It might just be our imagination, but it seems so much warmer and brighter outside this week! Could it be that Spring is right around the corner (please, please!)? Either way, we’ve collected a few stories from the past week that are guaranteed to warm you up! If Ikea’s Valentine’s Day ad doesn’t make you blush, we don’t know what will…

Adidas Reminds Us That Today Is Up For Grabs

Do something and be remembered, or do nothing and be forgotten. It’s that simple. This latest spot called ‘Take It’ from Adidas urges athletes to take on the challenges of each day, regardless of what happened in the past, giving focus to the present and what possibly lies ahead.

Facebook’s New Ads Focus On The Importance Of Connecting Through Friendship

Facebook continues to celebrate their 11th anniversary by following up their tribute to friendship with the release of two new ads that highlight the importance of our connections and also emphasize Mark Zuckerberg’s Internet initiative, internet.org. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it?

Booking.com Shows Us Our Destiny Is Often In The Details

Online travel agent Booking.com released a new 60-second spot that follows the crazy life of a man who’s destiny depended on a hostel that he booked while travelling abroad. Seems far-fetched, but very possible if you consider small choices that you’ve made in your life and how they’ve led you down different paths…

Placement of Pizza Brand’s Outdoor Ads Are Purposely Hard To Notice

As a way to cleverly emphasize the delicious taste of their dairy-free pizza, this campaign from Daiya Foods (launched by agency TDA_Boulder) has designed and discreetly placed ads that make you notice them. From bus-tops to stickers strategically placed on benches, elevator panels and grocery store floors, these ads emphasize the idea that ‘It’s easier to notice this ad than notice our pizza is dairy-free’.

IKEA’s Cheeky Valentine’s Day Ad Doesn’t Disappoint

In addition to the standard chocolates and flowers that we’ve all come to look forward to, it is, once again the annual ad from furniture retailer Ikea that never seems to disappoint! You may recall their ad from 2013 that offered a voucher for a free cot to any baby born on November 14th, 2013 (exactly nine months to the day from Valentine’s Day). Their Valentine’s Day ad from last year was also a hit as it featured two chairs (suggestively) stacked on top of each other wishing all a Happy Valentine’s Day. Well, it appears that Ikea is at it again this year with their cheeky ad that introduces their new line of “beds”. Oh Ikea, how we love thee!

It might be another cold and dreary day outside, but we have collected a few of the top stories from the past week to warm you up! Grab your hot drink of choice, kick up those feet, it’s time, once again, for your mid-week mash-up!

Love Is In The Air In Latest Interflora Ad

With Valentine’s Day coming up on Saturday, we thought we might kick off our first story with a love-themed ad. Don’t hate us. It’s just a simple story of Goth Guy meets Preppy Princess in this latest ad from flower delivery service Interflora. Have a look…

New Possible Facebook Ad Format Is Downright Hypnotic

Cinemagraphs, the digital world’s version of a beautifully crafted print ad, are looking to be the advertising format of choice for both Facebook and Instagram ads. These GIF-style images combine isolated movements to photographs and the overall effect is oddly hypnotic. Have a look at a few below, and try not to stare…

Gap’s Instagram Video Series Offers Bite-Sized Content To Busy Consumers

American-based clothing retailer ‘The Gap’ has released a series of 15 second videos on Instagram as a clever way to promote the spring season’s top trends and feature the clothing brought to life throughout each different episode. The introduction of these bite-sized bits of micro-content cater to the time-restrained consumers by offering them a way to interact with online campaigns and brand promotions in a clever and timely fashion (no pun intended).

 

 

McDonald’s Sunrise Billboard Uses Real-Time Data To Light Up The Morning

This latest Canadian-based outdoor billboard features the rising of McDonalds’ famous Egg McMuffin in time with the sun. Using real-time data, a spokesperson from Cossette,  the integrated marketing communications agency behind the idea, stated, “The digital board was synced to sunrise times over the course of the buy, with each frame lined up as best as we could get it.”

 

Hiking Boot Brand Creates Scary Hike Experience Using Oculus Rift

Hiking boot brand, Merrell, thrills consumers with an activation experience that was featured at the Sundance Film Festival last month by creating the Merrell TrailScape–an exhilarating virtual reality event using Oculus Rift, providing potential hikers with the heart thumping experience that they are scooting along a crumbling mountain ledge and carefully crossing a teetering wooden bridge high up in the mountains. The event highlighted the release of Merrell’s most advanced boot to date, the Capra. Not sure about you, but our boots are shaking at the thought!

