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Opinion | Features
Woz not great
In this guest post Tony Prysten argues that the thousand dollar price of seeing out-of-touch Apple co-founder Steve Wozniack on his Australian tour was a waste of money.
This week, for the cost of two iPads (yep, two) I went to the Woz Live conference in Melbourne. I was not impressed.
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.
According to industry experts Encore spoke to, the key elements that define transmedia can be summarised as follows: platform, time, audience, adaptation, and creative collaboration.
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.
Coles unearths Normie Rowe for Shakin’ All Over remake
Coles is sticking with song and dance in its latest commercial, this time featuring a reworking of Shakin’ All Over to promote the message “No added hormones”.
The ad features Normie Rowe who had an Australian hit with the song in the 1960s, along with celebrity chef Curtis Stone.
Ted Horton’s Big Red is the agency behind the ad. Previous songs to get Coles remakes have included Petula Clarke’s Down Town and Status Quo’s Down, Down.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:29 am
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Comments
6 Jan 12
11:51 am
Why do coles continue to assault us with this horrible tripe.
6 Jan 12
11:56 am
I didn’t think it was possible but I think they’ve created a TVC more annoying than “Down, down…”
6 Jan 12
11:57 am
One of the most cringe-worthy ads I’ve ever seen. I sympathise with Coles in that it’s hard to break the traditional retail advertising mould, but surely this is just awful.
6 Jan 12
12:22 pm
Have just seen the coles ad with Curtis Stone and Normie Rowe
Possibly one of the worst ads i have ever seen. As if Curtis Stone
isn’t bad enough you team him up with Rowe who had a hit 40 years ago.
I change the channel everytime this ad comes on.
6 Jan 12
12:33 pm
Does it get any worse than this?
6 Jan 12
1:04 pm
Where’s Ron Casey when you need him?
Seriously. This is just arse gravy of the wateriest order.
Is it illegal to go there when it’s busy, fill a trolley with perishables (meat, frozen goods, fruit and veg) and after they’ve put it through the register apologise profusely for forgetting your wallet and casually walk out.
6 Jan 12
1:48 pm
Ok ted bashers…
Tell me an ad that’s on air right now that’s better….
The first creative director I ever worked with (Steve Grime) said the worst crime in advertising is making advertising nobody cares about. Surely nobody would argue with me that 99%+ of all ads in australia are so bland, and awful because of it, that nobody cares. And nobody would care if they were on air or not, and as a consequence have no effect or affect.
SO, then if we all agree that, then this is in the top 1% of ads in Australia. Enough said. Look at the volume of facebook conversations. Then describe the last ad coles did BEFORE big red.
OK. Case closed. It does its job. Thank you for your attention.
6 Jan 12
2:14 pm
A bulldog – ugly but works
6 Jan 12
2:21 pm
Actually went out of my way yesterday to go to Woolies – this talentless bunch doesn’t deserve my $$
6 Jan 12
2:47 pm
Genius.
6 Jan 12
3:54 pm
wtf?
Really?
Really?
You actually really mean that?
wtf?
6 Jan 12
4:15 pm
“OK. Case closed. It does its job. Thank you for your attention”
And we wonder why consumers HATE advertising.
6 Jan 12
4:17 pm
I like it how they have to introduce who he is. Always a great sign when using a ‘celebrity’.
Should be the end of Stone’s career too.
6 Jan 12
4:21 pm
@dave – no, this is the epitome of the 99% of meaningless, unentertaining drivel that you refer to. The job it’s actually doing is to further cheapen and wreck a previously palatable brand.
Clearly you enjoy working at Big Red, which is lucky for you… so can you let us all know if the Normie Rowe film clip will top and tail with the ad? Would give punters a chance of knowing who on earth he is.
6 Jan 12
4:23 pm
@dave : With that sort of logic you could replace Tony Abbott. Based on that rationale herpes is the best of health, and Steve Grime thought you had a future in advertising.
6 Jan 12
4:48 pm
so Normie Rowe is broke yeah?
6 Jan 12
5:28 pm
It really does feel like they can make them as terrible as they like – it doesn’t matter, because WW doesn’t know how to respond.
6 Jan 12
6:34 pm
Just cringe each time it is put in front of me!!!!
6 Jan 12
6:57 pm
Crap Crap Crap. Pure Crap.
6 Jan 12
10:09 pm
I loved how Curtis was holding the decrepit Normie upright throughout, like a scene from Weekend at Burnie’s. As Jay states (comment no.2) Amazingly, the bar has been lowered even more than Down Down.
7 Jan 12
8:02 am
Here’s a scary thought ——what if they weren’t intentionally trying to make a hideously bad add !!!!! And more to the point for those of us old enough to know who Normie is —— is he ok ? Looks very frail (Betty from the golden girls called and wants her hair back !)
