T10: Outdoor Ads

Tutorial 10: Outdoor Ads

Title: Kao Liese- Hair dye

Agency: Silver Showers

1. Write a creative outdoor ad-new product/campaign to be placed in the campus grounds to attract student's attention.

Copy:

Have the hair colour you've always wanted with Liese.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, isn't my hair the best of them all?

Yes, mistress, that is the most beautiful hair indeed!

2. Sketch that ad- along with words- and discuss your considerations from the aspects of:

a. Location:

We decided on a location which many students would pass-by and have no nearby mirrors to use if they wanted to check their reflection. Thus, hallways which are far from toilets.

b. Type:

It's a placement of non-digital outdoor type advertisement.

c. Message:

An illustration of how a person would look with different hair colours.

Audience description:

Students - middle range income families, gen Y and cares about appearance

Location:

Hallway -outside classrooms

Message/Objective:

1. Promoting the brand &new type of product.

2. Inform people of new features that comes with new product.

How will the message achieve the goal?

1. Obtain good disposition towards brand by bring useful (i.e. placing a mirror for people who need to check their appearance.

 2. Inform people of the new product in an unobtrusive manner.

 3. Use of tasteful design and attitude.

Sketch of your outdoor ad: A person standing in front of the mirror (illust below)

by: Lily Wong

Packaging Design Copy

 

This week, we were required to sketch out a design and copy for the package of an existing product. 
We picked a yogurt muesli bar, Yogood. For the front of the package, we decided to use a life-size picture of the actual product, so it will seem as though the consumer is holding the product inside. 

For the back, we put in half a clock to show the first benefit of the yogurt bar that keeps one energized throughout the day. We incorporated the phrase, "Keeps you running through the day, only with the healthiest of ingredients!" This brings us to the next benefit, which is the healthy ingredients such as blueberries, walnuts, and cranberries. We included pictures of the ingredients for visual aid. 

We also added in a QR code the consumers may scan for more information on the brand and product.

One of the key things we had to keep in mind while designing the copy was brevity. We were aware of the space constraint, and thus had to rely more on visuals to help sell the benefits in an engaging way. Having too many words to describe the health benefits would not be appealing to the consumers, so we only put in one sentence that tells the benefit in a concise manner.

Reflection: Best Proposition on 4 second Ad

I would like to share a few personal opinionated propositions I have regarding 4 second ads.

Firstly, within the 4 seconds, you have to show ATTENTION. It is not easy to get your ad to stand out from the rest, especially when there are many good ads out there. Hence, this is why advertising and production agencies exists. It is our job to get our client's brand to stand out and look significant than their competitors.

Be it the music (an example would be the recent MILO jingle that has been in our heads, "It's marvellous what MILO can DO FOR YOU!")



The cast (example, a famous celebrity)

It can also be a current issue, such as football. Example would be Snicker's.


Attention would be an important element to stop your audience from clicking the "skip ad" button! You want your audience to continue with your ad! 

Next I think you have to be straight into the point. 
Audience need to know what you want to advertise within the 4 seconds. If you can, place your product within that 4 seconds. Or, you can always place your logo at the upper or lower corner of your ad to indicate your brand.

Most effective internet ads #1

TELEKINETIC COFFEE SHOP PROMOTING CARRIE THE MOVIE
    

I came across this video that was shared all around the internet and thought, "ok, why not?" And it was amazing how they came up with such a strategy to make people talk about the movie even before it comes out in the cinemas.


Relativity / Emotion

This video was captured to introduce the new and upcoming movie, Carrie. What they did was to create a scene to allow audience to get a live view of what it is like if telekinesis was real and how people react to it. Advertisers behind this video brought the movie to life by applying their elements onto our daily lives.


Humour 

I guess it is only obvious that this video is meant to create humour or in other words to make the movie the talk of the town.


Able to reach a wide audience

And when humour strikes, people have the tendency to post them up online to share with their friends.


Creates curiosity

People who came across this video would watch the movie to know what it's really like in the movie.

Most effective Internet Ad #2

If you don't know who Xia Xue is, you probably need to google her. Xia Xue is an award winning blogger from Singapore. Winner of Asia Pacific's Blog Awards, companies often willing to spend thousands on her to advertise their products. The best blog advertorial I've encountered was the one she did on her new home. Countless brands wanted to sponsor for her new home and the brands that were chosen to sponsor, were the best of the best.

