This fantastic ambient idea for Folgers coffee could only be done in New York. Via a terrific industry website Ads of the World.

Posted by Dana Minter

No, we haven’t won a prestigious Walkley Award. However, our name is on one for posterity – as a sponsor of the Walkley Foundation, we are proud to be presenting the award in the category of “Outstanding Coverage of an Issue or Event.”

We’re looking forward to the night – however, the Walkleys provided us with a ‘sneak peak’ via their Twitter account (our name is one one of these!).

When I receive phonecalls from suppliers and potential suppliers, I often find myself bristling because they’re simply looking – pestering me – for work. I can’t wait to put the phone down, don’t remember their names, I rarely remember their services.

This got me thinking – how do you keep in touch with clients, contacts and potential clients without driving them mad? Where do you draw the line between ‘keeping your company top of mind’ and stepping over into smother mode?

This is something that I struggle with on a daily basis – “How can you communicate with clients without feeling like you’re a ‘pest’. In short, their conclusions were:

• Be relevant
• Be respectful
• Be of some value

Everyone is hungry for information – you just need a tool to pass that information on in an entertaining and non-confrontational manner.

If your company doesn’t have a newsletter or eNewsletter, there’s never been a better time to start (just don’t make the newsletter all about you). Google Alerts can provide you with useful and up-to-date tidbits that you can pass on to clients and colleagues.

If you haven’t gotten your head around Twitter, now is the time to do so. It’s a goldmine of information that you can pass on (however, you need a STRATEGY to get it right.

Most of all, remember that there’s nothing wrong with a little self-promotion. If they don’t know about you, they can’t turn to you. Just don’t turn them off with too much information.

Posted by Dana Minter

Image by BarelyFitz via Flickr (pity Gwinnett County, Georgia doesn’t have a sign proofreader)

This video speaks for itself – anyone in an advertising-related industry will squirm with recognition.

Posted by Dana Minter

The producers at the ABC have decided to pull one of “The Pitch” ads from tonight’s episode of ‘The Gruen Transfer’. The show, which features a segment where two ad agencies try to ‘Sell the Unsellable’ is, in my view, hit and miss. However, the Australian agency  apparently The Foundry went too far trying to sell ‘obesity’, using The Holocaust, Jews and Black people in their commercial.

When it was aired in the studio during taping, it apparently ‘went down like a lead balloon – no one laughed’. 

No doubt The Foundry will defend their tactics – and there will be those within and out of the industry who join in. I, however, won’t be one of them.

Most top creative directors around the world will steer their eager departments from using easy cheap shots to gain attention. Farts, poo (or any bodily fluids), stereotyping for laughs and other similar methods are often put to the CD by eager young creatives, thinking they’ve hit the attention-seeking jackpot – “nobody will forget this!” they’ll say to each other as they trot off to the present it internally (I know, I was one of them many years ago).

A good creative director will gently point out that we’re not in high school anymore (even if the product is aimed at that audience). Others won’t be so kind. And sadly, there will be a few who don’t know the difference between a clever idea and an easy target.

Over the years, there have been scores of ads that have pushed the boundaries of taste – some were just the generally accepted view at the times, others were out and out offensive. Some prod the line of taste and still get away with it. It’s subjective – everyone’s view will differ.

In today’s politically correct world, it’s great to see some buttons being pushed. I might not always agree with tv, print or radio ads that do this (today, even Twitter posts fall under this category) but that’s part of living in a democratic society.

My view is that bad taste ideas just gain attention without necessarily winning any admirers – aside from some teenage boys, perhaps. Thought-provoking creativity demands going beyond the bleeding obvious to find new ways of shaking us out of our collective complacency.

 Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind certain forms of political incorrectness, even when some people will most certainly be offended (Benetton ads of the past are a case in point – they were created specifically to spark conversations).

Back to The Gruen Transfer. Not having seen the ad yet (apparently the show will run it on their website after tonight’s episode) I can’t say whether or not I think it pushes the boundaries. All I do know is that, if no one in the audience laughed, that speaks volumes.

UPDATE:  Here’s a link to the ad, as well as a healthy debate between the creator and three Gruen panel members. It’s a long debate but very interesting nonetheless. Judge for yourself.

Posted by Dana Minter

Would you like to hear some outrageous, but true stories from the world of an advertising agency that occurred in what some might call the ‘golden days’ of the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s? 

 How about some controversial, highly opinionated pieces on the state of ad agencies today, as well as the advertising and marketing scene and where it might be heading?

 Or, would you prefer to read about some of the cutting edge trends, products or communication ideas that are being produced by ad agencies around the world?

 If any of these topics tickle your fancy, you might want to read our ‘Ad Agency Sydney’ blog.