Happy Wednesday, all! The sun is shining and we are happy to report you are halfway through your work week, already! So kick up those feet, pop on the kettle and take a look at the stories that have caught our eye so far this week…it’s time for your ‘Mid-week Mash-up’.

Apple’s ‘Air’ Feels The Love

This latest ad for Apple’s MacBook Air showcases a variety of ways people have chosen to personalise their beloved laptop, illustrating it is, in fact, “The Notebook People Love”.

No Time, No Problem–Facebook Lets You ‘Save’ It For Later

It was announced this week that Facebook launched a new feature titled ‘Save’, allowing users to store links from their News Feeds, Pages, Places, Events, Movies, TV Shows, and Music to create a read-it-later list. Go on, start stockpiling those links that you never have time to read and cozy up to them when you have the time to explore…

Real-Time Advertising At Its Greatest Via ‘Art Copy & Code’ Project

A collaboration between Google’s ‘Art Copy & Code’ and Nike engages sports fans by bringing the Nike brand to life through a real-time ad delivery tool that can be customised to what is happening during live sporting events. The videos below break down the brief and how the idea comes alive online.

Volkswagen Ads Prove You Can’t Look Two Places At Once

Volkswagon recently rolled out new print ads that focus on the subject of distracted driving, proving those who claim they can text and drive are WRONG.

Emoji Among Us; An Anti-Advertising Masterpiece

This clever ad (disguised as a short documentary about emojis) from stock image company ‘Dissolve’ is a fun, whimsical look into the world we share with these little icons. Fun fact: this ad was made entirely of stock footage provided by Dissolve.

Happy Wednesday!  If this dreary morning has you feeling a bit sleepy, why not grab a cup of coffee, and take a few minutes to reflect on the stories that have caught our eye so far this week. Here is Dialogue’s latest mid-week mash-up!

IKEA’S Dream Sequence Of Beds Reminds Us ‘There’s No Bed Like Home’

We won’t lie…this latest installment from IKEA’s ‘Wonderful Everyday’ campaign has us longing for our own beds at the moment. This beautifully shot ad relied on the use of ‘practical effects’ carried out by a skilled skydiver and beds suspended high in the sky with craines, adding even more intrigue to this whimsy ad.

http://youtu.be/aQPs9lRgFKc

The Stats Are In For The World Cup Showdown Between Facebook And Twitter

Germany may have been crowned champions of the 2014 World Cup, but when it comes to deciphering the data from the most socially talked about sporting event in history, Facebook takes top prize. A total of 3 billion Facebook interactions (likes, comments, posts and shares) from over 350 million users was compared to Twitter’s 672 million tweets revealing that Facebook was by far, the winner of the social media World Cup showdown. Farewell, World Cup, see you again in 4 years.

Weird Al Gives Us A Lesson In Grammer

Will this song ever die?  Doesn’t seem likely as Weird Al unleashes his latest parody ‘Word Crimes'; an ode to cringe-worthy spelling mistakes that have urked the hell out of many of us (supposably)…

Brands Go Digital In Extended Sponsorships With Music Festivals

A number of brands are pushing their sponsorships with music festivals this summer a bit further by offering festival-goers a deeper experience by use of branded arcades, VIP lounges and interactive wristbands.

A Delicious Chocolate ‘Thank You’

Design student from Michigan, Matthew Hirsch, was asked to create a thank-you card that could be sent to the various Creative Directors who had visited his class throughout the semester. Deciding to take the project a step further, he used a play on words to create a branded choloate bar that cleverly used the packaging to detail his skills to potential employers.

In today’s digital age, marketing is all about Facebooking, Tweeting and Emailing up a storm to engage customers, right? Sending direct mail (the kind that lands on the doormat), must be dead in the water, right?

Actually, the value of bringing great propositions straight to your customers, using direct mail continues to deliver strong results to many businesses. For a relatively low cost, direct mail can reach a large number of people, getting your message directly into the hands of the right audience. It can help build brand awareness and lead consumers to take action.

According to an An Post report, 72% of businesses that significantly increased their revenues in 2013 used direct mail as a marketing tool. And for many of our clients, this ‘traditional’ marketing method comes up trumps, time and time again. Here are a few reasons why:

1.  Targeting.

Using direct mail gives you the opportunity to communicate to a very specific target audience. You decide exactly who gets your message and who doesn’t. With the help of a solid mailing list, you can control how wide you’d like to cast your net.

