Greenpeace: Attack of the VW Ad Clones

During this year's Superbowl Weekend, Deutsch launched "The Force," a successful TV spot for the 2012 VolksWagon Passat.



It ranked highly on the Superbowl Ad Meters. The video above was a huge viral success with over 40 million views to date. It also won a Gold Film Lion at Cannes.

It found success through the use of nostalgia (the iconic Star Wars Imperial March Theme by John Williams) combined with a storyline involving a cute little Darth Vader who's having a hard time mastering "The Force" - until his father helps him out with the VW Passat beeper.


THE GREENPEACE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Fast forward to this week, where Greenpeace - unable to conjure up any original message of its own, decided to target VW.

Here is the viral video launched at the start of the week.



A second segment was released on the same day.

These videos were released in several different language versions.



OK. So the little Chewbacca, Leia and Lando are also cute. The VW logo is displayed on the recreation of the "Death Star". The clips use real imagery and footage from the Star Wars films.

A few questions... If they went to all this trouble to make these clips, why is the Death Star ray still green?

And why did Greenpeace single out VW in this "Dark Side" campaign?

Looking at the statement on Greenpeace's website, it is clear this was aimed at a European audience - and yet they chose to parody an American viral / TV spot. The message they are attempting to convey is that "VW is opposing key European laws that we need if we are going to save our planet from climate change".

Greenpeace "Dark Side" Guerrilla Banner
for the half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerf herders.

Greenpeace have also taken to guerrilla tactics by throwing banners over existing billboards advertising other unrelated brands such as Budweiser and Schweppes in London. The VW logo is positioned over Darth Vader's mouth.


MAY THE LAWS BE WITH YOU

Unlike Deutsch and VW, Greenpeace failed to get the rights to Star Wars copyrighted material from Lucasfilm.

As a result, the two "Dark Side" vids were pulled from their site and YouTube (the ones I have embedded above are reposts from other YouTube users and may not last). There are also copies posted on Vimeo but these will most likely be pulled again due to copyright infringement.

The use of the VW logo may also be a breach of copyright laws.

It appears that Greenpeace never completed their training in legal issues. Their viral videos didn't even last a full week - granted there are "shadow" copies still floating around. The billboard banners have most likely already been removed.

If this planet is really headed towards the dire straits "sky-falling-in" catastrophe that they've successfully labelled as Climate Change, why are they resorting to cheap, underhanded tactics to get their message across?

Did it work?

Will VW be persuaded to change their perceived anti-environmental policies?


IMHO this is a poor effort by Greenpeace. Unoriginal and unimaginative. Did they employ an ad agency or did they come up with this all by themselves?

Their campaigns are becoming more and more militant around the globe.

To Greenpeace, I offer these words of wisdom, as delivered by Yoda in "The Empire Strikes Back" -

"Wars not make one great."

BLEEPing Gold at the Cannes Lions

It's time for another blog post. And following on from my previous post on the use of BLEEPing language, I've found another sterling example.

Browsing through the winners announced so far at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I came across "Holiday" - a 30 second radio ad for IKEA's Kitchen Installation service from Sydney, Australia.



The cheeky little ad is by Three Drunk Monkeys (Sydney, Australia). Radio might be considered old media, but a fresh and simple idea can still cut through.

Australians are known for having a strong passion for the vernacular. This ad speaks directly to the "mums and dads" of Greater Sydney who find themselves participating in the ever-growing popular national past time of home renovation.

The script for the ad reads:

TEACHER: Okay... Bradley, tell the class about your holidays. 

BRADLEY: Yeah, it was really good. My dad built us a new f(BLEEP)ing kitchen. It’s got wooden f(BLEEP)k bench tops. And some stupid f(BLEEP)ing soft closing drawers. 

There’s a dishwasher, that was a real c(BLEEP), and even a f(BLEEP)ing breakfast bar. 

Mum thought Dad was a massive C(BLEEP) while he was building it. 

VOICEOVER: Get a kitchen installed without teaching your kids new words. 

Visit IKEA.com.au. We can plan, deliver and install the whole f(BLEEP)g thing for you.



More category winners at the Cannes Lions are being announced through the week.

Remember the Alamo Drafthouse rule: No %#@!ing texting during the movie.

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a movie-theater-and-restaurant-in-one chain based in the South-West.

Recently, they enforced their "no texting during screening" policy to a patron who was allegedly messaging on her phone while a movie was playing.

In a rage, the patron called up the Alamo and left a long rant that the Alamo has turned around and used as a killer before-the-movie PSA.

