The Power of the Advert

Del Boy falling through the bar. Ross saying Rachel's name at the altar. David Brent's cringing dance in "The Office". These iconic TV moments are memorable and stay in the mind of the individual for a long time. Nonetheless, there are some advertising campaigns that can do the exact same thing, you don't forget them and you can always link their product to "that" advert. These are the best adverts and often these take several pathways. Firstly, humour is a fantastic way to interact with potential customers, everyone likes to laugh and if you have an advert that has the ability to do that, it stays with you, it can be watched again and again. Secondly, grasping a completely different and visually aesthetic advert can be useful, this may mean spending lots of money on clever graphics, large sets or well known celebrities. This arguably creates  a mini "blockbuster" of a commercial, that is beautifully shot but also very clever, an advert that the audience cannot take their eyes off. Thirdly, there is the notion of a gimmick, often an annoying catchphrase or character that may grate on its audience but they do remember it. For example, " Calm down dear, it's only a commercial" and " Compare the Meerkat" are remembered due to their gimmicky nature.  Finally, I'd suggest a narrative, an actual story can also grab and audience's attention, they want to know what is going to happen next in the adverts, including the product and leaving them on a cliffhanger, waiting for the next advert. I've compiled a list of some of the best adverts I've seen, some funny, some clever but all memorable.


1. Virgin Trains- Return of the Trains
This advert was wonderfully shot with Virgin trains zooming through the countryside. Created by  Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, this advert showcased cinema's relationship with trains. Clever graphics showed the Railway children racing towards a Virgin Train, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis from "Some Like it Hot" walking along the platform and Cary Grant sitting a train table, take from Hitchcock's "North By Northwest". This advert is different, it is very clever, like a classic film with an accompanying score, combining the magic of the movies and the "excitement" of the train.


2. John Smith's Bitter- No Nonsense
Including a celebrity in a company's advert can often be a great tool in appealing to an audience but including a funny celebrity can be even better. People like to laugh. TBWA created the hilarious "No Nonsense" John Smith adverts and pulled off a masterstroke in employing comedian, Peter Kay. His cheeky Northern humour worked fantastically, whether he was bombing into a pool or having a kick about in the park, these adverts were remembered because they were funny and complimented the tagline "No nonsense" brilliantly.



3. John Lewis- "Always a woman"
John Lewis adverts get the nation talking. Their Christmas 2011 advert was incredibly popular, with a cute little boy excited to give his parents their presents. Nonetheless, I wish to focus on the 2010 advert in which the story of a woman's life is followed from her as a toddler to a Grandma created by the Adam and Eve Group. This advert was very clever as it included a narrative of whole woman's life in less than two minutes, women could thus relate to each stage of the life course. A mother, a grandma and student for example. This episode is also effective due to Fyfe Dangerfield's reworking of Billy Joel's "She's always a woman", it relates to the story and has gentle but catchy melody. Whilst these adverts are costly, they certainly grab the attention of its intended audience.




4. Aldi- "I don't like tea"
Touted as the most popular ad of 2011, the Aldi Tea commercial is very simple but very funny. Created by McMann Manchester, this involves a elderly lady comparing teabags that her husband enjoys, she simply says "I don't like tea" and from behind one of the teabag boxes grabs a drink and says "I like gin". This advert whilst promoting Aldi's value products, which appear cheaper and taste the same, also adds a humorous aspect that surprises the viewer, who don't expect an elderly woman to act in this way. The lady in the advert wasn't even an actress but her comic timing works wonderfully, and ensures the advert is easy to watch over and over again.


5. T-mobile- Flashmob
This advert is simply fun. Saatchi and Saatchi developed this advert to take place in Liverpool Street station at a time where flash mobbing wasn't particularly well known. Without being too cheesy, this advert made you want to be there, either watching or taking part. Its unique and fun angle makes it memorable, making one associate T-mobile with the different, exciting flashmob.


6.  BT- Jane and Adam
BT's Jane and Adam adverts exemplify the clever use of narratives in advertising. Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO created a family one could relate to but left the audience wanting more. They want to know what happen's next. Will they, won't they? This is a device used before, for instance, NesCafe's "Gold Blend" couple. Almost like a soap opera, viewers eagerly await the next chapter and thus always remember the product. Viewers were even asked to vote on the outcome of their relationship, showing further interaction with customers. 


