Teesside

I don't know much about Teesside University, but I do know that I enjoy these adverts that I caught sight of tonight. It's not just the 'cat is cute, I want to squeeze it' aspect, for me, it really fulfills it's aim. It's simple, it's effective, the concept and slogan are sharp and work. At a minimal 22secs, these adverts max out their message in terms of time constraint. The soundtrack is perfectly fitting. Well done, if I didn't love Leeds, I'd be looking you up Tees.

The above are amazing improvements compared to this:



Please take it away!

When at Creamfields

TOO Random Rowntree's

This advert makes me shudder. I had seen it once until I came to write this blog (and so reviewed it again), and I feel even more strongly now. Everything about it is wrong. The concept is fine, but the execution, choice of setting, scenario and perhaps most importantly, character...leaves too much to be savoured to make this acceptable. If the gentlemen's 'warm' and unsettling humour is meant to lift the mood of the rainy day, I think it has worked in quite the opposite way. The atmosphere is eery and awkward.

I'm alright with the script until he begins to leer at the woman driving whilst leaning into the car, calling her 'icecream cone'. The decision to use a dodgy looking jelly saxophone was hardly the best either. The 1/4 second shabby screen freeze prior to the verbal identification of the sweet didn't help, but I'll let that slip as maybe it's just me (!?)

I'm not left thinking of children, a brand I know, happy times, sweet sharing and sugar highs. I think of a creeping looking guy freaking out a lady, acting strangely and awkwardly, almost enough to warrant his arrest! It wasn't funny, not even a bit, it wasn't as the product name suggests...it was just ridiculously poorly miss-judged. What an error.

NRM

    
The National Rail Museum in York...not even close to being as boring as it sounds!  Beside all the obvious locomotives, carriages, wagons, and miniatures, it was the warehouse that homes over 750,000 objects that stole the show for me. My photographs don't do the visit justice, but it gave me a basic record of inspiration for a personal art project which I am currently under taking on the topic of decay and restoration.   

 There was also a collection of advertisements arranged along a time scale. Great for visually logging how these evolved. 2 examples:

      

A big stir for a big cause

Launched by EU, I'm not sure this was received too well judging from most of the comments left on the youtube page, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOyfMb33wRI (particularly page 3). Personally, I am not about to get worked up about the politics of this ad. I would however like to confess how much I consider it a good prompt for an important cause. It has purpose, takes a fresh approach and gets my vote. However, it is true to say I am not the target market as a non-smoker.

Discussion welcome.

Adidas Modular Man

European agency 180 Amsterdam joined forces with New York's 1st Ave Machine to create this ultramodern vision that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Based on Adidas' new +F50 TUNIT soccer boot, which allows user-customization for a variety of playing surfaces, "Assemble Your Boot" uses a futuristic 3D look to produce modular versions of some of Football's most recognised stars.

The innovative and compelling images are being used in aggressive print and motion graphics campaigns stretching into global markets. The ad employs Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata as its accompanying soundtrack, adding tension and drama to the commercial.