-
Opinion | Features
Disclosure in Social Media: How transparent should bloggers be?
In this guest post, blogger and digital creative Laura McWhinnie argues for more disclosure in the bloggersphere.
The bloggersphere has always been a bit like the Wild West. Bloggers could post about products to their heart’s content without having to disclose their relationship with the brand. This meant that consumers had no idea who was behind the marketing messages influencing their purchasing decisions. But in 2009 that all changed
Liars, cheats and thieves
Is our industry full of cheats and liars or do people of honour who stand by their word still exist in business? In an article that first appeared in Encore, Cameron Boon investigates. The recent court case involving Paul Fishlock suing his former employer The Campaign Palace brought into focus more than just the struggle of one man. It highlighted that there are some in adland whose word cannot always be relied upon.
Q&A with Adshel's Rob Atkinson
Online trading is the next big thing says Rob Atkinson in a piece that first appeared in Encore. Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Harold Mitchell because of his influence and the footprint he has left. He’s built a huge brand in Mitchells, offloaded it into Aegis, Aegis has obviously done extremely well to be then sold on to Dentsu. So if you think about it, he is very much a father figure of the industry.
Making it overseas
Is the best way of being successful in Australia not be here at all? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Lee Zachariah speaks to Aussies making it big abroad.I always wanted to work in New York,” says Julian Cole. “I thought it was the number one place to work in advertising; a lot of the best campaigns were coming out of there. So I moved over and was lucky enough to have a couple of interviews in the first couple of weeks.”
Cole’s story is indicative of the somewhat contentious idea that the best way to be successful in Australia is to not be in Australia any more.
Got a book in you?
From journos to ad execs and PRs, these days everyone seems to have a book in them. But what does it take to get published and will you actually make any money? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Brooke Hemphill finds out.Attention wannabe authors. Forget big fat advance cheques and living off royalties. The reality of having a book published today is another story altogether. There are only two reasons you should even consider sitting down at your computer to bash out a manuscript – passion or profile.
Savage counsel
In an article that first appeared in Encore, Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas in his weekly advice column.Hi Chris,
My clients seem to be demanding more and more from us. At the same time, it seems many of the younger people in our industry simply don’t have the client servicing skills my generation grew up with. How do we instill in our executives some of the good old-fashioned behaviours that would keep a client happy and loyal?
Fake it til' you make it... as an ad agency receptionist
From dressing the part to playing the gatekeeper, Leo Burnett Sydney’s Susie Henry tells us how to make it as the face of adland in a piece that first appeared in Encore.What does a receptionist in an ad agency actually do?
Well, there’s the frantic every-day, all-day stuff of deliveries, courier bookings, doing expenses for directors – always challenging – plus arranging all the travel. But one of my main jobs is counselling the account service people. I also keep up with all sports information to discuss with our sports-loving clients – because who wants to be bored while they’re waiting? And I know how they like their coffee. You need to know everyone – from accounting to HR. I’m also the go-to for all catering and sending flowers.
Whose views skew the news? Media chiefs ready to vote out Labor, while reporters lean left
Most journalists lean left-of-centre, says Folker Hanusch of the University of the Sunshine Coast, in a post first published on The Conversation.Most Australian journalists describe themselves as left-wing, yet amongst those who wield the real power in the country’s newsrooms, the Coalition holds a winning lead.
But while the media’s political leanings will no doubt be debated in the lead-up to September’s federal election, our study has also found other largely unscrutinised biases remain – particularly whose views disproportionately shape the news.
It's time for a new New Wave in the film world
Government funding bodies are lazy and decadent, says industry veteran Michael Thornhill but in a piece that first appeared in Encore, Ed Gibbs begs to differ.I vividly remember the time I first saw Animal Kingdom, David Michod’s breathtaking labour-of-love feature debut. The press screening was half empty, despite the film winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance just months earlier, in 2010. Yet its superb performances, stylistic flourishes and overall polish left me speechless. Could this really be a feature debut, an Australian one at that, I wondered, almost out loud? It seemed too good to be true.
Going cold turkey on an agency addiction
Life is sweet for freelance writer Max Kitchen, but in a feature that first appeared in Encore, he admits his struggle against returning to the agency fold.I’ve never taken heroin. But I suspect if I had, the temptation to try it again would not be too dissimilar to the lure of returning to agency life.
Can sport save Ten?
First there was the Grand Prix. Next came the reported $500m bid for cricket rights, then Ten secured the 2014 winter Olympics. So, can sport save the ailing network? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Nic Christensen investigates.The television sports rights bidding process is a bit like a game of poker.
