New World - Make a difference with your ideas

This is a rather cute idea - New World is inviting customers to "post" their idea to improve their local store on a virtual pinboard.  The best idea wins $5,000 (and is presumably adopted). This appeals to our desire to voice our opinions and the popular opinion listening to your customers leads to superior service. Current suggestions range from predictable to absurd (really like New World is going to give every shopper a free coffee on arrival?). My favourite is several people that have seriously requested umbrellas for walking to your car in the rain. Not that it's the worst idea but it's hardly going to win the $5K... after all it's the homepage banner page ad for the promotion! Shows the power of subliminal advertising as people seem to genuinely think it's an original idea. 

Quitline - Premature Ending

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Quitline, UK wanted to target smokers who were at risk of lapsing on their New Year’s resolutions. To catch them by surprise and and remind them why they had given up (or why they should) the above insert was placed into novels and on Kindle.  Calls to the Quitline increased steadily over the weeks following the campaign. By the end of February calls were up 235%. The media value from PR was estimated at £2million. 

Every 60 seconds on the internet

This infographic shows what occurs on/through the worldwide web every 60 seconds including:

• 168 million email messages 
• 695,000 Facebook status updates 
• 694,000 Google search queries
• 98,000 Tweets

And this is one of over 1,500 blog posts that will be posted in the next 60 seconds! 

Click to enlarge image

Cadbury Snow Globe

In the 12 days leading up to Christmas 2010 Cadbury made it snow in Auckland. The first time this has happened since 1939. This brilliant installation piece allowed 30,000 Aucklanders to experience a white Christmas - for many this was their first experience of snow.

Cadbury created a giant snow globe and added snow machines so that it would be continously "shaken". 

This is part of the Cadbury campaign "Share The Joy" - ambitous, clever and beautifully executed - hits the nail on the head. Watching this video made me happy - mission achieved Cadbury :)

The Apartment

One of my favourite watering holes in Wellington is The Apartment - modeled on a New York Loft the bar has everything you'd expect in an apartment - dining room, kitchen (bar), lounge, outdoor terrace and even a bedroom! It has all the key elements - exposed brick, steel girders, an open fireplace and a relaxed atmosphere. I'd happily transfer the whole set to my own apartment - minus the "convenience store" - a weird booth that sells gum and condoms! I struggle with the creepy experience of realising theres a bored looking person in a hole-in-the-wall on your way to the bathroom

Barbie meets the fine art greats

Mattel recently unveiled a new line of Barbie dolls at Toy Fair in New York, influenced by the fine art greats like Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt and Leonardo da Vinci. The "Fine Art Barbies" translate some of the artists' best-known work into extravagant attires. 

Pictionary Quick Draw Wins

This clever campaign by Ogilvy Malaysia won Gold at the 2011 Cannes Lions. 

Designworks & Methven - Awakening the Senses

designworks describes their positioning of New Zealand tapware brand Methven as "sensually evocative, ethereal and otherworldly". 


In creating the platform of Sensory Revolutionists designworks moved away from traditional, literal bathroom imagery. As you can see the result is a delight.

Absolut and Huffer Collaboration

  

Over the last 30 years, the leading international premium vodka brand Absolut has collaborated with an array of the world's top design and fashion icons including Andy Warhol, Tom Ford and Stella McCartney to create innovative campaigns. Now it's time for a New Zealand original, with the launch of Absolut NZ Limited Edition, a collaboration with the iconic NZ fashion label Huffer. 

Jealous much? Fisher and Paykel Display

The fact of life is that there is always someone bigger than you - in my case it's the appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel. 


As much as my staunchly competitive nature hates to admit - they set the bar pretty high with their branding.

F&P Display - 2009 Auckland Homeshow

NZ Transport - Optical Illusion Billboard

This billboard makes clever use of the black building behind it to create an optical illusion where the "arm" reaches out from a grille and claws at cars below. While I envy the execution I'm not entirely sure I understand the idea... Usually tired driving is associated with long haul driving not inner city commutes (the billboard is in a car park of a grocery store and the arm is made up of household chores - vacuum cleaner, lawn mower and random items - dog house, rugby ball, computer).  

