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27 stunning visual ads for creative inspiration

August 5, 2011 By Emily Leary 3 Comments

I’ve got a weakness for really good visual advertisements – the kind that make you gasp, smile or stare in wonderment. Here are 27 of my favourite pieces of creative inspiration. Click each image to view it full size.

01. Pilot markets its fine-line pen by micro-tattooing a series of LEGO men 02. Zaini promotes it’s smooth milk chocolate with a perfectly fluid kiss 03. Coca Cola erect a ‘living billboard’ that absorbs air pollutants
04. Martor goes gory to comic effect with this billboard ad for razorblades 05. The Economist promises big ideas with a bulb that lights as you pass underneath 06. The University of Aarhus reaches out to science students with a microscopic brochure
07. Audi erects a metallic billboard where part rusts, revealing the ad over time 08. Montana Meth Project releases a striking illustration of the dangers of meth use. 09. PampaVerde uses makeup to great effect to promote the size of its Extra Big Burger
10. Pepsi leaves us in no doubt about just how light its diet soda is 11. Sony goes retro to promote the capacity of its Microvault USB memory stick 12. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino creates an unusually inviting luggage belt
13. GITAM BBDO gets noticed with spicy promotional business cards 14. Sensodyne goes minimalist with a double-take ad for toothpaste 15. A dentist launches a street campaign that’s a bit like pulling teeth
16. A Swedish horror  festival breaks from tradition to pull in the press 17. An environmental consultant puts his stamp on waste with this alternative to the business card 18. The Shoe Hospital treats footwear as patients, if this ad is to be believed
19. Amnesty launches domestic violence ad that responds to being looked at 20. A Romanian ad forces payphone users to face domestic violence 21. Stop’n Grow circulates a shopping bag that puts you right off nailbiting
22. A direct mail campaign against shark finning puts the damage in your hands 23. Alzheimer’s New Zealand creates eraser-like USB sticks to highlight memory loss 24. Superette promotes its ‘short shorts’ with a bench ad that prints right on users legs
25. Nivea makes bold claims about the power of its cellulite cream with this sofa 26. Graco uses flawless photo manipulation to promote its mattresses 27. WWF uses minimalist materials and a familiar cloud to highlight water pollution

Want more? Follow me on Posterous for daily doses of creative inspiration.

Filed Under: Featured, Marketing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shock tactics in advertising – anything goes? (The Student Perspective series)

September 13, 2010 By Emily Leary 4 Comments

This guest post from Carly Smith is part of The Student Perspective series – a set of posts contributed by future stars of the comms industry.

A couple of months back, the Charity Commission updated the guidelines on fundraising and warned charities over the risks to reputation associated with using shock tactics to encourage donations and raise awareness. After reading the article in PR Week, it got me thinking: should shock tactics be allowed? And in such a crowded market place are they effective anymore?

We’ve all seen the adverts featuring the lonely puppy tied up by the side of the road and the children living in a shanty town surrounded by rubbish, but has the time come for charities to find new methods of attracting our attention?

The majority of people know what these charities stand for so don’t need to be reminded every time they see the advert. Some people may find the content of the advert distressing and be so shocked that they disengage with the advert and the charity completely because they associate them in a negative way. There is also the argument that one of the reasons people donate money to charities is because they experience a sense of guilt, these adverts are encouraging this as individuals will look at themselves sat in their comfortable well furnished houses and feel bad. Would it not be better to try and educate donors as to how their money would benefit and show the work they have done already? This is an approach that Cancer Research UK has adopted and I feel it has been successful for them.

However is this all just further evidence of the so called ‘nanny state’ trying to shield people from what goes on in the real world? The advert represents what the charity stands for and illustrates the type of work it does. As my grandparents would say: ‘If people don’t like it then they can just turn it over.’