 This advertorial is informative, clear and simple. Just like these products.

This picture shows how plugs can be portable and neatly placed.

This shows how nets can work and be nicely decorated.

Brand placement

Attraction

She showed the before and after of her interior, which attracts interested audiences.

Call to action

http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/2013/03/home-decor-part-1-living-room-and.html

Reflection: Copywriting for TV Commercials

Reflection: When you are doing copywriting for tv commercials, what are the important considerations you have learnt from your group's experience (3 points)?

Television is a great way to advertise, primarily because it incorporates both audio and visuals (moving visuals at that). One of the important considerations from our group exercise when writing for tv commercials is to have a strong opening. Most ads go unnoticed and its no different for tv commercials. To produce an ad that is successful, the first 5 seconds of the commercial has to be captivating and attention grabbing. This is because if the beginning of your ad doesn't interest viewers, it is likely that they would switch to another channel or not pay much attention to it. 

Another consideration would be to put emphasis on the product feature or benefit. This is because that is the main thing we would want viewers to remember and it would also be able to persuade consumers. Other than that, I've learned that it is wise to try and involve the viewers as well. for example, showing how the product can help them or captivate them with before and after pictures.

Lastly, showing the product and mentioning it several times is an important consideration. Not only does it give the viewers an idea on what it looks like, it would help them remember it easier. Repeating the brands name as well as showing the product visually would make it "stick" to viewers and help them recall it better. The overall idea of using repetition is to make the brand as memorable as possible. 

Most interesting TV commercials

GREY INC. - NX CINEMAS

The first TV commercial that i thought was quite interesting is Grey inc.'s commercial for NX cinemas. They used an offbeat way of showing the product while carrying a narrative throughout the commercial. It starts with a lady walking to the cinema hall and then looks closer at a movie poster when she hears a knock. When she does that however, the visuals seem to look so real that she screamed and ran to the cinema. Inside, its depicted that she continues being scared because of the quality of NX cinemas and how their visuals seem life like.

The selling proposition was definitely there as well was had a relation to consumers and what they would like. Grey inc.'s commercial was also interesting from the beginning. Audiences would be wondering what the commercial was going to be about and why the lady looked closer to the poster. All in all it was a solid idea with decent execution that made the commercial interesting.

G6 - RHYTHMIX

G6's commercial started off with one friend calling another asking who he was walking with after he had saw him with a girl. After finding out that it was his friend's new girlfriend, he starts to ask how he got one so fast. The friend continues to explain how the app "rhythmis" helped him "meet new people" through the sharing of his music. The commercial itself was particularly interesting because it has a continuous storyline and narrative to it. Other than that, it was a smart move that the commercial also used demonstrations as it was briefly shown how the app worked.

Radio Advertisements: Reflection

Why writing radio commercials is not an easy task.

It is a hit-and-miss scenario when it comes to radio ads; there is a fine line between an ad that is equal parts entertaining and memorable and getting the right message across, and one that is trying too hard to appeal to the masses and ends up with listeners missing the point of the ad.

Writing a script for a radio ad is difficult in its own way. For one, the medium itself is constricting in several ways, such as its fleeting nature and being able to only stimulate the aural senses, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just that accommodations may have to be made. For example, speech in radio commercials have to be short and concise, unlike in print ads or even television ads where visuals can help with absorbing the message better. Radio ads need to be catchy and memorable, with jingles and catchphrases because those tuned in to radio stations might have their attention elsewhere, or skip the ads entirely. Radio ads have to work their way through the subconscious part of their listeners.

Writers face the trouble of coming up with a script that is easy to understand and follow despite distractions on the road, but still needs to be interesting and entertaining enough to gain attention and stick with the listeners. How does a writer come up with something that is short and funny, with all the relevant information on the product without boring the listener? What words should be used? Long words that perfectly encapsulate the intention of the ad, or short ones that don't confuse listeners, but risk losing the proper vocabulary that can make a difference in the nuance of the ad?

