VOLKSWAGEN AUTO AD

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Well for our AD post of the week, it does seem to be the case.

Hello Mi Compadres! I am talking about the advertisement by Volkswagen that I came across online. It could be a print advertisement, not sure about it, but I was amazed by it therefore it has made its appearance here on our blog 🙂

This AD according to me is one of those few simple but beautiful ads. This is truly that big ‘AHA’ idea that just magically appears after the brainstorming sessions are over. Simple but powerful and hard-hitting.

When the reader sees it, the eyes immediately go on the image. Power-packed and strong to say the least. A young couple/friends/siblings or even colleagues in the car dead or severely injured. Then you see the hand of the man as though holding a camera/selfie stick. You can see a car upside down in the background.  So automatically, a visual of the car crash is created in your mind and you can almost see/experience what must have happened. It gives the viewer jitters as suddenly it feels real and relatable. The copy below the image,’ Don’t selfie and drive.’ Just seals the deal.

The whole concept of a selfie has taken the world up by storm. At first it was a fun and cute concept, enjoyed by the self-lovers (as I call them), photography enthusiasts and people wanting to take entertaining pictures with friends and family.

As all things quirky and fun, there are users and there are abusers. Soon this almost narcissistic technique of taking innocent images was getting abused. People started taking selfies with and at the most inhumane and preposterous of situations.

Humans have started to risk their lives and lives of others, for a selfie, i.e. falling from buildings, doing adventurous stunts, sitting next to cheetahs and tigers, in between plane and car crashes, next to dead bodies of loved ones, it’s insane and ridiculous, you get it 😛

Keeping that in mind Volkswagen’s AD does full justice to the, (I can’t believe we are at that point in life) Anti-selfie campaign. It is amazing to see how it has moved from a quirky harmless concept to a dangerous and threatening one. I love how VW has elegantly addressed the problem through their AD messages.

I haven’t seen many brands talk about or campaign about anti-selfie or shall I say selfie-safety, so this AD seemed to be spot-on. Hard-hitting imagery, simple precise copy and brand logo, is all that is needed for a compelling AD from das brand (Das Auto, Das brand-get it 😀 )

If you guys know about other selfie campaigns and how have brands leveraged in on it, share thy ideas. Would love to know more about them or if you have any other ideas then, share thy creativity 🙂

P.S.- Lets not take a selfie and drive 😉

TITAN RAGA WATCHES

Here is the link for the TVC AD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS1A5rBAvjg&index=1&list=LLJttaLl7mptifAMDY6fmgGA

Hey everyone. Top of the afternoon to you!

It has been some time since I shared my favorite Ads with you guys on this blog. I was searching for an AD truly beautiful and strong in its message. Then I had my big ‘AHA’ moment 🙂

So our AD post of the week is about TITAN RAGA WATCHES. This is a Television (TVC)advertisement that was aired last year but on Indian Hindi channels.It aired during prime time shows on popular Indian TV channels. It featured the then brand ambassador for the brand, Katrina Kaif, Bollywood film heroine/actress, apparently it is another Bollywood actress now as the brand ambassador.

There have been many Ads before this by Titan Raga, though this one really caught my eyes and ears. This particular Raga brand is called the Garden of Eden Collection.

The story line of the TVC goes like this, Katrina Kaif is getting ready for a special event. There is a lot of hustle and bustle going on around her, as her friends and family(could be sisters) are around her, helping her get ready. Everyone looks beautiful in their Indian traditional clothes. Guests/relatives are coming around Katrina to talk to her, greet/congratulate her as it is her engagement party or wedding reception.

In the midst of all of this, she thinks to her self (but is indirectly talking to the target audience) the reasons why a person shouldn’t get married. I wouldn’t just limit these reasons to only being typically Indian, I think they apply to every single woman on planet earth.

The reasons to not get married she says are: just because your friends are getting married, or because you are tired of aunties’ questions(relatives/XYZ people questioning you or putting pressure on you to get married), or because you feel alone on Valentines Day, because your younger sister is also waiting in line to get married, or you would just get some company when you are old, or just because when will it be a good time to be a mother then , or because your ex-boyfriend is getting married.

The climax of the TVC is when she says,’When is the right time to get married? When you find someone who deserves your time. Titan Raga, a new relationship with yourself.’ In this scene, she applies the traditional bridal bindi on her forehead with a certain surety and confidence, suggesting she is empowered and happy in her choice.

