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Opinion
No - advertising has not beaten culture jamming at its own game
In this guest post, an activist argues why advertising has not subverted culture jamming - and why Australia would be a better place without ‘visual pollution’At a photography exhibition now on the Sydney Museum last week, a question was put to a panel of experts. Would our cities be better without any advertising. The answer was a resounding “yes”.
This didn’t really come as much of a surprise. After all, the panel were culture jammers – activists who subvert mainstream media, altering the message of an ad to tell a story of their own.
Think popular, not premium: Why the Henry & Aaron 'It's a snap' video went viral
In this guest posting, YouTube’s Karen Stocks says why she thinks CIT’s gory-funny ‘It’s a snap’ ad was a hit.One of this week’s viral hits on YouTube is a science fiction-themed ad for the Central Institute of Technology in Perth. The skit-style video commercial features CIT grads-turned-YouTube stars Henry & Aaron, who magically jump from one CIT department to the next with a snap of Aaron’s fingers. The comedy takes a distinctly darker turn when Aaron’s teleporting skills start going horribly wrong – with gruesome results.
The video holds a couple of lessons for marketers.
Mumbrella360 - call for curated sessions
I must confess that I didn’t enjoy Mumbrella360 last year.
Having staked our credibility and indeed (although I didn’t like to think about it at the time) the company, on Mumbrella360 being a success, the main thing I actually experienced over the two days was a growing sense of relief that it wasn’t shit.
The Woolworths virtual store is not the future of retail. But it is a good PR stunt
So last night I dropped by my local neighbourhood Virtual Woolworths.It’s located at Sydney Town Hall station – conveniently enough, almost directly underneath my local neighborhood Real Woolworths.
As you’ll see from the wobbly iPhone video I shot, it was a relatively lonely experience. But it was Sunday night.
How not to use Twitter: lessons from Qantas and Westpac
The likes of Qantas have a long way to go before getting to grips with social media, argues Axel Bruns.For major brands, the road to social media infamy is paved with what seemed like good ideas at the time.
Just this week, Qantas succeeded in having Twitter suspend the well-known spoof account, @QantasPR, claiming users would mistake it for the real thing.
Is Big W the beginning of the bounceback for Saatchis?
Google may prove me wrong, but in the entire time Mumbrella has existed, and very possibly for my entire editorship of B&T before that, I can’t remember ever writing the headline “Saatchi & Saatchi wins…”
So today’s appointment by Big W is a big deal.
Traditional agencies are driving away their digital superstars with their old ways
In this guest post, Daniel Monheit argues that Australia’s creative agencies will never be able to hang on to digital talentIn 2010 Steve Jobs was invited by James Murdoch to speak at the annual News Corp management retreat. Jobs issued a blunt, critical assessment of what newspapers were trying to do in technology: “You’re going to find it hard to get things right, because you’re in New York and anyone who’s any good at tech works in Silicon Valley”.
And that’s when it hit me. The reason why Australia’s best traditional agencies, working with the most prolific clients and the biggest budgets cant manage to put out anything remotely passable as decent digital work.
Anyone who’s any good at digital works at an agency that actually believes in it.
What does Fairfax's Media's data dump actually mean? And what's going on at ACP Magazines?
Although I rather like stats, there are a few days a year where they become a little overwhelming.
Radio ratings releases offer eight such days annually. Over the space of a couple of hours, the data drops for the five main metro markets. Generally the phone starts ringing within 10 minutes, from station bosses aiming to give their interpretation of those numbers. It becomes a game of keeping them on the line long enough to sift through the data to try to discover the real story you need to ask them about. Within minutes a blizzard of press releases follow too.
In truth, the press releases mostly get ignored in the race to write the story. Then they’re mostly ignored because the story is already written.
And twice a year, a similar exercise surrounds the release of the monthly magazine sales figures,
When the powerful buy into the media, can the media still scrutinise the powerful?
Economist Richard Denniss of Australian National University argues in a post that first appeared on The Conversation that the public needs to decide if it cares who owns the media.The mining industry is used to having its voice heard in Australian public debates, so it should come as no surprise that mining billionaires such as Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer would consider buying up a bigger slice of the Australian media.
