Cadbury’s Eyebrow Raising Eyebrow Raiser

Two children. Freestyle’s 1997 electro track ‘Don’t Stop the Rock’. A balloon. Three simple ingredients that combine to serve up one of the most talked about adverts of the year that has already resulted in cult classic status. Simple advertising with spectacular effect – Cadbury has done another ‘gorilla’.

There are many techniques available to today’s television advertisers. Whether associating brands and products with unattainable lifestyles, preying on inferiorities or insisting you need a particular product to ‘keep up with the Joneses, the psychology of marketing seems to grow ever more complex by the day. Or does it?

Fallon (www.fallon.co.uk), the creative agency behind Cadbury’s eyebrow-raising eyebrow raiser, have stuck marketing gold yet again with a creative masterpiece that has absolutely nothing to do with chocolate. By creating a shared cultural reference that the entire world and his dog are talking about, Fallon have cleverly ensured that the topic of conversation in every pub, office and school refers to a successful purple chocolate brand.

Just as a drumming gorilla captured the nation’s imagination back in August 2007, Cadbury and Fallon have succeeded yet again in using leftfield advertising to create a buzz and get people talking – arguably the most effective advertising of all.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks...

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? If the ‘old dog’ in question is Nipper, age-old emblem of iconic music retailer HMV, then we’re about to be proved wrong in spectacular fashion.

HMV recently announced its expansion into the live music market – an industry that’s worth a reported £1bn. The retailer’s 50% share in 11 Mama-owned music venues will result in famous live venues such as the Hammersmith Apollo renamed with the company’s letters prefixed in blazingly branded HMV pink.

Chief Executive Simon Fox has stated that the physical music market is changing (no prizes for stating the bleeding obvious) and that by purchasing a piece of the live music market, HMV will be able to attract a younger demographic and build relationships with artists and fans. Under the surface however, this move is much more than an extended brand-building exercise. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/14/hmv-enters-live-music-market)

The retail industry is experiencing unprecedented challenges and HMV’s move to secure alternative revenue streams must surely be recognised for the astute piece of commercial thinking that it is.

Earning money from live gigs and events is an extremely shrewd move and could ultimately see HMV come out of this recession even stronger than when it went in. Whilst revenue from live events and CD sales should combine nicely to ensure HMV’s economic security during these challenging economic conditions, the long-term branding benefits could prove very interesting indeed.

So can you teach an old dog new tricks? To quote another well-known phrase, ‘fortune favours the brave’ and HMV have clearly made a bold move launching into the live music environment. Bob Dylan sings that ‘The times they are a changing’ and in order to survive in today’s uncertain market, companies are going to have to change with it – well done HMV.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

Racist Royals? Bigoted Brands?

So once again, a Royal is up on the front pages of daily rags nationwide for making a seemingly inappropriate remark to a chum of ethnic origin. No, for once it’s not Prince Philip, but his third-in-line-to-the-throne grandson, King of the lads’ mags and loveable rapscallion, Prince Harry.

Whilst I don’t wish to plough precious time and energy into discussing whether the alleged ‘term of affection’ is appropriate or not (although this all smacks of ‘breeze in a thimble’ as opposed to storm in a teacup), bigger issues are once again brought firmly into the centre of public debate, including those in the recruitment sector.

A recent undercover investigation carried out by BBC One’s ‘Inside Out West’ programme discovered that out of 30 recruitment agencies contacted, 25 readily agreed to only send white applicants along for a fictional job as a receptionist. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7826077.stm)

This is quite frankly, a startling revelation and a wake-up call to all those in the recruitment industry. How far is the average recruiter prepared to go to fill a brief? Does the buck stop with the bigoted brands issuing these sorts of requests, or are recruiters continuing this prejudiced chain when complying to these sorts of unethical (not to mention illegal) requests?

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...