Here are some cool ads that I found while I was researching some of the other large independents:
Dentsu (Tokyo) - Toyota
This one is just plain cool. It does go on for a long time, and I am sure it was cut down to play on tv. Anyway. I just love it.
Richard's Group (Dallas) - Bridgestone
This one is really cute. It goes along with all the the Bridgestone work that Richards group does. Apparently it was made for the Superbowl but never ran. They decided to run it in movie theaters instead.
I always love to find old ads for brands and agencies that we are learning about. Here is one for Levi's from the 80s that is pretty funny.
ADESF - Anti-Smoking
I love this ad. Many ads have similar ideas for anit-smoking, but I think this one does a very good job of getting its point across in an artsy way.
BaraclayCard
This ad is just fun. It lasts for a very long time, but it gets its point across in the end. What a fun way to advertise.
Audi
This ad reminds me a of the BMW ad where they carve the car out of clay. Although it is a similar idea, it is still a great one. I think it is so creative that they had the drawing on the box doing the molding. It is even a greater surprise when they have the perfect tagline at the end to go along with what you just saw.
Vodaphone
This commercial is pretty funny, and I think that it is relatable to many people who may be the customers for Vodaphone.
Starbucks always has good advertising going on, especially during Christmas. People get so excited when the red cups come out during December. If you have gotten peepole to get excited not only about your brand, but about your advertising as well, you have definitely done your job.
Coca Cola
Of course we have seen about a thousand Coca Cola ads this semester, but this one is part of a campaign that I had never seen before. It is so simple yet it still completely works for Coke.
Dick's
I liked this commercial for Dick's mostly because it reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Happy Gilmore. The balls hitting Jimmy Rollins in the chest is exactly like when Adam Sandler goes into the batting cages to toughen up for hockey.
Heineken
I saw this commercial on tv, and thought to myself that I needed to include it. I think it is so funny, and so true to life for the target segment.
Nike
This is a cool print ad that has changed Nike Air Force Ones into a contemporary political statement. We have seen a lot of stuff for Nike and they always seem to be able to relate their ads to what is going on in the world. This is a perfect example.
Just as I have been studying for the test, I have discovered something that is probably very disappointing to all advertisers. I pretty much remember every commercial that we saw in class, but I do not always remember what brand that they were advertising. This is expected but it is interesting to me because we are considering all of this as good advertising, but a lot of it still goes over the head of someone that is even studying advertising. Just imagine how lost someone that is not even paying attention may be. A lot of people debate over if good advertising should be based on creativity or effectiveness. Just from my personal experience in studying all of this advertising, I not think that the effectiveness is really what makes ads stand out.
I just saw an AT&T commercial on TV. While it was on, I was trying to test myself to which agency made it because I felt like I had seen it before. In my head, I had decided that it was one the JWT Debeers ads when the men surprise their wives or girlfriends with jewelry. When I saw the ATT logo at the end, I got very confused. I figured out that the commercials use the exact same song, so that is probably what confused me. I guess it just sucks for GSD&M who made the AT&T commercial. AT&T strikes many different appeals with their commericals, unfortunately for this one, the sentimental appeal had already been achieved by Debeers. Most people, like me, had probably already associated the song with Debeers. Here are the two ads I confused.
I just wanted to share this commercial because I love it. It has somewhat of a Coke vibe to it, but I guess we could say that about any feel good commercial.
It seems like we have watched Sprite commercials from many different agencies this semester. Of course Crispin would not let themselves be left out. These are funny, and they compliment the other ads that we have seen for Sprite. I think that these are especially funny because they kind of poke fun at advertising with the whole subliminal aspect.
VitroRobertson (San Diego)
This is a pretty ad from Vitro. It is not the typical hard rocker ad that you may expect to see from a guitar company.
Cliff Freeman & Partners (New York)
Cliff Freeman does a lot of good work for Snapple. This is part of a recent campaign for a new product. I think it does a good job of teaching the viewer about the product and being entertaining at the same time.
