Opinion
- 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.
- Does Gina Rinehart’s bite of a chunk of Fairfax make her an oligarch?
  
  In an article that first appeared in The Conversation, Mark Rolfe wonders whether the mining magnate’s move could turn Fairfax into something resembling America’s Fox network.
  
  Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart has moved to increase her stake in Fairfax Media, owner of The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and a number of radio stations. Rinehart has already shown her desire to play a role in public life, campaigning against former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s aborted mining tax. She has also demonstrated a willingness to make media investments to ensure her pro-business worldview is promulgated.
  
  What does this latest move by Rinehart mean?
- Gillard's Australia Day crisis
  
  PM Julia Gillard’s media adviser Tony Hodges has been forced to resign over the Australia Day tent embassy debacle.
  
  It came after it emerged he had revealed opposition leader Tony Abbott’s whereabouts, leading to both politicians being rescued by police in ugly scenes.
  
  Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes and advertising practitioner Jane Caro debate the topic on Weekend Sunrise’s masters of Spin segment:
- The biggest cock-up I made in business
  
  In this guest post, Chris Savage urges agency staff to live the brand.
  
  I still shudder when I think about how incredibly stupid I was when I made the biggest stuff up of my career. And then, 18 years later, I did it again. Do not make this mistake with your clients. Ever.
- Hey Groupon. Thanks for fucking up email
  
  In this guest post, Daniel Monheit warns that group deal overload is devaluing email marketing
  
  Email marketing used to be fabulous. Back in the heady days of 2010, brands would work hard to build up well qualified databases, upon which they’d bestow carefully crafted correspondence filled with information, offers and incentives. The recipients, of course would be delighted: “Oh look! An email! From one of my favourite brands! And it’s 40 cents off at Woolies this week!”.
- The staggering sway of Harold Mitchell
  
  The Power Index today names Aegis Media chairman Harold Mitchell as the most powerful person in Melbourne. Andrew Crook profiles him.
  
  Harold Mitchell takes pride in dispensing with the niceties. When The Power Index visited his South Melbourne private office before Christmas, fresh remains were scattered all over the boardroom table.
- Share a Coke with… the moronic masses
  
  The most-read story on Mumbrella last year, with not far off 100,000 page views, was a fairly humdrum yarn about the launch of Coca-Cola’s name-on-a-bottle campaign.
  
  The headline, “Coca-Cola puts people’s names on bottles in ‘Share a Coke’ campaign”, though hated by any self-respecting sub-editor, was loved by Google. And in rushed what can be politely described as the public.
- Assumptions kill creativity
  
  In this guest post, Gual Barwell disagrees that the sales success of the Old Spice social media campaign was overstated.
  
  Yesterday’s post from Cathie McGinn suggested the Old Spice campaign failed to connect with consumers. Based on the facts and figures, I disagree.
  
  What Old Spice and Wieden + Kennedy has done and done phenomenally well is to create a franchise.
- The SMH's readers (are wrong) editor
  
  We are now about five months into the reign of Australia’s first readers’ editor. And I don’t think it is working.
  
  It struck me at the time of Judy Prisk’s appointment to the Sydney Morning Herald that the fact that her boss was editor-in-chief Peter Fray was not going to be ideal if she was going to be the independent voice of the reader.
- The emperor's new fragrance: Old Spice’s campaign failure
  
  In this guest post, Cathie McGinn slays a sacred cow of 21st century marketing – the highly awarded Old Spice campaign.
  
  One of the biggest myths of recent times (by which I mean a story of great heroism and triumph we’d all like to believe but deep down know to be untrue) is the Old Spice social media campaign. It’s been much lauded and awarded as an example of outstanding content, a creative and collaborative way of connecting with consumers and driving a record increase in sales.
- How reliable are radio ratings?
  
  In this guest posting, Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis wonders how accurate radio ratings can be, since the data is collated from handwritten diaries.
  
