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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.
We’re not like Barbara the bank manager, ANZ tells consumers
Barbara the unhelpful bank clerk features in a new ANZ ad from M&C Saatchi Melbourne, in which a customer discovers that in bank world what you see is rarely what you get.
The Paul Middleditch directed ad, which broke at the weekend, features comedian Genevieve Morris.
Credits:
- CLIENT Paul Riley (Head of Retail Product Marketing); Linda Manos (Senior Manager Brand & Advertising); Melissa Hendrickson (Senior Manager Marketing Deposits); Lucy Gribble (Senior Advertising and Integrated Campaigns Manager)
- CREATIVE Steve Crawford (Creative Director); Doogie Chapman (Senior Copywriter); Tony Leishman (Senior Art Director)
- ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR Kimberley Milburn (Group Account Director) Daniel Loukidis (Account Director)
- AGENCY PRODUCER Karen Muxworthy
- EDITOR Peter Whitmore. The Editors.
- POST PRODUCTION The Editors
- DIRECTOR Paul MIddleditch, Plaza Films
- PRODUCTION CO PRODUCER Peter Masterton, Plaza Films
- SOUND Barry Stewart Sound Reservoir
January 18th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
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Comments
18 Jan 10
9:37 pm
I would actually suggest that Barbara is an excellent representation of an ANZ staff member.
FAIL – due to reminding me why I don’t bank with ANZ
18 Jan 10
9:40 pm
It’s a good ad but another example of a product/service that simply doesn’t live up to its promise.
19 Jan 10
5:24 am
This is definitely the ANZ bank
19 Jan 10
8:52 am
a bank doing this ad is like a doctor using a band-aid on my severed arm……totally failing to address the real problem
19 Jan 10
9:49 am
Smiling ANZ staff welcoming customers??? Where??? Barbara simply reinforces most normal peoples perceptions of the real world of Australian banking and even highlights the great fee rip off that they all indulge in… Weird strategy … no wonder a stretch target for all banks is to be the least hated
19 Jan 10
10:37 am
“Maybe if we say we’re not like every other bank, then people will believe us, even thouhg we’re not”
Again the marketing department trying to address consumer issues via advertising whilst leaving the actual issues in the too hard basket.
Everyone knows that every Bank and Telco’s main priority is to extract every last cent from us whilst smuggly smiling at you from behind ads like this.
19 Jan 10
12:16 pm
Better off spending all the production & media money on branch staff bonus payments for consumer rated feedback on their smiles, attitude, friendliness and general customer satisfaction.
Don’t boast about it, actually DO IT.
19 Jan 10
11:32 pm
UNBELIEVABLE!
Barbara personifies what all my experiences in ANZ have been like. No joke. I have had this EXACT conversation with different ANZ staff a number of times!
Way to kick dirt in a customers face.
Well produced and witty ad -wrong product/bank! FAIL
20 Jan 10
9:01 am
ANZ’s new brand strategy is obviously trying to make ANZ seem more approachable with the ‘We live in your world’. The problem is that the only way they’re trying to prove that is by saying ‘We live in your world’ there are no specific, tangible prove points that make that believable, if anything it alienates me because I think, do they?
Westpac’s ‘local branch manager’ campaign is achieving a brand position of approachable, understanding & they live in our world but by inferring it and talking about the tangible reasons – Local branch managers name, personality, face & what that branch deals with specifically – creative & media working well together.
Westpac WIN – ANZ FAIL!
20 Jan 10
9:02 am
If the ad above simply included 5 seconds about what ANZ are changing to be more like this, then maybe we’d believe & try them out.
20 Jan 10
9:14 am
This is a risky approach, as the negativity of the Barbara message often stays with the customer, especially for those who have had bad experiences with the bank.
As SimonT said, Westpacs ‘real staff’ approach, though done 1000 times before and launched at the same time as an ill advised rate rise, is better. Maybe more focus on benefits, rather than the competition, would have stood them in a better place in the consumers mind.
21 Jan 10
9:58 am
It’s just lippy on a piggy. Away with your aspirational nonsense please, give me something real.
21 Jan 10
10:37 am
i thought the ad was good – i’m an ANZ customer and am always really happy with the service I get which is a welcome change from my old bank
21 Jan 10
10:56 am
freaking hilarious though not sure if it can live up to it’s promise.
21 Jan 10
11:13 am
Seems a bit hypocritical on ANZ’s part, I received service that very much resembled the lady in the ad. I’ve had an ANZ card for 3 years and now that my debt is nearly zero, I cant wait to dump them, St George IMHO better by a country mile. Well at least the St G staff at Newtown are.
21 Jan 10
2:43 pm
The colour scheme of the “Bank” that Barbara works for looks remarkably similar to the CBA colours….
Subtle dig at the competition, eh? LOL!
22 Jan 10
11:40 am
I absolutely love Barbara.
27 Jan 10
9:46 pm
Babara you are so awesome! well done fantastic acting unbeliveable….. a ha ha lol
“when i said no i ment no with a silent k…. ha ha genious
27 Jan 10
9:51 pm
OMG!?!? I just saw the secound add to this and it is sooo funny…. classic quote….. Guy: “i would like to speak the manager…”
Barbara…. “umm yer(she looks around behind her) that would be me”
LOL! ver hard to explain have to see it 4ur self..
29 Jan 10
12:35 am
Great Ad…actually i came across this article which has ANZ as one of the leading for customer service.
http://www.smartcompany.com.au.....tings.html
2 Feb 10
9:02 pm
Does anyone know where I can view the second ad online with Barbara sitting in the office with the guy in a green shirt? It is too funny.
3 Feb 10
12:38 pm
Babs is the perfect representation of an ANZ branch manager! Similarly to the ad, I approched a branch manager about lodging a complaint (after several months of email wars). The response I got was:
“There are several ways we can address your issue :
Phone : Customer Response Centre on 1800 805 154 ( 8.00 am – 7.00 pm weekdays )
email ; yourfeedback@anz.com
or write to ; ANZ Customer Response Centre
Locked Bag 4050
South Melbourne , Vic 3205″
She really should have followed up with a “…not my problem!…”
Must admit though…the ads are a cracker!!
5 Feb 10
4:05 am
This is why I’m with as credit union. This ad just sums up the reason I’ll never end up with a bank. Barbara represents pretty much every bank manager and most head offices when you call them on your home phone.
Fail = ANZ
ANZ = Fail