Know your limits

At this time of year, it’s not unusual to see plenty of people full of Christmas Cheer, it’s also not unusual to see people full of alcohol either and that’s where the trouble tends to start.

We see messages all year warning us about binge drinking, but during the festive period those messages seem to be even more prominent, and with good reason. With all the parties on the lead up to Christmas and the parties in between Christmas and new year, many a drinker goes a bit over the score, either passing out in a stupor in their own beds or, if they aren’t so lucky ending up in the nearest A & E department or police station.

It’s nice then to see the adverts promoting a healthy attitude to drinking out where revellers will actually see them – on taxi doors. Although only on London cabs (I think), it would be good to see the idea roll out to other parts of the UK next year, certainly all the big cities.

Nice work from CST, London.

Ho, ho, ho - Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from all at AME Marketing!

We're all very excited at Santa's imminent arrival.

Hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow and the man in red and white is good to you all!

Just in case it does rain...

If you are still looking for presents for Christmas, never fear, I've found the perfect product for you - especially if the intended recipient is living in Scotland!

Found through Angus, via SwissMiss, via Zinc Details - an umbrella stand with a difference.

OK, granted, at $155 there are cheaper options on offer, and probably you wouldn't manage to get it before the 25th - but if you happen to have a natural sponge lying around and some metal and a blow-torch you could knock one up for yourself.

Love it!

Never mind the Christmas Parades...

Don't get me wrong, I'm full of the Christmas cheer and love nothing better than seeing Santa at this time of year, but coming across this parade on brand dna, I find myself hankering after this type of parade instead...

Classic

Stan's blog also alerted me to the reading level of the blog - apparently ours is Junior High level - which for us in the UK translates as a reading age of 8-12 (? - I think). Not too bad I suppose, better than the tabloids at least...

I'm dreaming of a non-raining Christmas...

Well, today's post has nothing to do with marketing, or maybe it does slightly now that I come to think of the movie that was attached to this...

But anyway, having put up our Christmas tree in the office yesterday and after a day of stoating rain I fancied a little Christmas cheer. And I can think of no better song than White Christmas to get anyone of any age feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Absolute Christmas gold!

Another idea for Christmas...

For those of you looking for a present for the less marketing inclined, but still want to give a present that could make a difference this Christmas, Oxfam may well have the answer (Can you tell I started my Christmas shopping this week?).

Just came across their great new ad for ‘Oxfam unwrapped’ on Talent Imitates, which put a little smile on my face on a dark winter afternoon.


So, how does it work? Well, instead of giving your loved ones useless presents they neither like nor want, you can choose a gift from Oxfam Unwrapped, from a variety of price ranges, your loved one will receive a gift card and fridge magnet and Oxfam will use the donation you’ve made on their behalf to help in the fight against poverty. Not a new concept I know, but their use of humour instead of near emotional blackmail puts a whole new spin on it and really makes the campaign stand apart.

OK, so this sort of present isn’t for everyone, but it does give an idea for that someone you know who seems to have everything, especially if that everything includes a big heart.

And if you want a few more laughs, you can see the out-takes from the advert below. Have a good weekend!

Shadows

Well Halloween is out of the way, so that means it must be time for the Christmas campaigns to start in ernest, right? And so, John Lewis began their Christmas campaign on November 5th, their largest to date, with their ad break ‘Shadows’.

Featuring a team of people arranging John Lewis products in an empty room in front of a spotlight, the objects slowly build to form the shadow of an elegant woman and her dog. I really like it when advertising is clever like this. It makes you wonder, ‘How did they work out what to use to make the shadow?’ and ‘How did they work out where to place the objects?’

What I like even more about it, especially at this time of year, is the fact that it is not overtly Christmassy; I really can’t handle too many Santas and tons of snow when I’ve not even begun to start buying gifts. This advert instead acts as a gentle reminder instead of throwing Christmas down your throat. Which for me is perfect.

And I’m not proclaiming the advert to be the best thing I’ve ever seen, but I do like it and I think you will too.

Advertising outdoors

Apparently...

And, judging by many of the headline grabbing billboards through the years (also of course my own personal experience as a consumer) I’d say it tends to be true.

But, if you want to do something outdoors but don’t want to use a billboard, what other options have you got? Well, it seems nowadays that the possibilities are endless. And yet another addition to the list has been added by Street Advertising Services. Providing what they call ‘pavement art’, the company use high water pressure and steam to create an advert on dirty pavements and their staff even wear the aluminium framed signs used to stencil on the design as they make their way around the streets. So, it’s two for the price of one when it comes to exposure for your brand.

Even better about this new medium of advertising, it doesn’t use any chemicals to make the advert and so is kind to the environment at the same time. I hope it’s not long until we see some up our way; it’d definitely brighten up my day as the weather gets ever colder.

Oh, and Happy Halloween everyone!

We are 1!

