LEAP DAY

You may see Ryan Reynolds as a sharp actor. However, I see him as an astute marketer who knows how to leverage an opportunity when he sees one.

Today is 29th February. A leap day. In school, we always felt sad for a person who celebrated his/her birthday on 29th February as they would get to celebrate it only once every four years. What that also meant was that those people moved from one age to another every four years only.

Ryan Reynolds used this insight, found a person born on Feb 29th, 1936 and then made her try her first legal drink (of course, his own brand - Aviation Gin) when she turned 21 in the year 2020!

Loved the casting, the acting, the creativity and the storytelling in this adorable video.

This is yet another smart move that Ryan has pulled off after the coup that he did a few months back by doing three different brand ads in a single ad.

CHEERS TO ALL

It is the role of advertising and communication to build brand equity and drive sales. However, it is also the responsibility of advertising and brands to understand culture and play a role in breaking stereotypes.

The HEINEKEN Company has launched a lovely ad film that uses only the power of visuals and lyrics to break a strong stereotype associated with drinking beer.

Don't miss the last line, where they do not mention beer at all. Very smart!

FLAGS

This is such a fantastic print campaign by Vittoria School for Language Mediators in Italy!

Using books, notebooks and notepads as props, each ad then represents the flag of a country.

The message that Vittoria School is giving is that not only does it teach a language theoretically but it also teaches about the culture of a country and how the people of that country speak in normal conversations. 

For me, the campaign is extremely creative without losing the simplicity. I just love the way the educational props have been used. The agency behind this campaign is La Fabbrica Creativa, Italy.

WINNERS vs. LOSERS

The difference between winners and losers is that winners leave footprints in the sand while losers leave butt prints in the sand. 

What do I mean?

Winners move. They take actions, identify opportunities, learn from their mistakes, never give up, continue to learn and move forward. 

Losers never challenge the status quo. They hate change, they want to sit and expect results, they give up with one failure and they always find problems rather than opportunities. 

It is quite simple. All of us know it, but not all of us reflect on it. 

So the question always is: 

Foot prints or butt prints in the sand?

CUTE WATER BOTTLES

Yesterday, I came across a little collection of #Evian bottles in the supermarket 🛒

While it brought a smile to my face, it also got me thinking on the strategy and logic behind these specially designed and packaged bottles 🍶

Some of my hypotheses of the rationale behind their launch are:

1. Shelf stand out: It goes without saying that these bottles stood out from all the other bottle brands on the shelf 🔍

2. Price value equation: Evian water is priced higher than the other bottles in the market. Other than the quality of the water, this kind of unique #packaging also helps in justifying the high price 💶

3. Increased consumption: A bottle design like this induces you to drink more water which is not only healthy for you but also healthier for Evian's business 💰💰

4. Getting children excited for water: If parents are looking ways to get their children to drink more water instead of other drinks, then a fun packaging like this can play a key role 🔐

THE ECONOMIST

Advertising of The Economist magazine is known for its intellect, wit and use of less words.

They want to reflect in their #advertising the same level of intelligence that they expect from their readers. 

Here is yet another example of their style of communication.

THIRST FOR YOURS

Innovation is one of the biggest reasons for incremental sales and expansion of user base in the FMCG world. 

#Cola companies understand this the best and therefore they keep bringing new launches to the market.

This time, Coca-Cola has gone ahead and launched two new flavours in the US market - Sprite Ginger and Sprite Ginger Zero Sugar. These ginger flavours are a fusion with their lemon-lime base, developed in response to the increasing popularity of ginger-flavoured sparkling drinks.

However, the brand did not just stop there. They went ahead and launched a limited edition line of clothes - Ginger Collection. Sprite got designer Jeff Staple on board, who crowd-sourced creatives on #Instagram and took inspiration from people across art, fashion and photography to come up with the designs.

Cola brands like Coke, Pepsi, #Sprite are part of the youth culture and they go beyond just the products. By giving their consumers the opportunity of wearing their clothes line, Sprite is taking yet another step to become a part of the consumers' lifestyle.

GO FETCH

Humour has a very important role to play in advertising. It has the ability to reach people and give them the message in a very simple and easy way.

