Now, I know a lot of my blogs recently have been about the latest adverts and yes, I understand I should vary things a little. So please believe me when I say this week I was going to do my very best to find something serious, something industry related and something that wasn’t flaunting any products what so ever.
Well the best laid plans don’t always pan out. I was doing so well until my attention got drawn away by one of the most bizarre and funny adverts I’ve seen in a long time!! I would have turned away from the story had it not been the fact that said advert is unlikely to be aired on UK television, and seeing this as an absolute travesty, I thought I would serve the British public by bringing it to their attention.
The advert in question is Kia’s new Soul – A New Way To Role ad campaign that has just been launched in the US. Now normally I hate any kind of attempt to humanise animals. Doctor Doolittle; no thank you. Alvin and The Chipmunks; oh god no! But this advert genuinely did make me laugh.
Not only has the ad been awarded with numerous industry accolades including a "2010 Automotive Excellence Award” and "Automotive Ad of the Year" but the hamsters have a forthcoming fashion range www.hamstarclothing.com and chart success at their feet with the campaign extended online with free track downloads www.kiasoul.com/#/downloads
It’s bizarre and I’m not sure where the choice between a car and a toaster comes into it, but who cares!! Personally, I think its genius!!
Friday, 28 May 2010
Monday, 24 May 2010
We Made A Film!
Well, that's not strictly true.
However, Lauren and I did find ourselves at St Pancras International at midnight last Thursday, with a whole bunch of lights, cameras, and a lot of musical instruments. Luckily three very competent people came with all of this equipment who actually knew what they were doing. Phew.
So why St Pancras at midnight? Well as you may or may not already know, we are just about to launch The Station Sessions, Live at St Pancras International. We've got an amazing lineup of great new artists that will be playing, starting on the 3rd June at 6pm.
So come on down to the station, and check out some great new exciting artists!
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Captains Log: the year is 2010...
As a child (and still as an adult) the gadgetry in the Star Trek Series completely amazed me. Just like in the James bond films the gadgets were a serious highlight, and more often then not, they were crucial to the survival of the main character.
Today it seems that a great number of those very gadgets have been created in our world: Earth.
I always wanted to use a Combadge, the ones that all Starfleet personnel wore and just had to touch (no dialling necessary mind) to speak to any of their mates. Well I guess the closest modern day version of that would be the Bluetooth Headset. Then there was the computer tablet that that Scotty the engineer used to make insane calculations at warp speed; we now have the IPad. Touch screens, lasers, digital wristwatches and computers that speak and are apoken to are all here today to make our missions more successful. (Someone just needs to hurry up and invent teleportation cos I’m seriously sick of TFL)
Undeniably, the most essential modern day sci-fi interpretation has got to be the Mobile Phone, and more specifically the Android enabled mobile Smartphone. These perform all the essential functions of the average Smartphone but recently Google announced the release of software that enables android users to access their entire home music and photo libraries, stored on their desktop computers, from their portable Android Smartphone. www.readwriteweb.com
This is clearly the next step in lifesaving technology, and I think it’s about time we start making Starfleet Enterprise cronies jealous of some of the cool gadgets we use on missions to save our social lives from falling into the hands of the Borg... Suck on that Picard!
M
Today it seems that a great number of those very gadgets have been created in our world: Earth.
I always wanted to use a Combadge, the ones that all Starfleet personnel wore and just had to touch (no dialling necessary mind) to speak to any of their mates. Well I guess the closest modern day version of that would be the Bluetooth Headset. Then there was the computer tablet that that Scotty the engineer used to make insane calculations at warp speed; we now have the IPad. Touch screens, lasers, digital wristwatches and computers that speak and are apoken to are all here today to make our missions more successful. (Someone just needs to hurry up and invent teleportation cos I’m seriously sick of TFL)
Undeniably, the most essential modern day sci-fi interpretation has got to be the Mobile Phone, and more specifically the Android enabled mobile Smartphone. These perform all the essential functions of the average Smartphone but recently Google announced the release of software that enables android users to access their entire home music and photo libraries, stored on their desktop computers, from their portable Android Smartphone. www.readwriteweb.com
This is clearly the next step in lifesaving technology, and I think it’s about time we start making Starfleet Enterprise cronies jealous of some of the cool gadgets we use on missions to save our social lives from falling into the hands of the Borg... Suck on that Picard!
