Ephemeral museum exhibits street art in Portugal

I came across this award winning (Cannes Gold Lion) campaign fro Pampero Rum while putting together a PR course. A really nice example of relatively low cost but big impact PR based around a simple but very clever idea. The brand created an audio guide to street art in Lisbon (Portugal) that could be downloaded to mp3 players from their website:

ghd Revelations event video

We’ve just finished editing the video from the ghd Revelations event. This was shot and edited by Simon Deiner from SDR Photography (who we use for pretty much all our photos and filming very recommended). You’ll find more about the event on this blog if your interested in learning more about it.

Behind the scenes at ghd Revelations part 2

The ghd Revelations event took place last week after nearly a year of planning. The end result was very different to the original concept – the result of working with many people on the event (Hammer, theatre director Craig Leo, Mari Gronewald and our decor stylists). I mean that in a positive way though. The event was designed to immerse consumers in the ghd brand, show off their creativity and spread buzz about the brand. Guests wandered around 14 Hope Street – which basically feels like a dishevelled theatre following a circuit that led them around loosely connected scenes. There was a vague story behind the event – but we wanted people to interpret in their own way – it’s been fun to hear different people’s takes on it.

All the photos are taken by Simon Deiner & team. Should have some video later in the week…

Mari talks us through the looks at the technical rehearsal:

The pink frock ended up on our slightly toasted party girl (pic further down):

Lots more photos after the jump:

Steri Stumpie update

Our campaign for Steri Stumpie is still rolling – we did our second appointment of a official unofficial brand ambassador yesterday at UCT. This basically involved giving a Steri fan a whole bunch of stuff to the sounds of a marching band. We then toured the campus playing Dancing Queen. This is also my first video edit ever – other than some shaky camera work i think its quite cute?

The campaign is picking up some nice compliments – still early days but should be a good case study (and also an encouragement to other clients to let us go down a more imaginative path). Its a collaboration with King James RSVP, Mnemonic and Atmosphere (all part of the King James Group) so also great example of team work between different agencies.

SLXS said this.

and Chris Rawlinson said this.

Ask not what your consumers can do for you ask what you can do for your consumers

Thought for the day: People don’t want their worlds to built by brands – they want to build their worlds themselves. But obviously they don’t have the access to cash that brands do.

Most brands spend tens of thousands talking about themselves and just get lost in the clutter . The ones willing to support their consumers achieve their own dreams, create their own stuff, have fun at events without feeling like they’re walking in an ad are going to win attention (and graditude) far more surely?

10 things brands could consider doing (amongst many more):

1. Paying for an up and coming bands tour expenses (maybe give them a branded tour bus?)
2. Bring in some overseas DJs/bands – maybe helping out some of the local festivals to bring over bigger acts (yes i know some brands do this already)
3. Pay for a local band to go and tour (and make it) overseas (maybe they can make a blog of their experience hosted by the brand?)
4. Holding creative workshops (e.g. t-shirt design, photography, djing, cup cake making)
5. Paying for everyone to get in for free to a popular club night?
6. Holding free cinema nights of classic movies people have always wanted to see on the big screen (star wars? the shining? breakfast at tiffanys?)
7. Providing decorations for matric dances
8. Sponsoring a recycling service
9. Free pizza to office workers that have to burn the midnight oil (in a cool branded box)
10. Putting on free transport to big events (e.g. music festival) or discounted taxis on a friday night

Great examples of brands that do this already include Levis gigs and Red Bull’s Music Academy i’m sure a few more…

Steri Stumpie marching band performance

That said our (collaboration between King James RSVP, Mnemonic and Atmosphere) Steri Stumpie campaign totally rocks. This was filmed in the office on Friday when the Steri band had its first performance. We’ve hired these guys as a reward for the brands Official Unofficial brand ambassadors. We’ll be doing one of these a month. Tons of fun.

Jeremy Scott on “being an original”

Love Adidas (ever since Adicolor) and also big fan of designer Jeremy Scot and i’ve already mentioned the Adidas Original campaigns great house party ad/video. But something bothers me about this clip.  Its something I see from brands all the time, particularly brands involved in youth marketing. It’s the shoe horning of a theme from the advertising into all communications – in this case Adidas is original. Really guys you don’t need to spell it out so bluntly i feel like i’m being marketed to now. Don’t tell us, show us. Prove it. Now what is an otherwise cool campaign feels slightly like brand brainwashing.

I think it comes from guilt on the part of the brand manager/agency that they’re  having too much fun – so they feel the need to inject it with a bit of “brand messaging”.

Human statues in marketing

Sony has found a marketing use for those annoying human statue people.

Via Arab Aquarius.

Nokia’s Somebody Elses Phone

I spent this evening skipping between watching the excellent Mad Men (set in a sixties ad agency)  to flicking through Wieden & Kennedy’s blog. Since when has marketing got so complicated and intricate?  Marketing is starting to become like watching Twin Peaks/Lost…  When did it stop being about a pretty picture and a snappy one liner?

I’m thinking of W&Ks latest project for Nokia Somebody Elses Phone. It’s a genius idea (as a contribution to popular culture would love to think it also sells more phones as well) based on the simple observation that a phone tells a really intimate story about the users life. Particularly as these days its not just text and voice but also images and video. The project is based around a website that allows visitors to snoop through the phones of three individuals in different cities,  gradually piece together the story of their lives and start to interact with them.

Campaign Trailer:

The action also spills into real life with readers being able to attend events such as Somebody Elses Party by following a series of clues hidden around the web.

This is a compelling and sophisticated take on the ARG trend. I’m pretty curious to know if by the end of 2009 this kind of thing will induce the collective rolling of eyes (hope not as this is lots of fun so far).

The rise of Uniqlo

Uniqlo, the Japanese fashion retailer, is currently cruising almost effortlessly through the economic gloom while most of its competitors are lowering the life rafts. Sadly we don’t have one in South Africa yet but I have fond memories (and a rather fetching flat cap) from visiting the London store. This is my take on their success.

The stores:

Cool but often quite simple products, sold in a clean, minimalistic environment with great Japanese style service (even the stores not in Japan).

Product innovation:

Uniqlo recently launched the Heat Tech range of clothes including thermal underwear which converts moisture into heat. This not only gives the company unique products but also great PR value from inventing something that simultaneously sounds like the future and makes something as dull as thermal underwear sound cool.

Quirky marketing:

Uniqlo have really got the power of PR and appealing to the blogosphere with some fun off the wall marketing activity.

Robot assistant:

Uniqlo recently “employed” a robot store assistant in its New York branch. Ok so its a bit of a gimmick but one with immense PR appeal – and besides he does look damn cute. The little guy even writes his own blog (bless).

Human vending machine:

Just as whacky but also a very successful PR stunt Uniqlo in New York created a human vending machine to launch the new Heat Tech range. It’s basically a big box with (slightly bad) mimes inside it giving out free products.

And some ads:

Their ads have the same playful, slightly crazy feel to them.

They’re so The Gap of the noughties…