It’s that time again! Already half-way through your work-week and ready to catch-up on a few top stories? Yes, we thought so–it’s time, once again, for your mid-week mash-up!

Old Spice Follows Up Epic ‘Momsong’ Ad With ‘Dadsong’ Celebrating Their Boys Becoming Men (While The Moms Still Weep, Of Course)

He’s a man! He’s a boy! Much to a mother’s dismay, her little boy has to eventually grow up. This was the general idea behind the hilarious (and often creepy) ad that Old Spice graced us with earlier this year. Well, the time has come for Dad’s to have their say…and needless to say, it’s a proud moment for a father.

Coupons Are Coming To Your Twitter Feed

Twitter has announced plans to roll out a new feature that allows brands to tweet deals to their followers. These deals can be claimed online and redeemed in stores, allowing brands to accurately track the effectiveness of their ad strategies on Twitter. This latest ‘deal’ feature from Twitter will be tested during the holidays in the US on a handful of brands with plans to expand the idea to all brands in the coming year.

Lenovo Bends The Competition To Promote It’s Flexibility In Latest Product Demo Gone Wrong

Lenovo’s new laptop, the ‘Yoga 3 Pro’ bends over backwards (quite literally) in this product demonstration stunt that has us laughing and cringing at the same time. Take a look…

Billboard Uses A Little Magic Of It’s Own To Promote Magic Show In Quebec

The Quebec City Magic Festival made sure passers-by noticed this billboard as they incorporated a little ‘magic’ of their own…have a watch!

Google Is Set To Launch A Really, Really, Really Big Billboard In Times Square

Times Square; the Mecca of all things billboard. Well, the land of billboards is about to welcome the arrival of the biggest billboard yet–initially powered by Google. Measuring in at 77.69 feet by 329.65 feet, and crowing it the largest billboard on Broadway (not to mention the largest digital billboard in all of North America), this block-long billboard is set to go live on Monday. Featuring an interactive Android game and exclusive display capabilities through January 31st, this billboard will be used to promote both the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.

A picture may speak a thousand words but what about the words themselves? If you took the corollary of that statement to its ruthless conclusion you might think that the copy that accompanies your beautiful image is 1000 times less important, which, of course is not the case. And how those words are presented is a critical decision. The typeface, leading and font size are all vital to eking out every drop of meaning from your carefully crafted copy.

 So, when you scroll down that list of fonts on a Microsoft Word document with those names like Apple Chancery and Palatino Linotype, think of it as stepping into a walk in wardrobe for words and picking out a nice suit to dress them in.

Decisions, Decisions!

The right font gives your words their visual tone of voice, whether that tone is serious, dour, frivolous or playful.Your words, your thoughts are going out there to make their way in the world. They are going to sink or swim in the morass of headlines, banners and paragraphs so you had better give them the best chance of being read, absorbed and even acted upon.

To Helvetica & Back!

Some fonts are designed specially for a particular product or brand. This gives the messaging a distinct and unique coherence. Although, a recent exercise showed that those bespoke fonts aren’t always so wildly different from the bog standard and freely available fonts at your disposal:

Puma recreated using Helvetica Neue Condensed Black

The chances are, however, that you’ll have to go for an “off the rail” rather than a “bespoke” font and, if so, you need to give serious thought to which one is right for your business.

The right font – Discreet or Offbeat?

Well it all depends on your product, service or brand personality. There shouldn’t be a massive disconnect between your company’s tone of voice and the font deployed to carry that voice forward. Kooky fonts like “FEAST OF FLESH” are certainly eye catching and fun but perhaps not ideal for advertising some services:

(‘Maureen’s Parlour of Horror’ might be more appropriate in this case. Not only is the font inappropriate, it gives the impression here that you’ll leave Maureen’s emporium dripping nail varnish all over yourself).

In the same way, the following typeface isn’t really an affective choice for an accountancy firm:

(This font could be justified of the accountants in question wore Stetsons and were armed with Colt .45s but in the leafy environs of Dublin 4 it would be less appropriate).

This isn’t to say that you need to always err on the side of the tried and tested. The right typeface is something that should co-exist with the tone of your communication. If it were respectful, sober and modest, then a less flashy ‘sans serif’ font would probably fit the bill.

If you’re advertising a loud, brash and outrageous event, then there is more freedom to experiment a bit.

So, remember… When you are choosing a typeface to compliment your sales message it needs to sit there effortlessly showcasing your carefully crafted words. Like a fussy referee making terrible decisions, the typeface should be unobtrusive and discreet so as to allow people to fully focus on the words and their meaning.

The last thing you want people to think when they hold your all-important flyer in their hands is…

And, of course, a good art director is the font of all knowledge when it comes to advising you on what typeface best suits your brands personality and character.