Endemic World

My latest envy - cushions by T Double L

Te Papa - Mirror Sculptures

Mimetic Brotherhood by Peter Trevelyan is part of an ongoing project by Wellington Sculpture Trust on four large plinths outside Te Papa Museum. Every 22 months the sculptures are replaced by new works - the winning artist is given NZ$25,000 to construct their piece and the work remains in their ownership and can be sold at the end of the period.

There's something about these "blobs" (apologies for not being able to find a more suitable descriptive) that makes you want to find the "hatch" and climb in inside! Looking like four UFOs that have crash landed in unison these have a engaging mystic - as I photographed the blobs I observed a types and ages of people stopping and interacting with the pieces. Touching and staring into the mirrored segments (despite the instructions not to touch - really don't they know that makes us want to touch more?). 

Gregg's Caffe Sachets

I was sent this charming direct mail pack along with a free sample of a Gregg's Frothy Caffe Sachets. The pack links seamlessly to the TV campaign where a woman (clearly on her Kiwi OE) is practicing how to request "hot water" in Italian. When the suitably dashing waiter appears she reverts to her best Nu-Zealund (New Zealand) accent and asks in English... it's ok though because the waiter conveniently speaks English! End result, perfect frothy coffee NZ style. 

Polyvore - Living like Anna Wintour

I have just discovered Polyvore - weird name, great idea. Firstly I'm not sure how I have lived without this site, secondly I anticipate that a great amount of time will be consumed on it over the upcoming long weekend!

White Branch Jewelry Holder

Unfortunately this gorgeous wall accessory is no longer available from PB Teen via Polyvore - but like the branch bookshelf in my Top 5 Creative Bookshelves blog I'm tempted to try my hand at making this for myself. It's a long weekend so I will let you know how this project gets on!

Bird + Branch Hook, Small, Snow White (clipped to Polyvore.com)

Top 5 Creative Bookshelves I Envy

I’m a bibliophile...Sounds sinister but it’s really just geeky! A bibliophile is a book lover, usually someone who collects books. 

Diet Coke - Little Black Dress Campaign

I'm always interested in the brands are interact with consumers and provide an overall experience in line with the brand values. When done well, consumers enjoy these moments naturally, nothing feels forced. Sometimes the fit is so perfect that the brand's presence is able to enhance the consumers activities without getting in the way. To achieve this there must be a logical synergy between the brand, audience, message, medium and environment. The Little Black Dress campaign by Diet Coke is one of the best examples I've seen of getting all these elements perfectly in sync. 

Telecom Tweet Wall - Auckland Airport

As seen at Auckland Airport - this interactive banner displays tweets that hashtag #telecom wall. Fun idea for people waiting around at the airport but only seemed to serve a feel good branding exercise for Telecom (as highly doubt the value of a smart phone and tweeting on-the-go needs much advertising support).

New Icebreaker Store - Wellington Airport

Was a bit gutted when Icebreaker extended their Wellington Airport store, not because I dislike icebreaker, but because the store consumed the display space my company hired yearly. This was by far the best display space in the airport as it caught all traffic heading to and from domestic gates. But I'm sure the increased revenue from icebreaker outweighed the monthly display fee!

When Lego people get inked

No explanation is needed as this idea literally speaks for itself. I love this print ad for Pilot Extra Fine Pens, not only an eye-catching execution but the message is clear and original.

The campaign was created by Grey, Barcelona and was a winner at the 2010 Cannes Lions Awards.

Bookseller Launch - Airport Launch

This installation was used late 2010 as part of the launch of booksellers.co.nz. I love libraries, books and advertising so this hit all the right buttons for me. Pity most other people I asked hadn't noticed it - guess they weren't in Book Sellers target audience anyway!