There is no sure formula on how to make an ad that accomplishes everything a client would want, and it is especially dependent on the product and target audience. Airtime is money, and the client would naturally want every second  to be worth their money. Oftentimes, a radio ad is either funny in a silly way, or intelligent in a boring way. There has to be a give and take in one way or another, because there is no way of pleasing everyone. 

Radio Advertisement Critique 2:

The other radio ad that stands out is Faces' ad for a parking application.

The ad is consistent and concise, the script written and played out in a local manner that is easily related to by university students, which are the intended audience. The dialogue is carried out in a way that is common of students, such as tardiness, being on-the-go with mobile phones, and internet connectivity. It is also clear and informative, telling the listeners how to procure the app and use it.

The conversation is the crux of this ad; it is not overwhelming in the way that some advertisements dramatize products/services, and it is natural enough that it isn't too casual for a radio ad. The cast also spoke well and clear so the ad is easy to follow and understand.

I find it interesting that the advertisement manages to incorporate the product in a subtle way, in which the sound effects are used to show the app being in use on a phone. It is a clever use of sound effects, and it helps bring together the idea of something intangible like an application in a radio commercial.

Radio Advertisement Critique 1: Grey Inc.

This week, the agencies were required to create a radio advertisement no longer than 30 seconds to advertise a product or service of their choice. In this post, I will discuss why Grey Inc.'s radio ad for NX Cinemas is one of the two best ads out of all the agencies sans our own.

The opening monologue is interesting and attention-grabbing because of its narrative style and content. The narrator describes a horror scene, which engages the listener in an aural and imaginative way. The script builds up the tense atmosphere that crescendos with twist, revealing towards the end that the scary scenario was actually a movie experience in a cinema.

The ad brings out the highlight of the service, which is a cinema that is known for its special effects. The sound clips used in the background works well with the theme of horror, and the sound effect of a girl screaming completes the package. The transition to the actual advertising of the cinema, wherein the narrator reminds herself that she is in a cinema, is smooth and natural.

The slogan or tagline is also consistent with the way of selling the service, which implies that the cinema has realistic effects that it seems as though the audience is actually in the film. All in all, the elements come together in a coherent way, with an added bonus of the engaging monologue that makes an impression on the listener.

Types of Body Copy

This week in class we learned about how to write a creative body copy for an ad. From what we learned, we know that a body copy has to be believable, reinforces the benefits, convincing and well-organised. There are also a few other things we have to keep into consideration when writing a body copy. The voice, details, styles, thesis and the organisation of the body copy. All that can differ from one ad to another depending on what you are advertising.

The few types of body copies we learned were:
Straight-line/ Factual copy, which immediately stresses on the direct selling of the product.
Narrative copy, which tells you a story.
Testimonial copy, by using a spokesperson.
Humorous copy, to gain and maintain attention.
Descriptive copy, by discussing the various aspects of the product.
Dialogue copy, by involving two or more spokesperson.
Institutional copy, to enhance the company's image.

From what I've researched, there are two other types of appeals in body copies.

Rational Appeals
They focus on a consumer's practical, functional or utilitarian need for the product and/specific reasons for owning a particular brand.

Emotional Appeals
They focus on relating to consumers' social and/or psychological needs for purchasing a product by influencing consumers' interpretations of their product usage experience through the use of transformational marketing communication. Basically showing how their product is the "hero" for all your problems.

Source: http://smartamarketing.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/advertising-creative-implementation/

Creative Body Copy Ads #2

In the latest DB Export Dry campaign, it aims to bring back the beer in trend by poking fun at wine. 

Body copy: 

What do you hope to smell there, sir? Gooseberry?

You don't even know what gooseberries smell like.

Perhaps next time instead of playing pretend, you

should ask for an Export Dry. Crisp and refreshing 

but still full of flavour, Export Dry is a sophisticated 

lager that tastes incredible and smells like beer.

So what are yo waiting for? Oh, ok, well how long

do you think that will take? 

The beginning of the body copy talks about what we commonly face in our daily lives, then in the end it went back into introducing their product.

Again, this ad uses the emotion appeal to attract consumers.

"In this case, wine was the villain. Suddenly we found ourselves drinking wine when all we wanted was a decent beer. Export Dry emerged to save the day." says Russell Browne, DB Export's marketing manager. 

