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Opinion
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 While on Twitter I noticed someone saying that Australia’s NBN is already outdated.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.
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 marketingEmail 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.
Sunny Queen Farms turns the smile upside down with Whinging Poms eggs
Sunny Queen Farms has created a stunt that sees the smiling face printed on its eggs replaced with a frown to represent “Whinging Poms”.
Backed with print and online, the campaign asks consumers to vote on whether there should be a Whinging Pom Eggs brand.
There is also a Facebook fan page inviting consumers to place their votes.
The campaign – which includes a spoof news report claiming the British has a “whinging gene” – has been created by BCM.
The whinging pom stereotype is not an entirely new one in Australian advertising.
Four years ago M&C Saatchi created the “Poms will whinge” campaign on behalf of British Council scholarships.
And three years ago, Tooheys New took the “Pom’s worst nightmare” approach for the launch of its Super Cold range. The Advertising Standards Board ruled against the Saatchi & Saatchi ads.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
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Comments
27 Jan 10
2:00 pm
Yet another advertiser walking that comedy vs. racism tightrope.
“Let’s poke fun at another country to sell more product! Don’t worry, it’s not racist, it’s funny!”
And we wonder why our kids are beating up Indian students.
27 Jan 10
2:14 pm
Boring!!!
As Mumbrella rightly pointed out, using the whinging pom concept is by no means original…
I can picture it so clearly, the agency pitching this to their client and the client absolutely loving it… (they are from QLD after all)
27 Jan 10
2:16 pm
I am so, so, SO over the whinging pom stereotype which is about as unfunny as jokes about all aussies being criminals.
Of course, by even making this comments, some wag will no doubt see it as vindication of the stereotype. “See? You’re whinging!” It’s a lose lose situation – take it in good humour otherwise you justify the stereotype.
The kind of ridiculous circular logic that makes me want to smash those that use it with a chair. Who’ll be whinging then, huh?
27 Jan 10
2:30 pm
Reminds me of an old joke:
“What’s the difference between an egg and a national stereotype?”
A = “You can beat an egg”
(tumbleweed … distant church bells chime …)
27 Jan 10
2:52 pm
Like so many similar campaigns, it fails as it has no apparent customer insight or need. Or a funny joke.
The “Whinging Pom” bit is very, very trite and the overall campaign is only tenuously linked. You could stick any stereotype and almost any product in this framework. Either way you get dross out.
Overall, it’s a bit shit, but the SQF Marketing Manager is no doubt laughing like a drain.
27 Jan 10
2:52 pm
Oh well – no more buying Sunny Queen Farm eggs for me then
27 Jan 10
3:01 pm
I like the campaign, and there’s hardly anything new about the “whinging pom” line, it’s a fun bit of banter we’ve enjoyed for decades. The Poms give as good as they get too.
What concerns me is another marketing department lacking the balls to launch a new product line without asking the public whether or not they should. And dressing the poll up as “consumer engagement”. *Yawn*
27 Jan 10
3:03 pm
BORING
27 Jan 10
3:27 pm
Sorry to “whinge” but it’d be even beauter if they spelt “whingeing” right.
27 Jan 10
3:55 pm
Interestingly this morning at early morning group training (here in ‘sunny’ Qld) I actually overheard one of my fellow team members make a comment about the whinging pommy eggs (who BTW then proceeded to actually name the brand – unsolicited), all the while having a good dig at our resident pommy team member (who had been complaining no less) and wishing that the eggs were actually available so that she could give him some.
Being in the industry it was great to hear the banter (and no the lady who made the comment isn’t in the industry – she’s in medicine). Isn’t that what we all want …. talkability & intent to purchase?
27 Jan 10
4:00 pm
Guys – I think you are missing the point here. I think this is a great way to see consumer insights put to work & glowing with sucessful results.
27 Jan 10
4:53 pm
I bought some Sunny Queen Farm eggs the other day and they were all bad !!
Must have been hanging around on a shelf too long, hence the ad to try and get shot of them.
27 Jan 10
5:09 pm
lazy at best. The only joke in it would have been attending the ‘creative’ meeting….”So, how do we sell more eggs you ask? Well we thought we’d use a negative national stereotype! Waddya think? Bleeding edge or what!…..” Lets prey they don’t get the Coon Cheese account
27 Jan 10
5:20 pm
It isn’t a stereotype that bothers me since it only serves to make me feel superior to the ponytailed Antipodean admen who couldn’t come up with something more original, pertinent or amusing than this.
Anyway, I wouldn’t touch Sunny Queen Farm eggs because they’re not free range. If drawing a little face on a battery product forced out of some poor caged beast brightens the breakfast of Sunny Queen’s customers, good luck to them.
27 Jan 10
5:41 pm
Proof if it were needed, that the “gene” still very much at work in Aus is the racist one. Unfunny – and unhelpful at a time when Indian students are being attacked.
27 Jan 10
7:43 pm
It’s a shame that Sunny Queen Farms thinks this is clever. Given Brits make up around 10% of the population, that’s an awful lot of people to get offside.
Glad to see that they thought through the launch date as well given Australia day is about the celebration of multiculturalism, not slagging off other nationalities.
If KFC think they had a tough deal with upsetting the African American and West Indian African populations who saw their ad on the net, I think Sunny Valley well and truly crosses the national/racial stereotypical line in the sand and may get some flack OS for this charming piece of product promotion.
27 Jan 10
9:27 pm
In future it may be an idea for us ex Brits who became Aussies, define ourselves in a different way .I can see now why Lebanese Australians and other dual Nationals do this. They don’t like the idea of assimilating totally with morons.