7. Compare the Market.com- "Compare the Meerkat"
I actually find the compare the market adverts incredibly annoying, with Aleksandr the Meerkat being the culprit. Nonetheless, the country seems to have gone meerkat mad since these adverts were created by VCCP, apparently the brainchild of two creatives who were drunk in a pub. This advertising campaign is the epitome of the gimmick but people remember it, they like seeing a Meerkat with a Russian accent wearing a smoking jacket. The success of the adverts is illustrated in the compare the meerkat merchandise range, including a book and soft toys. Compare the market with its clever wordplay will always be associated with the popular meerkat, despite being irritating to some.



8. Skoda "My Favourite Things"
This advert was relatively simple but at the same time brilliantly clever. Created by Fallon, the advert involved making the product, a Skoda car, completely out of cake. Whilst looking very tasty it was also different and unique. I cannot remember an advert like it and the song, "My Favourite Things" being played in the advert gave it an upbeat feel, it starts in a kitchen, so one my assume it is about food but as the advert progresse the viewer wants to see what they are making. The end result, a cake car.



9. Sony Bravia- "Bouncing Balls"
José González's song, "Heartbeats" provided the perfect melody for the bouncing balls on the streets of San Francisco. Created by Fallon again, this was a beautifully directed and shot commercial, mesmerising to watch thousands of bouncing balls hit the streets. The colours of each ball provided provided a exciting and vibrant spectacular, with no CGI used, just 250,000 bouncy balls.




10. Specsavers- "That's not the steam room"
Specsavers lends itself brilliantly to funny adverts due to its well known slogan, "You should have gone to Specsavers". The 2011 advert with Gordon Ramsay is a prime example of using humour to entice the audience to watch. Like John Smith, Specsavers own in-house team opted for the big name celebrity, set in a steamy kitchen, they opted for Gordon Ramsay. The advert shows a man walking into a steamy room thinking it is steam room and sitting on the counter but it is actually Gordon Ramsay's kitchen. It's funny, simple and most important, memorable.


I hope this selection has provided a diverse range of adverts, showing how they can make you laugh, be almost cinematic in quality but at times also be annoying. They key to adverts: make them memorable.


I'm also a big fan of Volkswagen's "See film differently" campaign, in which they support independent cinemas, so here's one more that is solely shown in cinemas:

It's the way I tell em'...

Last week saw the sad news that the comedian, Frank Carson had passed away. No doubt a legendary comic, remembered for his tagline "It's the way I tell 'em". In response to this I watched debate on the BBC with Nicholas Parsons and Iain Lee, discussing how comedy has changed over the last fifty years and what is acceptable humour today. Comics such as Frankie Boyle and Jimmy Carr are so often in the news regarding jokes of "bad taste". This led me to think, how many jokes today are clean and I am of the opinion that not all jokes need to be vulgar or crude to make people laugh.  Here are some one liners that aren't overly offensive but at the same time can bring about belly laughs: 

1. Tim Vine- "Crime in multi-storey car parks. That is wrong on so many different levels."
2. Stewart Francis- "Standing in the Park I wondered why a frisbee looks larger the closer it gets...then it hit me"
3. Milton Jones- "When my grandfather became ill, my grandmother greased his back. After that, he went downhill very quickly" 
4. Tommy Cooper- "I slept like a log last night. I woke up in the fireplace."
5. Lee Mack- "I used to be a freelance journalist, but I was crap. Lance is still in prison."
6. Les Dawson- "She was the flabbiest stripper I've ever seen. When she ran off the stage she started her own applause."
7. Jimmy Carr-  "I may be middle-class, but I’m hard. Al dente, you might say."

The Relegation Dogfight- Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan

“It will be the end of the world”, these words issued by Ian Holloway regarding possible relegation, perhaps a bit dramatic? Not to a football fan. Relegation is a word that strikes fear into football clubs and their fans across the land. Nonetheless, the relegation dogfight can often be far more entertaining and nail-biting than the fight for the Title. The North West of England is teeming with football teams whose fans live for football. Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic are small town teams hovering over the trapdoor that is Premier League relegation. Three teams that have shown to be consistently inconsistent, stuck with the same manager for the whole season and belong to a pack of five teams, of which three could face the dreaded drop. Would you be sad to see these teams leave the Premier League?

Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers have a phenomenal history within football, both belonging to the group of football league founders. They were there when the football league began and simply look at what that has turned into. Nevertheless, that is how football works, teams get relegated and have the chance to gain promotion the following season. Whether this chance is taken is another matter. Clubs such as Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City have plummeted into the doldrums of the football league, demonstrating it’s not always easy to get back into the top flight. Only time will tell whether Blackburn, Wigan or Bolton will follow this dreaded route or do they have that “bouncebackability” to return to premier league in the next couple of years.