2.  Personalization.

Getting personal beats generic pitches. Every time. And we’re not just talking about starting with ‘Dear Sally’. With the right information about your target group, you can create beautifully crafted pieces that tap into the insights you have–delivering the right message, at the right time.

3.  Tracking.

Direct mail marketing has another big plus. It’s easy to measure its effectiveness since every lead or order can be tracked back using source codes or other techniques. So you’ll find out pretty quick how your campaigns are doing.

4.  Testing.

The results of your direct marketing campaign can be measured easily. So you can use this medium to play around and test different approaches–and figure out which one works best.

5.  Thinking outside the box.

Direct mail doesn’t have to be boring. Creating clever innovative designs and combining them with compelling copy will make sure your message doesn’t end up in the bin. There are so many formats to choose from, and ways to make your message impactful when it comes through the door.

Find out more how we can make direct mail work for your business. Pop your details in below, and we’ll call you back.

Grace Hughes
Copywriter

Another Wednesday and another excuse to take a minute to sit back, grab a cup of coffee and settle in to the stories that have caught our eye so far this week…here is your Mid-week Mash-up

Samsung Takes A Jab At Wall-Hugging IPhone Owners

Samsung’s latest ad pokes fun at iPhone-owning ”wall huggers” who spend their time trolling the streets (and apparently airports) for an outlet to plug in their always-dying iPhone. What do you think, Apple? Time to finally upgrade that battery, yet?

Germany vs. Brazil; Most Tweeted Sporting Event In History

Brazil’s crushing defeat by Germany last night set Twitter ablaze with more than 35.6 million tweets, crowning it the most tweeted sporting event in history. Amongst those 35.6 million tweets we couldn’t help but snicker at some of the humourous responses to the cringe-worthy loss. Sorry, Brazil, we feel your pain…

Wedge Head Chats Up The Locals

The iconic mohawked face of Shock Top beer is a chatty little bugger in these latest stunts presented by AnomalyToronto. Well played, Shock Top, well played. This is genius…

Jazz Up Your Photos With ‘Bullsh*t Bingo’ App

A new app created by a German ad agency urges users to ‘cut the crap’ by spotting the same phrases and cases presented in advertising case films. You can even spice up your photos with the same ridiculous quotes you call bullsh*t on! Head to Case Film Bullsh*t Bingo to download.

NESCAFÉ Urges You To Share A Cup

We all know conversations are best shared with a coffee in hand. These pop-up cups filled with coffee from NESCAFÉ come folded into your newspaper, allowing you to share a cup and some conversation with a stranger.

Dialogue are looking for a bright, talented intern with a background in Art Direction who eats breathes and sleeps design. You’ll be working with the Senior Art Director on a wide range of projects from the fabulously exciting to the day-to-day with a great chance to develop your portfolio and skills in a busy studio environment based just off Camden Street in the bustling heart of Dublin 8.

Send in some samples of your work – whether it’s a fully up to date portfolio or a poster you knocked up for a friend’s band to mgoodrich@dialogue.ie

Here we are again, Wednesday! Halfway through the week and we’ve nearly got that ‘Friday feeling’ on account of this gorgeous weather! Well, pop on that kettle, kick up your feet and enjoy a few stories that caught our eye so far this week…it’s time for your mid-week mash-up.

Redefining ‘Like A Girl’

We’re not going to lie–this new spot from P&G’s Always stopped us dead in our tracks as young girls remind us that to run, fight, and throw #LikeAGirl is no laughing matter. Have a look and decide for yourself…

A Waffle Attempt

Belgium vs. USA…and cue the waffle jokes (despite the fact that Belgian waffles aren’t actually associated with Belgium, but hey…). Brands took to Twitter to share every waffle pun they could think of, hoping to score it big ‘Oreo Style’. Sorry guys, nothing came close…

Audi’s Giant World Cup Scoreboard Lights Up Brooklyn

Standing over 40 feet tall and powered by headlights, the giant-sized World Cup scoreboard built of Audi cars is guerilla marketing at it’s finest. Well done, Audi. We love this!

Photo App That Focuses On The Stories Behind The Pictures

They say a picture is worth a thousand words…and they’re right. This new app encourages you to share the stories behind the photos. Have a look…

What’s On Your Mind? The Reality Behind Facebook Status Updates

I suppose we’re all guilty of it, right? The slight embellisment behind the status update. Having the time of our lives when we really aren’t. The short film ‘What’s on your mind?’ highlights the idea that has been nagging many if us for years…how much of what we read on social media sites is actually true?