Another Super Bowl came and went, and along with it, loads of ads that still have people debating which ones were tops and which ones were flops. This week’s mash-up features a few of the most talked about (good and bad) ads of Sunday’s big game.

Snickers Strikes Gold With The Brady Bunch Ad

Featuring 2 notable cameos, there isn’t anything we didn’t LOVE about this spot. Take a look and decide for yourself…

Budweisers ‘Lost Dog’ Scores Great Praises

Nothing like a little lost puppy action to really draw us in! This ad also received top ratings and many websites are voting it as their favourite ad. Have a look…

Esurance ‘Sorta’ Ad Is Sorta Brilliant 

Another notable cameo during the ads of Sunday’s big game included one of televisions most loved characters. Take a look…

Now, with the good, there comes the bad. Here are a few of Sunday’s notably disappointing ads…

Nationwide’s ‘Jarring’ Ad Is Super Bowl’s Greatest Buzzkill

Nationwide’s Super Bowl ad, meant to raise awareness for the safety of children (cut to overflowing bathtubs and child-smashing TV’s), has notoriously won top prize of the greatest buzzkill ad known to Super Bowl fans. Take a look…but don’t say we didn’t warn ya!

Kim Kardashian’s Save The Data Has Mixed Reviews

While most of us have had our fill of the Kardashians (seriously, where will they pop up next?), it is nice to see Kim not take herself so seriously for once. Take a look…

 McDonalds, We Aren’t Really ‘Lovin’ It

The ad is nearly as bad as the food, itself. Sorry, McDonalds, better luck next time…

Another cold one out there again, but we’ve got you covered here with a few of the latest stories to warm up to! Pop on that kettle, kick up those feet and check out a few of the latest stories that have caught our eye so far this week, it’s time for your Mid-week Mash-up!

Similac Reminds Parents That In The End, We Are All The Same

A playground showdown of every mommy stereotype reminds us that perhaps we aren’t so different, after all. Whether you’re a milk-pumping-during-a-conference-call-career-mom or a drug-free-pool-birth-dolphin-assisted-stay-at-home mom (wait, what?!?) Similac reminds us that whatever the parenting belief may be, we are all still parents. Check it out…

Volvo Urges Fans To Tweet During Super Bowl Ads of Competitors’

Who would you give a Volvo to? Volvo might not be airing an ad during this weekend’s Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean that they are about to miss out on the action! In their latest spot, ‘The Greatest Interception Ever’, Volvo are shifting the attention away from the advertising by highlighting the individuals who inspire us most. Take a look at the video below for more details…

Nike Puts Your Data To Work And Sends Personalised Videos To Users

Over 100,000 Nike+ members received personalised one-minute films created by data that was gathered from their workout activity throughout 2014. These personalised films, each consisting of different content from member to member, aims to inspire Nike members to ‘Outdo You’ in 2015, and are the first of a series of initiatives from Nike, who want to use the personalised data to inspire and motivate each member to reach new fitness goals. Take a look…

Giant Polar Bear On The Srteets of London Promotes Sky’s New Crime Drama Fortitude

It’s not everyday that people happen to see a polar bear walking down the streets–especially the streets of London! Well, turns out the bear was actually operated by puppeteers and was the focus of a publicity stunt to promote Sky’s newest crime drama, Fortitude. Real or not, we still loved it!

Bud Light’s Latest Installment of ‘Up For Whatever’ Is Pure Genius

Calling all PacMan lovers! Offered a free beer in exchange for ‘whatever’ happens, we are invited on a young man’s adventure that throws him into the mix of a vintage video game. Can we play next?

Check back next week as we have a look into this weekend’s top Super Bowl ads! Have a great week!

Hello and welcome back to another week of Dialogue’s Mid-Week Mash-Up. We’ve collected a few of the week’s top stories and shared them with you below. Pop on that kettle, kick your feet up and settle into our latest post, it’s time once again for your Mid-Week Mash-Up!