7 Jan 12
4:36 pm
The add is embarassing to watch ,i have to flick, i feel that it is makeing fun of Normie ,and makeing him look like a fool I,dont know who on earth would come up with this, and think that it was ok to show.shame
7 Jan 12
5:46 pm
It also broke the rules of food advertising…
1 don’t mention the gory bits
2 don’t use corpses alongside people eating
3 ‘ no added hormones’ could have been made simpler to understand and definitely more informative as a call to action – Coles ? NAH
7 Jan 12
10:56 pm
You’d have to be 45+ (my age) to know who he is! And quite frankly – we want all the hormones we can get!!!
Note to advertisers – Demographic for “hormone free searchers” – young women with young children.
Solution – NOT AN AGED POP STAR!!! (who we loved, but who is totally irrelevant for this cause).
Who is the complete moron that paid for this?And who is the idiot who thought of it and got lucky and was paid for it? I want his job – too easy to outdo him and I am a gemmologist! BUT I AM A CONSUMER!!!!
7 Jan 12
11:31 pm
blink blink……..blink blink………can anybody tell me WTF I just saw?
My eyes and ears are in pain now!
Someone, please stop that from airing on TV before I stab my eyes with a fork.
8 Jan 12
9:41 am
I submit “Dave” as evidence A.
Case closed
8 Jan 12
4:59 pm
I think the comment ” the worst crime in advertising is making an ad nobody cares about” is exactly the problem with so many Ad agencies in Australia. From the client side, isnt it about making an ad that touches it’s target market with a call to action and positive results for clients ? This was always my goal ! Not at all about making an advert that is so painful to watch it is actually kind of sick making…. And from a consumer viewpoint, I am now repelled even more by this national supermarket monster and it supports my decision to shop at my local IGA (WA) – it made me think yes, but surely this is not the outcome intended ? Tragic!
8 Jan 12
6:29 pm
This ad should embarrass Coles as they have made a fool of an old man who doesn’t deserve it. I already eschew shopping at Coles as they have so little respect or regard for anything Australian – growers, manufacturers, customers and now it would seem our iconic personalities of the past. Shame on the English mafia who run that place and shame on Curtis for not standing up to them.
8 Jan 12
7:15 pm
Im sorry Normie is no match for Curtis. Coles, please take him off…. And just have Curtis. Please!!!
8 Jan 12
7:22 pm
Agree with everything you said except one point-the advertising needs to be relevant to the message.
The message here isn’t shop elsewhere and your meat will stink more than this ad, so tell us – what the fuck is the idea, and how is it relevant?
Otherwise advertising is just about shouting and getting people’s attention.
8 Jan 12
9:42 pm
This is so sad, seeing the great Normie Rowe reduced to this imitation of himself. We all age, and that’s not the problem, but he sang out of tune and was gagged at the end, very humiliating for him and his fans. Yes, Margaret Fulton appears in ads too now, but does it with style.
9 Jan 12
10:13 am
chopper read successfully got #fuckcoles trending yesterday
says it all really
9 Jan 12
10:44 am
This is why people make an awkward face when I tell them what I do for a living.
9 Jan 12
10:44 am
Could someone ask Normie if he knows how to make a hormone?
He’ll probably answer: show her that ad.
9 Jan 12
12:07 pm
This was so bad I killed myself after viewing just to ease the pain.
9 Jan 12
12:23 pm
The word “hormone” should never be set to music. EVER.
9 Jan 12
12:51 pm
@Anonymous, does this mean you posted from the ‘Afterlife’ (TM)? If so, I need to completely re-assess my beliefs.
9 Jan 12
12:59 pm
i was waiting for brynne edelsten to come and join her husband while he sang with curtis
9 Jan 12
1:02 pm
Thanks to this ad, I will never shop at Coles again. Ever.
9 Jan 12
1:04 pm
@Offended. That’s not tripe … it’s Coles rump steak with no added hormones. Mind you I think I’d rather eat tripe than ever see this ad again.
9 Jan 12
1:55 pm
Awful, plain awful
9 Jan 12
2:35 pm
Yes…Curtis works fine for Coles but Normie Rowe & Curtis singing some god-awful lyrics to Normie’s 1965 hit (I Googled that) leaves me cold.
I like Rob’s comments about Brynne Edelsten singing too. It couldn’t be any worse!
9 Jan 12
3:48 pm
I feel like they HAD to be trying to make a really daggy, cringe worthy ad. But I did turn to my husband and say it made me embarrassed to work in advertising, and I felt very bad for anyone involved.
9 Jan 12
5:20 pm
OMG! Like watching a trainwreck. Not only is the song bad but matches well with Normies hair dye!!!! Off to Woolies I go…………………
9 Jan 12
5:25 pm
So sorry but you’re missing the point.
1.Almost all Australian advertising is terrible. watch tv like I did last night!
2. 42 comments
3. Can someone please post a good ad Coles made before big red?
D. I don’t work at big red. And never have.
“dave”
9 Jan 12
8:43 pm
Thankfully I live overseas and only had to endure this in the link above. Back in the day, the Coles ads used to be ok. The “Down Down” and “Shakin’ All Over” spots suggest that some major mind-altering (hormone free) pharmaceuticals are being consumed, and unfortunately not by the unsuspecting viewer.