Watch the "Don't Talk - Angry Voicemail" motion text trailer below (*warning NSFW*).



On issuing the PSA, Alamo Drafthouse principal, Tim League, stated:

As many of you know, I really can’t abide people who talk during a movie. A couple of years ago I was accosted in the Village parking lot by a patron who was warned for talking in a movie. I’ve nearly come to blows more than a few times over the years with rude customers over the same issue. When we adopted our strict no talking policy back in 1997 we knew we were going to alienate some of our patrons. That was the plan. If you can’t change your behavior and be quiet (or unilluminated) during a movie, then we don’t want you at our venue. Follow our rules, or get the hell out and don’t come back until you can.

Recently, we had a situation where a customer persisted in texting in the theater despite two warnings to stop. Our policy at that point is to eject the customer without a refund, which is exactly what went down that night. Luckily, this former patron was so incensed at being kicked out, she quickly called the office and left us the raw ingredients for our latest “Don’t Talk or Text” PSA. You can check it out below, or come to the Alamo this weekend where the video will be playing before all of our R-rated movies.

Alamo Drafthouse's Tim League.
Photo courtesy Eric Kohn

Great way to turn a rabid complaint in to a warning message, Alamo!!

Naomi Campbell out-diva's Cadbury's "Diva" Bliss Chocolate

We've all heard the stories.

Naomi Campbell, world reknowned supermodel and diva extraordinaire, has a history of being difficult to work with. Her reputation precedes her when it comes to her shrift and short temper.

What you get when you google image search "Naomi Campbell Chocolate."

So it was only natural when Cadbury decided to launch a campaign for its new, luxuriously rich line of gourmet dairy milk chocolate bar, "Bliss", that it decided to compare its diva quality with that of Naomi.

Launched in supermarkets and newspapers in the UK by ad agency Fallon London, the ad leads with the headline,

"Move over Naomi, there's a new diva in town."

The wrapped chocolate bar sits in a pool of diamonds (which some compare to the controversy linking Naomi to the "Blood Diamond" case in which she had to testify). The ad then states, "I'm the world's most pampered bar."

Naturally, this comparison left a bitter taste in Campbell's mouth and sent her into a tantrum. She blasted Cadbury and the ad on grounds that it was racist. She stated that she is looking at, "every option available" including legal action.

Not A Happy Campbell

Naomi feels certain that its the color of her skin thats being described, and not her diva-style tantrums or supermodel lifestyle that she lives. She did not see the humor in the ad and found it insulting and hurtful.

The campaign also received a response from Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote, who responded to the drama with his own criticism.

In response, Cadbury pulled the advertising with no plans to repeat the ad.

Whether the campaign was racist or not is open to debate. Personally, I feel that the company was playing up on Noami's reputation and not her race.

But I just wonder why Cadbury had to shelve and mothball the whole campaign. Surely they could have found another "diva" to help sell their chocolate - maybe with a method or angle that isn't so combative. 

Alternatively, if it was really only a one piece campaign that wasn't terribly extendable in its execution, maybe it was just easier to scrap the whole thing.

If Cadbury weather the lawsuits without any major compensation or legal bills, at least they managed to raise the profile of their product through some controversial free publicity (including this very blog entry).

Does Wonderbra lift and separate from the other handful of bra brands?

Over the last few years, there's been a particular branding campaign which has captured my gaze.

Even though the campaign isn't directed at me, I still notice these ads and can't look away.

"DD", Saatchi & Saatchi, 2006, 

Wonderbra is a lingerie company that's been around for most of the last century but really only uplifted its name globally in the 1990's. They differentiated themselves as the bra brand which not only enhances a woman's bust line but makes heads turn.

"Hello Boys", TBWA, 1994.

A controversial print / poster / billboard outdoor ad campaign by TBWA in 1994, with Eva Herzigova, kicked off this new creative strategy which spanned the globe and covered numerous different ad agencies.

But over the last decade, the branding campaign switched focus to a strategy where the ads displayed don't show the cleavage being enhanced but the results and consequences.

Focussing on the outcome rather than the eye-grabbing spectacle of the bras themselves, the campaign lets the viewer make the connection.

Some of these are rather obvious while others are more subtle and make you think.

"Shoes", Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, 2002.

This ad caught my eye in a creative advertising magazine. It may not be apparent at first, but I think it works on two levels. The woman in the ad can't see her feet because she's wearing a Wonderbra. So she's unaware of the mismatched shoes. I also thought that no one else on the street notices her shoes as they are all looking at the woman's cleavage (not shown).