This according to me is a beautiful, awe-inspiring, truly empowering ending to a really meaningful AD. To me this is beautiful story-telling. All your doubts, fears, anxieties answered and leaving you with a confident smile on your face and a brand new thinking of SELF-LOVE.

Love and respect yourself and your time by not Settling for Less than what you Deserve. For every woman out there seeking love and companionship, this AD is for you. Let go of whoever does not deserve a single minute of your precious time.

Titan Raga, an established brand of watches across India, conveys their beautiful messages  I.e-‘Beauty is precious so is time‘, ‘you are one of a kind‘, ‘Build a long-term relationship with yourself first‘, ‘one size does not fit all‘, through their product as well. The watch at the end of the AD is very unique, beautiful and elegant in its design. Butterflies,flowers with precious stones.

If you think about it, butterflies are generally associated with strength, change, hope and beauty. So you are looking at single, strong, independent educated women wearing Titan Raga to regain back their confidence in their choices in life and love. As a member of the target audience, this AD makes me believe in myself and my choices again. So when I would like to buy something for myself, that would make me happy, I would love to buy a Titan Raga as it makes me feel empowered and beautiful (Call to action).

So these are my thoughts, I wish more products and services have thought-provoking messages in their marketing material that really connects with the target audience and makes us brand loyal to them, rather than limit it to occasional buys only.

Do share your thoughts about such kinds of Advertisements or you have something different, I would love to know. Share your creativity.

Share your ideas.

🙂

TIPS & TOES SALOON

To my fellow Indians, Happy Belated Gandhi Jayanti. May we bring more wisdom and truth in our lives 🙂

And the rest of Mi Compadre’s! How is everyone? (see new word 😀  there is hope!)

So today’s advertising post is the Outdoor Advertisement, that I came across some time back for Tips & Toes Saloon Dubai. It is a popular women’s salon, with many branches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to its credit. I will be discussing about the advertising I saw at the Business Bay branch.

As you are walking down the lane, you can see the salon has a big chunk of retail store space to itself. They have creatively used the 3 big walls/boards of their store space, into something really quirky and unique.

They make use of bright, attractive colours to catch attention. The use of white text on a colourful purple and red background really does grab attention. They are very easy on the eyes and have a subtle and sophisticated vibe about them.

The first wall/board is the entrance to the salon. They have their salon products on display, in the same colour theme of white on red. The other door is what catches my eye, the copy “Opening Time-Call 04” , the use of simple typography conveys their message.

The creative use of Bold Text format for the ‘hook‘ words,i.e.- Times, 7 Days, For and Call, really makes the difference to what the customer reads and remembers. So while passing by, the potential customer reads up the main details and if interested takes a note of it (Call to action).

The 2^nd wall/board goes on the same theme as well, using white on purple and red. This is more informational, as they are letting their target audience know the name of the salon and their Unique Selling Point,i.e. “Home to the largest nail haven in the Middle East”.

Over here they establish trust, credibility and success to their brand, with the use of simple words and bold formatting(Reasons to believe).

It is beautiful, straight-forward and precise in its brand messages, just like the personality of their target audience.

The 3^rd wall/board is what I love the most and it is actually what caught my attention. The photograph that I have taken is the 3^rd wall.(you can see me in the mirror, well sort of 🙂 )

I have never come across salons/spas for men or women or even kids, to have a mirror as their advertisement tactic. It is smart, quirky and genius to say the least. So on one side, the services they offer are listed and on the other there is a beautiful mirror placed with the copy saying “Time for a touch up?”.

The text doesn’t separate itself from the mirror, they both work beautifully together as a strong message for the customer.

It really shows that the brand is thinking about their customers as they value and are concerned about them. When a woman sees the text, goes up to the mirror, checks herself out and says ‘you know what, I actually do need a touch up’ , the door to the salon is right open for her.

It serves like a reminder to her, to love and pamper herself maybe treat herself for a change, instead of waiting to be treated, very empowering in a way.

It is clear that the brand wants to pamper and spoil you and make you feel loved again and stop you from neglecting yourself.

I love how interactive and approachable this tactic is yet you don’t feel it is trying hard to sell you something. You go up to the mirror and say ‘I’m having a bad hair day, maybe a nice hot-oil therapy should do the job, do they have hair care services, oh well yeah they do, let me just go inside the salon and check it out.’ Boom success!

It connects with their customers on a very emotional level, leaving the customer feeling rejuvenated, happy and loved, like spending time with family or a group of friends.

