With the general election looming ever closer, the media is crammed full of stories discussing the wonderful world of politics. Whilst I’d be the first to admit skimming through this section in the paper to get to the sport and celeb pages, an article by Daniel Finkelstein in today’s Times caught my attention.

Finkelstein discusses the concept of the brand, using author Martin Lindstrom’s example of the curved Coca-Cola bottle as one of the most recognisable and best-loved icons, to the point that it can be considered “smashable”. If dropped on the ground, and smashed into a hundred pieces you would still be able to recognise what it is from any one of those pieces.

He goes on to explain that “consumers purchase the product as much for what it says about them, and how it makes them feel, as for what it does. The product is much more than functional; it is part of their identity.”

This idea isn’t new in itself, and I’m sure we can all bring to mind a couple of brands that, for us, fall into this category. However, the twist that took this down a new angle for me was Finkelstein’s application of the concept to the Conservative party. We’re all aware of the photos of David Cameron cycling through London and visiting local schools and we understand that public perception is crucial in the popularity polls, but surely in this case we don’t “purchase” based on how this makes us feel? Isn’t it policies on the NHS, education and taxes that decide who gets out vote?

Think again, according to research by the BBC it appears that we absorb far more about the character and broad messages of our political parties than the individual policies they promote. All the more important then that the parties remain true to their brand positioning as any deviation from this could have a bigger impact on voters than they might realise.

Just goes to demonstrate once again, the power of the brand and it’s personality over our decision making in all areas of life. Thanks @Dannythefink – I’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on the positioning of our political parties ahead of the election, whilst challenging the norm to see if one or two actual policies creep through.

By Kelly Russell on March 10th, 2010

Tags: BBC, Brand marketing, David Cameron, Default, General election, Politics, Public relations, Television

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The King of the World is dead, long live the King of the World.

You have to hand it to James Cameron: at $1.88billion in takings to date, his 3D epic Avatar is officially the biggest box office ticket of all time. And having taken only six weeks to eclipse the record set by Titanic, JC’s last feature film, this is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg.

Yes, the world and his wife (and their three children, plus extended circle of friends) have queued up at cinemas to see Avatar: whilst it’s not perhaps a film for everybody, it has nonetheless garnered some strong reviews, and, 3D effects aside, features some of the best CGI ever used in medium. The spectacle in 3D, however, elevates Avatar beyond movie to experience, drawing the audience into Cameron’s alien world of Pandora without simply resorting to the customary “oh, that was the 3D bit” camera pans. Not all 3D films can claim to do the same.

Avatar is a 3D success because the extra something this technology brings makes us believe it more, enriching the immersion and further suspending disbelief. The question is, how to monetise this on a more regular basis, as opposed to only once every 15 years, when Mr Cameron decides to take us one step beyond?

Naturally, the answer came in the form of the ever-inventive Sky, with Sky Sports’ first foray into 3D programming the live coverage of Arsenal vs Manchester United last weekend. For those lucky enough to be in one of the nine bars across the UK to feature 3D screens - well, if you’d call ‘lucky’ being reciprocally filmed by Sky Sports looking like the rejects from a Buddy Holly casting session - the experience was mixed. The customary Sky Sports graphics, player line-ups (where a sense of depth and perspective is inherent to the camera view) and wide angle shots from behind goal were suitably impressive; however, the third dimension was not the totally eye-popping revolution many were imagining.

To be fair, Sky does spoil the viewer: with up to 20 cameras tracking the game in regular Ds and lovely High Definition crispness for those willing to pay an extra tenner a month - it’s hard to say whether the final spectacle of 3D could ever match up to our expectations. It’s no massive surprise that this was basically a glorified experiment by the broadcaster - football may not be the ultimate sport to benefit from an extra dimension, versus, say boxing, rugby, or even golf - but the fanfare of such a world’s first certainly captured the public’s imagination, leaving viewers hungry, or at least peckish, for more.

Whatever the future holds for in-home 3D, it’s clear that from a sporting perspective, as James Cameron understands, the extra dimension needs to add something to our experience, to give something back, with Sunday’s experiment representing a small step in furthering Sky’s opinion on exactly how it plans to achieve this.

By Jonathan Izzard on February 2nd, 2010

Tags: Barclays Premier League, Branded content, Broadcast sponsorship, Experiential marketing, Football, Football Sponsorship, Manchester United, Media, Sport, Television, Television audiences

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The first thing I noticed on arrival at Wembley was the smell.  The second thing I noticed and the bane of my bank holiday weekend was the fact the inner workings of the stadium are a labyrinth; complete with secret doorways and lifts that lead to everywhere you don’t want to go.   Amazingly the 90,000 capacity stadium can be evacuated in twelve minutes which shows that the labyrinth design works, not only if you have a PhD in quantum physics but also in emergencies.  This was the second year the Coca-Cola Football League Play-Offs have been staged at the new stadium and as a ‘Play-Offs virgin’ I got to see what a great event it is for the first time.  193,885 fans travelling thousands of miles to watch their team try and grasp promotion in the final game of the season. 

