Passport allows for individuals to collect a series of "stamps" for various deeds completed such as committing to sending out an email to encourage others to join, sign petitions etc. Members earn points and can see their rank ridse with others around the world.




Why am I joining "Hopenhagen"? We are in much worse shape now than anyone could have anticipated, but we've also never been closer to rallying the world leaders to solving the problem of global warming once and for all.

Maybe, just maybe we can make a difference.

Hey it's worth a shot!



I wanted to also bring to your attention if you were not follow another grassroots effort to announce the "Copenhagen" conference, earlier this spring several of my the students entered the YouTube Young Lions competition to gain a seat on the beach at Cannes during the Cannes Advertising Festival.

The competition was based around the development of a :60 second message that will tell people why December's UN climate change summit in Copenhagen is one of the most important meetings in human history, and that the clock is ticking on our chances to save the world from the effects of climate change. Basically,this and future generations need all governments to sign an ambitious agreement to secure our future.  What's at stake if the summit fails to reach an agreement? Poor countries will be hit even harder by the effects of climate change, mass migrations will become commonplace and food and water will become more scarce.

According to the YouTube Young Lions site, it was a difficult choice for the judges and a close-run finish. the sheer quality of the entries received, both in terms of creativity and execution, as well as the work and time that went into getting votes and views was nothing short of outstanding. The competition received 692 entries and over 100,000 votes in two weeks.

Adeline Chew (27) from Malaysia and Guy Dayan (27) from Israel have won the viral ad competition to promote Oxfam's climate change campaign and will now become 'Team YouTube', the 39th team competing in the 2009 Young Lions Film Competition.

Rory Sutherland, Vice-chairman, Ogilvy Group UK and one of the contest judges, said: "It is chastening to all of us to see that good ideas and excellent executions can be created in 48 hours."

Creatives were given 48 hours to submit their one-minute ad and then had a further two weeks to make their YouTube ad go viral by any means necessary.

Above was my personal favorite. The clock is ticking, time is running out and we need to find it in our hearts to cahnge.

Below are the two winning entries that found the winners competiting during the Young Lions at the Cannes Festival in June.


Guy Dayan - Mizbala, Israel



Adeline Chew - JWT, Malaysia



 
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