Viral and experiential is usually a waste of time.
I believe it usually is. You know why?
Agencies come up with such brilliant ideas - amazing ones - that have absolutely nothing to do with the product they have been charged with trying to help sell. Ask most consumers about a famous viral campaign - such as subservient chicken - then ask "what brand is this for?" Prepare to see a confused look and scratching of head.
I believe many brands are so desperate to "catch up," trying to be "innovative," or trying to be "cool," they forget the fundamentals - such as 1.) making a great product 2.) strengthening their visual communications. They throw good money after bad in a desperate attempt to gain marketshare - and agencies makes a lot of money selling them shit they really don't need (yay) like an iPhone application, or a flash-on-steroids "experiential" website.
This also pertains to television spots that have absolutely nothing to do with the product. For instance, the new Blackberry campaign "All you Need is Love." Lovely spots, really, but why do we need love? For a blackberry? To learn to dance in the London subway? This is not even a good borrowed interest spot like the U2 piece. These will not make Blackberry cool. Ever. Blackberry should use this money for innovative product design and branding. Then hire MAMUS to make a great spot. And great ads. Anyway, using U2 in a spot will not make it cooler than an iPhone. Lipstick/Pig.
The truth is - life is experiential enough, I don't really give a damn about the experience you are trying to give me. Many of these sites appeal to 15 year olds that have no money anyway. What gives?
Interrogate whether your brand needs some of these things. Your brand might. But most likely, you are shooting in the dark. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your brand's budget. And fire your agency if they try to upsell you on worthless shit that won't help you move product.
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Agencies come up with such brilliant ideas - amazing ones - that have absolutely nothing to do with the product they have been charged with trying to help sell. Ask most consumers about a famous viral campaign - such as subservient chicken - then ask "what brand is this for?" Prepare to see a confused look and scratching of head.
I believe many brands are so desperate to "catch up," trying to be "innovative," or trying to be "cool," they forget the fundamentals - such as 1.) making a great product 2.) strengthening their visual communications. They throw good money after bad in a desperate attempt to gain marketshare - and agencies makes a lot of money selling them shit they really don't need (yay) like an iPhone application, or a flash-on-steroids "experiential" website.
This also pertains to television spots that have absolutely nothing to do with the product. For instance, the new Blackberry campaign "All you Need is Love." Lovely spots, really, but why do we need love? For a blackberry? To learn to dance in the London subway? This is not even a good borrowed interest spot like the U2 piece. These will not make Blackberry cool. Ever. Blackberry should use this money for innovative product design and branding. Then hire MAMUS to make a great spot. And great ads. Anyway, using U2 in a spot will not make it cooler than an iPhone. Lipstick/Pig.
The truth is - life is experiential enough, I don't really give a damn about the experience you are trying to give me. Many of these sites appeal to 15 year olds that have no money anyway. What gives?
Interrogate whether your brand needs some of these things. Your brand might. But most likely, you are shooting in the dark. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your brand's budget. And fire your agency if they try to upsell you on worthless shit that won't help you move product.
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- FILA is back. We won the pitch for a new product launch. Print/collateral/in-store/broadcast
New York - New brand launch from Andrew Marc himself. Identity, positioning, tagging, print, etc.
New York - Canadian Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Web, positioning. With Alloy North America.
Toronto - AlixPartners. Visual repositioning. With SarkissianMason.
New York - G2 (division of Grey worldwide)global web redesign and visual respositioning.
New York - JAKE PAULSEN apparel graphics design and brand development.
New York. - Rebranding and repositioning for Black Knight Canada - the world's premiere squash and badminton company.
Montréal - New ICON CJ3B brand development.
Los Angeles - New identity for 3 Chapeaux Numériques.
Montréal - Macdonald Media - an amazing OOH agency, rebrand.
New York - Turpin Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer and Cure. Brand development.
New York - Venuiti rebranding.
Toronto - AdvertisingArts web redesign.
New York - New advertising and positioning for Cancer Center of Sarasota for Dr. Mamus.
Sarasota - Now a Board Member, Turpin Foundation and MedicalRecords.com.
New York - Updated agency book coming in June 2010: ACTA NON VERBA. 308 pages, hardcover.