Burnley v Sheffield United

The majority of Coca-Cola’s experiential activity this year was focused on Olympic Way; the route from the tube to the stadium.  Fans had the chance to receive a video message via Bluetooth from their team’s manager (which they could then download from Coke Zone), and also a message telling them about Coke’s other activity – the Coca-Cola Fan Cam.  At the Fan Cam marquees, fans could record a message of support for their club, the best of which were shown on the big screen at half time. To reward the fans who couldn’t make it to Wembley a Coca-Cola TV advert was created for each day of the Play-Offs.  The ads (which were shown before kick-off on Sky Sports each day), featured the relevant team’s fans describing what their clubs mean to them.   I believe this is an advertising first. 

Some fantastic goals were scored over the weekend, particularly in the League 1 game between Millwall and Scunthorpe.  The best part of the weekend was having the opportunity to walk onto the pitch at the end of each game to hand the winners their ‘We’re Going Up’ t-shirts.  After working so hard for 90 minutes in 90°F, and indeed working hard all season, it was great to see the elation on the faces of the players. 

At the end of each day it was back to the hotel and it’s extraordinary clientele – the cast of Britain’s Got Talent, whose shrieking in the hotel bar was certainly on a par with the smell of the Wembley Stadium plumbing.  Overall it was a fantastic experience, a scorching weekend and some great memories that will stay with me forever (providing I don’t spend any more time in a bar with the Football League!).

By Erica Hodges on June 2nd, 2009

Tags: Advertising, Branded content, Event management consultants, Experiential marketing, Football, Football Sponsorship, Media, Mobile, Sponsorship, Synergy, Television

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I’ve been in plenty of creative meetings recently. Creative sessions to me are brilliant: lots of enthusiasm, energy, ideas and the best thing is you can’t be wrong (often!)  One of my favourite things is how fresh and innovative they can be. However, in the last year or so, one thing always seems to come up; flash mobbing. Now I’m not opposed to it - quite the opposite if you see below - but I don’t think it works for every brand.

Hats off to T-Mobile who reignited the trend once again at Christmas.  I’m sure you’ll have read about it and seen the ad but if not take a look below:

A quite brilliant intro to the use of flash mobbing, I’m sure you’ll agree.  Now for my new favourite, one I’ve just been sent today.  This is from NY400, an initiative set up to celebrate 400 years of friendship between the Netherlands and the USA.  If you’re in a hurry skip the first 30 seconds, but well worth a watch.

Not right for everyone maybe, but definitely right for some brands and this one certainly got me thinking about going Dutch.  So next time we have a creative meeting and the ‘flash mob’ gem pops up we’ll be giving it some thought. This piece demonstrates beautifully that you can still be innovative with a concept that’s been used time and time again.

By Ben Wilkinson on April 7th, 2009

Tags: Advertising, Brand marketing, Branded content, Digital marketing, Experiential marketing, Flash mobbing, Media, Music, Television, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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Brian O’Driscoll has at last led his country to 6 Nations victory and I’m sure the party may continue for some time but I was honoured to meet Ireland’s other Grand Slam winning captain, before O’Driscoll could lay claim to that title.

In the week before Ireland won the Grand Slam in this year’s RBS 6 Nations Championship, the 6 Nations Trophy made a special visit to Dublin to capitalise on Irish interest in all things rugby as they looked nervously towards their first Grand Slam since 1948.  Arriving early on St Patrick’s Day, the Trophy started its whistle-stop tour which involved extensive coverage across the major Irish broadcasters RTE, TV3, BBC Northern Ireland and Ulster TV. 

The Trophy was also an impromptu participant in the famous St Patrick’s Day Parade with fans of all ages getting their photograph with the sought-after silverware.  In addition shots of the Trophy outside famous Dublin landmarks were secured, ranging from the Molly Malone statue to Landsdowne Road - which received strong media pick-up in both Irish and UK media.

However, after the parade was over, the sea of green and the hangovers had parted, there is one memory that will stay with me for a long time.  I was honoured to accompany the Trophy to the home of 84-year old Karl Mullen, the captain of Ireland’s last Grand Slam team in 1948.  Karl and his family were extremely welcoming and there was something special about the whole occasion.  Doing the job that we do, we are lucky to meet and work with some famous names from the world of sport and entertainment but meeting Karl was a real honour and a strangely humbling experience.  It was a pleasure to see firsthand that a passion for sport never leaves you, and that sport is a language all of its own which has the immense power to unite people from all walks of life.  There is something about Karl, his nature and his hospitality that leaves you with nothing but admiration for this absolute Irish legend.  

By Alex Coulson on March 25th, 2009

Tags: Default, Media, Public relations, Rugby, Television

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Obviously The O2 and its owners AEG think so and I hope they are right.  But what damage will be done to their reputation if Michael Jackson is a disappointment?

I, like millions of others, watched the lengthy ad on ITN at the weekend designed to stir up those of us who witnessed Michael Jackson’s finest performances and have remained fans ever since.

 It had the desired effect.  I was propelled to think about how I could get tickets to see the great man in July.