Adidas Celebrates The Haters

Haters gonna hate. That’s the premise behind the new Adidas ad featuring several of football’s biggest (and apparently most hated) players. Take a look…

Shakira And Facebook Unite With Unicef For Global Baby Shower

Another example of people using social media for good use! In partnership with UNICEF, Shakira and footballer hubby, Gerard Piqué, launched their second ‘World Baby Shower’ via Facebook on Monday. The cause urges people to donate funds and supplies to benefit children in need around the world. Such ‘gifts’ include polio vaccines, blankets, water for entire families in emergency situations and therapeutic meals for children with malnutrition  “There are millions of kids in the world who die daily from preventable causes, and with your help we want to change this permanently,” she wrote in the Facebook post. “Every baby deserves to have the best possible start and because we all can and should help.” Donations can be made at worldbabyshower.org

‘This Girl Can’ Campaign Celebrates the Wiggles and Jiggles of Working Out

Proving it doesn’t take a fit person to work ones butt off (and look good doing so!), the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign is urging women across the UK to jump into the fitness craze and focus on feeling good. Funded by Sport England, a British government department that was previously known as the English Sports Council, a research project was run to get down to the core reason why roughly 2 million fewer women than men aged 14-40 regularly participate in sports. As it turns out, body image issues are, once again, to blame. Additional videos and stories are displayed on their website, offering support and inspiration to women across the world. Have a watch…

The World’s First Self-Destructing Book Comes With A 24 Hour Countdown Clock

Feeling the need to compete in today’s digitally-driven world, acclaimed author James Patterson has released his latest book–only catch is that it will self-destruct after 24 hours! During a 5 day span, 1000 fans will have just 24 hours to read an advance digital version of “Private Vegas” until the book “self-destructs in a spectacular fashion”. Partnering with agency Mother, Patterson states, “Publishing, in my opinion, needs to get out there competing with everything else in the world—movies, television, etc. etc.” and so this revolutionary reading experience was created to give readers a thrilling reading experience (allowing readers to keep track of their own time and ‘steal time’ from other readers) with the countdown clock at the top of the screen ticking away once the first page is swiped. Check out more details below…

Dove Urges Girls To Love Their Curls

Dove addresses the body image issue of young girls embracing their curly hair in their latest ad, proving, once again, that the way we see ourselves is often mimicked in the impressionable minds of young girls. This is a great reminder of how important the messages we give to young girls can play such a large role in their own self-image. Have a look…

Hello! Hope everyone is managing to keep warm in this cold weather! Tighten up your scarf, grab a hot cup of tea and settle into some of the top stories that caught our eye over the past week–it’s time for your mid-week mash-up!

Shirts Take Flight In IKEA’s Latest Whimsical Ad

Glorious flocks of t-shirts making their way home. The latest ad from IKEA’s ‘Wonderful Everyday’ campaign shows us the ‘joys of storage’ as we witness these shirts making their way across mountains, seas and fields as they find their way back to their respective wardrobes, drawers and shelves. Enjoy!

Social Media and Mobile Advertising Continue to Make It Big In 2015

A report from Salesforce has revealed that an estimated 70% of marketers plan to increase ad spend on social media for 2015, with mobile advertising and content also expecting an increase in spend, as well. The 47-page ‘State of Marketing 2015′ report also reveals a growing shift from traditional advertising spend to digital and increases in mobile data tracking and branded mobile apps.

Anti-Bullying Ad Hits It Home With Messages Left To Those Who Took Their Own Lives

This ad from ‘Champions Against Bullying’, an anti-bullying organisation, hopes to shed light on the growing epidemic of bullying by sharing messages (via social media) left to those who decided to end their lives after being bullied. Titled ‘Too Late’, the ad is an important reminder that bullying continues to have such a strong affect on teens worldwide and needs to come to an end. Now.  Have a look…

McDonald’s ‘Signs’ Ad Sparks Mixed Reviews Online

This latest McDonalds’ ad aired in the US is receiving mixed reviews from people across the Internet. Titled, ‘Signs’, the ad features a number of positive messages supporting local and global events that aim to uplift and inspire. Viewers are also invited to visit a separate Tumblr account to explore the stories behind each message. What is your take on the campaign?

Choose Your Own Adventure Books Turned Into Interactive Twitter Game

Do you choose to run or hide? Expanding on the once-popular books that allowed readers to choose plot directions based on their preferences, a new interactive version of this concept from Terence Eden has hit Twitter. Created by linking a number of separate Twitter accounts, you can choose the direction the story takes by opting to run or hide, fight or flee, and so on. Start your adventure here and see where your choices will take you!

