The Big Shout

Wednesday 23 February 2011

It's real - honest!

I seem to be talking a lot about product demos lately and a lot of these are directed as spoofs or as ways of grabbing the attention of a product benefit and these often work well. But as I've blogged about before, when you have an incredible product and it's beautifully filmed you have a compelling piece of content.

The company in question Corning is a well established company who has been producing glass since 1851- they have moved into display and communications technologies.

Even in today's super aware World - you look at their 'Day made of glass' and you still have to wonder - is it real or is it just another clever viral. It made me research the company and even while I was doing it I wondered if the background info, website, wikipedia page stock quote was all part of the campaign. If I'm honest I still have doubts but look at how this piece of film made me engage with the company


Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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Out the box (and off the planet)

I've written before about the success of 'out the box' video reviews for tech products and the latest review of the ipad2 manages to combine accurate and knowledgable comment with a real desire to get your hands on this product. I cant wait to load up ifire and imilk to my ipad.


Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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Sunday 13 February 2011

From the horses mouth

Marketing is riddled with business owners who act as the public face of their brands. 

Traditionally they appeared in the actual advertising - Victor Kiam of Remmington was an early one with a fantastic slogan " I Ioved the product so much, I bought the company!" Closer to home the late bootiful Bernard Matthews waxed lyrical about Turkeys
and we loved him.

Then as advertising became slicker and more about a brand the role of the owner was one of high powered achievement driving the brand forward. All sorts of household names appear in this category - Sir Richard Branson, Philip Green, Lord Sugar, Bernie Ecclestone even Simon Cowell is a brand ambassador for manufactured pop.

None of these however actually produce the products themselves - they were and are great business people, some with incredible creative talent but all with unusual vision and ability to build and proliferate brands but they don't make anything.

I love listening to the people who create products and in writers and artists we have the ideal candidates. The creative talking about their product is often a hit and miss affair but at least you know you are listening to the real thing - not a load of hype or marketing speak. Genuine reminiscences of how they wrote the book or painted the picture or in the case of one of my personal favourites Gerald Scarfe, how he helped Pink Floyd build The Wall.

Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP








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Thursday 10 February 2011

Google's art project - Surreal but Classical PT.2

There's  bit of a 'second film' trend going on at the minute and I like it. Not only do you get the main film which hits you with it's great content and relevant messages but then they release the 'making of' video. Its a clever and often cost effective way to extend your content idea as long as what you're releasing is as funny, interesting and relevant as the main film.

Landrover's 'making of' claymation advert films were probably every bit as involved as the film itself and benefit from extending the central campaign elsewhere. This, the 'making of' the google art project is a realisation of just how much work and how many people are involved in just such as undertaking. It's a fascinating high speed documentary.


Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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Wednesday 9 February 2011

Google's art project - Surreal but Classical PT.1

We spend a lot of time talking about how the idea is 'the thing' and that turning that idea into good content requires great skill - and it does.

Sometimes however. like flowers at a wedding, you don't notice the hard work thats gone into producing the event but are just captivated by the beauty of the bride, in this case the Google Art Project.

A good product demo hinges on showing the functionality of the product but also stimulates desire in the potential user of the product. The popularity of 'out the box' reviews where a gadget is broken freshly out of its box and the pleasure of unwrapping the new toy is shared are justifiably popular and Apple in particular are a very good example of this.

This is just a mind-boggling product that not only makes me want to use it but to learn from it and share that knowledge with others - It doesn't get any more perfect than that.


Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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Monday 7 February 2011

No taste...those Americans

Well despite the highly influential vote of The Big Shout the VW Force ad did not win "Best in Show" at the Superbowl. That distinction went to this ad - a fairly obvious "HAHA its walking, dj-ing, beer serving dogs".

I guess at this point in the proceedings the appearance of a bottle of beer had a Pavlovian effect on the assembled masses and that any association with another brew was a good one.

Go figure dude.....

Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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Friday 4 February 2011

A clever campaign but doomed to failure

Content isn't just video! It's the easiest way to share with you on this blog and the majority of what I write about has got a video element to it but i was struck by this campaign released today by the Iris agency. Firstly let me say...its very clever... very original and will probably win awards - i like it.  


The problem I have is with the whole concept of anti smoking campaigns - they don't work - FULL STOP. Show me the figures please?


I am generally disgusted by the way that the government pretends to assist in the cessation of this appalling life shortening habit while raking in the taxes - think about it - there is no upside to banning smoking for the economy in fact quite the opposite - it would be a disaster if everyone stopped.  


No-one gives up smoking because of advertising however clever or because of those ridiculous inhalers, gum, patches etc. they give up in spite of them. 

http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/bulletin/thefix/article/1053158/?DCMP=EMC-CONCampaignDailyFix

Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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Thursday 3 February 2011

Use the Force!

It still blows my brains when I think about how much it costs to run an ad  during the Superbowl but how iconic is that media space? If you say "Half time show" most people  would know that that was the Superbowl, amazing recognition.

As a result each year manufacturers come up with specific and very impactful ads to run in that break and this one from Volkswagen for the Passat is excellent.

It features an iconic character and renowned music, cute kid, stereo type middle class American family life and the product as hero and climax to the gag.

I've done exactly this to my kids and it's brilliant!


Volkswagen are also showing another very cool 30" ad for the Beetle which I might share with you in another post!

Oliver Russell | Joint Managing Director   

The Big Shot | 10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP

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