Kirshenbaum Bond (New York) - Target
This is a series of many ads that use products from target in interesting and unexpected ways. For example, there is another one that uses a filter as a victorian collar, and another that uses a waffle maker as a hair crimper. I think that these ads are so creative, and they really help to show all that Target has to offer.
This commercial is part of a campaign that featured all sorts of people asking their loved ones for things from Radio Shack. A lot of them are pretty funny, and I think it works well to get Radio Shack out there. It is not necessarily a huge brand, but this advertising is taking it in that direction.
Euro RSCG (India) - Cobra
This storyline is similar to the DDB Volkswagen ad that we watched in class. I think that this one mixes the story into the ad very well, which makes it successful.
McKinney (Durham) - Travelocity
Everyone knows the Travelocity gnome these days. It is such an odd thing that I don't understand how an agency went ahead and decided that it was a great idea. Clearly, it worked out well for them, but it was still a bold move. I was happy to find that one of these smaller agencies held such a big and well-known account.
I chose this one because I thought it was cool that the feeling of Coke is the same through out the world. In America, we have football Coke commercials, and in Russia they have soccer Coke commercials. This makes me assume that the all-American feeling that we associate with Coke has a similar "all-Russian" feeling to Russians.
Saatchi & Saatchi (London) - Brutus
This commercial is pretty typical for a jeans commercial, and reminds me a lot of the GAP ads today. I just thought it was interesting because the song in the commercial became a hit on the top 100. Its pretty cool that advertising can often dictate culture rather than the other way around.
Leo Burnett (London) - Shelter.org.uk
I think this is a very powerful way to present a charity. It really puts the viewer into the situation, and it is pretty at the same time.
Fallon Worldwide (Minneapolis) - The Ladders
This concept has been done a lot, but I think it works because it has been applied to a company that is very unexpected.
Kaplan Thaler Group (New York) - Trojan
There were some ads for Trojan that were much more inappropriate, but I guess that is one of few options for advertising condoms.
Team One Advertising (Minneapolis) - Ritz Carlton
I thought this was an interesting way to present a hotel. There is a whole series of ads like this one. It does a great job showing that the Ritz is all about service, and it also shows great vacation scenes, which will actually be the reason that the Ritz will get customers.
I love this commercial. I didn't get what was happening for so long because they don't show all the teeth until the very end. It definitely rewards the viewer, and is a great visual solution that can be understood anywhere in the world.
The Martin Agency (Richmond) - Wrangler
I thought this ad was interesting because it is just so simple, yet many people would never think to do something like this. It kind of made me chuckle, and it is definitely memorable.
TM Advertising (Dallas) - Nationwide
TM does a lot of cool guerilla ads for nationwide. This one is one of my favorites. All the ads simply take over the space that they are in, and they definitely grab everyone's attention. The messages are simple, and I think that it works perfectly to make insurance a little more interesting.
DraftFCB (New York) - Oreo
I got excited when I found this ad on the DraftFCB website since I remembered it from when it was airing. It always made me feel simply happy, and I think that it is great for bringing Oreos into something that may be part of people's actual everyday lives. If anyone is ever video chatting, they will think of Oreos.
Lowe (New York) - GMC
Obviously, I have established that I like pretty and interesting car commercials. This one is not typical with all of the destruction in the beginning, but it is a good way to make the point that GMC is trying to make.
Carmichael Lynch (Minneapolis) - Rapala
This one is just silly. It reminds me of the Jack Links work that Charmichael Lynch does. It is very similar in the sense of humor.
Hill Holiday (Boston) - Liberty Mutual
I also remember this one from seeing it on TV. I think that it is a great feel good commercial. It is great at actively showing the audience what Liberty Mutual is all about.
Deutsch (Los Angeles) - Direct TV
This one is pretty much just creepy. Even though I had not seen the movie, I understood that that was what it must be referencing. As I was researching, I found that many people were saying that they wanted to watch the movie just because of the commercial. Seems a little backwards, but obviously that shows that it is successful.
Mullen (Boston) - Orbitz
This one just makes me laugh. It is a little different than the typical vacationing commercial, and it think that everyone can relate to it.
