-
Opinion
Happy birthday, Twitter
It was four years ago today… Read more »
Battle of Big Thinking part 5: Incentives for altruism; Microfinance; Companies doing good
Wednesday saw the APG’s Battle of Big Thinking. The fifth and final session covered big government and social ideas.
Speaker: Tim Gartrell, CEO, Auspoll
Topic: The value of a government-incentivised worthy program
Quote: “For many people, the best they can do is to donate money.” Read more »
SBS – too small to matter, too important to kill
Later this year, SBS will celebrate its 30th anniversary as full time TV service. Unless something changes, I doubt it will be around to celebrate a 40th.
Depending how you look at it, SBS either needs to get a lot bigger, or a lot smaller. Read more »
Why SBS still matters
SBS managing director Shaun Brown argues that despite the growth of online access to overseas news, the need for the broadcaster remains.
At its best the media can play an empowering role helping to foster social cohesiveness – it acts as a mirror, a mentor and a mediator. Read more »
Battle of Big Thinking part 4: Music discovery, Broadband and content; Nibble
Wednesday saw the APG’s Battle of Big Thinking. The fourth session covered big media ideas. In my view it was the weakest session of the five. Read more »
Battle of Big Thinking part 3: Marketing is arse; Fighting mediocrity; action-based advertising
Wednesday saw the APG’s Battle of Big Thinking. The third session covered big advertising and marketing ideas. For me it was the most entertaining of the five sessions.
Speaker: Geoff Ross, founder of 42 Below vodka
Topic: Marketing is a bunch of arse
Quote: “Marketing has largely become impotent. Read more »
Battle of the Big Thinking part 2; Giving voice to bloggers; Trust and the human voice; Closing SBS to fund journalism
Yesterday saw the APG’s Battle of Big Thinking. The second session covered big storytelling ideas.
Speaker: Antony Loewenstein, Writer
Topic: Why the western press is failing to use alternative voices
Quote: “A lot of people in the corporate press are not so much afraid as unimaginative.” Read more »
Battle of Big Thinking part 1: Creating unique brands; Changing the world; Perth vs Sydney
Yesterday saw the APG’s Battle of Big Thinking. The first session covered big business ideas.
Speaker: Peter Williams – CEO, Deloitte Digital
Topic: The formula for changing the world
Quote: “Any match in the box can start a fire.” Read more »
Carlton ads show it’s possible for a client to kill a campaign twice
Remember the furore over the banned Carlton ads?
Suspicious types predicted they’d quickly leak onto the internet.
And sure enough, they are indeed now online, triggering more suspicion that the whole thing was a plan all along.
However, who looks to me like a brand new fumbling of the digital strategy to go on top of the earlier mess, at least proves the whole thing was a genuine cock-up. Read more »
Live from SXSW. Day 2. The question about data nobody asked
In his second guest posting from the SXSW conference in Texas, Sound Alliance commercial director Ben Shepherd talks about the big question that nobody asked. Read more »
Why I’m over live blogging (and I’m not sure about live tweeting either)
I’m falling out of love with live blogging, and indeed live tweeting, from events. Too often, you end up being little more than a snarky dictaphone.
My moment of clarity came yesterday, on the first day of Adtech, and my last live blog may come this afternoon at the APG’s Battle of Big Thinking. Read more »
What’s happening at the other digital conference…
In his guest posting, Sound Alliance commercial director Ben Shepherd writes from the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas where he learnt that “Twitter is just a bunch of digital people talking to themselves, about themselves”.
Adtech Sydney live blog: The financial CEOs
Welcome back to Adtech Sydney. The CEOs mentioned in the headline above are Roger Grobler of Real Insurance, Gerd Schenkel of UBank and Harry Wendt of Westpac. So expect finance fun. Read more »
Adtech Sydney – early impressions: nothing to start a riot; nothing to stop a riot
We’re half way through day one of AdTech Sydney, my netbook is recharged and it’s back to the grindstone.