Wigan

Manager: Roberto Martinez

Stadium: DW Stadium

Average Crowd: 17,582

Promoted to Premier League: 2005

Wigan Athletic often gets criticised for its low attendances and many not being a “Big Club”, so thus some may say that they wouldn’t be missed if they were to be relegated. Wigan, like Blackburn and Bolton are located in an area rich with sports teams and thus it is difficult to attract as many fans. Additionally, Wigan is very much a Rugby League town, with the Warriors sharing the DW Stadium. Wigan came into the Premier League in 2005 and have always been one of those clubs flirting with relegation but never actually falling through the trap door. Martinez tries to get his team to play passing, flowing football but that isn’t always the best way to win games. Sam Allardyce is a key example in this, his teams were not pretty to watch but they got results. That’s what matters, this is a results business. Many fans would argue Wigan’s attempt to play “nice” football is needed in the Premier League and thus it would be a shame to go down. The owner Dave Whelan, is also one of the good guys in football, traditional and one to stick by his manager. So whilst their crowds may not be great, they do try to play nice football but looking at the table and fixtures ahead, their time in the Premier League could be coming to an end.

Wigan

Manager: Owen Coyle

Stadium: Reebok Stadium

Average Crowd: 23,532

Promoted to Premier League: 2001

Bolton’s best years were under Sam Allardyce when they even managed to qualify for Europe but since then they’ve never been able to capture that form and are perilously close to relegation. Many fans were glad to see the back of Gary Megson and hailed the arrival of Owen Coyle but this season hasn’t gone according to plan. Coyle is another manager who attempts to play “nice” attacking football but his team has been dogged by injuries. The absence of players, such as Stuart Holden has clearly impacted on results and they have conceded a whopping 54 goals. When they win a game, pundits expect a mini revival, but the following week they’ll lose again. They’ve lost more games than anyone else in the league and have not been above 16^th since the first game. Surely, a team that displays statistics such as this deserves to be relegated. Other teams have had injuries as well, look no further than Blackburn, but if other teams around them in the table continue to play badly, Bolton have a great chance of staying up.

Blackburn

Manager: Steve Kean

Stadium: Ewood Park

Average Crowd: 22,172

Promoted to Premier League: 2001

Blackburn Rovers epitomises a club in turmoil. Fans have every right to be furious with what has happened in the past year. Venkys, the chicken farmers, bought Blackburn promising fancy players such as David Beckham and Ronaldinho and pledged Champions League football. Instead Venky’s have stripped and ripped to shreds what many have argued was the one of the best run clubs in football. They sacked Sam Allardyce as they didn’t like his style of play, despite the fact that Rovers were sat in 13^th and he could guarantee Premier League football. They brought in Steve Kean, the first team coach and failed assistant manager. That makes sense doesn’t it? Respected key figures in the club have left, such as Chief Executive, John Williams and managing director Tom Finn, and have yet to be replaced. Kean took Blackburn into a relegation dogfight and only stayed up, as other clubs were not as good. Key players were sold and replaced with players who have hardly, if ever played for the team. These include Bruno Ribeiro, whom Steve Kean compared to Dennis Irwin, but hasn’t ever played a game and David Goodwillie, according to Steve Kean, the next Wayne Rooney.  
Kean told fans to judge him at the end of the summer transfer window, suggested there was no chance of relegation and stated that it was only one per cent of fans that didn’t back him. Statements like this have clearly riled supporters even more, he’s made false promises and caused divides on the terraces. In recent weeks it has been suggested Blackburn also have money problems, coupled with the threat of relegation, the future looks bleak for Rovers fans. Their best player, Chris Samba, has just left for Russia, they’ve not had a clean sheet since April and the owners are chicken farmers, who don’t seem to understand football. Many would be glad to see this badly run club go down but think about the fans. A club ripped apart in the space of a year.

And the winner is...

I watching the Review Show on the BBC the other day, on which they were discussing those films nominated for Academy Awards. There was a consensus among the panel that the Best Film list was rather weak and in fact 2011 hadn't been the best year for films. Personally, I don't agree with this, for me it provided an eclectic mix of comedy, drama and thrillers. If a movie isn't nominated for numerous awards it doesn't mean it is a bad film, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

The Artist

This film really does stand out, making 2011 the year the silent movie came back and charmed us all. At first I was incredibly hesitant to go, sitting for such a long time in silence and wondering how it could keep my attention.  However, it was miles better than I could have ever imagined. Not once was I bored or looked at my watch. The actors were phenomenal, to show the emotion and keep the interest of the audience throughout the whole film was unbelievable. Jean Dujardin was certainly a worthy winner in the best actor category, and his sidekick Uggie the dog provided the perfect and cutest companion. The film had the ability to make one laugh and cry but was also beautifully shot, captivating 1920's and 1930's Hollywood perfectly. The score was also perfect but it needed to be in a film when the actors didn't speak, I felt like I was transported back to Hollywood's golden era. I'm not going to complain that it won the Academy Award for Best Film because it deserved to. It was silent but captivating. It was funny but sad. It was different.