Campbell Mithun (Minneapolis) - Hefty
This struck me because it really reminded me of the Swiffer commercials, where brooms are personified. It is odd that multiple people think to make things come to life in house cleaning commercials, but I guess it works.
Dailey & Associates (Los Angeles) - Quickbooks
This one is good because it is and unexpected way to think about accounting software. It is memorable, and it definitely doesn't let you forget what the commercial is advertising.
I absolutely love this commercial. I was so happy to find it during my research on Ogilvy and Mather. It is very different from many of the Sprite ads that we viewed in class by Lowe, and it definitely created a great buzz over the song used in the ad.
Ogilvy & Mather (Singapore) - The Economist
Here are some cool print ads for the Economist. There is a whole series of ads including these two that all use the signature of the Economist, the color red. There are many creative visual solution type ads. These were just a couple of my favorites.
Young and Rubicam (New York)
This commercial is pretty funny. I think that it is important though because it became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. Everyone had one of those up yours shirts that he is wearing in the commercial, and of course everyone thought that it was so funny to say 7up yours all the time. This was a success for 7up because it was constantly talked about.
JWT (London) - Shell
JWT does a lot of Work for Shell. This is a beautiful print ad. It is simple, but it makes a gas station look pretty.
Grey (Tel-Aviv - Israel) - Berlitz
I love these commercials. There are so many variations on this single concept, and they are all absolutely hilarious. The silicon and transsexual ones are somewhat subtle, and I think that makes them even more funny because it rewards the viewer in getting the joke.
This commercial just makes you feel good. General Electric is a company that is in people's lives everyday but still doesn't mean much to people. BBDO does a great job at making it hit home.
DDB (London) - Volkswagen
There have been many commercials that have made beats out of the actions in the ad, but I have never gotten tired of it. I think this one is still innovative and is a very interesting way to present a car. The tag like "enjoy the everyday" is great since that is really what should appeal to you when you are buying a car. It is truthful unlike many other car commercials that are mostly unrealistic.
TBWA (New York) - Skittles
I am sure everyone has seen this commercial, but I absolutely love it. It is just so funny and creative.
TBWA (Athens) - Global Warming
I just wanted to show some lesser known work, which I think is very creative. It is so simple, yet it gets the message across very well.
180 (Amsterdam) - Adidas
This commercial seems so unique for a sports company commercial. They are still using a celebrity athlete to indorse the company, but you kind of forget that because the commercial is so serene and you get caught up in the story. This commercial is unique and it works because of the way that the is presented through the drawing.
Goodby Silverstein & Partners (San Francisco) - Hyundai
Goodby has done a great job in rebranding Hyundai. These ads are great for the company. They are great advertising because they simply tell the truth, even if they are pointing out a painful truth for some people. This advertising is doing it job and it is doing it in a beautiful way.
Dieste Harmel & Partners (San Francisco) - Clorox
This ad really connects consumers to the product. It shows you exactly why you need Clorox bleach, yet at the same time it creates and interesting story so that it does not feel like you are watching a commercial. I also thought it was interesting how this commercial kind of goes along with the Mermaid Clorox commercial by DDB San Francisco. Both agencies did a great job in working together to create a great brand position for Clorox.
GSD&M Idea City (Austin) - BMW
This commercial is very simple. It is the perfect way to present the message, and they do not let any of the usual automobile advertising extras get in the way.
Latin Works (Austin) - Greyhound
http://www.latinworks.com/new_latin4/index.html
This commercial is great. The ending is very unexpected because you don't really get what is going on in the beginning, but it is perfect for the tag line.
Martin Williams (Minneapolis) - Staples
I remember seeing this commercial on tv, and it made me chuckle. I am not sure that kids shopping for school supplies will know the song or who Alice Cooper is, but still I think it is creative and fun which is an accomplishment when advertising office supplies.
