Morning Update: Journos at Sochi tweet hotel experiences; McVities cute cookie campaign; Canadian Olympics spot is ‘gayest’ ad ever
This is our Morning Update, rounding up international media and marketing news from while you were sleeping.
Creativity-Online: A South African Whiskey ad that will make your eyes mist over
“Forget the Super Bowl; this South African spot for Bell’s will bring a tear to your eyes, in the spirit of the best feelgood movies. It’s the story of an elderly man who can’t read, but is determined to read a book he’s just bought in a bookshop (and it’s no spoiler to say you can kind of guess already that there’s going to be a personal connection to the author). He teaches himself to read via an adult literacy class and we watch his journey from struggling to read the alphabet to finally reading the entire novel. Set to an uplifting music track, it’s utterly heartwarming; particularly the final reveal, in which the tagline is “Give that man a Bell’s”. The agency was King James, Cape Town, and it was directed by Greg Gray at Velocity Films.”
The Guardian: Rebekah Brooks feared £200,000 deal being sean as ‘buying off’ Max Clifford
“Rebekah Brooks offered PR veteran Max Clifford a £200,000-a year-contract with the Sun in the belief he would “call off the lawyers” in his phone-hacking civil claim, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WimQ_15fakY
AdWeek: Tegan and Sara Sing the Latest Oreo Commercial, and It’s Pretty Great
“I never thought I’d hear Tegan and Sara in an Oreo commercial, but I also never thought Tegan and Sara would make bouncy dance pop, so everything’s up in the air at this point.
The Canadian duo provided a pretty awesome version of the “Wonderfilled” jingle for this “Dare to Wonder” ad from The Martin Agency (it first aired during the Grammys) promoting a series of limited-release Oreo flavors including berry, peanut butter, lemon and mint. Honestly, all those sound really gross, but the jingle is right in line with Tegan and Sara’s lyrical sensibilities, and of course they didn’t even write them—the ad agency did.”
“Amid continued debate over whether or not Sochi is prepared to host the 2014 Olympics, which begins Thursday, reporters from around the world are starting to check into local hotels — to their apparent grief. Some journalists arriving in Sochi are describing appalling conditions in the housing there, where only six of nine media hotels are ready for guests. Hotels are still under construction. Water, if it’s running, isn’t drinkable. One German photographer told the AP over the weekend that his hotel still had stray dogs and construction workers wandering in and out of rooms.”
The New York Times: With New App, Facebook Aims to Make Its Users’ Feeds Newsier
“Mark Zuckerberg dreams of a day whenFacebook’s computers would know you and your habits so well that it would deliver exactly the information you want to see — what he calls “the best personalized newspaper in the world.””
Creativity-Online: McVities goes all out for cuteness in cookie campaign
“McVities, the UK snack company, appeals to people’s seemingly unending appetite for cute small creatures with a new 12 million pound campaign to promote its various different biscuit brands. The ads, by Grey London, feature adorable kittens, puppies and a big-eyed gremlin-type creature (apparently a long-haired tarsier) emerging as people unwrap a pack of biscuits, to evoke the feeling of “sweet”ness that comes with a comforting snack break. “
AdAge: From McCann to Firstborn, These Are the 10 Agencies to Watch in 2014
“Agencies — and the marketing landscape — never stop evolving. From well-established firms hitting a new stride or carving out different disciplines to up-and-comers offering digital-world solutions, here are 10 shops to have on your radar in 2014.”
Journalism.co.uk: Five tips for social media success from The Wall Street Journal
“The Wall Street Journal Twitter account hit four million followers over the weekend, with its Facebook page also on the cusp of reaching two million fans.
This is a 235 per cent increase on Twitter, and a 375 per cent increase on Facebook, from when emerging media editor Liz Heron joined the WSJ two years ago.
Heron manages a team of eight social media editors, including former Journalism.co.uk technology editor Sarah Marshall.
Speaking to Journalism.co.uk, Heron explained that the Journal’s social media strategy centred around using strong images, interacting with other users, creating shareable content and “keeping a close eye” on any changes in the algorithm of social platforms.”
Creativity-Online: This Canadian Olympics spot is the ‘gayest’ ad ever
“The Russian ban on “gay propaganda” has gotten plenty of criticism recently, ahead of the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Sochi this year.
The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion gets in on the act, with this hilarious ad showing the Olympic sport of luge — and how it’s always been, just like the Winter Olympics themselves, just a little bit “gay.” Rethink is the agency.”
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Morning update
Of late, not many long-form ads make the distance before I bail out of them. That Bell’s ad held me for the whole two minutes, so well done.
And speaking of Sochi, I liked Micky Flanagan’s comment on The Last Leg … Sochi 2014 – when five rings come together.
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