INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGNS

Looking through campaigns from past to present was a really interesting experience and how they have developed with the consumer. It was also a learning curve for me as a consumer myself to see, specifically the adverts separately as individual rather than a number of them running in between our programmes on TV Screens. Let's face it, the majority of the time I know I subconsciously slip through them or end up in the kitchen making a cup of tea.

THE PAST. - 'always being positive'

VW Beetle, the 1959 Think Small series of adverts were voted the number 1 campaign of all time. 

They understood that simply showing adverts of the products on the TV wasn't going to make them jump from their seat and go and buy one so they devised a strategy to keep customers by creating a nurturing them as brand embassadors rather than wasting their time with people who may be uninterested by the product.

Levi's Launderette - created in the 1950s, it was exactly niche to what the decade was about - sex and rock 'n roll. I love the fact that it threads in the 1950s vibe, it's showing how a brand can influence that 'trend' and create it in their own, unique way. 

Skipping ahead a few decades to 2005 and my, is this an advert that defiantly puts creativity to it's potential. Sony advertising the new 'Bravia' TV combines film and cinematography in this encapsulating advert which captures an evoking message through emotion, colour and brand but NOT through display of their product. (excuse the beginning)

Honda Cog 2010 - 'The power of dreams' this advert was created in a six month period and went live after ONLY two single takes!!! This advert is very whimsical and effective in the way that they've given you the opportunity to look at the structure and mechanics behind the car. It is obviously very creative in how they've made it like a 'mouse trap' adventure and kept you attentive throughout the whole of the advert, right up until the final product is displayed.

THE PRESENT. 

Skittles, Sweet company - An interactive advert for youtube only which allows you to 'touch the rainbow'. It follows on from TV commercial about a boy touching all of his Grandmother's items in her house and them simply turning into thousands of skittles spilling everywhere. This advert is allowing the consumer to have a physical awareness of the product and creating an experience they wont forget which in turn may allow them to remember this and therefore buy skittles.

Venables Bell & Partner paired up with eBay, allowing people to donate toys from Toys-For-Tots by installing the eBay app on your smartphone and then going to an interactive storefront and scanning the item in your phone to pay for it. The display in the window is touch-able, allowing you to create your own atmosphere within the store front. It is also animated, giving a child-hood feel for the mature consumer.

THE FUTURE.

What is there in the future for campaigns.... will it be even more interactive, with a 3D display projecting outside the screen? or will it go back to the past of being about informing the customer and not necessarily finding ways of getting the consumer to buy it through the advert?

Brand Handwriting.... 'Most women are colour-blind, they should ask for suggestions' - Elsa Schiaparelli

'Text and pictures create a stimulating and attractive entity, which takes the receiver forward with the help of exciting change and variation.' 

I think as a brand it is important to have a common thread running through the whole production, whether that's through a selection of the 7Ps or one individually - Promotion, Product, People, Physical Evidence.
What's so powerful about a brand as well is their timing - pauses especially in promotion, are paramount because they can be used to really emphasis a focal point of a NEW, FRESH, concept for their production and processes. A sudden, surprising moment not only captivates an ever-lasting visual image in your head but its the reinforcement in your memory - it's a lot easier for a brand to fix a specific detail in their head niche to them so then that is fixed in their memory, whether that's a shape, colour or perhaps a form of advertisement.
However, what is key is to make sure that the consumer is taking in the information in the most beneficial way, rather than it being a 'one hit wonder'.

Some design elements to aid a consumer for a brand: Colour, Pattern, Monogram, Signature, Letter Form/Font, Media/Material, Product.

The design elements stated above can alter, the 'wheel turns as a brand decides to change their elements'

HOW DO YOU KEEP A RELATIONSHIP WITH A NAME?

The following brands are some we recently looked at in our lecture, investigating HOW they manage to keep the consumer's attentiveness yet still keeps them guessing what they'll do next.

Elsa Schiaparelli 

Shocking, Vibrant, Bold, Feminine

Individual, Unique, Flamboyant

Surreal, Inventive, Quirky, Playful

Parisian, Whimsical, Controversial

Schiaparelli brings us the ultimate femininity to her brand - making pink her signature colour and as our guilty pleasure colour, we wouldn't have it any other way. The whimsical and shockingly bright colour creates such a flamboyant, 'anything goes' attitude and truly, only a women of great substance and style could pull it off.

Tiffany & Co.

Cool Crisp, Classic, Luxury

Prestige, Confidence, Exclusivity, Status

Romance, Desire, Youth, Taste

Glamour, Heritage, Sophistication

Contemporary, Urban, Retro

Magical, Manhattan, Elegance


I don't think ANY woman can deny it, we all know that colour and shaped box that comes with every fine piece of jewellery from Tiffany & Co. The iconic blue colour is not just any kind of blue - it's 'Tiffany Blue' and has been registered as a trademark. It speaks throughout the whole of the brand - the box, shopping bag, advertising, store layout etc. Due to their brand recognition, they've also received free publicity through pop culture such as referencing made by Marilyn Monroe in the emblematic song 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend' and also the film 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' starring the classic Audrey Hepburn, saying in it how Tiffany's is 'the best place in the world, where nothing bad can take place'. However, the brand identity is now not only recognised by colour but as mentionned, by their Tiffany Blue Box signifying the excellence of their brand handwriting.