"Umbrella", Publicis, Paris, France, 2007.

It takes a while for some people to get this one.

It's not the vacant outdoor courtyard. Or the number of shopping bags.

(What's holding the umbrella?)

"Friends", Publicis, France, 2009.

A more obvious one but still direct and simple.

"Baby", possible spec work / mock ad.

This one is both funny and creepy at the same time. I can't seem to find an agency source for this ad which makes me think it may be a spec or mock / parody.

"Scooter", TBWA Praha, Czech Republic.

Not so subtle but still lets the viewer make the leap by the way the image has been cropped below the chest line.

"Economist", DDB Worldwide, Singapore.

This ad parodies the well-known,  long-running outdoor campaign for The Economist which is "written by intellectuals for intellectuals."

Some people have criticized this ad regarding its intention. Is the Wonderbra wearer quoted ("Linda Foster, CEO, aged 29") too smart for The Economist? Or is she not smart enough? Is it because she shows cleavage that she doesn't have to be smart to get where she wants? Is every man at her beck-and-call?

Or is it more simply that the bra works so well that the wearer can't see below it to read a magazine like "The Economist"?

I think the final suggestion is the idea DDB were trying to get across with this ad but some read it differently.

"Oranges", Copy: "Fits Naturally",  possible spec work / mock ad.

I couldn't find an agency reference for this ad so it may be another spec or mock ad. The oranges being a metaphor for the perfect "natural fit".

"Pants", possible spec work / mock ad.

Another possible spec / parody. The sheer number of these add to the brand as they are spread virally, but may be beyond the control of the Wonderbra company.

"Yellow Safety Line", Guerrilla Advertising, Euro RSCG, Singapore, 2008.

Interesting guerrilla placement by Euro RSCG Singapore - adding a second yellow safety line futher behind the regular line at public train stations in Singapore.


There has been criticism by some advertisers of Wonderbra's campaign in that it may not speak directly to its target audience of women. Some say that these ads have been designed by advertisers (predominantly men) for other advertisers (other men).

I don't agree with that entirely and I guess it differs from ad to ad. They do have a consistent visual element without the use of copy to convey their idea. It unhooks the viewer's mind to make the connection - that last step of "the big idea".

I've been meaning to cover this campaign in my blog for a while, so I'm glad to be finally getting this post off my chest (sorry for the pun/s... lol).