So what to make of it so far? Read more »
Adtech live blog – Big ideas (and why iSpyLevis wasn’t one)
Welcome back to Adtech Sydney.
We’re into the second session, and I’m sitting in on a debate on Big ideas. Read more »
Cadbury’s ad celebrates dogs in cars
Dairy Milk in Australia is having another go at tapping into the viral success in other parts of the world of Cadbury’s epic Glass And A Half Full productions.
Featuring a Blue Danube soundtrack, the ad – reportedly shot on the Oran Park raceway in NSW - consists of dogs leaning out of the window of Lamborghini repainted in Cadbury’s colours.
The ad has been created by Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney. The last attempt to localise something in Cadbury’s Glass And A Half Full Productions series was a remix of the drumming gorilla, using John Farnham’s You’re the Voice. The move was poorly received.
-
RSS Feeds
-
Email Newsletter
THE MUMBO REPORT
-
In today’s Mumbo Report from Studio 33:
- Most played ads of the week – Specsavers takes a swipe at OPSM and The Biggest Loser endorses pizza
- Turkey time – childhood trauma and buying a Ford Fiesta
-
Latest News
- CRA: Digital radio has already overtaken the internet (if you don't count most of the internet)
- Vizeum Sydney set to lose 70% of billings
- Ex CommBank marketing boss - sack the agency for their lazy, uncampaignable ads
- Seven leads Sunday, with Bones and Air Ways nipping at Ten's share of younger viewers
- Business leaders come together in campaign to end indigenous disadvantage
- Jetstar to switch 40% of marketing budget into social media
- CareerOne.com.au moves onto Monster's global platform
- Nine brings back hit reality show The Block
Dr Mumbo
- Mediacom's 'elite' athletes take home the trophy
- Now The Telegraph does pet obituaries (if you work for them)
- Swing your pants with Carlton Draught
- In praise of the visiting fireman
- 'Fly and be free' all you frustrated creatives
- World exclusive: Someone famous was in the same restaurant as me
- The Big Pond telephonic wall of defence had no comment
- What every social media expert needs: non-explosive handcream
-
Latest Comments
- Dex on CRA: Digital radio has already overtaken the internet (if you don’t count most of the internet)
- Shaun Le Cornu on Jetstar to switch 40% of marketing budget into social media
- Jay on Jetstar to switch 40% of marketing budget into social media
- Damo on Nine brings back hit reality show The Block
- Fry on Carlton Draught ads are pulled again
- Toby on Carlton Draught ads are pulled again
- Long time listener, first time caller... on Ex CommBank marketing boss – sack the agency for their lazy, uncampaignable ads
- Lee on Nine brings back hit reality show The Block
Other News
Natalie Tran – the 224m view YouTube hit
Sunday Telegraph
55% of news stories came from PR
Crikey
How print content could look on the iPad
Media Guardian
Ikon shows strongest growth in Nielsen report
B&T
Would you associate your brand with Chatroulette?
AdAge.com
Nine boss fury at NRL support for Seven show
Sunday Telegraph
RIP Andrew Jaffe, the man who saved the Clios
New York Times
Seven pushes on with Seinfeld dud
Sydney Morning Herald
Most Discussed
- Self proclaimed social media gurus? The very idea of it
With 65 comments - Merrick's time may be up
With 53 comments - PR fakes, doorstep interviews, smoking gun emails and current affairs shows
With 52 comments - Why passing the change baton to journalists is not a good idea
With 47 comments - Why I'm over live blogging (and I'm not sure about live tweeting either)
With 33 comments - A "Visionary" in Press release Writing (with random Capital letters)
With 31 comments - Anti social media (part 1067) Silkcharm vs Warlach
With 30 comments - Goodbye Vega, hello Classic Rock
With 30 comments
- Self proclaimed social media gurus? The very idea of it

Comments
2 Nov 09
9:23 am
The ad is shot at Oran Park if the grandstand in the background is any indication.
I’m not in marketing, just a simple consumer . . . and I am totally baffled by this advert and how it is meant to increase the sales of chocolate . . . . ????