The Help

It was the middle of August, I was in the USA and fancied going to the cinema. What was on? Well not a lot that interested me, however during my travels earlier in the summer in Cambodia my friend recommended reading "The Help". I saw that they had adapted the book into a movie so we took a chance a booked some tickets. I had no idea what it was about, who was in it and whether I'd like it. Personally, this is the best film I've ever "accidentally" seen. I am a huge fan of the stories of the Deep South, so was immediately grabbed, Jackson Mississippi was captured wonderfully and at the same time it was scary to think that it wasn't that long ago. No film has made me flit between laughter and tears than this. A member of the BBC's review show suggested that this film was slow paced but I feel this captures the drudgery of the hot, sticky Mississipi environment. Life moves at slow place, the black maid's relentlessly helping white owners. The film was about courage and friendship, all of it in abundance. For those who don't know the film, it is about a white local journalist (Skeeter Pheelan), and two Black maids (Aibileen and Minny), whom attempt to create a book documenting the experiences of the black help and their relationship to their white employers. A horrible time in American history but also empowering at the same time, seeing people standing up for equality.

 Emma Stone's performance of Skeeter, showed a woman with a passion for equality, and this juxtaposed next to the poisonous character of Hilly Holbrook, really allowed one to see the difference between right and wrong. 

Nonetheless, it was the performances of Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny, that provided the film with its greatest moments. These two women captured the fear of being caught but also the courage to make a difference. One scene that really sticks out in my mind is when Minny takes Aibileen to church and as they both walk in everyone starts clapping them. Aibileen claps with them and asks "Who are we clapping for? ", Minny replies "We are clapping for you". This was a definite goosebumps moment. Although I have not seen Meryl Streep's performance in "The Iron Lady", I certainly feel Viola Davis' portrayal of Aibileen would have been a worthy Best Actress winner. Her co-star Octavia Davis thoroughly deserved her award though, adding a fantastic humour to the film, both with her deliverance of what she says but also through her facial expressions.

I enjoyed this film so much, I went to see it at the cinema twice. It yet again didn't disappoint. I then read the book, that also didn't disappoint. So often films that have been adapted from novels fall so short. Nonetheless, I feel the adaption of Kathryn Stockett's brilliant book worked extremely well and cannot wait for the 18th March when the DVD is released. This film can appeal to everyone, it is full of laughter and tears, has the ability to educate on history and morals. If you haven't seen it, do. It's hard not to like.

Randy Newman

Hugely underrated. A living legend. Randy Newman. Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Randy Newman at the Sage in Gateshead. He is simply a songwriting genius. To many he is known for his Disney songs, "You've got a friend in me", the Oscar winning "If I didn't have you" and "We Belong Together"but there is so much more to his extensive catalogue.

"You Can Leave Your Hat On", "Feels Like Home" and "Mama Told Me Not to Come" were all written by Newman and have arguably become more famous by other artists. Nonetheless, Newman sings his fantastic and often humorous songs in a way only he could. To many, Newman's voice may not be the most melodic but that is often what makes his music so individual and charming. Bob Dylan is very similar, their voices are often nasally and gruff but it is this uniqueness that makes them memorable. They don't have a vocal range, like Mariah Carey or Elton John but it's this difference that makes Newman and Dylan stand out.

Newman has a wonderful capability to tell stories through his music but is often know for his satirical outlook in which he sings from the point of view of another person. For example, "Political Science" is sung from the view of an American Nationalist and the infamous "Short People" is sung by a someone who hates short people. His song "Louisiana 1927"became an anthem for the floods that engulfed New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

Chat with audience was prevalent throughout the night, remarking on events such as the Brit awards and his family. This made the concert far more personal and he clearly appreciated the audience being there, something artists often don't always do. Not only did he sing 37 songs but he spoke and engaged with audience.

Nominated for 20 Academy Awards, Newman is firmly in a group of songwriting legends, Bob Dylan said in a interview about Newman, "Not that many people in Randy's class". A voice full of dry wit but at times sorrow with ability to write masterpieces or add a stunning score to a movie. Newman is an underrated singer, songwriter and most definitely a legend of music.