The excitement here at DOmedia this week is contagious. Not only are we welcoming our newest team member, Jeff Bell, as company Chairman, but we were also fortunate enough to appear once more in AdAge.com! A big thank you to Advertising Age’s Andrew Hampp for helping us welcome Jeff in style.
To read the full article, click here:
“Former Microsoft Marketer Jeff Bell Named DoMedia Chairman”
Congratulations to all of the recently-named OBIE Award winners, merit winners, and finalists! This year’s participants all showed a great deal of creativity in the out-of-home space, but a few of them in particular caught my eye.
McDonald’s had a strong advertising campaign, winning two separate awards for both their “Always Fresh Coffee” and “Fresh Daily Eggs” billboards. The first of the two shown high above Time’s Square, a spout continuously pouring fresh coffee into a cup several stories below (I wonder where all the coffee goes after making its big NYC debut . . . ). The second involved a large egg that cracked open at 6:00 a.m.–when they begin serving breakfast–to reveal an over-easy egg, but closed again at 11:00 a.m. when breakfast ends. Between the two billboards, Leo Burnett Chicago took home two “Individual Execution- Traditional Billboard” awards as well as recognition for their Special F/X.
Another interesting use of out-of-home came from BBDO New York & Proximity Canada for Gillette Fusion Power, which took home the OBIE Award for “Individual Execution- Street Furniture / Transit / Alternative.” As seen in the pic below, the agencies made creative use of a zamboni by attaching a larger-than-life Gillette razor to the back of it as it swept across the ice.
One of the more interactive campaigns came from Leo Burnett Toronto for James Ready Beer who vows to try to keep their prices at $1 a beer. To do so, they needed to lower billboard costs and decided to look to their consumers for help. By offering up their billboards, consumers became “celebrities for the day” by sending in pictures to be posted on the giant signs. Underneath the images read, “Thanks ____ for keeping J.R. a Buck.” Consumers and judges alike loved the campaign, awarding them “Best of Show” and “International.” Click here to see the YouTube video.
All of this year’s award winners show that creativity and innovation in the out-of-home advertising industry are still on the rise. To find more information on the rest of this year’s OBIE Award winners, go to the OAAA website at http://www.oaaa.org/awards/obieawards.aspx.
I’m, of course, talking about Sony Ericsson’s most recent out-of-home advertising campaign (what’d you think I was talking about?). Sony’s C905 model cell phone is out to show everyone its 8.1 mega pixel camera can hang with the best of digital cameras. And to prove it, they turned an Amsterdam bus shelter into a photo opp session, complete with a C905 camera and touchscreen.
People could then strike a pose for everyone nearby, and their picture would appear on a massive screen across the street, temporarily looking down on passers-by. I can only imagine the photo gallery from something like this . . . especially in a city like Amsterdam.
As I was diligently toiling away in my office this afternoon, I overheard Brittany talking about a guy trying to get into the Guiness Book of World Records for the most advertising tattoos on one’s body. Needless to say, that’s something that will get your attention. After reading the complete article in the Anchorage Press, it turns out that Billy Gibby, aka “Billy the Billboard”, began offering up his flesh for sale about a year-and-a-half ago. GoldenPalace.com (an online casino gaming site) has the dubious honor of being the first “client,” occupying the prime real estate of Billy’s entire back. Since then, he’s added four more “placements” and is looking for others who will be willing to shell out some cash to make a permanent mark.
Now, putting my marketing hat on, I can’t help but wonder about a few key points:
So many things to consider! On the other hand, I’m thinking this definitely qualifies as advertising with the potential to really “touch” people.
KFC’s Colonel Sanders has temporarily left the world of fried chicken to instead fill in potholes. Following the recent trend of cause-marketing, the company is now helping local governments by fixing their streets. In return, KFC can market their “Fresh Tastes Best” campaign by stamping “Re-freshed by KFC” on the freshly laid pavement.
The current economic landscape provides the perfect opportunity for corporations to stand out by connecting with local communities in a meaningful, helpful way. According to Advertising Age, this trend of cause-marketing appears to be growing. For example, Charmin provided a public restroom in Times Square for the third holiday season in a row. Along the same lines, Starbucks donated about 400,000 hours of community service towards the rebuilding effort in New Orleans. And the shoe company Toms donates a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country every time a pair of their shoes is purchased.
Hopefully we’ll soon see many more marketing efforts like the one from KFC–which began in hometown Louisville, KY, and will seek out four more cities before returning to the life of chicken and mashed potatoes.