Today is our first blog birthday. One year ago today it all started. How time flies when you’re having fun!

Also, it’s talk like a pirate day, ha-harrr! So enjoy it me mateys!

Peace man!

Seems we’re not the only one’s who want to have a summer of love this year. But while we’re focusing our love on marketing, Lucky Brand in America is reviving the 60’s and focusing their love instead on flower power (with their brand taking centre stage of course).

Sending a 1949 Flxble bus cross country across the USA, they have their own blog, a ‘Daily Denim Diary’ reporting on the journey. The party hasn’t stopped since the bus set off with the band ‘The Hysterics’ playing live sets in many of the locations as it goes along. Press from all around the US have picked up on the campaign as well as much of the online community, giving Lucky Brand the type of exposure they would have been hoping for.

Fair enough, the campaign was born to shamelessly plug some jeans, but at the same time, it’s a nice idea and what better time of year to send a party bus round the country than in the summer. And, from the coverage it’s received it seems that it is spreading some love and happiness as well as brand awareness.

Those old enough to remember the 60s are given a trip down memory lane and those who weren’t there the first time get a little taste of the decade (through rose-tinted glasses of course).

I’ve already said that a good reason to love marketing is that it lets you spread a little love, and this is another case in point, so what other reason can I wrangle out of today’s example? Well, I think today’s reason (which will be no. 5 for those of you counting) is that sometimes, just sometimes, marketing can brighten up your day when stuck in a traffic jam. In fact, it also happened to me a few weeks ago when a van for a club called Boho in Glasgow’s West End passed us in the car (see the back end of it’s hedge-covered van below).

N.B. Next reason won’t be as obscure – promise!

Bonny Scotland

I’ve been off on holiday for a little while there. First I had a few days of doing not very much which was nice, then back for a few days, then last week I was off on a road trip up the north of Scotland, which was more than nice, then it was Easter, and now, back to the grind.

Although it’s not very marketing related, I wanted to share a few pictures from my trip. VisitScotland always show the rolling green hills of the highlands in their literature and print advertising, but until last week I did not realise how varied the landscape of my own country was. As I have mentioned before (I think), embarrassingly I have seen a lot more of other countries than I have of my own. I went a little way to put that right last week and plan to see more over the next few years. But, unsurprisingly it took some friends who were not from Scotland to entice me to go explore it.

But, I digress. There was of course plenty of green, but there was also plenty of brown, some beautiful beaches with near-white sand and at many points we could not turn a corner without being confronted with spectacular views and gasping. I’ve yet to get the best pictures off my friend, so you will have to make do with my pictures.

But, I’ll do a bit of plugging for Scotland now; I’d highly recommend a trip around Scotland. The central belt has a lot to offer, but it’s nowhere near as spectacular as the north when it comes to scenery (I’ll plug Glasgow another day).

People often say that Scotland would be paradise if it were in a sunnier climate. We were lucky enough to get sunshine (but not the warmth) on our travels, but we also got a little rain. If you ask me, it wouldn’t have been the same without a bit of rain. That’s all part of our charm. Along with our lovely inhabitants of course!

On the first night we couldn’t find anywhere to stay, we hadn’t planned too far in advance, and one B&B owner we phoned was so helpful that he gave us some other numbers to try and his name to drop when we did so, and, asked us to phone back if we had no luck and he would find other places for us to try. Sometimes I love my country.

So, come on, visit Scotland! If I haven’t convinced you, maybe some more of my photos will.

What you probably expect to see

What you might not

The beautiful Dunrobin Castle

The coast near Wick

Orkney

Sunny skies

The view out Ardvreck Castle

The Sunderland landscape

Or maybe i'll try to think up a few different angles for future campaigns in case this lot hasn't yet enticed you. Stayed tuned!

Happy Holidays

From each of us here at AME Marketing, we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

We’re off to throw some snowballs - if Santa can bring us some snow.

See you in 2007

Charity begins at Christmas...

192.com, an online business, people and location finder has made a pledge to donate money from its paid listing searches to the National Missing Persons Helpline this Christmas. From 18th December fifty pence from every premium people, business or place search made on the website will be given to the charity.

As well as donating money, 192 will also be sharing its know-how to help the charity put people back in touch. The managing director, Keith Marsden, affirmed that as well as giving funds directly, 192.com wanted to help build awareness of the thousands of missing persons from all walks of life that the National Missing Persons Helpline helps reunite with their families and friends every year. Last Christmas the helpline received more than 3, 500 calls.

Although companies have become increasingly aware over the years that being seen to be ethical and caring is important, it is still nice to see corporations caring about something other than their profit margin. At this time of year it is especially valuable for a charity dedicated to finding missing persons and supporting those who are left behind to receive some support itself.

Of course, there are many other charities that also deserve support. You cannot help everyone however and picking one worthy cause is better than helping no one.

