Ad Crunch

Gone are the days when non-profit ads were seen in black and white format in print or on TV. Advertisers are today coming up with attention grabbing tactics and employing ambient & guerilla marketing for social and non-profit ads as well. Recently seen in Vancouver city (Canada) were these real handcuffs (instead of traditional locks) that locked to items displaying the message “Escape Your Criminal Record”.  This work was done by Hot Tomali for Pardons Direct Inc. The latter believes that a criminal record negatively affects one’s ability to travel, career advancement & employment opportunities, ability to be bonded and most of all one’s peace of mind! To invite those with such a record for clearing their name and provide and expert Canadian Pardon and U.S. Entry Waiver these ads have been created. I must say using ambient was a very smart strategy by Hot Tomali because these real handcuffs instead of an ad on a 2D paper have a lasting impact on one’s psyche! Three cheers for Thomas Stringham (Copywriter & Creative Director) and Richard Henderson (Art Director) who prepared these wonderful ads.
 

Via: Adland

Papa John’s has employed the services of a company called Circlemakers to promote its 100 per cent whole-wheat pizzas. And the result has been quite simply tasteful. Circlemakers specialise in producing crop circles and so they created one for Papa John’s too. The end result was so good that in- and outbound Denver international passengers couldn’t help but let their mouth water at the sight of a delectable pizza spread across six acres in a wheat field in Commerce City from the sky. 
By the way, the ad trick is not anything new. Circlemakers have done similar assignments for Microsoft, Nike, Greenpeace, Hello Kitty and The History Channel to name a few. At this point, let me tell you about Ad-Air, which is a gigantic billboard maker. Yeah, it would be a poor choice when compared to the crop circle agenda, but let us not forget what a safe bet it could be to cover up a bad wheat-shaving job.
Via adrants

HBO was looking for some cutting edge advertising for its new “True Blood” series, and so entered Campfire. The agency created a spectacular insider campaign that had them sending mails all through May to vampire bloggers and science fiction geeks. And the mail was a piece of art with a message in an invented ancient language, which lead recipients to the website, www.bloodycopy.com. There was more. On the website, an enigmatic gatekeeper stood bold allowing only “true vampires” to get access.
It’s interesting to know that HBO is hitting its target audience straight in the curiosity bracket. Usually, something that is easily available rarely garners interest, so HBO is doing just the opposite. A cool approach, really!  But there is a glitch. The “True Blood” will really have to live up to the expectations the great ad campaign is creating.
Via thirdwayblog

Celebrities in ads are always a huge welcome. And this time it will be TV actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld smiling his way to the bank. If the buzz is to be believed, Microsoft is willing to pay him a whopping 10 million dollars for a 300 million dollars worth ad campaign. Co-starring with Seinfeld will be none other than Bill Gates himself.
MDC partners Crispin Porter and Bogusky are the masterminds behind the advertisements as Microsoft readies to promote itself in context of its mobile, Vista and Live platforms in a global campaign. Apparently, a variation of the phrase “Windows, not walls” will be used. Why the phrase? Well, looks like Crispin had come up with it to win his latest project.
The ads will be aired in September and other comedians like Chris Rock and Will Ferrell may also appear.
Via brandweek

General Motors is on a cost-cutting spree. Perhaps, that is why it has pulled out of the Academy Awards ceremony as well as the Emmys. GM rep Kelly Cusinato gives more perspective by saying, “It is not about cost-cutting alone. We are also focusing on best return on investment and spending on properties that work best for our company objectives.”
Information is that GM shelled out13.5 million dollars on ads for the 2008 Oscars on ABC and has spent more than 110 million dollars over the past 11 years. So, Cusinato says, “It was not an easy decision to dissociate ourselves with the Oscars.” Apparently, the GM sales are down by 18 per cent since July and the brand is looking to boost liquidity by 15 billion by 2009. So, explaining the cuts. But Peter DeLorenzo of the blog autoetremist.com differs. “GM is not making a sound move,” he says.
Via adweek

The world of social advertising just got richer with meaningful prints released by PeaceCorps. The latter was established back in 1960’s upon the call of Senator J.F. Kennedy urging the youth of University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace. However the mission required volunteers to live and work in developing countries. But serving others by living in a foreign country can’t deter the determination of these PeaceCorps volunteers which are more than 190,000 in number and have served 139 host countries since then, working on areas like HIV AIDS, education and even preservation of the environment.