I feel their key brand promise should work around this , ‘We care to care about you’. You know what would be even more interesting, if they had the same message and advert for a print women’s or lifestyle magazine, with the attached mirror and maybe a complimentary sachet of one of the brand’s salon products.

At least I haven’t come across something interactive and collaborative like that.

So this is what I felt about innovative outdoor advertising like this one. Would love to know more thoughts about this.

Share your ideas.

🙂

 

P.S-2nd image credit:http://bien.ae/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1594.jpg

SHIBA RESTAURANT & BAR

Howdy guys. Hope everyone’s having an entertaining week.

Today we are going to be joining up the 2 most awesome topics, food and advertising,Yay!

This week’s ad post is about SHIBA Restaurant at The Meydan Hotel in Dubai.I came across this print advertisement in the WKND Lifestyle magazine. It was placed on the left side, a few pages further in the magazine.

The reason that this ad caught my eye, was because of its simplicity in its artwork. Through this ad, I can say SHIBAs’ brand personality is simple, fierce and bold. Making the use of the classic white text on black background , the text is precise and easy to read.

The image of the colorful food and plates and the way they are positioned, does become the focal point here. As when I look at it, immediately in my mind I can hear Kung Fu fighters and swords being swerved around in a duel.

I also remember the sequence between Master Shifu and Po in the movie Kung Fu Panda, when he trains him how to duel, while tempting him with food when all of a sudden all the dumplings are in the air. So the artwork is very imaginative, it gives the reader a slight preview to what’s in-store for them.

I like how the voice of this advert is sophisticated, straight-forward and yet so bold. This does not look like your regular Asian restaurant. The use of words ‘uniquely interactive dining experience’, tell me as a reader that SHIBA is a place to experience food rather than just eat.

The Art behind simplistic yet boldly expressive food, the experience of eating premium quality sushi in a beautiful and luxurious environment.

The location is at The Meydan Hotel, luxurious and beautiful of its kind. Thus one would expect everything in and around the vicinity to be of supreme quality.

The target audience includes guests staying at the Meydan Hotel, affluent men on their business or leisure trips, business men or women wanting to impress their international clientèle with the sophistication the place offers as well as foodies wanting to try a new experience.

The reservations contact number(call to action) is clearly placed on the bottom left corner along with the website of the hotel. Below that, the logo of the Global Hotel Alliance resonates that the hotel and the restaurant are highly respected and have credibility to their name.

I certainly believe that WKND magazine was not the best choice for a service advertisement like this one, maybe magazines such as  Grazia, Business Traveler or Emirates Man would have been more suited.

I love advertisements that communicate so much effortlessly, especially if its about food.

Enjoy . Share your ideas below would love to hear them.

🙂

AL Rawabi Beverages

Hey guys! Hope everyone’s doing great.

As usual I was flipping through some magazines and I came across this ad and it captivated me in a second!

This is the print advertisement for AL Rawabi Beverages. It was placed in the Weekend Lifestyle magazine, somewhere in the middle of the articles.

The simplicity of the copy catches your attention. I like how they have used their 2 products from their brand portfolio and created the artwork around it. The quote a picture is worth a thousand words is represented beautifully here.

The creativity in the photography is commendable, as the lid of the Nutreeboost bottle is off and the top angle shot represents the morning sun or the time for suhoor.It is also well-placed at the top left hand corner. The angle of the lid of the laban bottle has been left half-opened to represent the crescent like shape of the moon.It is placed at the bottom right hand corner representing iftar evenings.

In the middle you have the text placed in a diagonal spread, suggesting the reader to continue with their healthy lifestyle in Ramadan by using AL Rawabi’s nutritional drink in the morning for energy and a lighter more refreshing drink by the evenings, followed by a bowl of dates, a staple snack doing Ramadan.

AL Rawabi is a trusted brand name, with heritage and values to their credit, that’s why the logo itself just makes the consumer recognise and believe the products on offer. The copy directly speaks to the reader, focusing on strengthening the relationship with the long-standing brand.

With that in mind, the target audience for this particular advert is fitness junkies, health-conscious, people on the go, the ones who are trying to fast in a healthy way rather than put on the extra pounds during Ramadan and Eid. Hence, the key messages reflect the same ideology.

It is a creative advertisement with a simple concept. The imagery is the strongest point to attract the reader/customer. Maybe they could have gone for the same text but not diagonally spread across and maybe use a white background against the Suhoor drink to represent mornings, it could have a stronger impact.

Hope you guys like my review. Share your thoughts below, will be happy to learn something new.

🙂