Category: Beyond Madison Avenue
Summary: The small and medium sized business scene is quickly gaining speed. With the economy still looking up, bigger brands are loosening the purse strings a little bit, and consumers are starting to spend. All are good signs for the SMBs to have a strong rest of the year.
by
From Adbusters #120:
I was recently assigned a story about the U.N. Climate summit in Paris this December. Admittedly, I hadn’t yet grasped the dire importance of this particular summit. Regardless, as a journalist it’s not my job to know the answers — it’s my job to find them, so I started digging. What I found was profoundly ominous and deeply unsettling. Like the canary in a coal mine, I was uncovering a glimpse of calamity. I’d previously been looking too close; I couldn’t see how climate issues would manifest socially and politically. When I stepped back the frightening pieces fell into place. This story was not about melting ice caps and clear-cut forests; it was about a global environmental collapse — the catalyst for a third world war.
We foolishly believe that the ramifications of our past will manifest in the lifetime of our grandchildren. This is overly optimistic, wishful thinking — they don’t have one, because this all happens in ours.
At the current rate of carbon emissions, we are set to reach a pace of global warming inside 20 years that locks us on an irreversible track, a global temperature rise of two degrees by mid-century. A two-degree rise in the global temperature sets off a biblical chain of events so cataclysmic we won’t even have hope. Mexico and South America essentially dry up and die. The Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Mojave deserts expand, rapidly rendering food production a fruitless endeavor for thousands of miles on either side of the equator.
Fleeing famine, drought and desperate for survival, roughly 300 million people migrate north to the United States — and that’s a conservative number. The U.S has two options: accept the tired, poor, hurdled masses with open arms and allow the population to double, or seal off the border, which is, less affectionately, the realistic option. The trouble is, in order to do that effectively the U.S. Border Service would have to be willing to use lethal force in preventing those attempting to cross illegally.
This means the U.S. Marine Corps, 20 per cent of which is, by this time, comprised of Latino Americans, firing on masses of distant relatives to keep them out of a country that is now one quarter Hispanic. The United States unravels into mutiny and Civil War.
This is not a concept that has been overlooked by the Pentagon. In November 2014, the US Department of Defense released the Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, a chilling acknowledgement of things to come — a worst case scenario guide to reality. The statement describes climate change as a “threat multiplier” of national and global security. Plainly stating that “rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty and conflict. They will likely lead to food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees, resources and destruction by natural disasters in regions across the globe.”
A rise of just two degrees sets off a collapse of the international grain market as more and more land available for food production gets sucked into the global dust bowl. We’re familiar with this scenario. The worst drought in Syrian history, which scientists have now linked to human influenced climate change, preceded the 2011 uprising that propelled ISIS to the world stage. This is not a phenomenon, it’s not a coincidence nor a theory — it’s a fact.
An uninhabitable global south drives half the earth’s population into forced migration. Countries in the Northern Hemisphere, already exhausted by feeding their own populations on rapidly depleting resources are overwhelmed by millions of desperate climate refugees. Dozens of previously self-sustaining nations multiply into a hectic network of failed states and violent factions at war with themselves and each other. Those that somehow manage to keep their borders intact are not much better off; crucial to the survival of 1.2 billion people in India and a further 196 million in Pakistan, the sacred Ganges River (which is fed by swiftly deteriorating glaciers high in the Himalayas) shows signs of fatigue. Further exasperated by the collapse of the global wheat market and fearful of major water shortages, India begins damming the Ganges, securing resources for its own population but cutting off the vital waterway completely to downstream Pakistan. Faced with drought, famine and economic collapse, Pakistan and India, both of which have nuclear weapons and a bitter past, go to war.
The environmental state of the earth, now completely overlooked, crumbles. For better or worse, the ocean ingests a third of the Earth’s carbon emissions, which cause it to grow increasingly acidic. Like a tooth disintegrating in a can of coke, so too do the ocean’s crustaceans at the bottom of the food chain and when that bottom falls out, the entire marine eco-system fails. The planet’s oceans, which have been quietly saving us till now, give way to critical mass and turn on us, emitting generations of carbon into the atmosphere. Global warming now spirals wildly out of control, temperatures rapidly reaching six, seven, eight degrees and climbing. The Earth smolders and grows too harsh to sustain animal life, including us.
We tend to think, foolishly indeed, that world wars are only fought between political superpowers for global supremacy. This notion, like our atmosphere, is expiring. The next world war will be a desperate and hopeless one, a world at war with itself. World War III will be a climate war.
Focus sur une sélection de photos aériennes issues des soumissions du National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 2015. A vol d’oiseau, nous pouvons contempler un panorama de paysages qui témoigne de la beauté des reliefs, des mers, des animaux et toute la force de la nature.
Anders Andersson.
Lauren Bath.
Sean Ensch.
