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:
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