Paul Smith

Eccentric, Sartorial, Witty, Confident

Late 90s - Push a softer, more human and decorative way than the Brand name

Vibrant, Playful, Twist on Tradition, Visual, Surprise


Paul Smith signature's Stripe and Swirl has become an instantly recognisable form of creative genius. The pattern has attached itself to very diverse products which makes the brand that much more dynamic and confident, from Umbrellas, Shirts, Christmas Baubles to even being displayed on the BMW Mini.
Beginning his creation of the 'classic with a twist' approach for Menswear, he was moving himself in a direction, other designers would shadow at the thought.

'well-made, good quality, simple cut, interesting fabric, easy to wear'

BURBERRY

British, Heritage, Young, Aristocracy

Hip London, New Modern Generation, Sloane Style

Street Attitude, Traditional Tartan, Graphic Check


The Burberry check is another iconic pattern which has become so much so that Scotland now considers it as 'corporate tartan'. During the late 90s however, it started to become negatively associated in the media for being consumed by football hooligans and 'chav-like' people so it was quite a challenge to try and re-inform and assure the consumers of their strategies and how they were going to re-invent this. They decided to remove the check pattern completely from all but 10% of their products and then starting to turn the wheel in terms of the design element by re-branding itself in advertisements with magazines like GQ, VOGUE as well as having industry and out of industry people within them such as  model Kate Moss and actress Emma Watson.  They are now slipping the pattern back in subtly into their products, including their infamous trench coats. Ultimately, the brand has stayed true to it's British Heritage and remains full of style and attitude.

Vivienne Westwood - RED LABEL A/W13-14

Whilst doing a group task in the city of Nottingham, we went in a number of stores analysing their brand in terms of the 7P's - Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Process, Physical Evidence and People.
One of the stores we went in was Vivienne Westwood which was carefully designed and I felt really spoke truly of what her brand is about - unconformity yet a flavour of tradition.

I managed to get my hands on her look book for A/W13-14 and was really intrigued by the photography she used - it has a really urban vibe due to the location/surroundings yet recreates this whole illusional feel of mystery and edginess. I particularly like the black and white photographs, it's as if they are telling a story yet all the images don't add up which as said creates this curiosity and desire behind them. Of course, in Westwood style it couldn't be further from unconventional if it tried which is why I love the brand so much. She is always pushing the boundary with her work and has a masterful way of creating beauty in such an obscure way. I also love the front and back cover of the look book - after realising the historical references it immediately made me think of Henry VIII and his huge fruit platters.

The collection was inspired my some illuminated manuscripts Westwood found and she was admired by the art and method of the paintings. She then looked further into Medieval subjects which in turn drew her inspiration for the collection creating hooded, peasant-like silhouettes and really embarking on the colour palette in a similar way to that of the pages and ink used for the manuscripts. I love this quote she said backstage before her collection was displayed...

 'you look into the past to project the future, like a telescope. All designers create their vision of the future.' 

Brand Essence Model - PUMA

I wanted to focus on some key areas of Puma for my mood board so I decided to make a Brand Essence Model to help me structure the brand and gain some awareness of their brand precisely but still enough detail to lead me into the right direction. I found this way of analysing the brand really useful, being able to narrow down such wide spread information into 7 areas really helped me understand the brand in a more conceptual way.

Overall, I've learnt that PUMA's main objective is to by 2015, become the world's fastest brand not just through their products but in everything they do. They are very future orientated which is obviously a positive attribute but is it gearing them away too much from the present and what is relevant/current NOW? For example, in their 2012 report they have decided to 're-vamp' the Brand Strategy and try to re-gain the appeal from a younger consumer.

What I think that can be really credited as well is their historical reference of always having a common thread of similarity in products even from when they started as a company - e.g. recreating the 'atom' boot. The beginning of a brand to how it has developed is always something that surprises me as a consumer and that's what I find really interesting with this project, is how it's led itself through to become so successful whether that be through sponsoring a football team, collaborating with athletes or in a physical sense, being sustainable through packaging.

'New Stuff' Campaign

I was looking through the 'Essentials of Visual Communication' book and came across this campaign PUMA had done - 'New Stuff', using Andrew Zuckerman's captivating 'Creatures' photography to create an impact for the brand concept for their trainers.

What is so fascinating about Andrew Zuckerman's work is the realistic visual detail it portrays which makes you very attentive and intrigued by it. The use of a white background allows you to truly focus on the image and it gives off an atmosphere of intensity as the creatures are being photographed out of their usual environment so it's also that desire of analysing in detail as normality wouldn't necessarily allow you to have so much visual clearness.

What I find really innovative of PUMA and their collaboration with Andrew Zuckerman is their connection of really highlighting the visual aesthetic of the product from the outer side and incorporating Zuckerman's work to really 'bring it to life' in a literal sense.