9 Jan 12
9:49 pm
I’m sorry but I really don’t find the ad that offensive given that the ending is absolutely appropriate!!
10 Jan 12
7:36 am
Watching the ad for the first time I felt I’ll to think that this ad got through customer research groups. Does Curtis Stone even live in Oz?
10 Jan 12
11:44 am
I can’t get that song out of my head. Guess this ad works for the wrong reasons.
10 Jan 12
12:03 pm
As a freelance copywriter (16 years’ agency experience – contactable through Linked in) I agree with each and every comment above. Well done and congratulations everyone!
10 Jan 12
12:26 pm
I am now going to shop of Harris Farm Market, exclusively.
10 Jan 12
12:53 pm
http://www.news.com.au/busines.....6240436067
10 Jan 12
11:52 pm
Another reason to install Adblockplus and view all tv/film through the cleansed spectrum of torrents.
It just makes the world so peaceful.
11 Jan 12
8:25 am
not really that bad.
11 Jan 12
9:50 am
I don’t ‘hate’ the down-down ads, they’re kinda catchy actually! But this latest one with Rowe is absolutely terrible. I feel sorry for the old fellow, but at least he would have picked up a few bucks and got his mug on the telly again. Poor effort Coles!
11 Jan 12
10:59 am
i agree that no added hormones is not really the message i would want to be putting across or singing. organic, fair-trade, wholewheat, low GI we can deal with. hormones…hmmm. no.
11 Jan 12
3:38 pm
Organic? Fair trade? Low GI? This chaotic, anarchistic commercial is the ultimate taunt to the inner urban class who wouldn’t admit at their dinner parties to being seen dead at Coles. Meanwhile, out in far suburbia, the plebs are pushing Coles sales figures ever higher thanks to low prices and high-recall advertising.
Plus, the commercial probably looks good to the average mind-altered free-to-air viewer.
And Dave at 7 & 45 is right. Horton’s been doing anarchic ads longer than most marketing managers have been alive.
11 Jan 12
5:50 pm
@Paul kennedy if you are saying there is a possibility that this spot appeals to really really stupid people out in far suburbia who can’t afford to pay for decent products you may well be right. Anchoring your brand amongst these people is pure genius because if things get really tough they won’t be able to afford even Coles so the staff won’t be troubled by them…………………or anybody else.
12 Jan 12
10:34 am
It’s “ad” not “add”. Don’t add comments here if you can’t tell the difference.
14 Jan 12
8:13 pm
Absolutely awful, i never right on these things but had to to show my utter distaste. The only good thing about the advert is that Normie looks like my grandmother in law – I now shop in woolworths!
16 Jan 12
10:47 am
No matter which way you look at this ad – it’s crap. I don’t know weather it works for customers – but it’s not working for me. And I shop, and I buy meat, and I know I don’t buy it at Coles now. But then what would I know I can’t stand Justin Beiber either, but seems half the world does. If a brand wants to compromise itself with horrible messages that make people talk…then justify it anyway you want. Just remember talkability doesn’t equate to sales. Lots of people are talking about Brendan Fevola but he ain’t playing AFL!!
17 Jan 12
3:15 pm
It’s so bad, Hungry Jack’s will be knocking at Ted’s door next…
19 Jan 12
1:44 pm
I think it was Singo who said the only good ad is the one that sells the product. Did the product sell in this case?
19 Jan 12
3:03 pm
Sometimes, advertising can be so powerfully beautiful I get moved to tears.
This one makes me cry, too, but for different reasons.
wtf
19 Jan 12
3:10 pm
One of my cherished teenage memories trashed! I remember screaming my head off at the Thebarton Town Hall in Adelaide when Normie did his Shakin All Over. Bloody hell now I feel ancient. He looks terrible and I feel really sad that he got involved in this awful ad, even if there were megabucks in it for him.
19 Jan 12
3:40 pm
It ‘is “advertising”..what do you expect? Art?
20 Jan 12
2:02 am
So…what are you gonna do Woolworths? Curtis Stone has thrown down the gauntlet, what’s your next ad move this year?
PS. To Normie Rowe, a quick grammatical correction to one of the lyrics to the Coles spoof, it’s ‘taste buds’, not TASTE BONES!
20 Jan 12
9:14 pm
it is embarassing – i too feel for Normie and switch the channel…
But the Down Down Down ads are gold – get the message across and jingles are tres-effective.
21 Jan 12
10:09 pm
Way to destroy the memory of a great song.
22 Jan 12
9:32 am
” NO ADDED TALLLLLENT !!!!!!!!!!!!”
23 Jan 12
12:36 pm
Not a big fan of the ad. I find it rather embarrassing for Normie to be part of the Coles advertising fiasco.
30 Jan 12
11:58 am
i actually went out of my way to goto woolworths instead of coles after seeing this