FAB awards 2013 – you be the judge

Recently I had the opportunity to help judge the ever-fabulous FAB awards with submissions from food and beverage brands around the globe. Albeit the only female judge (one is certainly better than none), being part of the judging process was an incredible experience. This year’s awards spotlights the brands who are driving creativity in new and exciting directions, be it in new media or old media. Or sometimes blending the two.

I hope you’ll agree its been another remarkable year for creativity. But I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Coke Amplifier

An innovative modern day use of an old print medium

 

Ho Ho Ho

Proof that the simplest ideas can stir the strongest emotions

Our Food Your Questions

Bravely tackling people’s suspicions head on in the age of transparency

Small Currency

A genuine brand utility in response to a huge financial problem (Indonesia’s shortage of coins)

 

The Candidate

Not just a badging exercise, simply one of the most entertaining uses of sponsorship I’ve ever seen

 

Polar Bowl

The best use of second screen media consumption I’ve ever witnessed

Apple-y Ever After

Today hippy ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s announced that it is renaming one of its flavours, from Oh! My! Apple Pie! to Apple-y Ever After, to support the UK proposal to legislate same sex marriage (hear, hear). This isn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s have voiced their support for the gay community. Back in 2009, they renamed an ice-cream Hubby Bubby, formerly Chubby Hubby in celebration of the legalisation of gay marriage in its home state of Vermont.

Aside from the social merits of this bold move, you also have to applaud the use of their own assets (i.e. the name of their ice-cream) to reaffirm the brands free-thinking reputation. In a world of shrinking advertising budgets and media fragmentation, smart brands are exploiting their greatest assets to drive business. Food for thought.

Via Stylist

Multi-sensory advertising (at its best)

The world’s greatest restaurant (not that I’ve been – hint hint) just got better. Heston’s “Fat Duck” culinary experience now begins long before the physical dining experience itself.

Once lucky diners have made a reservation, they are emailed an exclusive link to an animated journey that is designed to wet their appetites (created by The Neighbourhood).

“Our animated journey takes the diners through a series of evocative landscapes and visual cues that they will discover during their visit, encountering a series of reward mechanisms through imagined worlds, to arrive at the door of a sweetshop.

Once inside, the visual stimulus is removed leaving a curious world of sound guided by John Hurt’s narration as the shopkeeper.  The narration and rich binaural audio soundscape allows guests to recall their own childhood sweetshop, imagining the sights, sounds and  smells through a combination of stimuli and memory.”

“Taste” is just one of eight steps in Heston’s multi-sensory journey. The journey is designed to touch all the senses. This is in stark contrast to typical advertising which, for the most part, works by appealing to people’s eyes and ears only.

The notion of multi-sensory advertising (especially when it comes to food) has long fascinated me. Food is an incredibly emotional and sensory experience (for me anyway), and the opportunity for brands and advertisers to tap into this is huge (and under exploited). Rarely does advertising touch all the senses – but when used (correctly), has the power to be more meaningful, more memorable, more emotional.

Who better to bring this to life than Heston Blumenthal. His multi-sensory reservation experience is a smart way to deepen the emotional engagement with diners, and extend the relationship beyond the physical dining experience.

Hats off to Heston.

Via

Effing great ads

After two weeks of sun, sea, and sand, I’m back at work and ready to be inspired. Fortunately today, I am just that. Here are some effing great ads you’ve probably already seen as I’m two weeks out of touch. A long time in the world of advertising. I hear Pinterest is the new Facebook or sumink (the usual nonsense). Anywho…

Invisible Mercedes. 

Not only is it invisible to the environment, it’s actually bloody invisible. Nuff said.

 

The Guardian “Three Little Pigs”. 

A well known story re-told in the digital age. Inspired.

 

IKEA Berora. 

A touch-screen friendly glove and awesome IKEA invention. Where do I buy??

No nasty surprises, only nice ones

Introducing the latest TV ad from T-Mobile. And no, it’s not a flash mob. But it is another stellar ad.

“You Fix” is a new type of tariff that let’s you fix your monthly bill (then top up once you’ve used up your allowance). Because nobody likes nasty surprises. This is a new sort of ad for T-Mobile – not only does it do a brilliant brand job, the focus is on a fantastic no nonsense product that offers great value for customers.

 

Watch this space for more advertising goodness from T-Mobile and You Fix 😉

Orange Film To Go: a new film from iTunes, every Thursday, from Orange

I’m excited to say that Cake has launched an experiential campaign for Orange’s latest film innovation Film To Go – a game changing brand partnership with Apple. Film To Go rewards all Orange customers, regardless of handset (and inclusive of broadband customers), with an iTunes movie rental on Orange every week on a Thursday. Just text POPCORN to 85060 wherever you are to get your rental code.

To excite consumers about the innovative new offer and to encourage downloads, Cake is implementing a six week experiential tour across the nation, starting today in London’s Victoria Station, and heading to Manchester Piccadilly, London Liverpool Street, Glasgow, London Paddington, and Leeds over the following weeks. Trained staff will inform passers about the key steps to download, and also hand out branded popcorn.

Film To Go movie rentals can be enjoyed at home (on a laptop, PC, or TV via a cable), or even out and about on an Apple mobile device – to watch whenever wherever suits them.

The experiential activity is designed to connect with people in the real world to drive adoption of the exciting new weekly film offer. We know that Orange customers already love to watch movies with Orange Wednesdays, but can’t always get to the cinema. Film To Go compliments Orange’s growing film portfolio, and answers this genuine consumer need. We hope that customers who have never previously thought to download a movie or watch one on the go, will now enjoy a whole new film experience with Orange.

It’s a smart move from Orange who are constantly looking for new ways to reward their customers. You can get more Film To Go details on the website here.

Driving and social media just don’t mix

Now that’s one mayorship I’d like to avoid.

Via adsoftheworld

Backseat driver: enjoy the ride

I’m blaming my lack of blogging of late on the lack of contagious ideas. But this iPhone app from ToyToyota caught my eye today. Cue cheesy Japanese demo.

 

 

Backseat driver lets kids enjoy driving from the back seat of their car via an iPhone game. Here’s the smart bit – the app uses GPS technology to mirror the route of the real car in which the player is riding. Score points by steering “My Car” left and right to follow “Papa Car’s” path and pick up objects. After you’ve gained some points, you can customise your car with your own designs.

Er, when’s the adult version coming out? Is it weird that I’d quite like it for road trips? Nope, didn’t think so.

David Lynch Signiture Cup Coffee = Inspired

If it wasn’t bizarre enough that David Lynch has his own line of coffee, he’s made a rather bizarre 4 minute long ad to promote it. Starring? A dubbed barbie’s doll’s head and David’s mesmerizing voice.

Strange as it may be, the strangeness itself is both disturbing and calming. On the one hand it makes absolutely no sense. But on the other hand it actually manages to land all the rational benefits plus emotionally put you in the mood through romanticism for a cup of hot joe. It’s simply inspired.

Enjoy David’s coffee here davidlynch.com/​coffee.

I heart Coca-Cola’s Friendship Machine

Not sure how I missed this one. New job and all that jazz. Forget all the new digital vending machines, this vending machine gives out 2 coke bottles for the price of 1. But here’s the twist. It’s 12 feet tall, so you have to climb up with a friend. Coke then rewards your friendship cooperation with twice the coke. Aw.