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Opinion | Features
Innovation is the remedy for the ailing magazine industry
With magazine circulations plummeting, FHM closing and rumours rife on future ownership of ACP Magazines, Paul Merrill says the only way forward is launching new titles.Eight years ago in the UK, nearly a quarter of all magazine sales came from magazines that were less than four years old. In Australia, the figure was slightly lower, but still significant. Today, the situation is very different. For a start there are so few new magazines. Yes, Masterchef briefly flared, and Top Gear made an initial impact. But Grazia and Alpha fizzled, and now ACP has shelved their plans to launch Elle.
More than a game: broadcasting the Olympics
The 2012 London Olympics will be the biggest televised sporting event of our time. Brooke Hemphill discovers the logistical challenges and technical requirements of producing the event.
From July 27 to August 12, the Australian media will go sport crazy as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, aka the 2012 London Summer Olympics, unfold. The games will be the most televised sporting event of our time as broadcasters look to master every manner of technology at their disposal.
The Voice - Australia's best example yet of social TV
In this guest post, Sputnik’s Rodd Messent has a theory on why audiences have taken to The Voice .I am an addict of Channel Nine’s hit show The Voice. Such is the extent of my addiction I seriously think my housemate might kick me out of our apartment for the semi-frenzied yelling and tweeting that ensues in our lounge room each time the show airs.It’s the first time in almost three years that such disagreement has resulted in less than civil behaviour towards one another, and it’s made me think it might be a microcosm of the large volume of online debate about the show and, correspondingly, an explanation for its success as a social TV experience.Why brands are the US Army - and culture jammers are the Viet Cong
In this guest posting, Dave Burgess, who painted ‘No War’ on the Sydney Opera House, claims that ‘amoral’ advertisers have copied his idea.
Culture jamming is a 28-year-old term coined by the San Francisco-based band Negativland, who declared that the ‘Studio for the cultural jammer is the world at large’.
Branded content is dead. Long live branded content
In this guest posting, Anthony Freedman argues why branded content is making a comeback.
A few short years ago, probably concurrent with the advent of the PVR, a new term emerged within the marketing communications industry; branded content. This was really synonymous with advertiser funded TV shows where programming was created by brands and deals struck with networks to broadcast them.
There were varying degrees of success with this model.
Shock advertising: 30 ads that would give Australia's ad watchdog a coronary
Is shock an underused weapon in Australian advertising, asks Robin HicksToday, Sydney agency The Cabana Boys used an image of a mouth sewn together to shock people with the idea that problem gamblers lie to conceal their habit. Is it the most disturbing image ever? No. Will it get banned by the Advertising Standards Bureau? No. But it did make me wonder why shock is not used more often in Australia – and not just by charities and government bodies. (WARNING: NSFW)
The making of ratings blockbuster The Voice
Jason Mountney goes on the set of Channel Nine’s talent search series, The Voice, to see how the format, based on an international franchise, has come together. What ingredients have gone into making this certified hit that’s rated more than two million viewers on three consecutive nights?
Mike Goldman has one of the toughest jobs on the set of the Nine network’s new talent show, The Voice. He not only has to narrate the show, but also keep the audience from losing their enthusiasm as they realise shooting TV programs takes a lot longer than the one-hour bursts they see in their lounge rooms. A lot longer.
Nine problems stopping The Global Mail from getting an audience
While it’s a shame The Global Mail has failed to make an impact on the media landscape, the signs have been there for some time.I love the concept of a well resourced, philanthropically-funded independent news site. Anywhere in the world, that’s a rare and wonderful thing. In Australia even more so. So I hope that Grame Wood gets to see his investment make a difference.
And I have no inside info on whether Monica Attard’s sudden departure is linked to the site’s failure to find an audience so far.
Regardless, here are nine areas they can easily start to address:
Journalism’s new model?
Does the launch of philanthropically funded news site The Global Mail signal a new era for journalism or is the model destined to be a passing fad, asks Cathie McGinn in this article first published in Encore magazine.With little fanfare, philanthropically funded news site The Global Mail launched in February this year.
The online-only title received a generous five-year funding commitment from businessman Graeme Wood, founder of accommodation website wotif.com, who donated $15million.
Five things that make a great suit
In this guest posting, Gareth Collins argues that the role of a great account manager is to make the work betterI’m surprised at how many suits I meet who don’t know their role in the advertising business. The question ‘what does an advertising account manager or director do?’ is frequently met with answers such as project manager, relationship manager, plate spinner or go between … and those are the nice ones.
