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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.
Optus deer goes supersonic
A new ad for Optus broadband features a deer galloping at supersonic speeds to illustrate improvements to the telco’s infrastructure.
The campaign created by M&C Saatchi also includes print, digital and radio.
Credits
- Client: Optus
- Client Lead: Nicole Gadd, Marketing Manager, Optus
- Creative: M&C Saatchi
- ECD: Ben Welsh
- Creative Group Head: Phil Leece
- Art Director: Nick Bonney
- Creative Workflow: Mary Morrell
- Group Account Director: Nick Russo
- Account Director: Tara Goh
- Account Manager: Karlee Weatherstone
- Planner: Colin Jowell
- Producer. Priscilla Stratton
- Digital Designers: Christos Roussos and Benji Chen
- Developers: Ken Mikuni and Joseph Tan
- Design Head: Penn Li and Simon Maggs
- TV Production: Tash Johnson/Loren August
- Production Company: Fuel
- Media: MPG
August 18th, 2010 at 10:55 am
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Comments
18 Aug 10
11:36 am
why’s the deer wearing a tutu?
18 Aug 10
12:20 pm
Kinda nice, if only it were true.
18 Aug 10
1:56 pm
Hi – I work at Optus and the new DOCSIS 3.0 capability on our cable has tested o average at around 60Mbps so far (actually does feel supersonic compared to traditional broadband – although I might be biased!)
18 Aug 10
1:57 pm
This ad was a lot better when the deer was a rabbit and Optus was Comcast.
18 Aug 10
2:07 pm
Eek is right. Hang your heads in shame M&C, this is a blatant rip off (and not a very good one at that).
18 Aug 10
2:28 pm
Bambi on Red Bull
18 Aug 10
2:33 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mudOonoGK_U
eek is very right.
Do you think ‘Creative Workflow’ involves pointing at Youtube and shouting ‘That one’.
18 Aug 10
2:55 pm
I wonder how stupid creatives feel when people find the original ad which they stole?
18 Aug 10
3:44 pm
So what’s the solution?
Does the client ask for the Concept Development fee back?
Does the agency donate the Concept Development fee to charity?
Or better yet, pay a licensing fee to Goodby’s?
18 Aug 10
3:52 pm
it’s not the same ad.
inspired by? maybe (and that’s ok).
stolen? not in my book.
18 Aug 10
3:55 pm
Eek, unfortunately I doubt any of those things will happen, but it might, just might make them think twice before trying to enter it into any international awards – they’ll probably still try for Australian ones.
18 Aug 10
4:23 pm
Definitely what I’d call a “simplified rip-off”.
Unfortunately not as funny as the original – which had us all hooting with laughter at the Media 2009 confrence I think it was?
(That link again of the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mudOonoGK_U)
18 Aug 10
4:50 pm
yeah, pretty disgraceful…………do these guys have any pride in their work watsoever……..I mean apart from the sad little trophies gathering dust…………..they should be ashamed
18 Aug 10
5:06 pm
I often have fun with copycat ads. But it seems to me there’s a pretty good chance the US example hadn’t been seen by M&C.
If you take the starting point that they already use animals in every piece of branding and are trying to demonstrate speed, in this case it’s surely not unreasonable to think they came independently to that outcome.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
18 Aug 10
5:12 pm
+1 at the mumbrella comment.
18 Aug 10
5:17 pm
Tim, If they hadn’t seen Comcast Rabbit, they should have.
It was , after all “The most winning spot of last award season, according to the Creativity Awards Report”
http://creativity-online.com/w.....abbit/1149
18 Aug 10
5:30 pm
It is different enough not to be called a rip off – for one it doesn’t have quite the same humour.
18 Aug 10
8:58 pm
I’m not going to watch it now, I’ll save it to watch while I’m waiting on hold to get my broadband fixed.
Does it go for a couple of hours or should I get a DVD as well?
18 Aug 10
9:40 pm
Ditto @ Tim Mumbrella comment – go easy guys, definitely an honest mistake (and no, I don’t work at M&C)
18 Aug 10
11:43 pm
I very much doubt any of the creatives missed the Comcast spot. Not many creatives miss a Silver and Yellow D&AD winning spot from 2009 in the same category.
Or maybe they did.
19 Aug 10
2:19 am
@Tim,
A company that’s dealt with Animal Logic in Sydney for Optus surely would have seen it. And it’s too similar to not be a copycat.
19 Aug 10
9:10 am
Can I also mention…. Optus is an Australian brand. why a deer? Why not a kangaroo?
19 Aug 10
9:13 am
Come on Tim. It’s cringe-worthily similar.
You say that it’s not unreasonable to assume they came up with it independently.
Well, I say that considering this was one of the ads of 2008/9 and featured in all the big award shows and on pretty much every creative ad blog, I think it’s not unreasonable to assume that at least one of the 18 people listed above had seen the ad. And make no mistake, if you’ve seen this ad, you’ve probably watched it more than once.
Its only excuse would be if it was a pastiche.
And to be that, it would need to be better or funnier.
It’s neither.
It’s a rip-off. It’s lazy.
And it sucks.
19 Aug 10
3:41 pm
Yep, the Optus ad is definately ‘inspired’ at the least by the rabbit ad.
20 Aug 10
8:52 am
@ Eek,
Understand your point of view but what I dont understand is your hostility at the campaign?
Its not a rip off but obviously has similarities to the other ad…. what campaign doesnt?
This ad was broadcast in Europe so I’d say it’ll be new for the Australian public and it’ll sell some product here.
21 Aug 10
6:43 pm
Who cares if its a rip-off – the question is will it work.
This isn’t uni and I don’t care about plagiarism. I don’t care if you use an idea that has already proven itself.
We’re not paying agencies big bucks to produce ads that impress their peers – we paying them to produce ads that work.
If an ad impresses your peers and wins you lots of awards as well, that’s a bonus for you, but not what advertising is for.
23 Aug 10
10:02 am
Grumpy, it won’t take long for your brand to go down the toilet with that attitude. Harvey norman ads just don’t work for every product.
8 Sep 10
12:07 pm
Naturally, this was all grounded in fallacy, and now they’re officially in trouble with the ACCC for it.! Hah!
http://www.accc.gov.au/content.....ItemId/142