Mother Earth Uses Taxi Sampling For Product Launch

Overseas it is commonplace for cabs to have small TVs installed to play advertising on a loop. However in New Zealand taxi advertising hasn't reached that level... yet. Cabs frequently have advertising signage on the outside but this was the first example I had seen inside the car. 

The signage caught my eye poorly due to it's novelty factor. What was really clever was that the cab the driver also offered me a product sample. Having just jumped off an early morning flight and having skipped breakfast I was actually pretty pleased to accept it. If I hadn't seen the advertising my reaction may have differed. Accepting food from strangers isn't something I make a habit of. What's even better was the sample tasted great and I'm planning to purchase as a result. Honestly, I wouldn't have looked twice at the product on the supermarket shelf. 

The targeting of time poor business travellers during the morning was spot on. Well done Mother Earth! 

Auckland Airport Through Ad Geek Eyes

For most people an airport consists of check in, security, gates and planes. However, this is a couple of snaps of a recent trip through Auckland Airport. The opportunity to market to higher income business people seems to inspire more creative advertising. Advertising is often the only part of an airport that changes regularly so brands can make an impact by interrupting the familiar landscape of frequent travellers. 

The following brands have done a great job by ulitising unconventional spaces for their advertising messages. Auckland Airport is doing a great job of working with brands and maximising the possibilities for advertising space to be sold. 

Do you have any unusual places you find advertising inspiration? I would love to hear them! 

BMW - X5 4WD  

This image is from BMW New Zealand's Facebook page as it's far better than the distance shot I took

Click read more for other photos.

Digital Billboard Interacts with Passing Planes

Installed in London's Piccadilly Circus this digital billboard by British Airways interacts with passing planes. According to British Airways it is designed to remind us how magical flying is from the perspective of children.  

According to The Drum the billboard uses "custom-built surveillance technology" to track incoming BA aircraft, prompting the screen to display a child pointing directly at the plane as it passes overhead. The text reveals the flight number and origin/destination, along with a custom message, such as the lowest fare for that route or the current weather where that plane is headed. 

“This is a first, not just for British Airways but for UK advertising. We all know from conversations with friends and family that we wonder where the planes are going and dream of an amazing holiday or warm destination. The clever technology allows this advert to engage people there and then and answer that question for them. 

We hope it will create a real ‘wow’ and people will be reminded how amazing flying is and how accessible the world can be.” 

~ Abigail Comber, British Airways’ Head of Marketing

It's a clever combination of technology and advertising that creates a sense of amazement and wonder. 

Do you think this is the future of billboard advertising or a one off success? 

Should movies and advertising really mix?

We've become familiar with brands slipping product placements into movies, mixing brand names into our favourite characters lives. When done in a subtle and logical way we're usually accepting of this practice. Lately I'ved a new trend that leaves me wondering how close should entertainment and advertising mix. Both Anchorman 2 and Super Returns have partnered with brands to release advertising campaign which also act as movie trailers. 

Essentially these are ads for movies inside ads for products. I'm assuming it allows movie promoters to push their new releases at a reduced cost - but could this negatively affect a movie release? Do you risk your audience tiring of your lead character before the movie even hits cinemas? And does your opinion of that character change when they become associated with a brand?

How the movie name or characters are used will determine the resulting impact. While I think the following adverts work well, the approach should be used sparely by promoters. It won't always work. And it may just alienate your audience.  

Take a look at these examples and then leave a comment letting me know if you are more or less likely to watch these movies? 

1. Ron Burgundy Sells Cars 




See more Ron Sells Cars Ads on the Dodge Youtube channel.

2. Superman Returns for Carls Jr  



Thankfully Carl Jr choose to have Superman as a background character rather than actually holding a burger! Maybe the promoters knew that would be a step too far.

How did these ads affect your desire to see Anchorman 2 and Superman Returns?

Make Me Famous! Attention Grabbing Personal Marketing

There's something about humans that makes us love seeing our own names in print. It makes us feel special. Noticed and appreciated. 

My attention was grabbed by NZ Marketing's personalised cover:   

Here's some other examples:  

1. Nutella Personalised Jar Labels 

A Facebook app allowed Nutella fans in Belgium to personalised their jar labels. A limited number were available each day and they went quick. The promotion was extended due to the begging of Facebook fans. People were encouraged to share photos of their jars on Instagram also - I particularly liked this version: 

Similarly Coke has also released named bottles and cans in several countries:

2. Westfield Valentine's Day Billboards 

This competition to have your Valentine's message made into a billboard resulted in two marriage proposals but I thought this was the best winner:

3. Porsche "Closer than you think" Campaign 

A Toronto Porsche dealership came up a brilliant direct mail concept. While it's not exactly "named" it's certainly personal marketing. They parked a new Porsche outside affluent homes and took a photo then left a flyer saying "It's closer than you think". Resulting in a 32% response rate - even if this is a little creepy it was effective! 

Photo source: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/great-direct-mail-piece-puts-porsche-your-driveway-142230 

The Nike ad that's not for Nike

At first, I was certain this was a Nike campaign. High production values, beautiful slow moment capture and an intriguing script. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually for retailer Rebel Sports (on second watch I spotted the Puma and Adidas clothing). It's quite a departure from the usual weekend sale ads and good to see them layering with a brand building campaign.   

Have a watch and let me know what you think of the new direction, you might even learn a bit about sprinting. I did. 

Fly Buys Billboard Surprises and Delights

Fly Buys have installed an interactive billboard at Wellington Airport that truly delivers on their brand position "Everytime you swipe, something a little bit good happens". It was great fun watching the genuine surprise and delight as people swiped their Fly Buys card to dispense a blue gumball. The concept captured the attention and imagination of adults and children alike and I'm sure will improve the brand perception for anyone who interacts with it. 

The billboard is an evolution to one that appeared the same time last year which was covered in lollipops. I like that they have added the need to swipe your card which brings the concept back to the brand proposition. 

A similar billboard also appeared in Britomart in Auckland this month and humorously dispensed Jaffas.

And while we're on the subject of Fly Buys I'm also loving their Dream Machine Kombi which is currently touring the country. 

Here's a quick video of the Dream Machine in action - spreading delight across New Zealand. 

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