I do believe that when used effectively shock tactics can be a brilliant addition to a campaign as they break through advertising clutter and are likely to be remembered. In my opinion the THINK car safety campaigns use shock tactics effectively and are memorable. The main message of the advert is always remembered and sometimes I find myself quoting them saying things such as: ‘Don’t be a back seat killer!’ to my friends when they are in the back seats.

Shock tactics should be used with caution and extensive research should be done as to not offend viewers or shock anyone too much. There will always be people who prefer not to see them but that’s their choice. A balance is needed, therefore a campaign should be both informational and attention seeking.

What do you think about adverts relying on shock tactics? Is there a place for shock advertising? Would you be more likely to donate to a charity who didn’t use them or not?

Carly Smith is currently in between her 2nd and 3rd year at the University of Lincoln studying Marketing and Public Relations. She has a work placement at a local PR agency one day a week on an unpaid basis.

Filed Under: Featured, Guest posts, Marketing, The Student Perspective Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A war of words: who owns communications in 2010?

May 12, 2010 By Emily Leary 3 Comments

Whilst the roles of a PR and marketer are different at face value, there is little doubt that the two areas have considerable crossover, especially when it comes to social media.

Today, Vocus (a producer of “on-demand software for public relations management”) has circulated a white paper examining the merging roles of PR and marketing, and the debate surrounding who ‘owns’ social media.

For the white paper – ‘Blurring Lines, Turf Battles and Tweets: The Real Impact of Integrated Communications on Marketing and PR’ – Vocus surveyed 1,094 PR and marketing professionals last month about their experiences and views of ‘integrated communications’, which Vocus defines as:

“A management concept that ties all aspects of marketing communication, including, but not limited to advertising, search marketing, sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing, together to function in a unified and comprehensive fashion as opposed to functioning in isolation or silos.”

Blurred lines

The key findings suggest that the lines between PR and marketing are blurring, with 79% of marketing and PR professionals stating that they report to the same boss, and 78% reporting formal working relationships when it comes to creating a common communications strategy.

However, whilst the roles may overlap in some respects, 67% of respondents revealed that they hold cross-functional meetings only ‘sometimes’, with a further 19% stating that they held them ‘rarely’ or ‘never’.

Turf battles

The white paper also illustrates that ‘turf battles’ remain rife between marketing and PR professionals, with 33% citing that such conflicts are the single biggest barrier to creating an integrated communications strategy. Budget shortcomings were judged to be the next obstacle, with 20% of respondents highlighting this issue.

Who owns social media?

The concept of ‘turf battles’ is further developed when the debate about who ‘owns’ social media is examined. From the results of the white paper, it’s clear that there is no consensus, with 43% of PRs feeling that they should own it, and 35% of marketers saying the same for their profession. When it comes to corporate blogs, 38% of PRs feel that they should control them, whilst 24% of marketers feel that they should.

Integrated communications

Common ground was found when participants were questioned about the benefits of integrated communications and how to measure them. 48% of PRs and marketers reported that integrated communications increase the overall effectiveness of outreach programs, and that sales and ROI are the most effective ways of assessing an integrated communications strategy.

It’s debatable as to whether this paper reflects the overall experiences of the industry, but it certainly highlights a growing feeling that social media is driving a merging of marketing and PR roles. Similarly, whether this will be resolved into the ‘integrated communications strategies’ envisaged by Vocus remains to be seen, but with the level of conflict described above, it seems unlikely that it will happen any time soon.

Filed Under: Featured, Marketing, News, Public Relations Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Designs on getting some recognition for your creative talent?

October 31, 2009 By Emily Leary Leave a Comment

Modern design items

The Design, Advertising and Digital Awards 2010 are open for entries from anyone with creative, commercial work to showcase.

Established in 1962 to reward exceptional and inspirational design and advertising work, the D&ADs offer recognition across an enormous number of categories.