VW began with DDB. This was a famous partnership, as the Volkswagen account is one of the main reasons for the success of DDB. AgAge names VW "Think Small" as the number one campaign of all time. It sounds difficult to live up to this award winning advertising, but VW has continued to have successful advertising up until the present. In the 90s the VW account was taken to Arnold, and then in 2006 the account moved to Crispin, Porter, and Bogusky, where it remains today. DDB also does work for Volkswagen today, and of course many agencies handle parts of the enormous global account.
Coke began its prosperous advertising life with D'Arcy. In the late 50s-70s, Coke advertising was done by McCann Erickson. Today Coke advertising is done by many different agencies all over the world. No matter what agency produces the ads, Coke has a distinct "good life" feeling in their ads. This is what makes them so successful, and this is what makes them the ultimate advertising account. Their current main agency is Weiden + Kennedy.
N.W. Ayer began the marketing efforts for DeBeers. They held the account for 57 years, so they obviously produced great work. It is quite possible that "A Diamond is Forever" is one of the most famous slogans of all time (according to AdAge it is #6 on the top 100). DeBeers began this campaign in 1938, and it still has this same slogan today. Here is some of the work that N.W. Ayer produced for DeBeers:
The Debeers account then moved to JWT. The agency still continues the "Diamond is Forever"slogan. Many ads today depict the same scenes that were used in the N.W. Ayer days. The advertising for Debeers has also been able to take on a very simple approach to its advertising. Because the brand has been built so big, the boldly simple work is still effective. Here is some of the work that JWT produced for DeBeers:
I just love the feel good nature of Coke ads. This is very similar to many of their past ads, but I never get sick of it. They have done a great commercial on a big scale that is perfect for the superbowl.
Monster.com by BBDO (New York)
I just think this one was hilarious. It stuck out enough from a lot of the other commercials during the game, but at the same time it still had a similar humorous effect that many of the other ads had. It was perfect for the game.
Doritos by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
I just love that Doritos knows how to get the viewers involved in making the commercials. I think that adding the consumers into the entire process has really helped them to stand out, and it is clearly a strategy that many other brands are attempting to do.
THE WORST:
Sobe by Arnell Group (New York)
I hated this one. Especially because it is pretty much the exact same commercial that they already had before. The superbowl is a time to be innovative, and this didn't quite make the cut for such a big moment.
Bud Light by DDB (Chicago)
I actually do not know why I am so against this commercial. Everyone is talking about it, and it is perfectly fine. For some reason, when I was watching it though I got the feeling that it was something that had been done before. I was not impressed at the time, and I still do not love this one.
Pepsi by TBWA/Chiat/Day (New York)
This commercial was not even funny, and kind of annoyed me. I know that Pepsi will spend its entire existence trying to outdo Coke, but often they try too hard and produce some really weird ads. They didn't quite make the cut this year.
None of these are real ads, i just found a pretty cool website where people have done all sorts of branding to famous art works. A lot of them are similar to the Andy Warhol work that we looked at, but these were not created this way of course. I thought it went well with out discussion of art in advertising, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites.
I love this ad. This was the first thing that I thought of when I thought of art in advertising. Obviously, photography is considered art so that may help, but I think the way that the commercial is put together creates a beauty that comes from the ad itself and not just from the pictures that make up the ad. Advertising is art because viewers can find beautiful things in it.
Goodby Silverstein & Partners (San Francisco) - HP
Of course all of the HP ads with the celebrities hands showing what they can do on their computers are all very artsy, but this one stands out the most to me for HP. I think it is such a clever idea, and it helps that it is executed in such a beautiful way. Apparently computer and technology companies favor art in their advertising.
Weiden + Kennedy (Portland) - Coca Cola
I also immediately thought of Coke print ads when I thought of art in advertising. So many of them are just beautiful, and even though the focus point is a coke bottle, I seem to forget that it is advertising the brand to me, and I just see something pretty. Especially the coke side of life print ads are very artsy. A lot of them even have a Jackson Pollock feel.
I think that these ads are artsy because they present a different way of looking at things. Many artists, especially in modern art, spend their entire lives doing just that. Advertisers spend their lives doing the exact same thing, so we have yet another argument for advertising as art.