Simon O’Neill
Copywriter

Hello, friends, and happy Mid-Week Mash-Up Day! Pop on that kettle and take a few minutes to settle into some of the stories that caught our eye over the past week–here is your Mid-Week Mash-Up!

Nike Warms Us Up To The Idea Of Cold Weather Workouts In Latest Ad

The old ‘It’s too cold outside to workout’ excuse just doesn’t fly, according to Nike. Emphasising their HyperWarm line, a quick-drying base layer of workout gear designed for total cold weather training support, a showcase of top athletes silently remind us that the cold weather conditions of winter are no excuse to stay indoors…even if Chris O’Dowd blatantly disagrees. Have a watch…

Pop-Up Shop Retailer In Soho Accepts Social Influence As Currency

And you were thinking your Klout score and number of Instagram followers didn’t actually pay off! Well, retail brand OnePiece is willing to exchange social media influence and promotion in exchange for clothing discounts. Following in the stylish footsteps of designer Marc Jacobs, who recently exchanged tweets and Instagram pics for prizes that included perfume and handbags, the #socialcurrency concept appears to be paying off for both brands and consumers.

Documentaries Backed By Brands

Described as “The purest form of content marketing,” by Rebecca Lieb, Altimeter Group Analyst, coffee brand Illy brings us the story of a group of female entrepreneurs from a small Costa Rican village that have created a sustainable coffee production business. The documentary titled A Small Section of the World will hit theatres this December, also following in the footsteps of brand Patagonia who sponsored the film DamNation, a story that sheds light on the damaging effects of outdated dams.

Land Rover Introduces Interactive Novel, Combining Fiction With Adventure

Kick-start your imagination with an online multi-sensory experience brought to you by author William Boyd and Land Rover. The Vanishing Game, an interactive version of Boyd’s novel was launched online last week featuring a Tumblr page that sets the murky tone for this exhilarating driving adventure with “interactive backgrounds, gloomy animations, and intoned narration” as we see the story unfold in front of us.

Heineken Spreads Holiday Cheer With Handwritten Cards

Heineken has teamed up with technology platform Bond, a robot powered machine that produces handwritten material with unique capabilities that can mimic individual writing styles. In this latest digital campaign titled, ‘Spark Your Holidays’, you can send personalised messages to recipients that come in the form of handwritten holiday cards, encouraging us all to take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the holiday season…with a Heineken in hand, of course.

Anyone else REALLY feeling the sudden cold change in the air? Perfect excuse to grab your favourite hot beverage and settle into a few of the top stories from the past week–here is your mid-week mash-up!

Honda Gives Us A Double-Sided Story In New Interactive Ad

Ever feel like you’re living a double life? This latest ad from Honda will make you wish you were! Check out the teaser ad below and visit www.hondatheotherside.com to view the specially designed YouTube page to switch back and forth between the parallel ads by pressing on the R key. Enjoy!

‘Call Of Duty’ Calls on Instagram

New campaign from the Call of Duty brand called ‘Mission Zero’ scores big with fans in their recent collaboration with Instagram for a reality-based gaming experience that targets the newsfeed of its Instagram-loving players. Take a look at the trailer below…

Netflix Gives Good GIF

Latest outdoor campagin from Netflix is all about the GIFs. To promote the recent launch of Netflix in France, roughly 100 different GIFs that feature a multitude of popular TV shows and films offered by the streaming service, are featured in this unique campaign. What makes this campaign even cooler is the fact that many of the GIFs are reactive to current events (like sports and weather)…take a look at the case study below…

‘Penny For London’ Cashes In On Micro Donations

Donating money in small doses (like, really small doses) makes it effortless to contribute to a charity of your choice by means of contactless payments. Could this be the next wave of donating to charities? Have a watch below to find out.

Pepsi Max Clowns Around In Latest Halloween Prank

We know Halloween has come and gone, but we just couldn’t help but throw this last Halloween prank in the mix because it is truly awesome. And it contains clowns. You’re welcome.

Welcome to the Halloween edition of the Dialogue Mid-Week Mash-Up! We’ve gathered a few of our favourite spooky stories and included them in our latest mash-up. Pop on the kettle, sit back, and settle into this week’s top stories, it’s time, once again, for your mid-week mash-up!

Snickers Gets It Twisted

We are loving this latest ad from Snickers that proves you are DEFINITELY not you when you’re hungry…

Tiny Oreo Lab Cooks Up Cute ‘Nomsters’ For Halloween

Set in an 1800s style laboratorium, clever bite-size videos containing animated Oreos are inviting fans to ‘Name the Nomster’ for a chance to have their idea turned into a delicious video featured on the Oreo website.