M
Thursday, 20 May 2010
The role of the brand in the digital music age
There’s no doubt that any forward thinking brand understands the importance of using music in at least some aspect of their marketing activity. Whether its simply syncing tracks for ad campaigns, aligning themselves with artists through traditional endorsements or by going further and developing more creative music properties or sub-brands. Whichever route a brand does go down or gets advised to take, with the waning of the traditional music business model and the boom in digital music services, the music marketing landscape has changed.
Arguably, the changes we’ve seen and that we continue to experience in the music industry are largely a result of the shift in power from labels to the technology they have failed to embrace. Over the last decade, the majority of the industry decision-makers have been desperately clinging on to an outdated system and have been hell-bent on legislating against progress and essentially alienating their consumers. In rejecting the advances and possibilities of the Internet, the music business has left a gap in the market. In my view, this gap stems from the same concept that has led to the success of Radio over the years… music fans need direction and actually want to be told what to listen to!
So who is capable of utilizing technology and filling this gap? The music media has always influenced what we listen to and continue to do so relatively well in the digital age with blogs, podcasts and the music press having developed their online presence. However this is by no means a closed shop and it presents brands with a novel opportunity to really engage with the consumer. Marketing in general is at its most effective when it builds a relationship with its audience and what better way to build a relationship than by recommending a great new band or an amazing gig!
Arguably, the changes we’ve seen and that we continue to experience in the music industry are largely a result of the shift in power from labels to the technology they have failed to embrace. Over the last decade, the majority of the industry decision-makers have been desperately clinging on to an outdated system and have been hell-bent on legislating against progress and essentially alienating their consumers. In rejecting the advances and possibilities of the Internet, the music business has left a gap in the market. In my view, this gap stems from the same concept that has led to the success of Radio over the years… music fans need direction and actually want to be told what to listen to!
So who is capable of utilizing technology and filling this gap? The music media has always influenced what we listen to and continue to do so relatively well in the digital age with blogs, podcasts and the music press having developed their online presence. However this is by no means a closed shop and it presents brands with a novel opportunity to really engage with the consumer. Marketing in general is at its most effective when it builds a relationship with its audience and what better way to build a relationship than by recommending a great new band or an amazing gig!
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Blogging, Blogging Blogging!
This one is for Leo our official in-house blog police!
Blogging began in the late 90’s. The word “blog” is a shortened form of “web log,” and it stands for a web site that keeps a log (much like a diary) of people’s thoughts, their actions, and their reactions to other people’s thoughts and actions. Today, there are millions of blogs on the Internet.
So do Blogs really achieve better corporate/organisational communication?
Many would argue YES! – Blogging has caused the blurring of lines for mass media, after all a blog is open to the entire online world!
Politicians and News channels were both early adopters of blogging, using blogs as an ‘unofficial’ and grass roots way of spreading their message. Now it appears that Blogs are used by the masses, spilling out their inner most thoughts or ranting about their pet hates – The free flow of information is rapidly changing the way in which we exchange information and communicate.
Blogs have allowed for the receiving of information from places we would not ordinarily be exposed to, this information is much more than what we can receive from a social networking site or a company website. Blogs have the ability to change the way in which consumers view a product/company/organisation given their more open nature. Obviously, consequently this has both a positive and negative effect, but in my opinion blogs allow for truthfulness that you would not normally get.
The disintegration of communication lines caused by the internet have no doubt broken down distance and boundaries, but just how far can we go? And is the closing distance for information discovery a positive thing? Or is it safer to keep to our bubble?
What do you think? Is a blog really capable of all of this?
L
Blogging began in the late 90’s. The word “blog” is a shortened form of “web log,” and it stands for a web site that keeps a log (much like a diary) of people’s thoughts, their actions, and their reactions to other people’s thoughts and actions. Today, there are millions of blogs on the Internet.
So do Blogs really achieve better corporate/organisational communication?
Many would argue YES! – Blogging has caused the blurring of lines for mass media, after all a blog is open to the entire online world!
Politicians and News channels were both early adopters of blogging, using blogs as an ‘unofficial’ and grass roots way of spreading their message. Now it appears that Blogs are used by the masses, spilling out their inner most thoughts or ranting about their pet hates – The free flow of information is rapidly changing the way in which we exchange information and communicate.
Blogs have allowed for the receiving of information from places we would not ordinarily be exposed to, this information is much more than what we can receive from a social networking site or a company website. Blogs have the ability to change the way in which consumers view a product/company/organisation given their more open nature. Obviously, consequently this has both a positive and negative effect, but in my opinion blogs allow for truthfulness that you would not normally get.