World's Longest Banner Ad for BMW X3

I didn't believe it at first. It innocently appeared as just another banner ad for the web. This one for the "All-New BMW X3." An unassuming box size of just 300-by-250 pixels - the standard medium rectangle. But when I moved my mouse over it, it expanded below the edge of my screen. I began reading it, thinking it was just another half-page ad. Something was different about this one. It kept going. The body copy wasn't the usual short and sharp prose that's needed to fit into a tight banner ad. And on scrolling down to what I thought would be the end of the ad - what is usually about 600 pixels, it continued southwards. So I scrolled further to see another full length screen of text-in-column. Scanning the words, I could see they were toying with me. Having the freedom to taunt me with words like "watermelon" and speak in a voice that was totally aware of what it was doing and what was going on. The odd sub-header broke up the monotony of words. But it just kept going. Questions raced through my mind trying to fathom this massive block of text. How much further would this banner ad continue? Where is its limits? Who would write such a thing? How many men died during its construction? How does this end? And more importantly, WHERE does it end? I felt like a mountain-climber scaling a giant cliff face in reverse. Each sentence, each word and each letter was another crevice which my eyes had to latch on to, to advance further downwards. Descending in to a mad, chaotic world with no boundaries. Where no rules apply. The ad even had the audacity to egg me on and encourage me to read further. As if to say, "you've made it this far, well done... are you prepared to read further?" My eyes "rappeled" over an entire backwards "R" in a single leap. I didn't know what was happening at this point. The BMW X3 was lost somewhere higher up. Another sub-header. And then a "speed-reader spork speed bump." I had never seen one of those before. But I didn't let it slow me down. I was beginning to lose my grip. The scroll bar's call beckoned my tiring mouse-wheel. But I stuck through it with sheer persistence and continued to read. By this point, I'll be honest... I just wanted to see the end. Instant gratification at a depth of a bajillion pixels. Words began losing meaning. Sentences no longer made any sense. But that didn't bother me. I knew it was all part of the challenge. A "reverse Mt Everest" of body copy. I wondered who, if anyone, before me had scaled its zenith and survived to tell the story. I fell past a "Pygmy village" in the flash of a keystroke. By this point, my scrolling finger began to ache. I could feel a blister forming. Feelings of disorientation began to set in at this point. My right arm may or may not have began to suffer the effects of carpal tunnel. Perhaps descending to these murky depths had a pressure of several atmospheres - not of the barometric kind but of pure verbosity. You could totally lose yourself staring down into the abyss. Every paragraph disappeared into a horizon below me. Each sentence felt like another mile. But I stuck my mouse finger down and plowed on through it. The temptation to scroll at this point became greater than ever. Just scroll a little. Like a free-fall. Short. Sharp. Controlled. Little bursts. Skim-reading. Get the gist and jump down a little further. Don't drop too far at once though. You might lose track and find yourself lost way down below. My eyes began to water. Blinking this far down was not an option. The words I was reading at this point were losing meaning. Just visual obstacles on a path to the end. By this point, I think the hallucinations began. Hidden gnomes crept out from behind the letters. Leprechauns laughed at me from behind random text blocks. I thought I could see rainbows at the bottom of my screen. Maybe the much-fabled "Holy Grail Ending" would be waiting for me - at the finish. A unicorn trotted out on to my screen. I smiled at it. It ran down the page but stopped at the bottom to turn and face me. It winked at me, as if to beckon me to follow him down. My mind wandered further and further away from what I was reading. There was no blue or red pill to escape from this reality. No magic cookies to make me bigger or smaller. There was no rabbit either. But this "rabbit hole" just kept going down... And down... And down. Dropping in and out of consciousness. Maybe this challenge was too great. Too big a task to ask for this mere mortal. Content at this point was secondary. I dropped my guard. My head dipped and my shoulder lurched forward. My wrist went one way and my hand the other. My scrolling finger slid across the mouse-wheel and I plummeted down. I don't know how long I had blacked out for, but when I came to, I found myself at the end of this seemingly bottomless pit. The scrolling odometer strapped across my right wrist read a depth of 18,000 pixels. Insane! It must have been a smooth landing because it didn't take long for my senses to return. I read the last paragraph, but alas, this was not even the final stanza. As it turns out, the REAL end of this ad is actually somewhere in the middle. Somewhere back... UP... THERE. How would I find it? And when would this lunacy end? I scrolled back up - reading the paragraphs I had missed but in a reverse order. I guess one way of breaking the monotony of reading down, is to skim-read - what was missed - up in reverse. Finally, I found it. The much-fantasized end to this banner ad. I was overcome with joy, excitement, relief and the urge for menthol-scented eye drops. It read like an ending, and yet it was in the middle. I guess the laws of "advertising physics" begin to distort and bend in such vast expanses. Totally illogical. And yet it made total sense. I may not have learned all that much about the BMW X3. But I can say that I read a fair majority of the world's longest banner ad and lived to tell the tale. For what its worth, the ad was written by "evil" creatives at Toronto agency, Cundari. If there is a wheel of kharma working its way through the "Adiverse", one day those very same creatives will be made to read an even greater banner ad. Who knows? Maybe it won't scroll downwards but in a left-to-right direction. Or the even more torturous right-to-left. And it will be written by me.

Sweet and Juicy Fruit Logos

I love fruit.


And I also love creative logo designs.

So it's only natural I do a blog post on the point where these two intertwine.

In general, fruits represent energy, health, freshness, honesty, summer, fun and goodness. Fruits tend to be very expressive. As a result, many designers take advantage of them to project a positive company or brand image.

APPLES

 

One of the most recognized apple logos is synonymous with the Apple name. The early "rainbow" apple was the company logo in the late 70's and through the 80's. The monochrome modern looking apple logo has remained the same since 2003.

Apples represent knowledge. This probably stems from biblical stories as well as other associations through history (e.g. Isaac Newton).

The above Woolworths logo is for a highly successful supermarket chain in Australia.

LEMONS & LIMES

Here are a few lemon & lime themed logos.

ORANGES represent energy.

PEARS

Another fruity shape which features prominently in logo design is the pear.

BANANAS, being a popular and common fruit, also have strong representation.

And of course, other exotic fruits are also used in logos.

I found the majority of these logos at Stock Logos - a site which collects, designs and sells logo designs for those like me who are somewhat design-challenged. I've added it to my list of advertising links on the right hand side.

WATERMELON - another popular fruit of designer's choice.

YOGHURT also has many fruity themes.

But I saved a few logos of my favorite fruit for last - the MANGO.