Breast Cancer & Russian Dolls

Category: Public Service
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Client: Unknown
Headline: Breast Cancer can be hereditary.
Country: India

A totally new spin on Russian Dolls for a direct mailer done by Ogilvy & Mather. Normally Russian Dolls are considered advertising cliches because they are used to depict a lot of features in one product or to show the small size of a product or to show decrease in the value of something. This is a feature that has been used too many times. I like the fact that somebody has tried to do something fresh and interesting with the same Russian Doll.

Hard to Decide, Huh??

A cool and innovative way to showcase the kind of confusion a customer faces due to the wide range of options available at the Sunglass Hut. Brings a smile onto my face for sure.

Donors Wanted!

Category: Public Service
Agency: Duval Guillaume
Client: National Association for Organ Transplant
Headline: We don't have enough donors.
Country: Europe

This sweet and effective campaign was done by a European Agency named Duval Guillaume in Brussels. I don't know how many people in India would really get the idea behind this campaign because we are not used to the ticket or token system that is widely prevalent across Europe and the United Kingdom. This campaign shows patients waiting with tickets awaiting their turn to get an organ transpalnt just like a movie ticket or a ticket for a ride on a train or bus, etc. Somewhere down the line, the needs and wants of people are the same across the planet.

Page 3 for the Intelligentia!

Two days back, I was at the Crossword Book Sale in Bangalore and I came across a book on the making of the Economist Campaign. A lovely one I must say. It had about 400 different ads and about 1800 pages on the making of each ad, the thought process, the evolution of the Economist Brand Idea and more. And today I saw this ad. Via: Abdul Rehman

I'm amazed at the kind of dimensions a brand like the Economist can take. It reminds me about other great ideologies like the ABSOLUT Vodka Campaign, The TIME Magazine Campaign amongst several others. This ad talks about the Economist Page 3. A Page 3 for the clever, the intellectuals and the brainy.

PS: For those of you still interested, the official Page 3 is supposed to be brought out by the SUN Magazine. A bold new nude hot chick each day on Page 3. This one is for the Economist reader.

So thin, I think I love it!

Okay now this Guerilla Concept for Sony Cybershot blew my mind the minute I saw it. I don't think anything I write about can do justice to this brilliant idea. I have no clue when, where or who did this. But it's so damn simple, yet so amazing...advertising can be pure magic at times!

Ads for the entire family!

Category: Life Insurance / Services
Client: FAMILY PLAN
Agency: Unknown
Headline: At last someone thinks of the family.
Country: Unknown

I remember this campaign sweeping away loads of awards in 2002. I instantly loved the campaign for its very irreverent look at the whole point of Life Insurance. A same strategy that I see more often in Indian TVC's these days. Look at an SBI Life Insurance (old man and woman), a Kotak Mahindra TVC (money falling from trees) or many other ads and you will notice how much the Life Insurance Category has evolved over the years. These ads do the same thing in a very cool way. No wonder the Cannes, A One Show, a D&AD and a CLIO were awarded to this campaign.

Moved to e-bay!!

This is yet another great guerilla stunt done by e-bay in Belgium. They targetted stores that were empty or had just vacated their space and stuck stickers that read "Moved to e-bay". Super thought this. Brings a smile and reminds me that e-bay is an option for me to buy anything I have ever wanted in a very non obstrusive manner. Brilliant!

JEEP in the jungle!

Here's yet another great example of communication that touches the consumer in a very non advertising kind of way. This innovative guerilla stunt for JEEP was done by an agency called Contrapunto in Madrid, Spain. From the looks of the image it looks like it was done at a strategic location like a train station or something. Very cool thought. Amazinga!!

Body Bags!!

Category: Fashion
Client: Francesco Biasia
Agency: Unknown
Headline: Unknown
Country: Unknown

OK, the title was not what I meant. But look at this campaign...is this just advertising or is this that fine line where adevrtising goes much further and becomes art! I think advertising is an eclectic mix of science, commerce and art! This campaign for Francesco Biasia is stunning art, thoughtful science and pure commerce when you convince me that a product is a part of who I am and not just something that makes me who I am. Super stuff!

PS: Does someone have more details as to who and where was this campaign done??

Oslo Gay & Lesbian Festival!