Putting aside my usual cynicism, I think that this is a nice gesture from a company who seem to genuinely care about the cause they are helping. And Christmas is a perfect time to lend support to such a charity.

Spreading a little love goes a long way, not only for your reputation. Thinking about all the money that is spent on presents in December, it’s nice to see that some money is being spent to help out a good cause.

It is after all, the season of good will.

Dreaming of an orange Christmas

Coca-Cola has a Christmas campaign every year. Its usual focus is on Santa Claus with an old-fashioned theme, taking us back to the days when children were happy to find an orange and an apple in their stockings and weren’t pestering their parents from September about what presents they wanted. They want to give us that warm, nostalgic feeling, for us to associate it with their company and buy their product during the Christmas period. Seems successful enough. Coke is, after all, still one of the world’s favourite soft drinks.

When Irn-Bru was considering what type of message to project in their first Christmas campaign then, did they think about emulating this successful strategy? Erm… No.

In true Irn-Bru style, they opted for humour. We wouldn’t have expected anything else.

Their first 60-second advert in ten years, “Phenomenal Christmas”, is based on the famous seasonal song “Walking in the Air” from 'The Snowman' animated film. The boy begins by flying happily in the air with his new friend, the snowman, but finds himself on the wrong side of the frosty character when he refuses to share his Irn-Bru. He still ends up flying through the air, yet it is on his drop to George Square after the snowman steals his beloved drink.

Gerry Farrell of the Leith agency, who developed the ad, stated “I think it’s Barr’s plan that the advert comes back Christmas after Christmas”. “We’re hopeful that it’ll become a well-loved Scottish classic.”

We hope so too! If you haven’t already seen the ad, watch and laugh! And, if you feel like singing aong, here are the lyrics:

“We're walking in the air,
I'm sipping on an Irn-Bru,
My chilly snowman mate says he would like some too.
I tell him "get your own",
He looks like he is going to cry,
I tell him once again, the Irn-Bru is mine.

Now I'm falling through the air,
I wonder where I'm going to land.
He nicked my Irn-Bru and let go of my hand.”

Will Wizzard soon have their wish?

Halloween is now over for another year, so it must be time for Christmas, right?

No sooner have the kids collected all their party bags than the television, press, marketers and retailers are bombarding us with Christmas messages. Actually, that’s wrong, we’ve been subjected to Christmas since around September time and it appears to be getting earlier and earlier each year. Christmas used to come but once a year, now it comes every nine months, starting in the shops in September - even in August if you are in Harrods – and lasting until 1st January.

A survey conducted by GMIPoll found that almost half of those surveyed felt that the promoting of Christmas merchandise in the autumn was too soon. And, despite this early promotion, 2% still left their shopping until Christmas Eve (albeit the majority of these respondents were males or younger shoppers).

Certainly from November onwards, it is impossible to avoid the Christmas message. But, what is this message? Interestingly, it seems that more people believe in Santa Clause than Jesus. It appears that commercialism has hijacked the holiday to pass it off as another reason to spend all our money on gifts.

Some might argue that the stores add to the anticipation of the festive season. Some may even enjoy having the Christmas feeling around for longer and appreciate the extra planning time. And, surely Harrods, along with the other retailers would not waste their shelf space in August / September on Christmas products if they did not sell. So is it us, as consumers that are to blame for this early promotion of our favourite holiday?

In Ireland the minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, has been trying to persuade businesses to impose a voluntary ban on early Christmas adverts because young families are being put under too much financial pressure in the months leading up to Christmas. So far, she’s had no success.

Looks like our 3 / 4 month Christmas is here to stay.

Happy Halloween

We couldn’t let the holiday pass without giving it at least a quick mention, could we?

Halloween has come under fire in recent years for what is seen as its increasing commercialisation and Americanisation. More and more marketing is being dedicated to the event, particularly by retailers flogging novelty gifts, costumes and confectionery. Halloween themed goods can be found almost everywhere, from supermarkets to the high street. And each year we are spending more and more on this All Hallows Eve.

In 2001, the UK spent around twelve million pounds on the "holiday". This year, the expected total for the same holiday is £120 million. The seven days leading up to Halloween are expected to be the second busiest shopping week of the year and, for retailers, it has now become the third most profitable event of the year. Christmas is the most profitable holiday, of course (big surprise there considering it is now at least a 3-month event), then comes Easter, then Halloween. Guy Fawkes and Valentines Day hardly get a look in compared to the big three.

So, does everyone love Halloween much more than they did five years ago? Or is it just that our addiction to shopping has now extended to yet another holiday? Either way, we can be consoled that we are still quite a long way from America’s Halloween. According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans will spend $4.95bn, yes billion, on Halloween this year. Now, I know the population is around 300 million, but that figure is scary (pardon the pun). Considering that spending on US political campaigns for the mid-term elections stands at just $1bn, it's nice to see that they have their priorities right over there!