  So, the radio ratings season gets underway tomorrow. After a well-earned break, Australia’s commercial radio stations will renew their obsession with figures to see how many of us are listening. Are they winning or losing the ratings war?
  
  The much feared radio survey is the only way to measure the success or failure of a station’s playlist, talent, promotions or even good old Black Thunder crosses. With six-figure salaries riding on the make-or-break nature of ratings, just how accurate are Australia’s radio survey results?

Lion Nathan launches first TV ad for James Boag’s Pure

Lion Nathan has launched the first ad campaign to promote its new premium beer brand, James Boag’s Pure.

The TV ads are set in the wilderness and follows a similar Tasmanian-centric mythical theme as the much awarded Pure Waters TVC for the flagship James Boag’s brand. Its accolades have so far included a Gold Lion at Cannes and more recently a Gold Pencil at AWARD Awards.

The James Boag’s Pure TV and cinema ads, created by Publicis Mojo Sydney, show a world at night experiencing a series of strange natural phenomena, culminating in the discovery of the beer.

It is accompanied by the campaign line “From the Only Place it’s Possible”. There will also be digital activity launching later this year and press ads early next year.

November 19th, 2009 at 10:31 am

Comments

eek
19 Nov 09
11:04 am

um….

um
19 Nov 09
11:06 am

eek…..what

Stuart
19 Nov 09
11:22 am

wtf was that?

Anon
19 Nov 09
11:27 am

yep. I get it. Drink 1 dozen Boags Pure and you’ll get headspins.

Simple really.

al
19 Nov 09
11:30 am

Not only do i feel really weird, but I’m possibly scared of Tasmania now.

DD
19 Nov 09
11:47 am

It’s like the Blair Witch Project on crack!

Damien
19 Nov 09
11:48 am

Great, they’re putting LSD in beer now!

Chris
19 Nov 09
12:06 pm

Love the new TVC… makes me want to try Pure… that or I am just really in need of a beer today!

sam
19 Nov 09
12:18 pm

Wow I think that is amazing

TMF
19 Nov 09
12:21 pm

i didn’t like it.

plus i got dizzy. the camera was spinning for about 4.26 seconds too long.

WB
19 Nov 09
12:21 pm

Thumbs up from the Warner Brothers!

eek
19 Nov 09
12:30 pm

This is either ingenious or un-genious. It frustrates me because I have absolutely no idea what’s going on and it tells me nothing about the beer apart from the fact that it’s from a place where trees combust and crows explode into what look like moths. (by the way, did Mojo recently have a competition to see how many ads they could get crows into?) It’s very pretty, but it’s pretty dark. Am I over thinking it or not thinking about it enough? Somebody please help me because this is just making me feel dumb.

sam
19 Nov 09
12:31 pm

I have never seen a beer ad like this. I’m tired of seeing the same old beer ad formula with guys being guys then something dumb/funny happens. This is very different which is why i think it’s great.

JH
19 Nov 09
12:32 pm

Awesome work – congrats. A breath of fresh air in a world now dominated by naf beer ads.

Andrew
19 Nov 09
12:53 pm

Great work by the ad agency to cut costs by using all the cutting room floor shots from the 5 seeds ad. Two brands, one location, one production crew, same flock of birds, two different retouching teams.

anothermous
19 Nov 09
1:03 pm

This is meant to be a beer ad??? Sorry to those who are tired of formulaic beer ads featuring…god help us people enjoying the product and heaven forbid they are blokes too(primary consumers in the category).. but what exactly, apart from being different is the idea here??.. compared to the good Pure Waters Boag’s work this is just a piece of meaningless fluff parading as an idea

Chris
19 Nov 09
1:09 pm

Different but in a good way

eek
19 Nov 09
1:13 pm

@anothermous: is it? I’m still a bit “jury’s out”, but at least it’s different. And I guess when you’re launching a new beer into a beer heavy market with a beer that doesn’t seem too different to other beers, you’ve got to be different somehow. I’m still very confused, but I wouldn’t describe it as ‘meaningless fluff parading as an idea’.