Achmad Sumawijaya.
Stuart Chape.
Ian Bird.
Jassen T.
Stuart Chape.
Gaston Piccinetti.
Ingrid Teda.
Os 100 milhões de usuários do Snapchat passarão a ver anúncios no meio do conteúdo. É o que diz Evan Spiegel, CEO do Snapchat, em um vídeo liberado ontem. O vídeo explica o que o Snapchat chama de 3V, ou vertical video views, e o por quê deste formato ser melhor do que as soluções […]
> LEIA MAIS: Como o Snapchat pretende vender publicidade: no meio do conteúdo
Post originalmente publicado no B9
Twitter | Facebook | Contato | Anuncie
The path to advertising isn’t always linear. And it’s no wonder given the creativity necessary to succeed in this industry. But an offbeat background can give an edge, too. Comedians know how to make a client laugh, dancers remain confident in front of a crowd, and chefs bring passion and innovation to their work. These executives’ stories include world travel, grueling schedules and ballsy career moves. Their varied experiences have made them career chameleons perfect for adland.
Breaking World Records in Newly Democratic Bulgaria
Lili Hollandt, group program director, MRY
Good Humor — known for its old-school, wholesome image — is trying to put a little swag in its game as it updates for the digital age.
The brand, which permanently parked its iconic fleet of ice cream trucks nearly 40 years ago, is hitting the road again for a sampling tour. But fans will be asked to follow Twitter rather than chase the classic clang of ice cream truck bells to get their sweet fix.
The “Welcome to Joyhood” tour will make stops throughout the Northeast this summer as the 95-year-old brand seeks to update its mobile selling tactics for the contemporary age. Consumers can summon the truck by tweeting @GoodHumor as it makes stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Boston. And instead of playing a classic jingle, the truck will blast pop music and rock ‘n’ roll.
Catalina is launching a program that gives shoppers personalized previews of next week’s deals from store circulars as they check out. It’s a move aimed in part to address the shrinking reach of printed circulars.
Numerous websites and blogs already preview deals that will show up in Black Friday circulars or newspaper coupon inserts a week or more in advance. But the Catalina program, dubbed “My Favorite Deals,” looks to make the practice legit — and systematic.
Testing so far indicates it has wide appeal, said Todd Morris, president of Catalina’s U.S. business, increasing sales of promoted items by 1.5% to 5%, and overall sales to shoppers reached by 1.5%. The idea is to encourage them to come back more regularly to get the deals they know are coming.
Legendary humorist Sid Caesar said comedy has to be based on truth. Funnily enough, it’s also a prerequisite for consumer research. So why not mingle the two?
That’s precisely what Millward Brown is doing with “Consumer Theater,” a new program from the WPP company and comedy troupe Second City that injects laughter into the serious business of consumer research in search of honest feedback and creative ideas.
Improvisational actors portray scenes based on the feedback that a panel of consumers gives to brand concepts sourced from marketers. The idea is that consumers will be more open and truthful when they are laughing and interacting with actors in a theater, rather than confined to a sterile conference room.
On the heels of a May that saw a double-digit decline in broadcast ratings, the summer season is getting off to a similarly draggy start.
According to Nielsen C3 ratings for the final month of the 2014-15 season, deliveries of adults 18-49 fell 11% in broadcast prime, while cable demos were off 7%. This in turn appears to have had a chilling effect on the early summer ratings, as just about every returning network series has lost ground when compared to the year-ago period.
Through Thursday, June 18, returning tent poles are down 20% in live-same-day demo ratings. Even the current highest-rated summer show, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” has slipped when compared to a year ago; through the first four episodes, the competition series is down 14% to a 2.4 in the demo.
The data answers a key question that Sharablee founder and CEO Tania Yuki keeps getting from marketers: “Has this thing leveled off? Is social starting to pull back?”
Sharablee clients include Unilever, which made the startup one of its Foundry50 honorees pitching to agencies and marketers during the Lions Innovation portion of the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes this week. It takes a different tack than most social analytics firms, focusing not on spontaneous consumer social-media posts about brands but rather on brand posts and how consumers react to that content. As such, it focuses squarely on impact brands are getting from the social-media content they fund.
Ms. Yuki previously helped found ComScore’s Video Metrix for online video, and that background is particularly germane to her new business, because she sees video posts driving the vast majority of recent growth in engagement with branded content. Overall, engagement with brand videos grew 186% last quarter more than three times faster than the overall increase though video still only accounted for 10% of overall engagement with brand content.
“Bidding stands at 20 Facebook likes. … Who’ll give me 21? Going once, going twice … sold for 20 likes to the man with his face buried in a bag of Skittles!”
It’s true: the Mars candy brand, via BBDO Toronto, is hosting an online auction in which Facebook likes are the currency. Fans compete by amassing likes for bids they can place on a veritable rainbow of Skittles-branded prizes.