Category: Public Events
Client: Oslo Gay Festival
Agency: Bates Redcell
Headline: Various
Country: Germany

Yet another German Campaign! I know that most of you must be squirming in your seats thinking what the hell was that! But well, I guess this whole Gay & Lesbian thing is more open and free-to-debate in most countries abroad. So much so, that they have ad campaigns announcing their festivals. While there might be this whole community of Gays & Lesbians in India, we still live in a hush hush environment, don't we?

Adidas Olympic Edition!

Category: Footwear/Fashion
Client: Adidas
Agency: TBWA, Berlin
Headline:Various
Country: Germany

This campaign was done before the Olympics. I love the retro feel that the campaign has. Nice art, I must say!

It's a really BIIIIIIG Burger!

Category: Fast Food/Restaurants
Client: Pow Wow Bar & Restaurant
Agency: KesselsKrammer (Assumed)
Headline: BIGGEST BURGERS IN TOWN
Country: Germany (Assumed)

This is an old campaign (2 years ago, I think!) done by KesselsKrammer, a german advertising agency run by 2 guys kessels and krammer. I have shown this campaign to lots of my friends and some of them think it's putting off while some others love it for its fantastic expressions and the whole idea of showing a big burger in such an interesting way. I like it a lot, the art just takes me by surprise and the visual is one that I shall remember for a long long time...

Indian food is extremely good!

Product: Restaurant
Client: Curry on the roof.
Agency: Mudra
Headline: None
Country: India

This is a campaign done almost many many years ago by Freddy Birdy and Naved Akthar during their stint at Mudra. I also think this campaign picked up a whole lot of National and International Awards too. I still think the idea is a fresh one! Some great ideas never seem to go out of style!

The Axe Effect in the Shower!

Product: Health / Beauty Products
Client: Axe
Agency: Unknown
Headline: New Axe Shower Gel
Country: Unknown

As usual yet another classic from Axe. A brand that knows that sex sells like nothing else does and know how to use it with stunning impact time and time again. Awesome! Absolutely Axe-cellent!

Words are all I have...

Product: Public Service
Client: The Indian Express
Agency: Mudra
Headline: Long Copy (Various)
Country: India

This is one of my most favourite campaigns. I think it was done almost ten years back by the amazing and extremely famous copy-art team of Freddy Birdy & Naved Akthar. Being a writer, it is campaigns like these that keep my confidence about a few strong words creating an impact as any great visual would create. But in this campaign the splendid black and white photographs do add their own charm in delivering the message effectively.

Sometimes words can do such magic that leaves any visual far behind. Read them and if you feel that lump in your throat and a tear forming in your eye, you'll have just discovered the power of the written word!

For those of you who are curious, Freddy & Naved have moved on from Mudra and currently run their own advertising agency called the Shop based in Delhi.

{{A Lonely Planet}}

Product: Travel / Leisure
Client: Lonely Planet
Agency: Unknown
Headline: Feel at home everywhere.
Country: Unknown

The greatest ideas are the simplest ones!

Product: Household Articles
Client: Pattex Glue
Agency: Unknown
Headline: Pattex Extreme. Glues everything.
Country: Unknown

I simply loved this campaign the moment I saw it. going back to the arguement I still think it had to be just one ad because it is a great idea and had to be a one-off. Anyways, it still is extremely simple yet absolutely effective in conveying a message. Does anybody know which agency did this campaign?

Cannes Lion for JWT & Red Cross.

Product: Philanthrophy / Public Service
Client: Red Cross
Agency: JWT, Chennai
Headline: When you give, we give.
Country: India

This ad by JWT picked up Chennai's First Gold Lion this year! Great work by Joono Simon & Charles Victor. Amazing!

An offer for Osama Bin Laden!

Product: Hair Salon
Client: Unknown
Headline: If you're too busy to come to us we'll come to you.
Agency: Unknown
Country: Unknown

I found this on a blog long ago. It's one of those ideas that I find really hard to forget. Very nice and extremely cool.

Is this really a big idea??

What is common behind all the four above ideas? Everything! I wonder how many more examples of mindlessly blowing a product into a larger-than-life size and putting it up on display somewhere should count as a big idea! Across continents many companies are trying this and it makes no sense to me.

Now if you want to really talk about what does make sense...look at the other examples below. Each of the following ideas are based on some intrinsic property of the product that has been identified and brought out in an interesting manner to grab attention. The difference is out here for you to decide...

I have more examples but there's always another time and another place! ;)