Hello, and welcome to your first mash-up of the new year! Time to pop on the kettle, put your feet up and settle into a few of the top stories that have recently caught our eye. Here is your latest mash-up…

Fisher Price Rings In The New Year With Newborns Around The World

New year, new love. This touching, New Year’s-themed ad from Fisher Price reminds us that the best possible start to life is simply love. This latest ad focuses on babies born in the new year around the globe and the simple wishes a mother has for her new child. Have a look…

Johnnie Walker Looks Ahead

Seemingly filmed in a single take, this latest ad from whiskey brand Johnnie Walker envisions what lies ahead in the new year, beginning with those first steps into a brand new year.

Message On A Bottle

‘Say it easier with Andes’. Well, that is the basic concept behind the latest campaign from Argentinian beer company Andes with the release of personalised messages that are retrieved via QR Codes. Message-senders can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the messages will self-destruct after being played once. Got something awkward to say? Why not say it on a bottle?

Look At Me: New App From Samsung Aimed To Help Autistic Children

This interactive camera app developed by Samsung aims to help autistic children by turning the often difficult task of eye contact into a game. Have a watch…

Domestic Violence PSA Goes Viral

Boasting 33 million views in just 3 days, this PSA from Italy shows the pretty remarkable response young men have when encouraged to act violently towards a young girl. Take a look…

Kenophobia is the fear of void or empty spaces. This is meant in a physical sense however I can’t help but notice this phobia creeping into the world of communications.

Your communications need to grab attention. Attention is the behavioural and cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Let’s not go to town on this. Let’s not make the consumer run a mile when that’s not the desired response we want.

If the objective of the communication is to achieve cut-through and deliver a message, then space is our canvas (be it print or broadcast) and it needs to be considered not crammed.

So I need to do some form of exercise. Let’s say I come across these two communications below, which would make me want to sign up?

It’s not that the second ad is more beautiful, (let’s face it, that is not a pretty Pilates ball!), it’s the simplicity and clarity that allows the message to cut through in just a glance. I see the problem and the solution immediately. Nothing else is needed. It’s job done and done well as far as I’m concerned. The first ad shows me everything yet tells me nothing, I fail to see the consumer benefit and I am not motivated to ‘sign up now’. It’s a classic case of fear of space!

If we’ve 1.3 seconds to engage with people then we need to really focus on clarity in order to grab attention and deliver our message effectively.

We’re asking people to notice our communications above all other communications, in pretty much every place imaginable, and above the millions of business and personal thoughts they are already processing in their own heads. We need to make it easy for them.

Budgets are so tight nowadays and the temptation is to put everything we possibly can into paid-for communications.  Over the years I’ve often heard clients saying “There’s too much white space, we need to fill it”. While I completely understand the fear of unused, paid-for space I think the above Pilates comparison highlights how effective it can be to focus on clarity of the message rather than filling the space.

We’ve looked at a visual example, but what about an audio one? I remember during my time on the client side while I was working for a particular 5 Star hotel which needed a little lift in sales (and in a hurry!). There was quite a challenge here and it struck me that it wasn’t space cramming that was needed. In order to make my pending radio campaign work hard to deliver results I needed both creativity and bravery. Creativity from my agency and bravery from myself (a tough sell internally I tell you!).

The result was a beautiful suite of ads which focused on the hotel as an experience rather than the mandatories. This hotel was all about the experience. We had 40 seconds and we weren’t wasting them talking about the obvious. Rooms? I’d assume there are a few, it’s a five star hotel. Restaurant?  It has to be decent enough, again it’s five star. Rate? If you have to think about that then it’s not for you! We bravely omitted all of these from our ad which opened up a space to do someone magical…

“I am quiet, I am relaxed, I’m happy, I have all that I need, all that I could wish for and I like it.” whispered lyrically by Joanna Lumley. These are the opening lines to the first radio ad. The entire ad was the lovely Johanna Lumley talking about the fantasy and experience of the hotel. I can tell you now that nothing prepared me for the boost in sales from that activity. There was a modest medium-weight media spend and this was a sharp reminder of the importance of focusing on clarity and delivering the right message in the right way.

We all fear ‘space’ but we need to see space as a clear platform for our message rather than something that is crying out to be filled to capacity.