Awards are organised into the following areas:

  • Integrated
  • TV & Cinema Advertising
  • TV & Cinema Communications
  • Radio Advertising
  • Music Videos
  • Direct
  • Outdoor Advertising
  • Press Advertising
  • Graphic Design
  • Packaging Design
  • Magazine & Newspaper Design
  • Book Design
  • Branding
  • Product Design
  • Environmental Design
  • Digital Advertising
  • Mobile Marketing
  • Websites

A full breakdown of the list of separate categories can be found in the D&AD Awards catalogue and price guide (PDF).

Entry to each category is individually priced, and all entries must be made by Wednesday 27th January 2010. However, entries made before Wednesday 18th November 2009 will receive a 10% discount.

Visit the D&AD Awards 2010 for more information.

Filed Under: Awards, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Advertisers, have you been thinking BIG?

June 11, 2009 By Emily Leary 1 Comment

Blank billboard

Do you excel in creative excellence across any media platform? Do your campaigns stand out from the crowd in a big way?

If so, the Campaign Big Awards 2009 may be your opportunity to get some well-deserved recognition for your latest campaign.

There are twelve product categories open for entries:

  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Automotive, aerospace, marine
  • Charity, NGO, not-for-profit, public service
  • Consumer durables and furniture
  • Fashion and beauty
  • Financial, corporate and utilities
  • Government (national and local)
  • Grocery, soft drinks and household
  • Health and pharmaceutical
  • IT and technology
  • Media and entertainment
  • Sport, travel and leisure

This year, the organisers have also introduced six new categories, one for each form of media (Digital, Direct, Outdoor, Press, Radio and TV & Cinema). There is also now an integrated campaign category.

Finally, the Paul Arden Award is also available for anyone who feels that have they have pushed the boundaries of the industry in an original, unpredictable and brave manner. This award is free to enter and gives the winner an opportunity to walk away with a £1,000 book token.

The deadline for entries is Friday 19th June 2009, and the final shortlist will be announced on the 18th September 2009.

For more information on how to enter, visit The Campaign Big Awards.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: , ,

Ten UK-based marketing and PR publications

April 14, 2009 By Emily Leary Leave a Comment

IMAGE - sports newspaper pile bottom

If you’re keen to keep abreast of the latest PR and marketing developments from a UK perspective, here are ten publications that will help you do just that.

Brand Republic – Web-based publication covering online advertising, marketing, media and PR.

Marketing Week – Print publication targeted at professionals working in marketing, marketing services and media.

Marketing – A weekly print publication covering the marketing, media and advertising industries.

Revolution – Monthly magazine dedicated to digital marketing.

The Marketer – The official magazine of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, published nine times a year.

New Media Age – Weekly magazine covering developments in interactive media.

PRWeek – Weekly magazine for PR professionals, with news, analysis and features covering sectors ranging from technology to public affairs.

MAD (Media, Advertising, Design) – Online magazine aimed at professionals in marketing, media, new media, advertising and design.

Guardian Marketing and PR Online home for marketing and PR related articles published in the Guardian.

Profile Extra – An online magazine for PR practitioners, produced by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

You may also wish to take a look at this list of books that will get you acquainted with PR and marketing.

Filed Under: Marketing, Public Relations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Could your business compete on an international stage?

April 4, 2009 By Emily Leary Leave a Comment

Rowing teamwork

If you feel like pitting your business against the brightest and the best from across the globe, you should take a look at the Stevies.

The International Business Awards 2009, part of the larger ‘Stevie Awards’, are open to any business of any size in the world, whether public or private, for-profit or non-profit.

There are over 40 categories available, divided into two main groups:

  • Management, Company, Product, Department, Team, & Individual Categories
  • Advertising, Web Sites, Video & Other Media Categories

The entry deadline is 15th May at a cost of between $225 and $375 (USD) per entry, depending on the category chosen. Late entries will be accepted until 12th June, at an additional cost of $35 per entry.

For more information, visit The International Business Awards.

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: , , , ,