While the estimated $20m spent by the mining industry on television advertisements opposing the introduction of a mining tax was the most visible example of the industry’s determination to influence the public it is, in fact, just the tip of the iceberg.
The keyboard warrior of Twitter
In this guest post, NBN staffer Scott Rhodie writes an unofficial, personal view on his experience with a hostile Twitter critic.Last night I had a strange incident. While on Twitter I noticed someone saying that Australia’s NBN is already outdated. I wrote a small note back explaining they were incorrect.
And their response? The lovely gentleman (whose Twitter profile says: ‘Father of 5 kids, Loving Grandfather of 10 Grandchildren,and 2 Great Granddaughters. love to give heaps to Pollies and Poofters’) said to me: “Go and lick Gillards C*** out U commie Prick”
What's in a name?
In this guest post, Moensie Rossier wonders about the power of names for brands and marketers.
Brands have been having a bit of fun with names lately, not to mention a fair bit of success. Interbrand just named a headhunting firm Cloak & Dagger. And ‘Share a Coke’ showed how much power there is in a name.
The Coke campaign effectively short-circuited the usual mechanics of communication. It undoubtedly stroked people’s egos. But, I believe, its success stems from the fact that it directly and automatically affected people’s behaviour, rather than doing so indirectly by shaping attitudes.
Best ads from Super Bowl 2012
The Super Bowl is all done and a team from North America won. But as well as some sort of sporting event, it’s the world’s biggest advertising showcase. See the best of them right here… and please tell us what you think.
How to debunk media myths
In this post, UWS’s Ullrich Ecker, John Cook and Stephen Lewandowsky argue that cognitive science can help PRs form strategies in managing media misreporting.
A growing cohort of commentators has bemoaned the descent of contemporary political “debate” into a largely fact-free zone.
How about simply focusing on what consumers want?
In this guest post, Peter Mountford argues that brands should think more about what is really going on for consumers
Who here is hoping their favourite brand of toilet paper is going to be organizing a flash mob on their way home from work today?
What the Optus web copyright victory means
In this analysis first published on The Conversation, RMIT’s Marita Shelly examines the implications of Telstra’s defeat over the online rights to the AFL broadcast deal
This week’s Federal Court ruling that Optus customers are able to view sporting matches minutes after they are streamed live without breaching copyright is a landmark decision that alters our understanding of copyright law, and has significant implications for the AFL’s broadcasting rights deal.
FHM readers targeted as sperm donors
FHM readers are being targeted as potential sperm donors in a new ad campaign for infertility services provider Repromed created by Adelaide agency jam.
The “don’t waste your sperm” campaign’s print execution – featuring a lingerie model – is backed bythe becomeadonor.com.au website which asks woukd be donors multiple choice questions to suggest whether they would qualify as donors.
The ad was created by Jam senior creative writer Jonnny Velis and art director Becq Hinto.
Peter Joy, Jam principal and strategy director, said: “It’s a serious issue and we wanted to put the idea out there but in a fun, light hearted and cheeky way to get the point across.”
Repromed SA marketing manager Miranda Smith said: “I felt it was crucial we create a unique campaign to increase awareness and effectively capture the attention of potential donors.’’
December 6th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
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Comments
6 Dec 10
12:19 pm
“We’ve got sperm from a Nobel laureate, a world-champion tennis star, and… an FHM reader. Lady’s choice!”
6 Dec 10
1:01 pm
Remember that episode of The Simpsons when you saw the result of Barney Gumble’s sperm donation exploits?
No? Well you’ll see…
6 Dec 10
1:48 pm
Are you sure the agency wasn’t called pearl jam?
6 Dec 10
1:53 pm
I just hope they are conducting a broad marketing campaign that covers many more titles… and hence a variety of men. However, it makes sense if the donor company has ‘supply’ issues from men that the FHM readership profile fits??
6 Dec 10
2:02 pm
Your survery has errors in it you cannot complete it.
Think you should have this ironed out before giving out your URL
6 Dec 10
2:02 pm
This is a serious issue.
The world is facing a critical baby shortage. We, as a species, are dwindling to the point of extinction and this artificial breeding program may be our last hope.
Become a one-handed warrior and save humankind!
