Hasta La Creative!

Digital creative is still new for most folks judging it. Here are some thoughts to help demystify, debunk and better prepare for the present future.

DETROIT (AdAge.com) — Auto marketers need to understand the "emotional payoff" of each of their vehicles to multicultural communities if they want to sell more vehicles and improve loyalty among Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans in the U.S., according to auto consultancy Strategic Vision.

Perhaps they haven’t seen ATT’s logo. Perhaps they don’t care their new logo conjures a lazy Saturday afternoon at the beach. No, Xerox and Omnicom’ Interbrand, which just unveiled its new logo today, thinks a red beach ball will…

As Adbusters heads back to court, we give an update and some background about our fight for commercial airspace.

Almost too rare to wear.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett Frankfurt, Germany
Creative Director: Andreas Pauli
Art Director: Matthias Fickinger
Copywriter: Christoph Tratberger
Illustrator: Christian Frech
Photographer: Marcus Caviola
Published: December 2007

According to the NYT Xerox Hopes Its New Logo Doesn’t Say ‘Copier’ – well good news Xerox, it doesn’t. It says “beach ball” or “hard peppermint candy” but not “Copier” or anything else you actually do.

“Our new brand reflects who we are, the markets we serve and the innovation that differentiates us in our industry. We have expanded into new markets, created new businesses, acquired new capabilities, developed technologies that launched new industries — all to ensure we make it easier, faster, and less costly for our customers to share information.” source press release

Sure, OK. Would you like a mint?

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All hail Bravo! the current reigning champ in the world of product placement! And I do mean that in all sincerity. Bravo! for the most part has done an excellent job in integrating relevant products in to many of the their programs. And while it can some times be executed a little heavy handedly I can usually get beyond that if it makes sense in a program, like the “Glad family of products” so often referred to in on Top Chef by the lovely Padma Lakshmi. But the other day I felt the the bonds of relevance strained as the designers on Project Runway were challenged to create an ensemble using only the things they could find in the Times Square Hershey’s store. In all fairness the designs they created out of a pile of crappy looking Hershey’s tschotskies were very impressive. And what I originally thought was a tenuous relationship between the marketer and the program at best, the contestants were able to bring back around. What really got me with this instance of product placement was Hershey’s rep Michelle Gloeckler monologue that was summed up quite nicely by Missy Schwartz at EW.com as having “all the gusto of a stale Twizzler.” (Check her out at about 3:00 here.) Marketers, come on now. You know product placement works so why not treat it seriously? Would you use an actor who with all the charm and charisma of bowl of cold oatmeal in a tv spot? I think not. How would that reflect upon your brand? Product placement, like any form of marketing, requires careful thought, planning and execution. It’s not bludgeoning your audience to death with images and references to your product. And if you are going to go the animatronic route, go with a model like Vicki the Robot in Small Wonder who was capable of delivering a range of life-like emotions.

Technorati Tags: product placement, review, beyond madison avenue

As if going to the dentist weren’t enough of a nightmare, L.A. dentist Patty Ross offers appointments at the witching hour and beyond—at late as 2 a.m. on weekdays. Naturally, Ross has some after-hours spoof-horror advertising to match. See four more executions over at AdVille. Via Neatorama.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide is readying a layoff of between 50 and 100 staffers in New York this week, according to executives familiar with the matter.

Before I even begin to discuss this new spot from Ford’s long-time luxury division, Lincoln, let me say that I am all for having corporations and brands create positive images for themselves while making the world and communities better. And, I think this was the impetus for this idea… the execution of which, I’m sorry to report, fell far short.

This :60 spot for Lincoln’s luxury crossover SUV (called the MKX), “HOMETOWN”, puts jazz musician, Harry Connick, Jr. behind the wheel of a Lincoln MKX. He is driving through his hometown of New Orleans reflecting about its devastation from Hurricane Katrina — while driving a $40,000+ automobile! Okay, maybe he is bringing building supplies to the needy neighborhoods, maybe he is donating the vehicle to a needy family or church group helping those displaced, maybe he will announce some great new campaign financed by Lincoln to help build up his hometown… nah!

He is meeting his friends and delivering a couple of buckets of crawfish! As he ruminates on the hope that “good times” can roll again in New Orleans, the announcer claims that this new 2008 Lincoln MKX is, “Designed to inspire, ready to uplift.” What? Did I miss something? Is the car, brand, or corporation doing ANYTHING to inspire and uplift the people and community of New Orleans?

And, why would I run out and buy this luxury crossover SUV over a Lexus RS 350 or Acura MDX? I don’t know… but, then again, maybe I missed something.

Technorati Tags: lincoln mkx, harry connick jr, new orleans, hometown, beyond madison avenue