Success is judged on the ability to manage a process, be strong administratively and get stuff done. And while a good suit needs to do all of these things brilliantly, if these are the traits that define a great suit, then I’m in the wrong job.
What the hell is transmedia?
From advertising campaigns to online video series, the term ‘transmedia’ gets quite the work out. But what does it actually mean? Cathie McGinn trawls the media landscape for a definitive definition.
Transmedia, all media and multiplatform are terms often used interchangeably when referencing modern storytelling techniques. Yet, depending who you speak to, there are distinct differences between them.
The top seven...most patronising pieces of communication
Sometimes brands have big ideas. Sometimes marketers get so caught up with a grandiose idea that instead of finding engaging ways to sell breakfast cereal, they start to believe their own rhetoric. And sometimes it’s just lazy marketing. Here are my top seven inadvertently patronising pieces of communication…
1) Last night thousands of women gathered in Sydney’s Centennial Park to take part in She Runs the Night, an event created by Nike.
TV audience measurement – why big isn’t always beautiful
In this guest post, Chris Walton argues that the media industry needs to take a new approach to TV tradingThere has been a significant amount of coverage recently about how successful The Voice has been. Indeed, audience figures of 2.6m+ people are very impressive these days. Based on reports, this is apparently double the size of audience that Nine was hoping for in the lead up to the programme launching.
How do you solve a problem like Blunty?
So if you were the proposed News Standards Body, how would you regulate Blunty?The News Standards Body, in case you didn’t notice, is the new organisation proposed by the Convergence Review this week to regulate news and commentary, regardless of platform.
Blunty, in case you didn’t notice, is the video blogger who this week went viral after he filmed a guerrilla marketing demo outside Apple’s Sydney store apparently as a coincidental bystander, but later admitted he’d been put up to it by BlackBerry.
40 ads where music made the difference - and why agencies should think of music first, not last
Music can make an average ad great. So why, Robin Hicks asks, is music the last thing a creative thinks about when writing an ad?My favourite TV ad of the year so far is the Let Yourself Go spot for Kangaroo Island.
When it didn’t win Mumbrella’s Ad of the Month for March (it came third) I felt aggrieved for the agency that made it. But less so a week later when it emerged that the agency had paid celebrities to tweet nice things about its work.
Let Yourself Go is a stunning spot with lots of pretty images. But it would probably have had a similar effect on me if I’d watched a blank screen for 60 seconds.
Big up to Boost
Have you seen the Cadbury’s Boost ads from GPY&R Melbourne yet?
They’re pretty good.
Tim Burrowes
July 5th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
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Comments
5 Jul 10
1:43 pm
I like them – they’re quirky which appeals.
5 Jul 10
1:51 pm
I agree with you Tim, really like these. Short, different and funny.
5 Jul 10
1:53 pm
Awesome. Keep up good work GPYR.
It’s ads like these that create discussion and give people a laugh (or cringe) but ultimately keep us punters entertained.
More please.
Dan
5 Jul 10
2:14 pm
They’re a bit confusing but in a good way… i like them too.
Good idea to stear away from the cheesy American angle & going for quirky english humour.
5 Jul 10
2:15 pm
Great fun – well done! I like the content and the execution.
I presume this isnt the work of GPYR Brisbane??!!
5 Jul 10
2:15 pm
No, do not like it – the chocolate bar model looks a little too phallic in these ads. In no way does it make me want to go out and buy a boost bar.
5 Jul 10
2:17 pm
I thought the Boost account was with The Furnace?
5 Jul 10
2:30 pm
Two things come to mind when I watch this – giant turd and penis.
And no, it doesn’t make me want to eat it.
5 Jul 10
2:33 pm
I hate them, they put me of the product so much so I would never buy one. Looks like a big fat T…d . Just disgusuting.
5 Jul 10
2:39 pm
Wow! Um, how does this ad make me want to buy that chocolate bar?
This Boost Bar sounds like all the losers I ever shared with in my 20′s and that’s certainly not something I’d go out and buy again, nor does it get me thinking of eating chocolate? WTF?
Agency-centric humour. This gives polishing a turd new meaining.
What a shame – the cruisy afro crew were yummier, feel good and soothing. Just like good chocolate.