The World Cup 2014 is halfway through and there’s been a few talking points to say the least. Before the competition started, all of the talk was about the ‘alleged’ large scale bribery surrounding the successful Qatar bid for the 2022 World Cup finals and FIFA. But that particular drum has gone a bit quiet, mainly due to the fact that this World Cup (so far) has been described as the best ever. But I’m going to start to beat it again. The other day, just before a televised game was to be shown, I saw a few lads clearly going to someone’s house with a couple of boxes of beer – Budweiser beer to be precise. Personally, I would drink Bud if it was free, but it did make me think that there was a reason those lads were drawn to a bootle of VERY average beer. It was of course the sponsorship and the connection to the World Cup.

So this leads me to Qatar. Apart from the bleedin’ obvious reason that football shouldn’t be played in a desert, it surprises me that Qatar was ever an option, as FIFA is ALL about money, NOT it seems, about football. Budweiser are reported to be currently paying up to $25M for their sponsorship in the World Cup 2014. Did FIFA know that Qatar is of Islamic state, and has strict policies against alcohol? FIFA wants Qatar to meet its requirements for advertising and sales of beer. “Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate,” said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. ARROGANT? FIFA? Surely not?

So who’s going to win? FIFA or Islam? Do FIFA need beer, or does beer need FIFA? FIFA need the huge amounts of revenue which alcohol brands bring in. Will Budweiser, Carlsberg, Amstel etc. cut their ties with FIFA and football?

I feel this one could be up for grabs until the final kick, or will it be back to bite them?

Paul Gibson
Art Director

Beldent carried out a social experiment to prove that chewing gum makes you cool without trying to be cool. Using an art installation of identical twins, a group of random people were asked a set of questions relating to the twins. Which seems more fun? Which seems more kind? Which twin is more attractive? The only difference between the twins is that one of them is chewing gum. The results showed that almost always, the one chewing gum gets chosen as the more fun, more attractive and kinder of the two.

What do you think? Does chewing gum make you cool?

Madison Duffy
Account Executive

Happy Wednesday, all! To help you get over your Wednesday hump (or ‘slump’ for many of us…) we’ve compiled a few interesting stories to help start your day. Pop on that kettle and put your feet up for a minute while we recap a few of the stories that have people wagging their tongues this week. Here is your mid-week mash-up…

‘Hangry’ Moments Deserve Jerky?

We’ve all been there. That moment your stomach growls angrily during a meeting, interrupts your boss mid-sentence, an angry wolf pops out of your belly, your colleague tries to feed it a dish of nuts, it fiercely swipes them aside, you calm the angry beast with beef jerky (Jack Link’s brand, to be exact) and give him a sweet kiss on the mouth in front of your shocked colleagues. Oh right, er, never happened to us either…

The Bite Felt ‘Round The World

Ah, Suarez. Really? Again? At least his latest Italian nibble gave brands plenty to talk about as Twitter blew up with funny tweets reacting to Uruguay’s feistiest player allegedly biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the match yesterday.

New Ad From ‘Hello Flo’ Becomes Viral Sensation

Tampon subscription services? I think it’s safe to say we’ve now seen and heard it all. I think it’s also safe to say if you haven’t watched this ad yet, you’re missing out. Roll out the uterus piñata and have a  watch…

‘The Last Of Me’ App Inspires Customized Art Prints For Loved Ones After You Die 

An app created by a design graduate in Singapore allows people to write and design beautiful art prints inspired by words and images they want to be remembered by after they pass away.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Celebrates Millionth Fan By Renaming Brand After Him

In a fun stunt from ‘Mike’s Hard Lemonade’, the brand celebrates it’s millionth Facebook fan by changing their name to ‘Paul’s Hard Lemonade’ for 24 hours.  We’ll drink to that…cheers to you, Paul!

Yesterday, Amazon joined the ranks of Apple and Samsung with the unveiling of their new branded smartphone, ‘Amazon Fire Phone’.

With features that include a 3D interface, unlimited storage for digital photographs and motion-sensitive activation (allowing users to navigate with the flick of their wrist), they have officially entered the arena as fierce competition to the current market of smartphones.

It is believed the 3D feature of the 13-megapixel camera will tie into an Amazon shopping app, allowing users to take photos of products in-store, then search for the object on Amazon to purchase.

It has been reported that AT&T will be the exclusive carrier for the phone, and will retail at $199