The disintegration of communication lines caused by the internet have no doubt broken down distance and boundaries, but just how far can we go? And is the closing distance for information discovery a positive thing? Or is it safer to keep to our bubble?
What do you think? Is a blog really capable of all of this?
L
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
In with the old, out with the new
Well what do y’know, an old song is covered by a new artist, featured in a £6m ad campaign and it’s suddenly everywhere, getting hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube, and likely to become a chart topping hit. Sound familiar at all? It’s certainly not the first time this has happened, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
On the 23rd of April John Lewis launched its new ad campaign featuring Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman” performed by Fyfe Dangerfield from the Guillemots. Within two days the ad had already gained over 320,000 views on YouTube and it looks like John Lewis, Billy Joel, Dangerfield and all record companies involved will substantially profit from the enormous success this simple syncing has had. Dangerfield’s version has already rocketed up this week’s UK singles charts to number 7, been added to 108 radio stations playlists and has just broken the record for the most tagged track in Shazam’s history.
Although it wasn’t used in an advert, at the end of last year Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing also experienced similar meteoric fame thanks to X-Factor’s Joe McElderry and fox’s musical comedy, Glee. Personally, I can’t fault the call to rejuvenate old songs and give them a new lease of life. Ok, so I know a lot of people whinge that the remakes aren’t as good as the original, and to be fair in a lot of cases I have to agree, but I can’t help but think that without the rehashing of these old classics, entire generations will never be exposed to a whole host of amazing songs, and I personally feel that’s more of a travesty. So, for those who aren’t acquainted with the original, here’s Billy Joel, doing what he does best....
Katie
On the 23rd of April John Lewis launched its new ad campaign featuring Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman” performed by Fyfe Dangerfield from the Guillemots. Within two days the ad had already gained over 320,000 views on YouTube and it looks like John Lewis, Billy Joel, Dangerfield and all record companies involved will substantially profit from the enormous success this simple syncing has had. Dangerfield’s version has already rocketed up this week’s UK singles charts to number 7, been added to 108 radio stations playlists and has just broken the record for the most tagged track in Shazam’s history.
Although it wasn’t used in an advert, at the end of last year Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing also experienced similar meteoric fame thanks to X-Factor’s Joe McElderry and fox’s musical comedy, Glee. Personally, I can’t fault the call to rejuvenate old songs and give them a new lease of life. Ok, so I know a lot of people whinge that the remakes aren’t as good as the original, and to be fair in a lot of cases I have to agree, but I can’t help but think that without the rehashing of these old classics, entire generations will never be exposed to a whole host of amazing songs, and I personally feel that’s more of a travesty. So, for those who aren’t acquainted with the original, here’s Billy Joel, doing what he does best....
Katie
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Virgin Perks.
Let’s face it, at one point or another we’ve all wanted to live the lucky life of a rock star. You know the one, being treated like a complete god, pampered by your minions, waited on hand and foot. Then the fantasy vanishes, the bubble burst and we rocket down to earth with a thud, waiting in line at the usual cues at Tesco’s and hoping not to be trampled over on the tube.
Well all is not so according to Virgin Holiday’s new Rockstar Service. Their forthcoming ad campaign follows ‘The Danke Schöns' a Spinal Tap style band created by Virgin Travel, who believe the service and attention they receive is all down to their self proclaimed success, when actually they’re being treated like every other Virgin customer.
Virgin loves to market itself as a friendly, youthful and hip company so by emphasising the personal care its customers get with the tag – “everyone gets treated like a rockstar” I guess it successfully ticks the younger market boxes. Whether the campaign works at attracting the 18 – 30 year olds is yet to be seen, but thank god they got rid of Charlotte Church is all I can say!!
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/info/about/rockstar_service/offers.aspx
Katie
Well all is not so according to Virgin Holiday’s new Rockstar Service. Their forthcoming ad campaign follows ‘The Danke Schöns' a Spinal Tap style band created by Virgin Travel, who believe the service and attention they receive is all down to their self proclaimed success, when actually they’re being treated like every other Virgin customer.
Virgin loves to market itself as a friendly, youthful and hip company so by emphasising the personal care its customers get with the tag – “everyone gets treated like a rockstar” I guess it successfully ticks the younger market boxes. Whether the campaign works at attracting the 18 – 30 year olds is yet to be seen, but thank god they got rid of Charlotte Church is all I can say!!
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/info/about/rockstar_service/offers.aspx
Katie
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