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Opinion | Features
Why is advertising so much better in New Zealand than Australia?
Ok, so this isn’t a new observation.
But it really hit home after I watched some TV ads for a kiwi supermarket yesterday that advertising in New Zealand is so much better than much of the crap that is being served up in this country at the moment.
Why is it that Colenso BBDO Auckland can turn something as bland as a supermarket chain into a brand I almost like, while Australian agencies succeed only in either irritating me (Coles) or passing me by unnoticed (Woolies) because the ads are so average?
My memo to your boss
So let me guess?
You really want to come to Mumbrella360, but you’ve got to justify the time and cost to your boss?
Good news! I think I can help.
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.
Nine calls in Plagiarism Special Ops
It must be very flattering if you’re Discovery Networks.
First there was the similarity between the There’s Nothing Like Australia ad and the Discovery promo.
Now Nine has a similar idea for Rescue Special Ops that certainly seems to draw inspiration from another Discovery show, this time Bear Grylls. For maximum comedy, press play on the top video, wait 30 seconds, then hit play on the bottom video…
Update: Or to save you the trouble, a kindly soul has now edited the two together side by side…
Update 2:
June 10th, 2010 at 11:36 am
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Comments
10 Jun 10
11:40 am
wow…that’s the most obvious rip-off I’ve ever seen!
10 Jun 10
11:47 am
“i know, lets copy this UK promo, nobody will ever know…”
10 Jun 10
11:52 am
Channel 9 should be embarrassed and ashamed- what a joke.
10 Jun 10
11:54 am
And the show is nothing like Police Rescue either #freshdramapremisepleasefreetv
10 Jun 10
12:02 pm
Who’s actually genuinely shocked to find out the Channel nine folk have absolutely no ideas of their own? All one needs to do is look at their “original content” they produce to see they’ve never done anything they haven’t nicked form overseas.
10 Jun 10
12:35 pm
‘Steal the One’….
10 Jun 10
12:38 pm
OMG! That blatant? almost shot for shot?
Seriously, if this is what Aussie free to air is coming to, it really is time for a shake up!
10 Jun 10
12:39 pm
I guess things never change…
I remember working on a Nine news promo 20 years ago (omg… !) in TCN’s Studio 2 where the promo department were using an American news promo as a “template”. We’d set up each shot so the panel of suits could fuss over how close they were to the original. The end result was a frame accurate, carbon copy of the American ad with no creative input whatsoever.
It was embarrassing then, and in today’s connected world, even more embarrassing now.
10 Jun 10
1:49 pm
Very speshial…
10 Jun 10
1:57 pm
as if this is a shock. We steal so many ideas from the UK such Ar Spicks and Specks and most of Hamish and Andy’s ideas used on Rove. There’s no shame in admitting that the Britts have better telly then we do.
10 Jun 10
2:07 pm
Was that even legal?
Worst television station ever.
10 Jun 10
2:43 pm
Bear Grylls is a god.
I call this a dignified offering to a higher power, for channel 9 know they are nothing…..
10 Jun 10
2:44 pm
Who is running the promo team at 9?
Lame.
10 Jun 10
2:49 pm
WHO IS THE POST HOUSE THAT THIS ATROCITY?
10 Jun 10
2:49 pm
lol at zeff (and that’s hilarious)
10 Jun 10
2:54 pm
Clearly 9 need an agency to conceive their promo’s.
10 Jun 10
2:54 pm
that is absolutely ridiculous…
10 Jun 10
3:02 pm
Just a coincidence, surely.
10 Jun 10
3:08 pm
Easy tiger, you’ll most likely find that Spicks & Specks is a licensed version of a UK show, not a copy. And hopefully this ad is a licensed version of the Discovery ad. Hopefully.
10 Jun 10
3:09 pm
Wow…..
10 Jun 10
3:18 pm
i just subscribed to foxtel
10 Jun 10
3:22 pm
It ain’t the first time.
Nine’s “Still the One” promo from 2006 is a straight rip off of Michael Buble’s video “Spiderman”
Buble:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PXPoBroFEY
Nine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WQJg5fP0U8
Channel Nine – The Home of Unoriginal Ideas
10 Jun 10
3:22 pm
As if there was ever anything on Australian TV that was truly original.
10 Jun 10
3:23 pm
Perhaps the first episode is Les Hill rescuing the Chl 9 creative team from captivity
10 Jun 10
3:26 pm
Ms Pants – great to hear from you.
10 Jun 10
3:39 pm
Wow, most blatant rip-off I’ve seen.
10 Jun 10
4:05 pm
It’s not the first time.
9 ripped off a UK Spook’s promo for their launch of the mentalist
10 Jun 10
4:10 pm
Steal the One or maybe Steal more, how about Steal the lot.
10 Jun 10
4:43 pm
and then there’s this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WW8flwpH-Q – the original weapon of choice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYuiS-3ilAc – the other weapon
If they were serious about their craft though, surely they’d be turning this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE
into a getayway promo… if they were serious about their craft.
10 Jun 10
4:52 pm
not surprising at all. i dont know how they continue to get away with it….idiots
10 Jun 10
5:38 pm
Ha yeah.. some good examples there. I don’t think you could count the weapon of choice one as a rip off. I would definitely call that one Parody. But this latest one is a great example… love it!
10 Jun 10
6:00 pm
what a bunch of muppets.
Channel 9 are a bunch of cunts.
10 Jun 10
7:15 pm
Wow its almost like if you drunk and seeing doubles.
10 Jun 10
11:32 pm
These promos are produced for Nine by an external production company.
If anything, the same production company has probably sold on the same idea to two different networks. Hardly a big deal given that the two promos aren’t even being aired in the same country.