I like how DB Export Dry brand their beer in a way that it's not just beer, but they focus on the relationship between a man and his beer. 

Creative Body Copy #1

I was looking through some ads and found THIS ad which has a pretty good body copy. 

Personally, I am very attracted to body copies that appeal to emotions. I think many of us are. How they relate to our personal lives, it is probably a way to tell us that they UNDERSTAND if they were to be in our shoes. This ad itself appeals to emotions. 

Body Copy: 

Let's face it! 

Being late on a date never looks good. 

not to mention being late on a job. So while we try to 

keep your flying experience with us as light, fun and 

care-free as possible, we are serious about being

professional and on time. So pick a "date", or two.

and we will do the setting up. Take all the time you need

because we always want you to feel good on any date. 

See you at the gate!

Work Hard. Fly Right

Basically, the ad is trying to tell us that they are punctual. Imagine you make an effort to be at the airport early and expect to take off at the time shown on the air ticket, just to find out that your flight has been delayed for 2 hours! Don't we all hate that? 

This ad started off by telling us that they understand how being late "in general" is irritating and unprofessional. They explained by relating it to our personal lives like here it mentioned, on a date and on a job. Then it revert back to talking about their brand and services on how they CARE how you FEEL and they are SERIOUS about it.

This ad shows the brand's reliability, especially when airline companies are all about its services. 

Swipes: Creative Strategies

Swipe File

Title: Ideas change the world

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Argentina
Prospects: people who want to listen to inspiring ideas.

Product: inspiring ideas.
There are many problems in life, and people get together on TED to talk about solving it or presenting a solution.

Problem: With better online presence, TED hopes to educate and spread great ideas to the people. 

Strategy:

John Lennon is one of the most well known figure who represented peace. The TED gains a peaceful image by associating this popular figure with TED.
TED is also likened as a factory that changes the perspective of the listeners.

Title: Get The Respect You Deserve

Prospects: People who don't wear or haven't own a pair of spectacles

Product:Cogmark glasses

Problem: People who don't wear glasses, don't get treated seriously.

Strategy:

1. The image is universally understandable. A woman with and without a pair of glasses. They use the 'before and after' method.

2. They also make use of a stereotype. People with glasses look smarter, and therefore, people think they are harder to charm compared to those without glasses.

Tone: Light

A targeted print advertisement from a magazine:

 

Title: We can make you straight

Sponsor: Virtual Advertising

Prospects:People who read LGBT magazines

Product: Dental Care

Strategy:

1. The placement of the message in a LGBT magazine makes fun of the pun 'We can make you straight' which is slightly controversial, which might attract them to read further, upon closer inspection they will realize it was referring to their teeth, not their sexual orientation.

2.The lack of visuals put more emphasis on the copy.

Written by Wong Li Yee (Lily)
All images used in this post were sourced from http://adsoftheworld.com/

Reflection: Creative brief

Writing up creative briefs for advertisements and products. 

Our Group

Ads: Dayquil/Nyquil

 
Products: English Breakfast Tea
 

The most interesting creative brief had been the presentation for the deodorant, the reason being that humor is appreciated by most people. The presentation for the product was funny, and the presenter knows how to engage the audience with words like 'You can use it whenever and where ever you like!'

*the product above is only for illustrative purposes. In no situation does it represent a real advertisement.

The words conjures silly situations where a deodorant can be used. He even gave an example, using the deodorant as a pepper spray, which might work because deodorants have alcohol, which causes pain when in direct contact with eyes. Also, the targeted audience were people with odor problems and people who frequently engage in sports. This idea would certainly appeal to them.

Given more time, the idea might not differentiate itself from other deodorants but it can successfully sell the idea of needing the product. 

This class also taught me the importance of presenting a product creatively.

Image of deodorant is sourced from this page and then edited: http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/nivea-deodorant-fresh-spray_1_11867.html 
Image of Dayquil and Nyquil Vitamin is sourced from: http://www.epinions.com/review/Vicks_Dayquil_Nyquil_Nyquil_Dayquil_Plus_Vitamin_C_Caplets_Combo_pack_40_Procter_Gamble/content_491630464644?sb=1

Written by Lily Wong