You must be a Canadian resident to participate. (Canada’s clearly in vogue at this marketing moment … first Loverboy and now this.)
Current items up for bid include a Green Apple Soccer Ball, Strawberry Skittles Headphones, a Lemon Skittles Vase, “Orange Skittles Oil on Canvas” (an objet d’art, which is described as “eye candy painted by the famous Citrussio”), and, most impressively, a Grape Skittles Acoustic Guitar.
“Every item was specially made for this auction,” says BBDO vp and associate creative director Chris Booth. “We wanted consumers to have something they can keep forever that also channels the humor of the brand.”
Launched in May and running through Aug. 6, the contest features new merchandise each week. So far, the most “expensive” item was an Orange Skittles Lamp, which sold for 483 likes. (Most items auctioned off have had a much lower sweet spot.)
Creating a campaign where users compete for Facebook likes might’ve been innovative a few years back, but it seems almost retro today. However, simplicity is a strength, because it makes the contest more immediately accessible than, say, BBDO’s faux-pyramid-scheme promotion where the prize was 1 million Skittles delivered to some lucky Canadian sugar-fiend’s door.
Xiao Zhu est une entreprise chinoise dont la principale activité est d’apporter de l’air propre aux citoyens. Pour illustrer les dangers de la pollution et les 500 000 personnes qui meurent chaque année à cause de cela, cette entreprise a décidé de projeter des visages d’enfants en pleurs, sur de la fumée polluante rejetée par une usine. Le message suivant était également diffusé : « Clean the air. Let the future breathe again ».
Mike Warren s’est inspiré de la « Babele Lamp » conçue par Manifattura Italian Design, pour créer une lampe artisanale, dont on peut modifier le style soi-même. Faite en briques de bois, similaires à des Kapla, chaque pièce peut être arrangée et emboitée selon vos désirs. Disponible pour 15 $.
Le photographe Marc Simon Frei a capturé des clichés intéressants de foudres et d’orages miniatures générés par un transformateur Tesla. Il a également mis en scène ces étincelles à travers des nuages de laine éclairés avec des lumières LED. A découvrir en images.
The deal, if finalized, would combine two of the largest French mobile providers and oust Orange as France’s biggest mobile operator.
« Mobilité » est un projet des designers Tim Defleur et Benjamin Helle qui ont voulu offrir une nouvelle perspective aux chaises de bureau en open-space. Ils ont conçu une chaise avec un dossier fait à partir d’un skateboard, afin de permettre à chaque collègue de se rejoindre en skatant. La planche s’insère très facilement dans l’assise du siège et elle est recouverte de mousse épaisse pour gagner en confort.
Kazuhiro Tsuji est un artiste contemporain, vivant à Los Angeles, et qui est spécialiste de l’hyperréalisme. Après 25 ans de carrière en tant que maquilleur sur les plateaux d’Hollywood, Kazu a décidé de se concentrer sur ses sculptures. Avec de la résine, du silicone et d’autres matériaux, il crée des portraits de personnages célèbres tels que Dali, Warhol et Lincoln.
Exposé à la DAX gallery, Costa Mesa, jusqu’au 25 juillet.
Zuzia Kozerska de Valek Rolling Pins revient avec de nouveaux rouleaux à pâtisserie. En bois et gravés au laser, de nouveaux motifs ont été imaginés par Zuzia, tels qu’un labyrinthe, des cerfs, des dinosaures et hiboux, ainsi qu’une gamme de motifs floraux et d’arabesques. Pour le grand plaisir de vos cookies, à découvrir en images.
If you were wondering what the frontman of ’80s Canadian rock back Loverboy is up to these days, the answer is second guessing the lyrics to “Working for the Weekend” in an ad for job listings site Indeed.com.
Mike Reno anchors the commercial—from ad agency Sleek Machine, with 30-, 45- and 60-second cuts—explaining that, thanks to the recruitment company, more people are happy being at the office. (The short version is punchier, but the longer ones have the sharper kicker—that now, the right idea would be “more like everybody’s really enjoying their time at work, and when the weekend comes, that’s fine too.”)
The band, for its part, is still working (for whatever reason), with a new album out last year, and tour dates scheduled through up to October.
It’s not clear, though, whether Chippendales is standing by the song as the ideal tie-breaker for ridiculously close auditions.
CREDITS
Client: Indeed
Agecy: Sleek Machine, Boston
Chief Creative Officer: Tim Cawley
Senior Integrated Producer: Ben Ouellette
Senior Copywriter: Jeff Mariois
Senior Art Director: Jessica Ruggieri
Music: “Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy
Talent: Mike Reno
Director: Darcy Van Poelgeest
Production Company: Circle/Vancouver
Editor: Kat Baker/Element
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