In future I will call myself an English Australian. Thats a first.
If Sunny Queen Farms ever decide to put the Aussie Flag on their ads,please remember to add Tasmania on the Bottom Right Hand Side. Us Brits remember the silly things Aussies do at times. It is a standing joke that the only thing wrong with Australia is the Australians.But enough of this frivolity, We Brits know and understand how delicate and precious you Aussies are in the face of criticism.
27 Jan 10
10:07 pm
Digg the change in designs on the eggs – that’s a clever twist to a great idea. Pity the whole thing was so poorly executed. Its disappointing to think that money was actually exchanged for that “news report”…. shudder.
28 Jan 10
6:29 am
I’m hoping Quaker Oats might do an ad for their porridge featuring an Australian dressed in convict uniform and a ball and chain.
28 Jan 10
9:29 am
Sounds like another Irishman having a “hate-the-English” moment. It won’t be long we start hearing about Irish-Australians. The hyphen-drivers don’t take long to make their Oirish roots visible.
28 Jan 10
12:14 pm
Few whinging poms in here by the looks of it. Like flies to s**t.
28 Jan 10
12:25 pm
Egg-cellent (boom-boom-tish) way to make sure they pass-up on sales to the several million 1st or 2nd generation poms in Australia. Its a brave sales director that turns his nose up at that kind of number…
28 Jan 10
12:42 pm
With more consumers choosing to buy free range, Sunny Farms has had to resort to this desperate gimic to shift eggs that are barn laid.
No wonder the eggs have a sad face
28 Jan 10
12:45 pm
Oh christ it is so bad and worse it goes on forever … which year 8 high school kid produced it??
28 Jan 10
1:22 pm
That egg just doesn’t have the necessary ennui to be a whinging pom. It looks much more like a local from the shire.
28 Jan 10
9:14 pm
Craig Gill Will be organising a MASS PICKET to stop delivery of these eggs hitting the streets of Sydney ! Are you in !! This will show those EGG HEADS not 2 mess with us Poms !
28 Jan 10
10:44 pm
Fucking imperial cocks. Yes Aussies are dumb racists. At least we don’t jump on marketing blogs and whinge about it. Man up and get some sun cancer you superior, imbecile prats.
28 Jan 10
11:01 pm
My art director’s Spanish, my girlfriend’s Indian and I work for Jewish guys, all of which pride themselves as Australians. But I’ve never encountered such provincial racism as I have when I tell English people my family’s originally from Birmingham. Strange isn’t it?
English seem to be the only tiffs that consider themselves superior and still English even when they’ve lived here 15 years. What’s the deal guys? Even my girl, who’s been here 5 years calls herself Australian.
By the way, it’s easy for us to spot an east-ender putting on heirs so no matter how you try to round your accent, you’re even worse scum than the people who brought you up ever tried to be. At least they called a spade a spade.
29 Jan 10
4:40 am
(This comment deleted on the grounds that the editor finds “If your country is so good, why don’t you live there” statements vacuous)
29 Jan 10
10:43 am
This argument should not focus on the sensitivity of the Poms as I think they get their fair share of mostly good natured ribbing in this Country and seem to handle it reasonably well… this should be about the appalling lack of craft and humour in this pile of shite of an ad produced by an Australian agency
29 Jan 10
7:36 pm
Editor you deleted my comment about the Irish as being vacuous and yet you left comment 27 ‘Yes Aussies are dumb racists’. Ok for me to say the Irish are dumb racists is it?
29 Jan 10
11:26 pm
People, don’t get stressed! We should instead just remember that this is the only way the Australians can try to make us feel threatened. Well, they’ve failed.
30 Jan 10
11:01 am
PR Stunt gone whingy.
31 Jan 10
5:49 pm
At least we don’t fill up the gaols, our children don’t go round in gangs stabbing people and selling drugs, we work hard and pay our taxes and are not bludgers, so you can stick your Sunny Queen eggs where the sun don’t shine. No more Sunny Queen Eggs for me.
2 Feb 10
9:18 pm
Maree – are you talking about the English?
Scousers?
Even a consummate Pom like myself would have to agree there’s far more crime, bludgers and gangs in the mother country than here.
6 Feb 10
8:44 am
@ Art Vandelay
LOL! I’m glad you realised where the s**t lies that attracts the whinging Poms.
6 Feb 10
8:47 am
@ Racist Aussie
Really? What about the Irish? I remember seeing a picture of a Welsh flag painted across the whole end of a house in Australia.
18 Feb 10
4:58 pm
I work for a magazine called whingeing pom which has been around for the last 2 years. The magazine is a look from a Brits viepoint on the differences between the UK and OZ. For the record we take the rise out of the UK more than OZ hence the reson so many of us are here. I think the point that no-one from what I can see has made is that the Poms and the Aussies have one BIG thing in common which is the ability to take the mick out of each other as well as themselves. As a whingeing Pom if I did live in Queensland I would have no trouble at all buying some, most Aussies I know given the chance in WA would love to serve them to me if I was heading round for a bit of bacon and eggs!!!
19 Feb 10
1:53 pm
I’ve always found it ironic that we (the poms) got this reputation. You talk to a pom in Australia, and they’re (and I’m counting myself here, too) loving being here.
Talk to an Aussie who lives in the UK and all they do is moan about how crap it is
Actually, my biggest problem with this campaign is that there’s no way to spell whingeing/whinging that looks right.
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