Humour can also be quite tricky. It does not work for all brands and all categories. Moreover, marketers have to be very careful in selecting the right kind of #humour that does not disgust or offend their consumers but rather makes them laugh.

Agencies and marketing people also have to evaluate their brands with a sharp lens and see whether humour fits the brand personality or not. Otherwise, even the funniest ad will not help in building your brand equity.

Here is an example of a brand that has used humour well. US based dog biscuit brand, Milk-Bone has come up with a series of funny ads, talking about the importance of having a dog as a pet and then how Milk-Bone can make it even more fun.

I am sharing the tortoise film below that gives the message in crisp 15 seconds.

You can also see the other ads here: 

https://lnkd.in/ejM3A5r 

https://lnkd.in/e2SR-gc

FEEL IT

They say, you cannot unsee something after you have seen it. 

The Coca-Cola Company is pushing the pedal in its new outdoor and print campaign in Europe, where they are relying on the strength of consumer memory.

The company is putting the Coca Cola logo on different platforms in the same font and angle as how it appears on their bottles.

The line above every ad reads 'Feel It' and that line triggers the mind to visualize the bottle without the bottle being there! 

This is an idea by #Publicis where they have gone ahead and leveraged the visual icons of the #Coke brand - the red colour, the font and the iconic bottle.

It is a great example of how consistency of certain elements around your #brand play a big role in brand building. Go ahead and see all three pictures and I am sure that you will also feel the bottle.

BUY WITH YOUR TIME

'Time is money' is an aphorism that was coined by Benjamin Franklin two centuries ago. It seems that IKEA Group is keen to prove it to its consumers .

In UAE, #Ikea gave consumers the opportunity to pay for their goods using time as a currency! Yes, that is right. 

Most Ikea stores are located far from the city centres and it takes lot of time for #consumers to reach the store. This is a pain point for consumers. Ikea understood this consumer insight and converted it into a delight for them. 

How?

Ikea put a certain time value to every item in their store. Consumers had the option of paying for those goods, using the time that they had spent in reaching the store. 

Check out this video to see more.

COCA COLA WELCOMES CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON

#Japan is extremely popular for its cherry blossom (sakura) trees which announce the arrival of spring. These trees bloom for a period of two weeks in different parts of the country and locals as well as foreign tourists flock to those places to witness this magic come to life. 

Since 2017, Coca Cola has been celebrating this season with the launch of specially designed aluminium bottles. Continuing its tradition, this year also, Coca Cola has launched a new set of specially designed, beautifully decorated, limited edition cherry blossom bottles. 

This year’s design and layout shows sakura-tree branches and artfully depicts falling petals as well as cherry blossoms in different stages.

This is yet another example of Coca Cola integrating the local culture into its strategy and seamlessly becoming a part of that culture. 

The image below shows the different packaging of Coca Cola over the years. 

GUIDE THAT FIGHTS CORONAVIRUS

We all know how #coronovirus has been spreading all over with cases being detected across multiple continents. 

We also know how prevention is better than cure and boosting our immunity is one way to avoid coming under attack. 

However, there are other simple but important steps too that will keep us all protected.

I am sure that people in #India would have seen this #Lifebuoy print ad that they released a week back, using the abbreviation of F.I.G.H.T.S to educate and inform people on what else they can do to fight the virus. 

Other than the use of the abbreviation, what also strikes you is the bold move by the brand to name four of its closest competitors in the same ad - Lux, Dettol, Santoor and Godrej No. 1

People who consider this as a marketing or a publicity stunt need to think again. No other brand had done this and not many brands can pull off something like this. 

This is a sign of a brave and secure #brand that sees its purpose to be more important than a mere piece of advertising.

It is no surprise that this comes from #Unilever as they strongly believe and follow purpose in their communication.

LOVE HAS NO BOUNDARIES

#Greece is still one of the countries that is traditional by nature and not very open to #diversity. 

Lacta, a Greek chocolate #brand, that is now a part of the Mondelēz International group comes up with a lovely film that starts by showing reactions of people when they see love that is not as per their expectations. The film then changes course and each scenario gets depicted in a very different way. 