And then sense prevailed and, I’m afraid, a certain cynicism set in. 

Yes, he was fantastic.  But is he still?  Everything would suggest that he isn’t, but oh how I would love to be proved wrong.  But, imagine the disappointment if I go along to watch and he’s just not up to it.  (I had a similar secret dread about Tina Turner last week but happily she was everything she always has been and the show was simply the best).

Then my sponsorship and marketing brain got working.  Hadn’t Pepsi had an unfortunate relationship with Jackson some years back when it became an embarrassment to be associated with the performer?  Is AEG taking a similar risk?

How much must AEG have paid to get him to commit to ten performances?  Or, maybe, he’s so short of money and desperate to rekindle his fans’ spending power that AEG’s outlay wasn’t as great as I first supposed.

Will he last for 10 performances?  What insurance does AEG have if he doesn’t?  Will punters get their money back if he can’t last the pace?  Would a  fallout damage AEG’s reputation?  The questions are endless and the risks are high.

And, last but not least, my practical side took over and I was left thinking what a nightmare it must be for whoever is responsible for putting together the crisis communications plan.  Good luck to them I say. 

By Karen Earl on March 10th, 2009

Tags: ITV, Music, Public relations, Sponsorship, Television

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Hot on the heels of the announcement that ITV has asked the Government to consider plans for a three-way merger with Channel 4 and Channel 5 that would challenge the BBC’s dominance, Lastminute.com is one step ahead having already united the three in their latest advertising campaign.

Featuring thousands of people all over the world giving a thumbs-up, the ‘Mexican wave’ commercial was broadcast consecutively across the three channels between 9.50 and 9.53pm on Saturday 28th February.

Intended to promote their ‘Do more good stuff’ messaging, the commercial has been followed up with press ads and an online promotion to win tickets and holidays by guessing the number of thumbs up shown in the TV execution.

I like the fact that there is nothing over complicated about this campaign – just a simple idea, done very well. Definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

By Kelly Russell on March 3rd, 2009

Tags: Advertising, Brand marketing, Television

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In one of the most touching tributes to celebrate the life of children’s TV presenter Tony Hart, over 200 fans gathered outside London’s Tate Modern at the weekend. In recognition of Tony’s much-loved sidekick, the animated character Morph, a flash-mob of plasticene Morphs were displayed on the Southbank, drawing in large crowds throughout the day.

Hart’s legacy touched generations of children who were encouraged to paint and draw over a TV career that spanned 50 years, before his death, at the age of 83, earlier this year.

‘Morph Mob’ was a compliment to Tony’s unflappable “you can do it” approach to art and creativity. Morph was certainly capable of extraordinary feats of metamorphosis and spoke an unintelligible language that only he and Hart seemingly could understand. None of this mattered on Sunday. The event, organised on social networking website Facebook, involved members of the Hart family with Tony’s daughter, Carolyn Williams, invited to judge Best Morph in Show.

Fantastic; flash mobbing at it’s best and in true Tony Hart spirit; the doyen of DIY art.

PS. I’d love to say that Tony Hart inspired me to draw brilliantly from a young age but I have always been a rather hopeless artist and never quite made it into The (infamous) Gallery. I think I tried at least once, as did 6,000 other kids a week apparently. I had no chance.

PPS. One question and I do hope Tony will forgive me. Was Morph a man or a woman? Very difficult to tell on closer inspection…

By Stephanie Branston on March 3rd, 2009

Tags: Facebook, Flash mobbing, Television, The Arts

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Tonight Liverpool (the football club I love) are up against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, live on Sky Sports 2. Recent results for Liverpool have not been going their way; 6 draws in their last 10 games. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have won 9 of their last 10 games, scoring 10 goals in their last 2 games alone. Taking recent form into account, Real Madrid are hot favourites with the bookmakers Betfair; who show odds of 11/10 for a Real Madrid win and 100/30 for a Liverpool win. But even so, how can you bet against your own team?

As a Liverpool fan would I want Real Madrid to win tonight because I’ve placed a bet on them? I know where I stand on this. You just can’t bet against your own team if you feel as passionately as I do. And let’s face it, given Liverpool’s fantastic record of continuously getting the right results when they are up against it in the UEFA Champions League, anyone betting against them may well end up wishing they hadn’t.

By Leigh on February 25th, 2009

Tags: Football, Television, UEFA Champions League

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In a now infamous incident, during last week’s live coverage of the Everton v Liverpool FA Cup 4th round replay, ITV cut away to an ad break just before the end of extra time - with the result that while Everton were scoring the winning goal, the fans were watching…a Tic Tac ad. Oops. Cue irate viewers, ITV apology and acres of coverage. But rather more entertainingly, cue also a new Tic Tac film, with help from our friends at WCRS, which re-creates the Everton goal for the fans. TicTastic.

By Tim Crow on February 12th, 2009

Tags: Branded content, Digital marketing, FA Cup, Football, Football Sponsorship, ITV, Media, Television, Tic Tac, Viral Marketing, YouTube

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