The World is your oyster....

and also your showreel.

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Good quality writing/performance/production

Three things you associate with great entertainment and yet in the world of branded content often left behind in the rush to integrate brand and content.

Another thing that people often forget is the power of music - the emotion added to a piece when the right music has ben added is amplified sometimes almost unbearably as in this fantastic piece of work for road safety produced by Alexander Films.

Look at the expression on the actors faces, the use of hi motion cameras in an economical yet hugely demonstrative way - the right props in a very spare environment. This is a perfect example of the quality of production showing through. This looks like it didn't cost too much to make but I'm pretty sure it wasn't cheap.

the results are stunning and a well deserved success.

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Less is more......

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How to take a naturally difficult subject and make it even less engaging

I'm sorry but I get so angry when I see video content like this. I'd read the case study and was quite excited to see it. Lots of rhetoric from the agency about how it was the first time Barclays had had video on the site so it had to be engaging and how it was important to garner compelling performances from the talking heads. Using handhelds to create a nice vibrancy and energy in the films.

Utter balderdash! I love seeing good work from other exponents of video content - it infers credibility on the industry and makes for a feeling of community among us but this is the worst type of lip service.
Very very poor show.

http://www.barclays.co.uk/BarclaysInvestorZone/VideoThebasicsofinvesting/P124...
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A shameless abuse of our blog to post a job ad for a Senior Account Manager

We've had a rather good year and 2011 promises to be even more exciting. We've retained our role as global creative agency for mens tennis through the ATP, we've produced some great comedy, documentary and even our own online magazine show. We have travelled all over the World in the course of creating great content and we've distributed that content too - this year we've achieved over 2 billion Worldwide views in over 100 territories. We've enjoyed working on campaigns both large and small and also having the opportunity to spread the word about good branded content and how it can and should be used as a marketing tool that yields measurable results from awareness right through to sales.

2011 is the time for us to grow.

2010 will feature a new office move as we've already outgrown our Fitzroy Sq base, an international expansion and a rather exciting Non Exec appointment that we will be announcing in the first week in January.

We're also on the lookout for people to come and work with us . Here's one of the ads we're using to entice a Senior Account Manager although we are recruiting across the business and especially the account teams so if you fancy being a part of The Big Shot just let us know.

http://www.prweekjobs.co.uk/job/328210/senior-account-manager/
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The Sun

The Sun newspaper is rapidly becoming a viral video expert and one that can take the pastiche out of other successful work and make it its own. 'Their best UK handheld for 40 years' ad worked on loads of levels but kept true to their cheeky image.

Their latest offering - a rip off of the ridiculously successful Old Spice - 'Man you want your man to be' viral is excellent - obvious but delivered in that perfect Sun manner.

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Video - The gift that keeps on giving

This was a bit of a shock - Wrapping paper with QR codes on that turn into bespoke and slightly freaky Xmas scenes on your Mac ( and the other thing if you happen to still have one)

Merry QRhistmas!!

www.qrappingpaper.com

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The reinvigoration of content

There is good, bad and most annoyingly of all mediocre work out there but the stuff that gets me most excited is the stuff that brings new life to old content in an interesting way. That journey through the galaxy video still mesmerises me all with the addition of some explanatory text (if you haven't sen it let me know and I'll send you the link)

I really love the Rolling Stones deconstruction piece posted on the Dangerous minds blog - it's like a xmas present come early. Having the opportunity to play producer and isolate Mick's vocal and Bill Wyman's bass is too good.

Now this is content that any brand could sponsor with no fear of a backlash but imagine if this had been adopted by say...Shelter, especially at this time of year.

http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/deconstructing_gimme_shelter_listen/
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Sometimes the power of video just cant be overstated, no words required......

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Artisan Bread

What is it with this stuff? It's everywhere all of a sudden! All the sandwich chains are lousy with the stuff.

Was there a focus group that informed the sandwich industry that a new bread was in town and that it had to be worked in with the usual breads/rolls and wraps or else sales would plummet?

I've nothing against the stuff particularly ( in fact the prosciutto, Parmesan and basil Artisan at Pret is very tasty ) but its all a bit weird how it is now a lunchtime staple from nowhere. Was there an Artisan shaped hole in the market. A reaction to a particularly disappointing Ciabatta sales curve?

Maybe it's all a ruse. The pre-cursor to a very clever marketing campaign for something else that takes the roof of your mouth when eaten perhaps?

Or maybe this is a sign of the tough economic times we live in. For Artisan bread read three day old baguettes that we just can't afford to throw away.

I remain confused having sought a definition of this new bread and finding that artisan bread is made in small batches, not mass produced.

I suppose it doesn't matter really it's just that being marketed to with fake authenticity sticks in my throat just a little. Yes....just like the bread!

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