6 Dec 10
2:28 pm
Great campaign, very clever. @Megan…. what planet are you talking about? Have you ever gotten a busy peak hour train, have you ever been to Africa or parts of Asia where people are starving? We are not even near extinct. If anything we need to be reducing the population to give the poor planet a rest.
6 Dec 10
2:48 pm
No, I’ve never been on a train.
I haven’t visited Africa or Asia either.
What’s it like?
6 Dec 10
3:01 pm
Nice idea!
I’m sure it’ll catch people with their pants down.
6 Dec 10
3:10 pm
Non Kyle Lover, whats it like living in a world with no sarcasm?
6 Dec 10
3:18 pm
Ha ha Megan. Non Kyle Lover- you and Kyle would make a good pair. Dope.
ps. Nice campaign. I hope I find a man to impregnate me before I resort to the blokes this ad attracts, however.
6 Dec 10
3:25 pm
With 4 kids, my problem has been that i don’t know how to waste it…
6 Dec 10
3:27 pm
Anyone else having trouble with the website?
No, that isn’t a euphemism
6 Dec 10
3:27 pm
Survey Fail
6 Dec 10
3:27 pm
Be nice if the site worked.
6 Dec 10
3:32 pm
Nice strategy & idea.
@graeme – The form broke for me, too. Should have done some more testing, I think.
6 Dec 10
3:59 pm
Just letting everyone know that we did carry out substantial testing before going live with the site. Unfortunately due to the amount of traffic received this morning there were a few glitches, however these should have now been rectified.
6 Dec 10
4:02 pm
Nice idea.
I’d take sperm from a guy who is inspired to donate through this campaign – obviously we share the same awesome sense of humour and would make great babies..
6 Dec 10
4:03 pm
It’s a clever campaign, but would you really want to be impregnated with the sperm of someone who actually answered the call of ‘don’t waste your sperm?’
6 Dec 10
4:09 pm
I would donate sperm however I believe the resulting kiddies can find out who you are and track you down when they’re adults. No thanks.
6 Dec 10
4:26 pm
I’m not so sure that she’d be a waste of sperm.
Ew.
6 Dec 10
5:07 pm
Hmmm, quick question – isn’t the survey missing a pretty crucial question, that being: ‘Are you happy for your details to be released to any offspring once they turn 18?’
Methinks unless there has been a change in the rules, this is a pretty significant oversight…
6 Dec 10
5:11 pm
@ not an ad guy – it mentions that at the end.
6 Dec 10
5:15 pm
Also – I thought that this looked familiar…
6 Dec 10
5:42 pm
Familiar as every other page in FHM?
7 Dec 10
1:16 pm
No – familiar like this campaign which was launched last year? http://donatedontwaste.com.au/.....nt%2Bwaste
7 Dec 10
4:01 pm
We should be using sperm to power turbines and feed starving third world infants, not create more resource-suckers. The most environmentally damaging thing you can do as a human is to reproduce. Unless you kill an old person first.
7 Dec 10
6:05 pm
FHM babies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSROlfR7WTo
8 Dec 10
10:21 am
@not an ad guy – it’s kind of obvious you’re not an ad guy.
The sentiment of this campaign is the same “don’t waste sperm” but the way they’ve both been presented is completely different. Don’t waste it by jerking off to FHM as opposed to you’re a millionaire you can afford to give to us and not waste it is different.
9 Dec 10
12:07 am
Nice idea, terrible online execution
9 Dec 10
1:52 pm
I’m OK with the program just as long as donors take responsibility for the off-spring that may eventuate.
Childless couples want kids – I totally get that.
But a child has a right to know who fathered them. And they shouldn’t have to wait until they’re 18 to find out either.
And they will want to know.
Never forget, it was the massive campaign waged by adopted kids denied knowledge of their ‘birth parents’ identity that resulted in the change to existing laws to ensure they would have access to the names of their ‘birth’ parents.
Kids are entitled to know who their parent are.
Remember that if you choose to donate sperm.
9 Dec 10
4:08 pm
Can’t wait to see the banners on becomeadonor.com.au from AMI……. maybe they’ll get a discount?
9 Dec 10
10:29 pm
Has anybody seen the film “Idiocracy”? Hope they are they running a campaign in New Scientist as well?
Dr E