 
Today PeaceCorps has grown into a federal government agency and works in emerging but essential areas of IT and business development as well. For an agency so distinct the advertising should also be distinct. And this is proven by the work done for PeaceCorps by Ivan Cash. The artwork in these print adverts speaks about the tough life of a volunteer. But at the same time the ads are inspiring too! The visuals in the posters reflect the culture of the third world countries about which the volunteers come to learn through their experiences in these places. If you are moved by these advertisements you can also join the PeaceCorps organization today!

 
Via: Osocio

 
Guide Dogs can add a whole lot of meaning to somebody’s life! This outdoor campaign speaks for it self. Designed by JWT UbachsWisbrun (Netherlands), the guide dogs of the advertising campaign are strategically incorporated in bus-stop shelters. While the idea is simple and well placed what is missing is a word or two. The message in this advert is only visual. It would have been smart to have included a few words on the organization which provides these guide dogs, how these dogs cater to the needs of special individuals with a certain kind of handicap or how one can procure them for their ailing family members /relatives. A small message would have added stars to this fairly-well thought out outdoor. Nevertheless you cant ignore this outdoor even if you are not impressed by it!  
Via: pubaddict

 
Greenpeace is a known name in the area of environmental concerns. These days in Romania its print campaign is actively promoting the use of economic bulbs (CFLs). Symbols from nature like an owl, moth and firefly are picked to reinforce the eco-friendly nature of the product being advertised. A text on the prints is also displayed that says, “Unlike normal light bulbs, the economic bulbs save up to 80% more energy.  If nature could act for itself, what would it choose?” Created by Scala JWT (Bucharest), the ads are meant for Romania but the message holds good for any region that wants to embrace a green future.

The credits are:
Executive Creative Director- Mihai Cojocaru
Creative Catalyst- Alexandra Cantor, Angela Teodorescu
Art Director- Virgiliu Andone
Copywriter- Andreea Dragomir
Illustrator- Alex Tamba
 
More prints :

 
 
Via: Commercial-archive

China sure has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, and Amnesty International denies what first looked like its bit in defaming the Olympic city of the year. According to Amnesty, the intent behind their furious advertisements has been misinterpreted. As the world appreciates the pictorial ads with interesting detailing, even the Chinese bloggers have expressed their appreciation. For the uninitiated, the ads depict atrocities inflicted upon protestors in China brewing up a lot of trouble for the Chinese establishment who is trying everything in its power to keep up a clean image in the wake of the Olympics and the media island created on its grounds.
It is believed that Amnesty international has made a lot of business with China for the Olympics and that is probably why they now disown their creations. That’s about the diplomatic stance of the Amnesty folks. But I was wondering about the effect of the ad being talked about here. People, especially the Chinese, believe that these ads are propelling them to continue with the protests.
Via adpunch

The new Volkswagen ad campaign by Les Mesa Santiago of Chile is banking on the feeling of regret, “Oh, I just couldn’t afford to buy it in the past.” That is the impression that you get when you first rest your eyes on the classical setting of the three ads that are part of the campaign. All the pictures give the impression of the ‘past’, a bygone era. Let’s take them one by one. The first ad uses the image of a ship to sell its Polo car. There is a sad girl who gives a tug to the viewer’s memory of regret of having missed the ship. But the once unaffordable thing is well within an affordable price range now. The punch line says, ‘Polo. At a price that won’t be back’, as if urging us to not make the same mistake again.

A similar picture is drawn for Golf and Vento with a train and a plane respectively. I won’t discuss their imagery in detail because I didn’t like them much. All in all, the campaign wins with one ad while the remaining two could any day be better.

Via adoftheworld