I know I should have grown up once I picked up on the whole ‘there is no Santa’ bit, but for some reason, I still find these deeply disturbing.

I haven’t made a secret of my Disney obsession; although perhaps I should have clarified that it extends to all animated elements of my history. I don’t deny it, after all, (and I acknowledge the irony,) there’s something refreshing about the past, and all of its innocence.

And so, it definitely says something about this ad that I still think it’s brilliantly executed, even if it does show Barney reading porn and a Teletubby (I don’t want to admit that I know it’s Dipsy – oops!) in the john.

Now I don’t quite understand the connection with these slightly-grotesque, intricately detailed images, and an energy drink called Basic. I’m going to put it down to a translation issue – I presume that the energy drink is claiming that it honestly tastes great whilst having no sugar or additives, which is – 0% Fantasy?

And hence, the ad agency decided to kill our reminiscent notions of fantasy at the same time.

In a way, this is continuing the process that adulthood started. Waking up to realise that the childhood dreams that were once cherished were nothing more than pipe dreams was hard enough on its own. Furthermore, discovering that the many values and ideals that I learnt from a wealth of childhood literature had far more insidious motives (see the Christianity line of the Narnia stories, the racism in Enid Blyton or the suspected paedophilia of Lewis Carroll) was another shock to the system.

I guess this is the final nail in the coffin – not that I’m young enough to have been a Teletubby devotee, but all the same, that glowering head with manic eyes sitting in a pool of who-knows-what on a grubby bathroom floor is an image I won’t forget for a while.

So is this success? Perhaps in creating some awesome art direction, and grabbing some attention as well. Devastating/confusing a whole lot of children and ruining my last vestiges of idealism is just collateral damage.

Advertising Agency: La Familia, Santiago, Chile
Executive Creative Director: Miguel Ángel Barahona
Art Director: Rodrigo Portales
Copywriter: Claurio Ramírez
Illustrator: TheJoe

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 We were all sad when Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkison’s Disease. It’s one of those diseases that falls in the very-horrible catergory. There’s no way to go out with dignity (and I guess who really ever does?) and there’s no way to go out in peace- which at least some people get the chance to.

This advertisement is placed in a great spot. It’s in a place where people won’t miss it, because people always look down first before they begin climbing a flight of steps. It looks good. Most people know the difficulties that can arise when one is climbing a flight of steps (why else would escalators have been invented?) and to know that there are people out there who have greater problems preforming this everyday task, not through any fault of their own, but becasue of the incredibly unlucky hand that nature has dealt them.

 Also, I like this photo. I don’t think the photo is part of the advertisment, I think someone was just trying to capture it. But it’s a brilliant photo. The sky at the top of the steps is dark and dreary and heavy with rain and pain. There is no reward at the end of the journey, at the top of the steps, but only more pain. Because that’s what a person with Parkinson’s has. Nothing to look forward to, with regards to their health- just grey.

This ad is just so apt it brings me to tears.

Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Creative Director: Simon Wooller
Art Directors: Silas Jansson, Cliff Kagawa Holm
Copywriters: Simon Wooller, Silas Jansson, Cliff Kagawa Holm

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I’m not quite sure if this is an advertisement of if this is just a producer taking a photo of his latest production. But I couldn’t resist when I saw it.

My first reaction when I saw it was to laugh out loud. Really quite loudly because it took me a little by surprise by how interesting it was. Also, my life in general means that the word ‘Hebrew’ isn’t too unfamiliar to me so when I saw this I couldn’t believe that I had never even linked the two together.Especially since another facet of my life also brings me often in contact with The Brew. Weird.

My second reaction was whether or not I should feel bad. The Bible has parts in it about not drinking too much wine (and probably included in that other fermented drinks) and here people are making a beer and calling it thatname! Should I feel bad? But surely it’s just clever and that it’s not really Hebrew, it’s He’brew. Or am I just justifying something that I know deep down is a little politically incorrect?

But come on!! ‘Genesis Ale’? ‘Messiah Brew’? ‘The Chosen Beer’? It’s great. Every other advertisement that’s ever been printed tries to fool it’s viewer into thinking themselves projected into deity status if they buy their product, why not just make it extremely obvious.

This, my friends is the chosen Beer of God.

He’brew Beer was designed by Voicebox Creative of San Francisco.

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I don’t write this to flaunt it or anything like that, because human relationships fall apart at the seams in many different ways, and if it doesn’t for any one of us then we can only say that we’re lucky- but my parents are still married to each other. Almost thirty years of wedlock and still going. So I don’t really know, or have ever had to deal with divorce lawyers. I don’t even think that I could date a divorce lawyer. Also, this Karl guy seems a little more naked than I usually like my men.

All that aside, I like this advertisement. How clever it is! A hang-up of a person in the closet of a motel. Sure, it plays on the stereotype that all people who cheat go to motels, and I doubt they’d stop to take the time to look in the closet. Surely they’re busy doing other things, like hurrying up to ensure that their spouse doesn’t notice their absence. But it’s clever and in a country where they’re allowed to advertise divorce lawyers you must have a lot of competition and so you want to make yours memorable. Although I really don’t know if I want that guy (the cut-out guy) representing me anywhere let alone in a court of law.

The placement of the advertisement is funny and I know that if I found a man in the closet I’d chuckle to myself. Also, I’d probably put him in another part of the room and make a joke about him ‘coming out the closet’. Then I’d just sit down and have a think about all the disrespectful things people must have done to this image of this guys body- people much more gutter minded than I.