I would prefer they save the money and drop the price of the product. That will stimulate sales more than a drumming gorilla or dogs in a car. Appears they could save lots of money on marketing salaries, too.
2 Nov 09
9:38 am
nope, not a fan. bland.
2 Nov 09
9:39 am
Gorrilla spot- fantastic.
The eyebrow kids- great spot.
Dogs in cars- utter crap.
2 Nov 09
9:39 am
It’s weird the trade rags are only picking this up now, it was first broadcast almost 2 weeks ago on TV and the site’s been live for a while.
I really like it … plus the dog at 0.38 is the same as mine. Not sure how it directly relates to chocolate but I think it brings a bit of fun and creativity to a 1 min ad
2 Nov 09
9:40 am
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
2 Nov 09
9:41 am
I love this ad!! Agree that there is no direct correlation between the product and the ad. I thought it must be for pedigree or something at first with their “we’re for dogs” tagline.
2 Nov 09
9:41 am
What Art said.
2 Nov 09
9:52 am
From a simple marketer.
Salience and association Matt, are the goals of these kinds of ads.
You get the association, as a consumer, through the entertainment value in it.
Then you’re meant to say “oh hey, seen that ad for Cadbury? Cool huh?” or, when next passing the supermarket shelf, stop and go “oh, Cadbury. I remember that ad. It’s cool, I’ll get some”.
This one, in my opinion, isn’t half as bad as the gorilla with whipsering jack over-dubbed. Doesn’t have that same affect as a localised American ad, with Australian accents over-dubbed (makes me cringe every time I see one of those). It’s actually pretty engaging, in my opinion and it resonates in the mind (mine at least).
The first two, with the Phil Collins gorilla and the eye-dancing kids, were gold. Fantastic executions. Artistically engaging and memorable.
Downside though, they were almost too good so continuance was always going to be hard.
This one would’ve been better as the first, than the third. It’s a good ad, but following the gorilla or those kids? It definitely runs a distant third.
2 Nov 09
9:55 am
It does nothing for me. If there were less dogs, it was in serious slo-mo and we saw real pleasure on a couple of dogs’ faces … maybe with a proper big grin and a drool trail disappearing into the wind as they just looked amazingly happy … MAYBE then the ad would work to evoke pleasure. As it is, I bet there’s another 4 dogs playing poker in the back seat, which is where the real action is!
2 Nov 09
9:56 am
Sarah
I am certain a dog food brand somewhere already used the dogs out the window idea for their product.
2 Nov 09
9:57 am
Agree with Tama.
Poor and dull execution, and I’m a dog lover.
2 Nov 09
10:05 am
Meh! iAd2.0 in my opinion.
Also what happened to good ole research – most chocolate has a toxic effect on domestic pooches. Any correlation in my head is not a good one – unless of course the subtext is dogs living by the “live fast, die young” ethos but I can’t see it.
2 Nov 09
10:07 am
Meh – carries on a bit too long I think. Initially thought the idea had some entertainment value but the fact that there is absolutely no correlation to the product and the ad doesn’t evolve at all, just seems like a slight disappointment.
2 Nov 09
10:16 am
great brand alignment, poor execution, poor creative…
If the car was going faster to get more “flap” from the dogs cheeks and then the dogs were in super slow mo… it could have worked
Plus it was just avg. seeing the dog harnesses holding the dogs in… amateur.
2 Nov 09
10:39 am
Agree with 1.Tama Leaver on this, could’ve been done better.
Loved the phil collins gorilla. The JF one, bad bad move. The kids – annoying. This is boring and doesn’t invoke a sense of joy at all.
2 Nov 09
12:40 pm
It’s not the most joyful ad, is it?
2 Nov 09
2:44 pm
Chocolate isn’t good for dogs.
2 Nov 09
2:46 pm
Its quite simple really. Chocolate is supposed to be fun and not taken too seriously. If you didn’t smile when you first saw the ad, you are only kidding yourself.
