Clever ads from past to present from around the world, alongside brilliant wordplay, that entertain, move, anger, excite, confuse, impress, shock, amuse and most of all inspire, all of which I couldn't resist sharing.
They are to highlight the arrival of the Anteater to their enclosure, and I think this is a fantastically simple idea. It does exactly what it needs to do, and no more. However, it is only one idea which has been produced three times. This just doesn't constitute a campaign. Still, the idea is great.
My only other qualm is with the 'Jeez' execution. It doesn't fit. Perhaps they should have gone a little more risqué, and used stronger, more attention-grabbing words.
I've long been a fan of Paddy Power and their off-the-cuff advertising and online campaigns, and this is another humour-packed ad, focusing around next month's Cheltenham Festival. After the many fights at Ascot, this ad focuses around ensuring Cheltenham doesn't go down the same route by taking aim at Chavs with the 'Chav Tranquilizer' campaign, in response to someone writing on the Paddy Power Facebook wall. An excellent concept, stuffed full of British humour that will without a doubt go down a treat with the nation.
This ad comes after their 'transgendered' TV ad that several huge broadcasters such as Sky, ESPN and Channel 4 have since dropped due to over 400 complaints to the ASA, with several people saying it incites Transphobia.
Paddy Power have replied stating it is purely "mild-mannered fun." And I completely agree. I hope they continue making more ads like this. It's not often you find a company whose advertising you actually like. No doubt people will complain about the Chav Tranquilizer ad, but then Paddy Power must be used to ASA complaints by now, after receiving 1,300 of them for their blind footballer kicking a cat ad in 2010. I say keep 'em coming, Paddy. Now where can I get me one of these tranquilizer guns?
I'm sure you're all well aware by now, but I love long copy ads.
This one comes form National Geographic, and in my opinion is trying way too hard.
The copy is interesting, and yes it makes me want to read on until the end, but does it make me want to watch the National Geographic Channel?
No is the answer. Not one tiny little bit.
What it does do however, is leave me depressed. I only have one-fifth of my life to live. One-fifth. I was having a nice and happy day until I read this copy.
Fuck you, National Geographic. Fuck you and your depressing MS Paint mocked-up advert.
In my opinion this ad carries an incredibly weak concept. The fact that there was a carnival at the time has been force-fed into this execution. We all know paedophilia is wrong. We don't need reminding. What some sick-minded people need reminding of is the consequences.
And the copy in this ad is incredible weak.
I appreciate that this may have been translated into English, but "Except in some children's face" doesn't read right to me. It should be "Except in some children's faces", surely? This image isn't shocking enough either.
The agency has just taken two concepts (carnival and paedophilia) and forced them together and it shows.
This is a full-page long-copy ad that was posted in The Sunday Times, and doesn't carry a logo or any branding whatsoever.
Interested?
Would you read on?
I did. And I loved it.
It was created by Saatchi & Saatchi for MI6, and it reads brilliantly. It gages interest throughout, a very, very difficult task to achieve for a long copy ad.
It doesn't jump out at you, it encourages you to be drawn towards it.
It's mysterious, ambiguous, intelligent and intriguing, everything needed to keep you reading on.
And the end paragraph is excellent.
This is probably one of the best long copy ads I've read this year. It's a throwback to a bygone era, where long copy ruled supreme.
Great stuff.
A beautifully-designed and stunningly-executed print ad for Greenpeace created by Memac Ogilvy & Mather, Dubai that gets its point across with pure simplicity and effortlessness.
Faultless, right?
No.
Here's my problem with it:
"Act now against climate change."
It's a tedious, zany and downright unimaginative piece of copy. It adds absolutely nothing to this ad and, in my opinion, hinders its sheer brilliance. The call to action is of course needed, but Ogilvy should have left it at that.
This is one of those ads where the visual is that good, copy just isn't required.
I'm just not sure about this ad from start-up agency Johnny Fearless.
It's for Survivors UK, the charity that supports victims of male rape and sexual abuse, and is being shown alongside England's Six Nations home games. Posters will be displayed around the London Underground and other stations and out-of-home sites.
I appreciate that this was created on a small budget, and the aim is purely to shock us into reading the ad, but I'm unsure whether this is too much...
But then again, it has made me write an entire blog post and share it with you guys.
Can there be such a thing as too much when it comes to such pressing issues as sexual abuse and rape?
You also have to remember where these ads will be placed.
The Underground.
I would definitely read everything on this ad over anything else that was put before me whilst sat on the Tube.
I applaud Johnny Fearless for their bravery and boldness in creating an ad that will probably be banned because more than 7 people with nothing better to do with their lives will complain.
Yeah, the ad isn't perfect; the visual confuses me, and I don't like the font, but I do think the copy is genuinely very good. Its sole aim is to grab attention. It does that. So in my view, it's a good ad.
It was crafted by Leo Burnett, Sydney for 2011's WWF Earth Hour and aired in Australia and New Zealand.
An astonishingly simple insight, this ad does everything it needs to to highlight the upcoming Earth Hour by using an excellent and humourous execution.
The ad is encouraging Australians not to be the only one with their lights left on, and shows the consequences of doing so that they may not have considered.
It's a completely different direction from the usual emotive and heart-wrenching advertising that environmental issues so often implement.
The simple copy of Switch Off is really nice too.
We all love Old Spice's advertising, don't we?
Well, I do.
It's fresh, funny and fetching, and they've continued this trend with advert takeovers of other P&G brands.
The ads see the new spokesman Terry Crews, a former NFL player and actor, crash his way into adverts for Bounce and Charmin', under the premise that "Old Spice is so powerful it sells itself in other people's commercials" as part of the 'Smell is Power' campaign produced by Wieden + Kennedy, Portland.
I think these ads are, for want of a better word, powerful.
Once Terry Crews has pummelled his way into the adverts, there is a tirade of explosions and goofy dialogue that has you giggling and wanting more.
Plus, any novel use of an old medium such as TV is a winner in my books.
Usually it's embarrassing when brands jump on the social media bandwagon and force their product or service to include social media references in a desperate bid to be "cool" or "hip" or whatever the kids are calling it nowadays.
But this one from the Finish Aids Council, crafted by McCann Helsinki, is different.
I think it works, and it works really, really well.
Although comparing sexual connections to online social connections isn't exactly a novel or unique concept, I really do like the use of the 'Check-In' feature and of course its metaphorical reference.
These ads are eye catching (for obvious reasons) and straight to the point with a clear and concise message.
Although I can't tell whether that's a smile or grimace, my favourite is the female one. Ahem.
