Off Brand.

What?

I see London, I see...

I've noticed that both Nintendo and Playstation's newest batch of ads are just targeting kids and teens. I noticed it first with the Nintendo DS ads advertising all of the brain exercising games available. This along with their ads showing grandparents swinging Wii controllers in the air is an obvious display of product use..."for the WHOLE family."

3 points for pulling in new users, giving them a reason to investigate and experience your product.


Playstation seems to be fostering an "unapologetic gamer" tribe which gives gamers not only pride in their hobby, but also permission to play their games...a lot. The VO is heard saying "us" and "will be my brother" repeatedly. This defense angle is very interesting.

Playstation isn't advertising a game, they're advertising gaming as a whole. Keep in mind what Prof. Earl Cox (Strategy Don) said about John Q. Public. "You shop with the brands you like. People aren't rational, they're emotional." So as Playstation is the brand defending gaming, they're banking cool points with John Q. 4 points for Playstation for presenting itself as the system for gamers.

A 2008 Negra

Notice the little colored boy even has an afro! "Gotta be authentic!"


I have a college degree and I'm working on my Masters. I don't care how you cut it, this ad does not speak to me, or my circle. I will not go as far as to say that this ad is racist, but it is surely uninformed.

The sad part is that I cant even berate: the shop that conceived this surface creative or the kool-aid execs that cleared the storyboard. Because at least 90% of ALL ads that call themselves targeting minorities seem to be speaking to the least intelligent of us...or maybe thats how the agencies see all of us.

We are a much more complex people than the current spots give us credit for. Advertisers need to stop being lazy when it comes to selling to black folks. Stop taking the easy way out by doing any of the following:

1. Narrarating in poetry
2. Nararriting in the first person ("We are a strong people...")
3. Only casting black women with natural hair
4. Only casting those african models to represent african-americans
5. Setting commercials outside a club
6. Setting commercials outside a church
7. Setting commercials at a cookout
8. Setting commercials at "Big Momma;s" table
9. Playing Jazz music in the background
10. Speaking in slang
11. Using the slang wrong
12. Using slang from 94'
13. Spot shows 5 people, one is black
14. Setting commercials at a sporting event
15. Never casting a black in a position of power (supervisor...OWNER?)

This is why advertising needs more diversity. Somebody that'll stand up and say, "thats not what black folks act like." I mean I don't know where these folks are getting their information from...I just pray it's not BET.

But that's a whole 'nother rant. Till then, step ya'll game up.

League of Freakin Clutch!!!

Method's League of Clutch campaign for Gatorade is brilliant.



As an armchair athlete, I watch these spots and get goosebumps. The music sets the tone and the visuals bring it home. These spots capture the notion of athletes in pure Gladiator...dom.

Motionographer blogged and spoke to the drama the spots echoed. I concur, but I applaud the grit and intensity the ads convey. When watching Eli's spot I smelled the dirt and sweat of 2-a-days. I get goosebumps when I watch cause I hear coach Anderson words of encouragment (cursing us and our family) as he motivated (high-knees) us.

Sidney Crosby's ad actually made me wanna watch hockey. I have no interest in hockey, but the spots make me care as they inform me that "every game does need a hero"...



So, here's the strategy I see Method implementing:

Remind sports fans of the moments that mattered.
The execution however seems to accomplish a few other feats though.

1. Puts the viewer in that moment. Actually bringing all the sweat, passion and intensity to life for the viewer.
2. Shows the common links between athletes. I never really been interested in basketball. I felt like they were cupcakes who cried foul anytime the wind blew in their direction. But, after seeing Kevin Garnett's spot and seeing the intensity in his face on the Jumbotron as the ad opens, I feel a point of brotherhood. "Man Respect" if you will. Sport is Sport. Intensity is Intensity and these spots foster the creation of an overarching athletes tribe.



Heck, you present the intense moments of cricket like this and you'll get my vote into the fraternity.
3. Motivate. I get goosebumps at two points when watching these ads. The first when the music comes on, the second when "Is it in you?" comes up on the screen. The spots masterfully display every facet of sport, but at the end of the day they challenge you to: Go make history, defy the odds, put the team on your back, ride till the wheels fall off, [insert catch phrase] and when you're down to zero, don't worry, Gatorade's got your back.

I wonder if the message to buy Gatorade to fuel your history making efforts gets transmitted on a subconscious level. Kind of a "History making=Gatorade" type effect.

We'll have to see if this positively affects Gatorade's bottom line. Regardless, they get 4 million cool points from Ed, and those are priceless.

ps. HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE WEBSITE?!? Most perfect consistent branding I've seen yet. Way to go Method. I'm not worthy.

It's about time!

I've been waiting on technology like this since I was a little kid. I mean, it's not 3-D television, a flying car or even a rocket pack, but I'll take it.

...until the hoverboards come out.

Magical Mac

I'm not sick of this campaign yet. Honestly, I think it's getting more clever as time passes. I get excited when I hear the music and see it's a new one.

Apple's strategy is genius. Their approach, impeccable.

Strategy: Tout Mac's superiority in an approachable way. Mac hits this nail on the head every time. Their executions are perfect. I have yet to see a Mac ad that villianizes PCs or is overtly arrogant.

I applaud the strategist and brand managers who've monitored this brand. They used humor and smart, unthreatning wit to invite the public to investigate their products. They have kept a steady stream of new Mac vs. PC ads so not to bore people by keeping the same spots running. Important to brand as Mac is constantly innovating products, it'd be off-brand if their ads were'nt doing the same.

The packaging is neat, clean and simple...for every Mac product...Just like the products. The public knows what to expect from this brand, and for that I just can't think of anything negative to say about Mac.

Professor O'Keefe taught us that every interaction with a brand is either a positive or negative deposit into the consumer's mind. Apple takes such care to make sure that these interactions are not only positive, but pleasant.

So whats more, I don't want to say anything bad about Mac.

There was Blood.

There will Be Blood is on a whole nother level. I feel like that movie is the NFL of cinema and all the other movies I've enjoyed to date were either high school ball or at best college.

I just saw the movie about three days ago, I saw all the Oscar hype and wasn't buying it. But since in my industry "I'm supposed to know what the publics talking about," I decided to cross it off the list...after seeing this film I won't wait as long next time.

Even if I wanted to get bored at points in the movie, main actor Daniel Day Lewis' performance was amazing. Halfway through the movie he already had my very important vote of approval. (It makes the world go round, ask the mayor.)

The plot was ridiculous. Issues came up at points in this film that you never saw coming. My brain never got the chance to focus on one task at hand. It was this smart complexity that puts this movie two levels above the others.

Other films I've seen try to balance several plot lines and while those movies were enjoyable, they're grasping at straws compared to this one. In those movies, it seems that all was resolved with helicopter shootours,car chases and the so important kiss at the end.

My cinematic palette's on a whole nother level now.

Thanks Daniel.