2 Nov 09
2:47 pm
i agree with tama – should have been one dog – super slow motion – happiness and joy with tongues and slobber jiggling ever so slowly in the wind
2 Nov 09
3:03 pm
Am I the only one who thinks of “Animals Close-Up with a Wide-Angle Lens Wearing Hats” when looking at this but somehow missing the irony?
I can just imagine the brainstorming meeting on this one… “we need DOGS in CARS! …ummm….purple sports cars! yeah! BRILLIANT!”
2 Nov 09
3:15 pm
I really like this ad. I makes me laugh, and probably the execution could have been a little better, as mentioned in the previous comments, but I think it is fun. I think of it as the dogs having fun sticking their heads out of the window…it is their ‘joy’ just as ours is/can be enjoying a bit of chocolate.
2 Nov 09
4:03 pm
OK, I’m joining the thread late and the point that there was no correlation between a drumming gorilla and chocolate has already been made … drat.
Then I thought, being a dog-lover, chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Double-drat.
But I can confirm that it is at ’soon-to-be-closed’ Oran Park. Then it hit me! Did anyone else pick up that the Lambo is driving around Oran Park in thewrong direction. Maybe that is symbolic of the ad!
2 Nov 09
4:22 pm
Why are there no boxers ?
Chocolate is bad for woofers.
Why weren’t they driving a ute [localism anyone ?] not a poncy Lambo
Tama is right. It should have been one dogy [Moi] in super slow mo.
2 Nov 09
4:25 pm
Is this ad made for consumers or award judges. The only correlation between this ad and the product is the colour of the car. Think of your audience would they relate it to chocolate if they didn’t watch it all the way through? This ad is not strong enough to stop the remote flicker. And if you did make it to the end there is often a what the F has that got to do with chocolate?
2 Nov 09
4:55 pm
The whole point of Cadbury’s ads right now is “random.” What did a drumming gorilla have to do with chocolate? What did two kids whose eyebrows danced have to do with Cadbury? In both of those, at no point did you have any idea they were for Cadbury until the end. Yet both ads have been internet sensations and highly remembered, without the chocolate association.
When the eyebrows ad came out, I found it annoying, but my partner and the teenagers (who are miles away from this industry) in my household all thought it was funny and the teenagers facebook and msn messenging went beserk about the ad. Isn’t that what advertisers dream about? Creating an ad that people not only remember and talk about, but also remember who the ad is for? You hear people describing an ad so many times, but when asked who the ad is for, they can’t remember but people always remember that those ads belong to Cadbury.
The latest ad with the dogs made me laugh. Did I associate it with Cadbury – no. But it is similar to the Bondi Flip flash mob. If the general public like it and remember it as a Cadbury ad, then it obviously doesn’t suck.
2 Nov 09
4:59 pm
I like the idea behind this. But the execution just seems so lame. The cliched music doesn’t help either.
2 Nov 09
6:15 pm
This ad is bloody dangerous … some dick head will see the ad and think it’s ok to feed dogs chocolate! Dogs can become poisoned by a substance called Methylxanthine alkaloids which is found in natural products such as chocolate.
3 Nov 09
8:30 am
Like the ad, anything that has my fav furry creatures in it makes me smile. Like chocolate too. Gee never knew that people took ads this seriously.
3 Nov 09
6:21 pm
Fail
3 Nov 09
9:09 pm
Inspiration possibly coming from the “Birds” clip – http://is.gd/4LRty – just putting it out there.
4 Nov 09
4:20 pm
To do it once was cool (Gorilla ad)
To do it twice was interesting (Eyebrows ad)
But to do it three times in an attempt to stay ‘cool’ is just try-hard.
It’s like Sly Stallone trying to do another instalment of Rocky….FAIL.
8 Nov 09
7:24 pm
in case you didn’t know rocky actually made a huge revenue on the last installment so i don’t know how much of a fail that is.
but dogs & chocolate…….wtf?
seriously, it’s not that memorable