VW set the bar pretty high and I truly didn’t think they could beat themselves.

But I stumbled on to this over at Sharman’s.

And I have just watched a bunch of dogs belt out the Imperial March.
Yes… the impossible just actually happened.
It’s brilliant.

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Came across this Private Property spot.
It’s their first venture onto the TV screen and there are 3 versions running around.

I love all of them. They made me laugh, they’re just sooo South African and they’re rocking like a stocking. Plus they just made estate agents seem cool … no easy feat.

Not sure who the agency behind it was. There’s a cute Facebook tie-in [obvs], where you can put your Friend on Show [ love you Fae ] and stand a chance to win a home makeover.

Check the other spots out here and here.

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So last night the whole of SA (well the rugby-lovers at least) collectively cringed as poor Ard Matthews went about altering our National Anthem.

You’ll be stoked to know that it now features some Italian. Go us, how cosmopolitan are we?

Mi Scusi! Mi Scusi!

Living up to expectations, Nandos were quick off the mark.

Quick to capitalise as always.
Black River FC, you guys rock.

Savanna wasn’t far behind.

I think Quirk is responsible for this, but could be wrong.

I really love a) clients that allow their agencies the freedom to be this responsive and b) agencies who know their brand really well and recognise opportunities like this.

We all know that social networks LOVE the first-mover. It’s pretty difficult to capitalise on these real-life moments. You have a very brief window to ride on the short-lived, online hype, plus it has to be smart to cut through all the noise (tweets, FB updates) that the moment’s busy generating.

Today’s tweet, tomorrow’s internet clutter, right?

Basically if it has to be signed off and approved by every single executive and his yellow highlighter…. well then another brand is just going to get there first.

Trusting clients and responsive agencies: You properly rock.

*images sourced here and here 

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I got a feature spot and was model of the day on the FHM site, which was pretty cool.

Because every girl wants to be stuck between Superman and Kim Kardashian

On a serious note, I still think their Modelbook platform is one of the best, local examples of a brand capitalizing on an existing offline community. Really. I’ve seen both Wonderbra and Sports Illustrated crash and burn by comparison. IMO both didn’t really have lifespans beyond the campaign and were sort of ‘toe in the water’ efforts at social networking.

Any brands wanting to run social networks for models or online model searches.. please come and talk to me. I have some ideas. No really.

FHM: They’re getting it right

Swing on by if you’d like to see my FHM pictures

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA7-31Cxc2I

Loved this. Ran at the 2010 Superbowl.

Only seeing it a year later, so I’m a bit late to the party.

But then good adverts don’t really get old.

Plus I love Betty White.

#loveyouBetty

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I wish South Africa allowed comparative advertising. I’d love our agencies to have a shot at it. Nothing breeds creativity better than a little bit of direct pressure from the competition. I mean everyone in SA remembers the awesome ‘Beats the Bendz’ advert right? It’s engraved in our minds.

Can you imagine ? I’d love to see Shoprite vs PEP playing out on twitter or across our TV screens.

It’d breathe a whole lot of fresh air into our local ad industry because the opportunities are endless and the potential for humour is irresistible. It makes me wonder why we still apply this traditional, sheltered approach. Why don’t we allow it? I realise the possibility of competitors laying false claims against one another but our audience is smarter than we think and no one wants to look like a jerk in the eyes of Social Media. I can  see the unfair advantage of unknown brands hitching onto the coattails of more established ones, but how else do we knock these bigger brands off their laurels?

I really think it needs to be reassessed.

In fact, when is the last time it was reviewed?

Because if used effectively, then surely the consumer can only gain. And in a world where customer-centric is the latest buzz phrase, shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to help this guy?

Being directly pitted against the competition in the public eye could result in better product, better customer service , greater innovation and even better prices for him.

In fact I’d be interested to see if the new CPA creates any wiggle room for comparative advertising. Does it?

People also love to take sides. Humans have been taking sides for years. I bet it goes back to caveman days.  Today it continues to happen organically. Remember the Team Anniston and Team Jolie tees? I believe that pitting brand against brand really fosters brand patriotism (oh just whip out that marketing speak Robs).