A well made film by Ogilvy for this #ValentinesDay, asking us all to see #love in its purest form beyond any stereotypes. The soundtrack is quite nice as well.

LONELIEST PERSON ON VALENTINE'S DAY

Burger King Corporation does it again! This time, it is Burger King India that launches a video for Valentine's Day, telling people that the loneliest person on this planet is none other than the clown of McDonald's - Ronald McDonald. 

The video then encourages people to take a selfie with Ronald, upload it by tagging Burger King India and then come to a #BurgerKing outlet to get a free #whopper.

Usually, I am not a big fan of comparative or competitive #advertising as you tend to contribute to the other brand's salience without them spending any money.

However, in this case it works because:

1. It is not new for Burger King to troll McDonald's. They have been doing it across their markets for quite some time now. It is part of their style that resonates with its audience. 

2. The campaign gets lot of earned media and social media currency to the brand by people posting pictures and tagging Burger King handle. 

3. To get a free whopper, people would visit a Burger King cafe. Usually, they wouldn't go alone or would not just eat a Whopper. So in both scenarios, this helps in increasing the footfalls as well as the sales of the cafes, which is what every piece of advertising is supposed to do. 

BRANDS OF THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD

If you have ever wondered which car brand comes from which company, then the infographic below can act as a ready reckoner. 

However, do remember that this is the reality today. It may not have been the case in the past and it may not necessarily remain true in the future. 

Let me explain by taking the example of Jaguar brand:

• Jaguar started as a brand in 1922 under the ownership of S. S. Cars Limited made in association with Standard Motor Co.
• The company became Jaguar cars in 1945. 
• In 1966, it merged with another company and became renamed as British Motor Holdings (BMH). 
• Two years later, another merger led Jaguar to become a part of British Leyland. 
• In the year 1990, Ford acquired the Jaguar brand and retained it till 2008 
• In 2008, Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. 

So it doesn't take long for brands to change hands and then sit under a different roof.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK

If you ever get stuck, asking yourself whether you should be putting effort, money or your time behind an idea, ask yourself these five questions that advertising legend David Ogilvy recommends.

Chances are, that you will know whether the idea is worth betting on or just letting go. This could show you and your business the path to success, to innovation, to legacy, and more! 

PLASTIC WITH EXPIRY DATES

In order to bring change, sometimes it is important to shock people so that it affects their behaviour. This seems to be the approach that a few supermarkets are taking in UK. 

Since the last few days, lot of food and drink items in the supermarkets have started appearing with expiry dates of the plastic! Yes, that is right. 

All the labels show an expiry date of 2499 and state "please recycle me". This should be enough for people to rethink their purchase and consumption pattern as well as how they dispose their #plastic. 

This idea is the brainchild of Grassroots campaigners, Gagandeep Jhuti and Joe Foale-Groves, who have been labeling products since the start of the new year to get people to think before they buy. 

So far, they have been doing this without the supermarkets permission but I think it won't be long before supermarkets welcome them for this initiative. 

Would we also see similar activities in other parts of the world soon? Let us wait and watch.

BEFORE ALEXA

Few days back, I had posted about the new #Google ad that was rolled out during the #SuperBowl. If you haven’t seen the ad as yet, then I insist that you take the time to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xSxXiHwMrg

In this voice-enabled assistants segment, how could Amazon stay behind. They also came up with a gem of an ad during the Super Bowl featuring the couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, where Ellen wonders what people did #BeforeAlexa.

The ad then goes into various scenarios and situations of how people acted and behaved before the world of Alexa by showing actual people whose name begins with the letters A and L. 

The ad is quite funny and it seems that Google and #Amazon chose two different emotions of a spectrum to launch their communication. It is quite a contrast to watch the two ads one after the other. 

The Alexa ad is doing very well and has already garnered 61 million views on #YouTube from Amazon’s channel and another 1.2 Million views on TheEllenShow channel, showing the power of good content.

COFFEE TO WAKE UP!

What better way to start a Monday morning than a hot cup of coffee, that really wakes you up and kickstarts your week. 

That's the message that McDonald's is giving through this extremely witty and creative ad for McCafe.

I just love the simplicity and the way the logo and coffee beans have been used, without trying too hard.

Well played McDonald's