Check, fold or bet. Those were the options for the Ten Network last week when it had to finalise its bid for the cricket rights.
Andy Lark: good for the marketing of marketing
I can still remember the first story I wrote about Andy Lark, when it emerged that he was to be the new chief marketing officer of CommBank.
It was immediately clear that Australia was about to meet an interesting marketer, one who blogged and tweeted and thanks to his time at Dell in the US was digitally savvy. Even two years ago, that was a big deal. The fact that he also had a stint in public relations gave him an absolutely intriguing background before he even arrived.
Storming the media barricades - advice for young journalists
This week Mumbrella’s Nic Christensen, who began his career four years ago, gave the keynote address to would-be journalists at the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance’s Student Day. This is an edited version of his speech.Good afternoon, I can remember distinctly the last time I was in this room.
It was 2009 and I was sitting where you are. I’d come to this event, a friend and myself — from memory we sat up the back — and I can remember at the time wondering if I’d ever get a job as a journalist.
It was only four years ago and then as now getting a job was ultra competitive but I’m not sure there was quite as much media ‘doom and gloom’ as there is now…
Paywalls will help fund campaigning journalism
In this guest post, News Limited’s group editorial director Campbell Reid responds to the views of ninemsn’s Hal Crawford that the company’s push into metered paywalls is about data rather than dollars.Hal Crawford is both right and wrong in his article which argued that our digital subscription plans are all about the data.
Fake it 'til you make it... as a features editor
Cosmo’s Kate Leaver tells us how to bluff it in her job in a feature that first appeared in Encore.What do you do, as a features editor?
Really, play with words and ideas all day. At any one time, we’re working across three issues of the mag – getting one on its way to the printers, pooling all the words together for another, and planning the issue after that. It’s busy but it’s a pretty magnificent process.
Spot the difference, with Campaign Palace
Nice to see this breaking campaign from The Campaign Palace (courtesy of B&T)
Remind you of anything? the original has only had 12m views to date, so Dr Mumbo is sure noone will notice the similarities…
It’s a particularly impressive effect if you play both pieces at once.
Comments
31 Jul 09
5:26 pm
Sure it might be the same concept, but The Campaign Palace / Target ad is a whole lot more interesting – visually at least. The second ad had me wanting to fast forward a few seconds in.
31 Jul 09
7:08 pm
I wouldn’t mind if they’d done it better than the original but this is both stolen and shit.
31 Jul 09
9:59 pm
For that category and for someone like Target Australia, its a step in the right direction. A nice way to say they’ve got great range at great prices.
1 Aug 09
9:02 am
I like it. So what if it’s the same visual technique? Not the first time in the world someone has shot an ad/TV show/movie with a technique used elsewhere.
At least they’re doing something kinda interesting and catches your attention compared with the shit churned out by DJs, Myer, Big W and K-Mart.
And I reckon the average punter (not us advertising wankers) will like it.
1 Aug 09
11:39 am
I would say that it looks like the new Coldplay music video clip too. http://www.coldplay.com/videostrawberry.php
However, I have to agree with most people here, I do not mind it. From a sector that usually does quite boring work, congrats to Campaign Palace for doing something a little more creative!
1 Aug 09
4:19 pm
How proud they must be to do something so ignoble. Its a lovely spot – but imagine if Target ran their entire business like they do with this ad – ie copy everything. They would be in the shit. Its an example of people thinking you can build a brand on a nice image with no authenticity.
I like the ad, but it makes me like Target less.
Julian and a few others here are missing the point – its not if the ad is liked that is important – it’s whether this is good for business. I doubt this is.
1 Aug 09
6:02 pm
I think you’re missing the point (!), having people like your ads goes a long way toward people liking your brand – particularly when you’re in the discount department store segment. And when was the last time you went to a Target? You do realise that the brand is copied from the US, a lot of the clothing lines are copied from (and made by) major labels and they sell cheaper Chinese knock-offs of a variety of homewares.
The thing that has set Target apart from Big W and K-Mart for a number of years now is not what they have in-store (although there is a marked difference to just 5 years ago), it’s their advertising. It’s not breakthrough creative but it’s likeable and all about the shopper. How is that bad for business?
2 Aug 09
6:43 pm
This shits me.
But it would. I’m in the segment, I guess, that would come across the original before seeing the copy. If there was a way to make it clear to me that they had been inspired by the original and perhaps (hopefully) used the person who created the original to make their campaign, I’d probably love it, but seeing it cold like this shits me.
3 Aug 09
3:30 pm
Tried to play both at once Tim, but don’t think our bandwidth can hack it.
I loved the ad – nice work by The Campaign Palace and yes, I feel the execution is better than the ‘original’.
