One of the thing I love in China is the amount of fashion faux-pas that I see.
It’s not just fashion with inappropriate wording on it – though that is a personal fave – it’s what passes as fashion.
OK … I know I’m the last person on the planet to talk about this, but if you’re like me and struggling to get back into work after the holidays, you could do with a bit of a laugh.
Plus this allows me to plug my dodgy instagram account of China’s weird fashion.
Have a top weekend.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Crap Marketing Ideas From History!, Crap Products In History, Design, Embarrassing Moments, Marketing Fail
I must admit I’m kind of happy to write this post.
You see, over the last couple of years, I’ve been writing endless odes to the creativity and ingenuity of designers … even proclaiming them to be far better at problem solving than most ad agencies.
Which is why I was so happy when someone sent me this milk packaging from Tesco’s.
I hope it’s real. Can someone please tell me it’s real.
[Though to be fair, based on the milk ingredients, it’s ‘on brand’. Literally]
Filed under: Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Comment, Communication Strategy, Corporate Evil, Crap Marketing Ideas From History!, Crap Products In History, Fake Attitude, Innovation, Marketing, Marketing Fail
To all you poor souls that hoped 2017 was going to be better than 2016, I have some bad news for you.
This blog is back.
I know … I know …
Look, I’m pretty sure you had a good festive season and a drunk New Year – not to mention some time off work – so rather than condemn me as a person trying to ruin your 2017, see me as a kind soul trying to prepare you for the misery the next 12 months has in store.
It’s going to be an interesting year … what with Trump as President and a bunch of other stuff [which I’ll talk about at another time] but to continue with my theme of compassion, I will ease you into the pain of this blog with a little rant.
Kickstarter.
I know, I’ve written about them before … but I came across something recently that really takes the overhyped biscuit.
Shoelaces.
Bloody shoelaces.
I can just about live with the fact they call them ‘reimagined’, but ‘this changes everything?’
Really?
Give me a break.
Sure, it might change it for people who have difficulties like the elderly or the handicapped [am I allowed to say handicapped?] but using a picture of an able-boded, youngish male seems to imply they literally mean every single person – regardless of age or physical capacity.
Better yet, they use a picture where despite having these ‘new-fangled’ shoelaces, you need to bend down and use your hands to ease your foot into the shoes … which begs the question, WHAT’S THE FUCKING POINT.
I liked Kickstarter.
I’ve bought a ton off Kickstarter.
But sadly, I’ve had more disappointing experiences than positive.
Sure, that’s not entirely their fault as they simply act as a hub for the companies trying to raise capital, however it seems that rather than be more stringent in the quality control of companies they allow to use their site, they have decided to take a course of action that involves hyping up average products at an inflation rate that resembles Russia in the mid-1990’s.
This approach may keep some people coming in, but it is increasingly turning people off … because when all their ads on social media promise products that are going to revolutionise/change/evolve/solve/innovate the World as we know it, what they actually say to people is, ‘here is some more bullshit for us to ignore’.
Maybe these shoelaces do change everything.
Maybe they are the product that will bring World peace.
But when you associate with a boy who has cried wolf too many times, you end up being ignored by everyone.
Entrepreneurs, take note.
Oh it’s good to be back.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Brilliant Marketing Ideas In History, Comment, Creativity, Culture, Entertainment, Insight, Marketing
Incontinence.
Yes, I’m going there.
It’s an issue that most brands in this category, approach with caution.
Actually scrap that, they approach it with clinical rationality.
Of course, some try and break the ‘taboo’ by doing something very different … but most of the time, it’s done more for the ad agencies ego than the good of the brand or audience.
However I recently saw an ad – even though it’s 2 years old, but they decided to re-run it during Donald Trump’s press conference yesterday [how’s that for once-in-a-lifetime blog relevance!] – that did it very differently but very well …
Sure, you could argue it’s a fusion between the old Heineken ‘Man Of The World’ ads … mixed with a dash of ‘The Most Interesting Man In The World’ campaign for Don Equis and a splash of Old Spice, but it’s bloody lovely.
Also bloody lovely is the line “I’m a man of a certain age” and the premise that “when you’re used to being in control it’s hard not to be”.
While some may say this sort of thing is easier when you have a client who makes a product that needs to stand out and break free from category stereotypes … my experience on brands most people would kill to work on, tells me that I bet this was still a challenge to pull off.
But they did pull it off and they did it with relevance to the product, category and audience … which is to be massively applauded.
It might not entirely break the taboo, but it might crack it …
Lovely insight. Lovely line. Lovely execution. Well done to all behind it.