Common…  lets have  the occasional brand smack down.

These guys did and all (bar Audi) are in the 2011 Top 100 brands… so they’re doing something right.

Apple vs PC:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2D1ig4df4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpOvzGiheOM

BMW vs Audi:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VohEkWMkbsI

Pepsi vs Coke:

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Oh Brands

Why do some of you engage in foetus-friendly speak when talking to women? Tell me. Is there a giant Moron sticker plastered across our foreheads that I can’t see?

So what prompted this? Well I’ve always felt that very few car manufacturers manage to market effectively to women, but the tipping point was yesterday when I was linked to a women’s car supplement online. *clickety click*

They give advice as well as quick, snapshot car reviews for the female market. I read a few of the reviews. I cringed at the ‘reviews’ I saw. It was sparkly fluff that provided little value.  I couldn’t believe how they were speaking to their audience. In fact, I actually reached for my forehead to see if there was a Moron sticker I could peel off. It was like I was shopping for Darth Vader .. and they were selling me Hello Kitty.

And I showed other people. They cringed too. In fact no one thought this was a good idea. Granted I only showed 9 people. 6 of which were women. The women found it insulting and agreed this publication shouldn’t really be playing on the stereotype jungle-gym.

The guys just thought it was hysterical and then took cheap shots about female drivers.

Now. I feel qualified to talk about this because:

a) I’m a young, professional female

b) I recently bought a car

c) It’s my name on the URL

So lets wander down the road of logical thought together. Stick with me okay.

1. I’m checking out reviews because I want to buy a car.
2. I probably have a significant amount of disposable income.
3. Indications are good that if I have disposable income, I probably have a decent job.
4. To get this job… well. I probably needed some basic, intellectual capability. A matric at least. In fact there’s a good chance that most of us have some form of tertiary education. Be it diploma, certificate or degree.
5. It’s safe to say I have a decent IQ (i.e capable of stringing words together).
6. We can assume my interest in the purchase of an asset such as this, runs deeper than whether or not the car’s interior matches my favourite pair of stilettos.
7. In fact. Stilettos really shouldn’t even be discussed at this point because no matter how gorgeous they are (and I do love shoes) they have absolutely no valid relevance in the purchase decision of a 200k+ asset.
8. The market is changing. Female buying power is no longer just a nice idea or catchphrase, it’s actually happening. We’ve got good qualifications, great jobs, higher levels of disposable income and our wallets are starting to bear significant merit in those little, consumer pie-charts that brands so love.
9. So why exactly are you patronizing (albeit with pretty,glittery words) your audience?

Come on guys. Get a clue.

This whole thing didn’t strike me as very empowering on any level.

I will openly admit that I dont know a lot about cars, BUT this doesn’t make me an idiot. Plus I have met a lot of women who are fluent in car. I’ve even met some who have taught guys how to change tyres.

Yeah. I’ll just let that sink in.

Look I’m having a go… maybe my blood sugar is low.

But even regular-blood-sugar-levels Robs  thinks it’s poor.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

Wow. Did that hit a few emotional chords.

Really amazing

via @DeanOelsch

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3JjtZlPdLs

These puppets runs across most of the Sky channels. They’re the Diet Coke ‘sassy marionettes’ and they’ve got names, day jobs at a fashion mag and choreographed dance moves to match.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRtujWY0OZs

To be honest, they really freak me out. Like Bratz dolls with disposable income.

Puppets don’t scream freedom to choose, do they?  Plus people who operate marionettes in their spare time, are called manipulators … which is an odd message to send out.

Each time I see them, I imagine some giant Puppeteer (who looks like Tony Blair for some reason) over at Coke pulling their strings and making them pick up a coke light.

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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcKMkC7LpJE

These ads don’t need any introduction. I get goosebumps every time I watch the first one. These are true South African classics.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zmQBNnaAeQ

They make you feel all fuzzy and patriotic inside.

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