Trulia Scares Potential Home-Buyers With Funny Prank

Real estate company Trulia aims to scare potential home-buyers in this latest Haloween-inspired prank. If you thought house-hunting was scary before, you haven’t seen nothing yet…

Ford’s Haunted Car Wash Is A Scream

Joining in on the Halloween pranks, Ford turns a local car wash into a creepy nightmare for a number of test drivers. Have a look…

IKEA Pays Tribute To ‘The Shining’ In Latest Ad

You’ll never look at an IKEA showroom the same after viewing this creepy ad, inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’. Have a watch (if you dare…)

http://youtu.be/cqsonfSQk2I

It’s definitely a cold and blustery day out there, friends. Why not pop on the kettle, kick up those feet and settle into some of the top stories from the past week–it’s time for your mid-week mash-up!

Argos Ad Celebrates Digital Transformation In New Campaign

Is anyone else LOVING this new ad from Argos as much as we are? The new ‘Get set, go Argos’ campaign kicked off this week and will include outdoor ads paired with this TV spot, print, digital and social media activity. Keep an eye out for the revamping of its website and mobile app to match the new brand identity that boasts new brands including Beats by Dre, Dyson and Habitat.

Instagram Followers For Chanel Reach 1.8 Million After 1 Day of Posts

Well, that was easy! After only 1 day of posting on Instagram (that included a few pictures from a recent soirée and vine video of the latest ad), Chanel’s followership reaches an astonishing 1.8 million, passing up the likes of Dior, Valentino and Armani.

Interactive Mattel Ad Lures Passers-By Into A Game of Pictionary

An interactive display set up in a shopping centre in Toronto, Canada invited people walking by to participate in a fun game of Pictionary. Participants who correctly guessed the pictures were surprised when hidden Mattel staff presented them with fun prizes for winning.

New App Allows Designers To Create Visual Mock-Ups Of Sketches Without Computer

A concept app called ‘Project LayUp’ lets creatives create mock-ups from sketches without the use of a computer. Once you are happy with the visual, it can be exported into a number of different formats. Have a watch of the demo below…

North Face Store Stunt Forces Customers To Start Climbing

Unsuspecting customers of a pop-up shop for North Face in Korea were in for a surprise stunt titled, ‘Never Stop Exploring’ as they found themselves clinging to rock climbing grips as the floor beneath them began to slowly disappear beneath them.

When Photoshop was first launched in 1990 and became the definitive software tool for graphic editing, I don’t think the developers realised the effect it would have on society.

Everyone and his dog know Photoshop and what it can do, whether you’re in the advertising business, or not. It’s an amazing tool and has done as much to advance visual arts as when cavemen started drawing on cave walls.

But with great power comes great responsibility and unfortunately those wielding the mouse don’t always respect that.

Now, I don’t know if it’s laziness, oversight, or what, but the amount of Photoshop fails seem to be getting more and more ridiculous. I’m always amazed that these images get published and out into the world in the first place. I know from experience the amount of checks and double checks that go into any piece of work that is produced in agencies, and don’t get me wrong, mistakes are made, frequently.  But some of the Photoshop fails out there are beyond belief.  A three year old in montessori could spot the mistakes. A woman multitasking through her day could spot them. A man doing whatever the one thing he does could probably spot them. A blind man on a galloping horse could see them. You get the point. Anyway here are some classics to make you smile or scratch your head.

My other gripe with Photoshop is that apart from the obvious mistakes people in the industry make, it’s now being used by the general public to distort reality even further.  Recently we’ve seen celebrities like Kim Kardashion and Beyonce using it to alter images they send out on Instagram. How crazy is that? These are gorgeous women who definitely don’t need any work. They constantly spout on about being natural women, loving their curves, being honest about who and what they are. Then they do this. They are so obsessed with their images that they turn into complete hypocrites.

Between size zeros, thigh gaps and the latest crazy dieting (the clay and werewolf diets – I kid you not!) where does this obsession with image end?

Ok, rant over.  Lesson for today – check, check and double check when using Photoshop and try to stay close to reality or else you’ll end up looking like someone your own mother wouldn’t recognise.

Karen Neary
General Manager

Hello, and happy Wednesday, all! Is it just us, or is anyone else really feeling the change of seasons over the past week? Might just be the perfect excuse to pop on the kettle and settle into a few of the top stories that caught our eye over the past week–it’s time once again, for your midweek mashup!

Don’t Turn Into Mr. Bean, Grab Yourself A Snickers Instead

The infamous Mr. Bean is back in this new ad from Snickers, proving ‘you’re not you when you’re hungry’…have a look!