Ali
19 Nov 09
1:14 pm

Love the sound of the trees and the bats are cool

Drew
19 Nov 09
1:15 pm

Love, love, love this. A little biased though – the track used is by The Books, a band that I adore (here for Sydney festival if you like em too!).

Simon
19 Nov 09
1:34 pm

Love it! And love that it’s so unexpected and unsettling for people. It’s experimental and truly original. I think most people will grow to love it. Congrats to all involved.

jd
19 Nov 09
1:51 pm

It may not say much about the beverage but at least there are no ‘sleazy guys and tacky girls’

tbone
19 Nov 09
2:18 pm

at least we have moved on from ‘big ads’

Brad Clark
19 Nov 09
2:42 pm

LOVE IT! Has no one else picked up on the religious connotations at play in the ad. Burning tree at the start is the voice of God, followed by a series of events that somewhat resembles (although not the same) the ‘plagues’ in the story of Moses and the Dove of peace at the end. Tassie has been cleansed by God, therefore allowing them to create the beer in its purest form. Boag’s Pure…

Chris Walton
19 Nov 09
3:06 pm

If that is the case then I’m sure all those beer drinkers out there who get off on religious connotations will be falling over themselves to get some now. Those who like ads that make them thirsty will have to wait for the next one I suppose

JH
19 Nov 09
3:31 pm

Why are people such negative assholes……Is it different in the category – Yes, will people take notice – Yes, does it position a new brand clearly in a cluttered market – Yes. Do I work for the agency – NO, am I sick of crap comments like this that have migrated across from CB, yes.

anothermous
19 Nov 09
3:44 pm

Well said Chris Walton.. JH there are other ways of differentiating in a cluttered market ..its called making a good ad..Yes

Sam
19 Nov 09
3:51 pm

This is a good ad. I like it and clearly so do some other commenters. Obviously it’s not for everyone but of course something this unusual isn’t going to appeal universally. Let’s wait and see how the beer does in sales before we write off this new- fandangled approach of doing something ‘different’.

eek
19 Nov 09
4:01 pm

Excuse me for being skeptical but I’m currently Googling “Brad Clark Planner Mojo Sydney” and “Brad Clark Client Boags”.

Rascally
19 Nov 09
5:02 pm

I really like the images. Whoever did the effects did a great job.

However…almost expected the pouty pale Vampires from New Moon to show up at one point and not sure this will help beer drinkers remember the brand which is surely the point of all this.

And I’m sure the media agency hates it. 60 seconds for tv? In 2009? How luxurious.
You really want to get cut through at those prices.

Rascally
19 Nov 09
5:03 pm

@ Brad Clark

I’ve never seen punters get that deep in pre-testing or post for that matter but if you say so….

March Hare
19 Nov 09
6:02 pm

I could say nonsense, but I won’t. I feel like indulging.

One for the semiotics guys to ponder; maybe over a strong malt and some Ketamine.

Sure, it makes no sense whatsoever, sure it’s completely up itself –
but you can always claim that was the point.

I suspect this is gonna look pretty good on my 52″ plasma.
I suspect I wont tire of it quickly, but then I like Kaufman movies.

And for those that don’t get it at all – they can look at the pretty pictures,
and imagine there’s something special in the world that they’ll never understand.

And that could be pretty special. Positioning: the poets beer.
Hope there’s a big enough market here in Aus.

Wazz
20 Nov 09
7:50 am

The more I watch it, the more I like it. And when it’s time for pens down this afternoon, I’m going to head to the pub and try one.

Justin Polites
20 Nov 09
9:35 am

I like it!
But then again I also like Raoul Duke – http://duffydotcom.com/illust_fear.jpg

Simon T Small
23 Nov 09
5:27 pm

I’m pretty demanding but I wish I could find out more about it on the Boag’s website…
http://www.boags.com.au/#/brands/

Or maybe on Google…
http://www.google.com.au/searc.....=firefox-a