From my own experience both in agency and client side, I’ve learnt that it requires bravery to break away from the competition and I truly believe that fortune favours the brave.

Let’s avoid Kenophobic behaviour.  Be brave, respect creativity and don’t fear space. You’ll then achieve cut-through, and cut-through will deliver results.

Susannah Hewson
Account Director

Nowadays marketing departments feel a continuous need to come up with new marketing directions. A fear of settling on one creative position, look and feel and tone of messaging transcends into a fear of being left behind amongst competitors, missing some essential strategy, positioning or clever concept.

But in doing so, are brands distancing themselves from prospects and customers?

What brands need to realise is that time invested in developing their core proposition, tone, messaging, offering, and overall brand positioning is important to get right first time round… as is the creative used to portray this. If brands can do this right, they can make impressions, and in turn a stronger brand affiliation amongst their audience.

Examples of brands getting this right and creative that is timeless include Coca Cola, Budweiser, and Kellogg’s, to name but a few.

Coca Cola Christmas Trucks
First launched nearly 15 years ago, the Coca Cola trucks made their way onto our screens and there is an expectation to see them this year too. For some, this signifies the start of Christmas, as it resonates with consumers and the time of giving. The same proposition is held by Coca Cola today, just worded slightly different “Share a Coke”.

Budweiser
In 2006 Budweiser launched “Budweiser Clydesdale Horses” And 8 years on, they are still very much part of the brand creative approach. For those of you who haven’t seen the latest ad, here it is: http://tinyurl.com/mfgrwus

Rice Krispies
Growing up, I remember watching the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies ads. I had no understanding of what product they were selling but something made the advert particularly appealing and memorable.

The cereals unique feature ‘snap, crackling and popping’ became the companies USP for advertising. This year “Snap, Crackle and Pop’ who first featured in 1928 celebrate their 86th birthday!

Growing up with our favourite brands bias what we think is ‘cool’ and what we are likely to purchase in the future. Connell, Brucks & Nielsen (2014) found that brands we identify with as we grow up create resilient product evaluations, which carry forward to adulthood. Positive feelings towards branding were found to be significant mediating factors in the formation of such evaluations (Moore & Lutz, 2000). TV advertisements are particularly appealing in the eyes of child consumers, 80% stating that appearing on TV suggests that something is ‘cool’. This is magnified if branded mascots such as ‘Tony the Tiger’ or ‘Snap, Crackle & Pop’ are used.

Adverts such as the ones above have the potential to have a great influence on consumer decision from an early age and are just as relevant today as they were when they first appeared.

Creatively beautiful and timeless advertising.

Another week has come and gone and it’s time, once again, to catch up on a few of the top stories that caught our eye. Pop on that kettle, kick up your feet and settle into a few of the latest stories–here is your latest mashup.

Freeview Mixes 80s Power Ballad With Misfit Toys In New Ad

Following on from their recent ads featuring singing Cat and Budgie, Freeview is back with an amusingly sad ad featuring a table full of loved-and-left toys that make you feel really sorry for them. Like, really sorry…

Instagram’s First Beer Ads From Stella Artois Have Arrived

Millennial foodie-loving beer-drinkers, beware! Stella Artois has begun their Instagram ad rollout and they are targeting YOU. Don’t say we didn’t warn you–these ads look delicious!

Sol Searching For Pubs

On a hunt for the next hotspot? Leave the Google-ing to the amateurs and tap into the new Sol Search that ranks the results based on authenticity rather than popularity or payment (ahem, Yelp). Sol, which champions Espiritu Libre (Free Spirit), steps up to the challenge of finding authentic destinations with a bespoke search algorithm that promote hidden gems within your community.

7up Fully Knitted

Having undergone a recent brand identity revamp fueled by a global campaign that centers around the idea that ‘It feels good to be you’, 7up is having a blast highlighting the individuals that celebrate their uniqueness. Have a watch of ‘Urban Knitter’ Magda Sayeg’s story below…

Pizza Hut’s Mind-Reading Menu

Pizza Hut is currently experimenting in the UK with a new ‘Subconscious Menu’ app idea that chooses pizza toppings for you based on eye-tracking technology. Combining the eye-tracking technology (that works by selecting toppings based on the ingredients where your eyes tend to linger the longest) with an algorithm based on your choices, specific recommendations are given that eerily match your cravings.