Who Knew? iPhone 6 is a Hair-puller as #HairGate Takes Social Media By Storm

Just as #BendGate begins to quiet down a bit, Apple is hit with another glitch regarding the new iPhone 6; it pulls your hair and/or beard. People have taken to Twitter to voice this latest fault (the seam where the aluminium meets the glass is a hair/beard puller) including Gillette, who shared humourous Tweets of the #HairGate crisis on Twitter. Any guesses on the next Apple iPhone 6 blunder?

IKEA Mirror Boosts Brit’s Morale

Studies carried out in the UK have concluded that a whopping 43.6 million people are critical of their appearance as compliments have become a rarity for the average person. As a means to boost self-confidence, IKEA has introduced a mirror that helps to fix this growing concern and lift morale. Using Kinect technology, passers-by are greeted with motivational compliments that leave everyone smiling. Have a look…

Citizen Chases Sunset In Latest Ad

Flying in the opposite direction of the Earth’s rotation, at an exact latitude of 80 degrees, the mission to cross multiple timezones and photograph a never-ending sunset was the premise for this latest ad from Citizen Watches…

Latest Take on Wind-Blown Subway Ad Has A Surprise Twist

I’m sure we all remember the recent shampoo ad that featured a billboard located in the tunnel of a Swedish Subway that ruffled the hair of a model each time a train passed through. This latest take on the idea features a similar ad but includes a shocking twist at the end. Have a look at both the shampoo ad and this latest version…

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It’s a perfect Autumn day outside and time to check in on a few of the top stories from the past week. Here is your Mid-Week Mash-Up!

Beautifully Shot Volvo Ad Leaves Us Yearning For A Surfboard

The latest ad titled, ‘The Swell’ from Volvo takes a surprising route by leaving the typical car-ad cliches on shore while we witness the power and beauty of the ocean in this spot from Grey London described as ‘quietly epic’. Have a watch…

#MyStopover Initiative Surprises Seattle Woman With Icelandic Adventure

IcelandAir turns a 2 hour layover for this Seattle woman heading to London into an extraordinary adventure that takes her on a 48 hour tour of Iceland’s greatest treasures. Such a cool idea!

Transform Your iPhone Into Manual Camera With This Latest App

While the standard iPhone camera may have a lot to offer, sometimes we just want to get back to the basics. This latest app transforms your iPhone camera into a manual camera allowing you to adjust things like shutter speed, ISO and focus. Take a look…

Dove Shows Moms: How Girls Feel About Their Body Starts With How You Feel About Yours

Many women may not realise how much of an impact self-image has on the little ears that are always listening, but this latest ad from Dove really shows a number of women how they see themselves has a direct effect on their daughters self-image, as well.

Hidden Camera Stunt From Nestle Fitness Urges Women To #CheckYourSelfie For Breast Cancer

As we all know, October is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and what better way to celebrate it than with a hidden camera that catches men, women (and yes, even children) checking out this woman’s chest. Go on, it’s OK to look…

I’ve had some work done on my house recently. We chose a builder, told him what we wanted and stood back and let him at it. There were times when he needed to discuss issues that arose but a few weeks later, bingo, a new kitchen that we’re very pleased with was installed.

There comes a time when everyone needs to hire a professional to do a job they can’t do. Whether it’s a builder, an accountant or a chef, these people are skilled professionals who have trained for years at perfecting their craft. Years learning the rights and wrongs. Years getting to the top of their chosen professions.

The chances are that the last time you were dining at a restaurant you didn’t return the meal along with a few suggestions as to how the chef could improve things by adding a touch more garlic and reducing the amount of dill. Which leads me to my point. I’m an Art Director. I’ve spent 4 years at art college and a further 25 constantly learning, keeping up with trends, brushing up my design skills and basically knowing what works, what doesn’t and, more importantly, the reasons for both.

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

There are times however when I begin to wonder why a client has asked for my professional expertise at all. All they want to do is to think of an idea and design it themselves. Another request I have had in the past has been “can you do as I ask, just to show me that it doesn’t work!”

There have been occasions when a client has made so many changes that the end product bares no resemblance to the original design and then the same client wonders why the results weren’t what they expected. (Now, I do NOT believe you wanted to do that!)

So here’s the dilemma. Every one has an opinion, and there is always more than one answer but does it not make sense to trust the people you’re employing? Surely it would be one less thing to worry about if we all did what we were good at? Telling a builder how to build isn’t the way ahead. I employed a builder that I trusted and whose skills I respected. I didn’t get him to put the roof on upside down, just to show me that it doesn’t work.

We all love the chance to work great briefs and that’s where I’d love for the client’s energies to be concentrated. Great briefs lead to great work. So let’s all work together to reach our goals; work that we are proud of, that stands out for all the right reasons and, most importantly, gets results.

Paul Gibson
Art Director