5 Jul 10
2:53 pm
sorry, not for me
5 Jul 10
3:11 pm
I think i have to agree that these seem like an in joke for the adland crowd.
They’re quirky, confusing and almost funny. But, personally, they definitely don’t make me want to go buy a boost bar.
That’s ok though, maybe the target market is adland people.
5 Jul 10
3:18 pm
Love them. Shame Boosts aren’t actually that size. beats another ad showing flowing chocolate.!!
@Liz : Big up to Boost’ Have you seen the Cadbury’s Boost ads from GPY&R MELBOURNE yet?
Spot the clue?
5 Jul 10
3:51 pm
Oh so Peep Show inspired.
It’s entertaining. Not much to say about a chocolate bar. I like the approach that they haven’t bothered, just developed a personality that’s entertaining and watchable.
5 Jul 10
4:26 pm
Gold!!! These cracked me up, Flake-style!
5 Jul 10
4:58 pm
Are they pitching this purely to Pom backpackers who are flatsharing and basically being annoying? Because they are really lame. Not funny, and I agree, the chocolate looks like a big turd.
5 Jul 10
5:49 pm
What happened to the Scottish bloke?
5 Jul 10
6:12 pm
These ads are a bigger load of turd than the giant one that stars in them.
5 Jul 10
6:40 pm
Love them. More. More. More.
5 Jul 10
8:20 pm
From viewing the images before pressing play; the delicacies of topical discussion look likes Twix’… :s
5 Jul 10
8:21 pm
p.s. the top one (before pressing play) – looks a little bit like ‘chk chk boom’ chick…
5 Jul 10
8:57 pm
How does associating your product with annoying british backpackers make it appealing to consumers? Standing alone they would make slightly amusing skits, but as a TV advert designed to sell me Boost bars they are miserable. The bubbling stew of chocolate toe jam in particular is a novel way to entice me to try their product.
5 Jul 10
11:04 pm
If it looks like cr*p, sounds like cr*p it is crap! for a very good product you really have lost the marketing plot.
6 Jul 10
8:59 am
Agency ECD and client should be fired. These ads demonstarte incompetence to an astonishing degree.
6 Jul 10
9:25 am
The bloody pommy accent is just annoying…not clever even.
Would the last pom to leave the UK advertising industry to
come to Australia, please turn out the light.
Know wo’ eye meeeeaaaann?
6 Jul 10
9:41 am
I would wager the naysayers above also said “A gorilla playing the drums doesn’t make my want to buy Cadbury. They don’t even show the product!”
6 Jul 10
10:25 am
the point of these ads is to be memorable. if they stand out and are different, then they’re memorable. doesn’t matter if you like them or hate them.
6 Jul 10
10:34 am
I think these are great ads- they definitely stand out- but will they sell chocolate?
Food TVCs are tricky briefs. You really need to leave the viewer with a mouth watering moment, and push the product romancing scenes- to get the consumer to walk down the street to purchase the product.
I know creative’s will disagree to an extent- but if anything- you should have at least 40% of your shots dedicated to product or product consumption.
Also agree with #22 Adrian: I found the toe jam scene a strange choice in a food ad.
Look at how the big boys do it. KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, HJ’s etc. They may be crap ads creatively, but if you’re sitting there hungry (and eat that type of food), the thought to go BUY is pretty strong.
Thinking back to the last Boost TVC’s- Roller Guru- even those had a great product romancing and product shots. I’d bet my left nut that ad sold more chocolate bars than this one.
6 Jul 10
10:37 am
If people hate them, why would they buy the product. The ads are a ridiculous indulgent rib tickler for creatives living on another planet burning the clients money as they stroke their creative egos…They stood out…just like their ignorance
6 Jul 10
3:09 pm
These ads and the comments are reminding me of that scene from Caddyshack…
7 Jul 10
11:09 am
Great ads for Mars Bars, Crunchies, Chikitos, Violet Crumbles, Snickers – in fact, any chocolate bar other than the humorless blind mullets they promote.
8 Jul 10
1:48 am
Please tell me how these ads will build the Boost brand (anyone?) And how they’ll make people buy them.
8 Jul 10
9:14 am
Aaaaaargh!
I’m stuck in moron-land. Help! Help!
8 Jul 10
9:15 am
Referring to the comment stream… not the ads.
8 Jul 10
9:22 am
I think you were right the first time
12 Jul 10
7:35 pm
Can anyone explain to me what’s GOOD about these ads? Anyone?