11 Jun 10
1:03 am
The last time Australian TV had an original idea was “Sale of the Century” not surprising that “Steal the One” continues to copy. . . Discovery has some of the best docudramas on the box.
11 Jun 10
3:30 am
@ Tara: Actually I understand the Bear Grylls promo was produced inhouse by Discovery Channel in London for international release. They would hardly undermine their own international campaign by selling the center piece promo to such a low rent broadcaster. The blatant knock off – whoever actually produced it – is precisely that, a knock off.
11 Jun 10
5:33 am
It’s clear that these two ads have nothing in common. Bears ad just has him, the Nine ad has a whole bunch of people. In Bears ad, the word is Discovery while the Nine ad is Rescue. For those of you who think these two are similiar are on drugs. The creative staff over at Nine have probably worked on this ad for months now to ensure that it is a true representation of the show. They should take all the credit for this terrific ad……..anyone note the sarcasm! Nice job Nine!
11 Jun 10
7:30 am
A flagrant and very obvious copy of the Discovery Channel promo. Someone at Nine, the worst broadcaster in Australia, deserves to be sacked for this.
11 Jun 10
7:40 am
In Nine’s defence I think everyone knows that their show will be different in one major way. IT WILL SUCK.
11 Jun 10
7:55 am
Hence the reason I do not watch much free to air tv – all the originals that they rip off have been on cable for years
11 Jun 10
7:58 am
Only thing worse than the morality of that promo is the watchability of the series with that male lead. I mean… LOL
11 Jun 10
8:14 am
Who watches TV promo’s anyway??? Care factor ZERO…
11 Jun 10
9:23 am
Sack them. thats is a blatant ripp off. I bet they get paid big dollars for what? nothing.
11 Jun 10
9:29 am
@42.
Laiza No.40 does. Even pays for it!
11 Jun 10
9:37 am
Hey, is there any way we can send this to Stephen Conroy? Probably he needs to edit his rationale on the FTV content generation gift & let off Murdoch for once.
11 Jun 10
9:53 am
The sad part is that, it is a bad copycat. At least they should have got the Discovery actor to do the promo for them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
11 Jun 10
10:05 am
All the originality of a house brick.
They stuffed Top Gear too….
I switched off Nine after Ep1 of TG. They just plain suck.
11 Jun 10
11:09 am
…and the guys at Nine still cash their cheques for being creatives.
Good luck putting that one on your showreel.
11 Jun 10
12:56 pm
Taking ideas from overseas is not uncommon. 99% of punters in Australia won’t have seen the UK Disco promo, and never will. Such a blatant ripoff is lame obviously, but essentially not a huge deal.
But comparing Les Hill to Bear Grylls? Seriously? Don’t let Bear find out, he kill you real good.
11 Jun 10
1:46 pm
Like hello!!! I have worked in the industry for over 30 years for different networks and indeed promotion departments. No matter who I worked for there was always a launch from CBS, NBC or ABC that we re-worked for the Australian market. Take the time to go back through history and dig out all plagiarism…trust me you will be very very busy, there is a lot. But hey I guess it gave everyone something to whinge about for a day or so!
11 Jun 10
2:15 pm
@jeff
So if everyone does it, it’s ok?
Were you just ‘following orders’.
11 Jun 10
2:17 pm
…and now the Tele has picked up on it
http://www.dailytelegraph.com......5878162690
so it’s clearly doing damage when ‘Steal the One ‘ is starting to stick.
12 Jun 10
4:14 am
Sounds like a for Media Watch
12 Jun 10
9:43 am
Following orders….hmmmmm I think it was more to do with, who wants to spend money with an agency to design something new. It’s not a matter of it’s ok because everyone does it….it’s just a fact that everyone does it!!! In earlier years it was just a matter of putting a Seven, Nine or Ten logo on top of the original source and changing the voice tag. Copying anyone else to make your product sell, gee let’s look around the entire franchise world and have a real hard look, actually come to think about it, the look isn’t really all that hard. We all do it to some degree and just because it’s somebody like the Nine Network and not Fred’s Rescue Service from Wagga Wagga it becomes a big deal.
12 Jun 10
8:35 pm
@Jeff
You don’t need to spend money with an agency to get an original idea. Clearly Nine had a decent budget, or free reign on facilities in house in order to create that spot.
If the money/resources were spent on an original idea, that would have taken, I don’t know, about a few days to a week longer – Nine would have had a decent original promo to promote the show with.
What really sucks is that it’s clear the people who executed this spot have absolutely no idea about what their doing. The energy, music, audio design, photography, direction, pacing are all wrong. Attention to detail is clearly not Nine’s strong suit. I have worked in the industry too, and yes, I have REPOSTED a promo or two from a different network before. REPOSTING can mean that you use the promo that was used for the show when it launched in the states or wherever, putting on your own endpage and voice over. There is nothing wrong with doing that – if they have sold it better, than by all means use it, and it’s one less promo you gotta make. US networks often send out their promos with the shows they’ve sold you. But stealing a promo from another channel and *trying* to copy it for a completely different show, with a lot of the same shots, is not OK. It’s fucking lazy, and I would never even fucking consider it, unless it was a spoof or something.
23 Jun 10
2:29 pm
zeff – “Steal the One” – bahahahahaha!
2 Jul 10
12:59 pm
anon – “Steal the One” – bahahahahaha!
3 Jul 10
9:09 pm
This thing happens often by bankrupt creative directors but we should not accept it. here is another incident and how it was managed http://bloganubis.com/2010/06/.....ir-stride/
The worst ever case of TVC copycat (as far as i know) is the stealing of 14 TV promos http://bloganubis.com/2009/08/22/old-fart/ and Mc Donald’s http://bloganubis.com/2009/05/31/fish-caviar/
7 Jul 10
5:01 pm
Did Phillip Adams have a hand in this? He can be very light-fingered.