3 Aug 09
3:38 pm
I prefer the original. It has a story to tell. As for Target, I miss the old ads. They were cheap and cheerful – everything a retail brand should be.
3 Aug 09
3:45 pm
Saw the ad last night and loved it…..waited to see which brand it was. Had not seen the original.
Once i saw it was Target, i was surprised and wondered how come they are doing such cool creative….now i know…
But i agree that majority of real world will love it and not have seen original
3 Aug 09
4:07 pm
I do like them both, but the original was made by some friends of mine, so I’m biased towards the second one. Much nicer animation too…
And – they are commercial directors working for hire. It would have been very easy to approach them about making the Target spot…
http://www.onewingfly.com/
3 Aug 09
4:10 pm
The Target as is SO different – she walks left to right in that one. Doesn’t matter – still one of the most watchable ads on the goggle-box.
3 Aug 09
5:36 pm
Well, If we’re going to play this game, perhaps we should all have a look at where “Her Morning Elegance” was originally “inspired” from:
http://vids.myspace.com/index......oID=568002
(4 minute mark)
I don’t think anyone would doubt that Target wasn’t inspired by the beautiful clip, and I don’t think they’ve denied it. But for most things, you’ll always find a list influences.
I think they’ve done great job developing it an making it their own. Much like, dare I say, “Her Morning Elegance” with the original clip by Mitchell Rose….
3 Aug 09
6:44 pm
When it comes to execution of ideas in advertising, just about everything has been done more often than a 10 year old at Neverland.
I agree with Brendon – I like this ad. It makes me smile. I once worked with Doug Watson, and he said: “the more they like you, the more they’re going to buy from you” and he’s dead right. Research companies extort millions from clients trying to hide this simple truth behind focus groups, pie charts & bizarre jargon that real people don’t speak – but it’s not rocket science.
And while I’m quoting others, John Mortimer (creator of Rumpole of The Bailey) once said: “If you can make the Jury smile, you’re home & hosed.”
He’s dead right too.
4 Aug 09
9:22 am
Three nights ago I saw one of the old Target ads with the crappy little logos running around and thought it was about time Target did something new. So well done Target for taking a bold leap.
And the ad is nice. It will work very well for the brand.
However, no kudos for the Palace. It’s OK to be inspired by, and even ‘borrow’, a visual style or technique. It’s not OK to just make the exactly the same thing. Almost frame for frame. We can all imagine the creative team drooling over this video clip and playing to the client and to their director, saying “we want that”, while at the same time thinking to themselves, “Clear the shelf. We getting some awards on this one.”
No. You are not. Awards are given out for original executions. And you can’t even possibly imagine getting away with a blatant rip-off these days. There’s a little thing called the internet that has seen everything that has ever been done.
You could have saved your reputation (and award hopes) if you’d used that so-called creative grey matter you get paid for and thought of a way the brand could “own” this technique. Construct a new scenario for it. Or, at the very least, use the same crew, and maybe the same musician and do a press release about how Target recognises and embraces the talents of artists. Make it part of the strategy.
Come on, guys. We get paid to think. So… think!
4 Aug 09
10:34 am
If anyone is wondering why some posts have been removed, it’s because they were all from the same IP address, anonymous and personally abusive about an individual.
The person who posted them is still welcome to contribute if they want to do so in a less personal way, but your IP address will now take those comments to a pre-moderation queue. If that also affects colleagues from your agency at the same address, then my apologies.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
4 Aug 09
4:31 pm
Geez…. it must be a slow news week in the ad world. Congrats Target for producing a bit of feel good fun. Fashion fun, nothing more. I suspect that is exactly what its intended purpose was all along…?
4 Aug 09
5:34 pm
This isn’t exactly a new technique. Neither of them is really that original (even though someone deemed the second one ‘creative’ enough to make the Saatchi’s New Directors’ Showcase, but that’s another issue altogether, time to re-hash stop-motion anyone???). And when you consider that 11.99m of the 12m that viewed the second one were just ad wankers like us, i think it’s fair game.
6 Aug 09
1:46 pm
Ad agencies are in the business of debasing culture and thieving memes, so this to me just looks like business as usual.
7 Aug 09
2:38 pm
Most of the ideas we see are derivative.
The key word is derivative rather than plagiarize. It is OK to take inspiration from another creative idea and apply it in a new way. Ref the Olympus Pen camera ad featuring a familiar stop motion technique and idea.
Where brands get the flack is when they copy the idea directly. Ref Freeview.
In todays connected world it is naive to assume that it won’t be spotted. This one is borderline, but as noted, the average viewer won’t be aware and already it seems to have a good reaction.