Okay, so like most women (that I know) I’m over thinking this. The verdict is: ‘Cute. Clever. Nice legs.’

Advertising Agency: 10advertising, Antwerp, Belgium
Creative team: Heidi Van Damme, Sebastien Van Reet
Account: Johan Varewijck

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There are many great and brilliant things about the city of Melbourne. There are a million cafes that are cool and wonderful and make you feel like you’re sitting in the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower awaiting your French beaux to sweep you off your feet. There’s a great culture of the arts with galleries and museums on every corner, dance companies and garage bands that play everything from Swing to Jazz to just strange music. There’s amazing fashion that may cause you to do some bank breaking shopping. The men are better looking and the women are better dressed and people are actually nice- even in the CBD.

But my favourite thing about Melbourne is the fact that everyone (almost) rides a bike. The city is close to everything else so people don’t have to drive to work, rather they’ll ride their bikes, save on petrol, keep in shape, look slightly dorky (but also slightly cute) with their trousers tucked into their socks, save the environment and look that little bit more European.

I love bicycles and I am actually in the process of making my own for touring later in the year (in case you were wondering) and I love riding. However, I live in Sydney. The other city. And I live in the suburbs. So I can’t include riding in my everyday life, unless I want to start the day with a three hour bike ride into the city. And even if I did, I’d probably get run over by a car, or hit by a car door, or a car driver will accelerate in front of me and then slam on the brakes in an effort irradiacte Sydney’s pot-holed roads of the pesky cyclists.

Anyway, there is a point to my endless rambling and that’s this:

Ah! That’s right! The cyclist gets to choose his (or her) lane and you, driver, respect his (or her) authority! Now wouldn’t that be the most awesome thing ever?

And so, that’s why I really like these ads. Given it is a cyclist’s magazine that’s advertising, but they’ve shown that they know exactly what cyclists want. We want free reign. We want to be able to go where our bikes will take us and we went to ride free. And we’re crazy (not all of us, but at least the ones in Sydney) so let us jump off benches, down steps, up aesthetic structures or whatever. Kudos BMX Rider Magazine, you read my mind. And with ease and simplicity showed me that you know exaclty what I want.

One BMX Rider Magazine please!

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Art Directors: Adam Staples, Paul Miles
Copywriters: Paul Miles, Adam Staples
Photographer: Paulo Milez

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Looking at these ads makes me uncomfortable..

Fromart Cheese is using these cheesy pictures as a way to point out the cheesiness of their cheese. However, the cheese that Fromart represents really has nothing to do with the kind of cheese (figurative) that these pictures are associated with being. So they’re not really making any claim as to the quality of their product.

But to be honest, how do you market cheese? I think that although the ads don’t technically have anything to do with the product, it’s a very clever technique. Everyone knows what it means when something’s ‘Cheesy’ but the ad isn’t throwing it in your face. You see the pictures and you’re like “What kind of an ad is this? It’s just a bunch of cheesy pictures.” Then when you make the connection it makes you feel smart, and we ALL like to feel smart.

Also, I have to give them credit for this:

In the picture of the family, the father has to have the WORST smile I have ever seen. It’s not particularly anything to do with the teeth, although they are awful, but just the whole package. Something about the wrinkles, the stubble and the oblong-ish shape. There’s something so wrong about it…

So yes, these pictures DO remind me of cheese.

They also make me want to get a  hair-cut and press buttons.

Advertising Agency: George Patterson Y&R, Brisbane, Australia
Group Head: Andrew Thompson
Creative Directors: David Joubert, Piet Human
Art Director: David Joubert

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Yesterday my earring broke. I was in the middle of my daily comings and goings and it wasn’t the most convenient time to fix it. However the mission to repair it was fixed in my mind and I couldn’t get it out. I knew even my ungraceful hands could turn it fierce, as all I required was a spot of super glue.

The search for workplace superglue failed me. I didn’t want to personally buy it as I had some back home (and who needs two tubes of superglue?) However my fascination with being Mr/s Fix It propelled me to purchase. Accordingly I sat curled up at my desk like the old pawn shop guy.

The moral of that story was not to declare that I independently amended this earring with superb skill and a brilliant finish. Rather it was to highlight that the purchasing process of this superglue was not glamorous, vitalizing or inspiring.

However i believe that this campaign from DDB Milan has introduced me to new feelings for glue. While I would usually purchase out of necessity, I would consider buying my third tub. My other glues made me proud, but none made me giddy like this.

DDB have beautifully captured the product benefits. I love the photography and art direction. They have very subtlety glued together three monumental and widely beloved objects- the wooden Nutcracker soldier, the great grandmother’s porcelain doll and the children’s plastic light-up toy.

This insight goes well beyond the common glue advertising narratives- football hits object, object breaks, child glues object, mum doesn’t notice, all smile in perpetual bliss. This campaign rather draws the viewer right into the home. Even the copy invites you to a hug or dance. The lonely mamma’s boy appears to be getting lucky with both.

Advertising Agency: DDB Milan, Italy
Executive Creative Director: Vicky Gitto
Art Director: Ricard Valero
Copywriter: Alessandro Mian
Photographer: Andrea Melcangi
Postproduction/CGI: The Scope, Hamburg

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