TypewriterFrom The Urbach Letter – March 2008

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Clever Promotions (Part 3 of 3)
Here we go with one more installment contaning a dump of my swipe file folder. It's a mix of "atmospherics" (the ad term for outdoor promotions) and a bunch of eclectic print ads. As I've mentioned before, I collect these and use them to spark original creative thinking. However, even if you're not "into" marketing, I think you'll enjoy these.


Fuggdaboutit

Body in Trunk 2

From way back in 2005, this one's been around the block a few times. Conceived by advertising giant BBDO, it inspired this much more disgusting version (WARNING: Don't click the link if you're squeamish) created to promote Quentin Tarantino's Grind house movie Death Proof.


Slim fast Jailbreak

Slim fast regularly creates ads that rise above the banal standard for consumer advertising (do you remember the wedding cake series?). This one was created by McCann-Erickson in Germany. I like ads that tell a visual story. The advantage of this approach is that language is irrelevant, and the branding message gets through no matter where in the world it's being viewed.


Lite Beer

This visual pun beer ad communicates with whimsy.


I'm Fine to Drive

This "arresting" public service ad took the form of floor appliques placed in bar toilet stalls. The t-shirt inscriptions read "I just need to get it out of my system" and "I'm fine to drive."


Special Parking

This "guerilla social" ad delivers its message with impact.


Calling All Cats

Changing gears now, this is the first of a series of pet-food ads that caught my eye. I dig the big cats.


Everybody Wants to Be a Dog

Parrot

Cat StickTurtle

Eukanuba ran this great dog food ad series with a common theme. Fun!


Biting Shoes

Ouch! I don't know how you ladies wear even non-fang high heels. Nonetheless, I have a feeling you'd need more than a band-aid to recover from these.


Hair You Want to Show Off

It rains a lot in Vancouver. This fact was not lost on the owner of Gloss, a local hair salon, who gave patrons these nifty transparent umbrellas imprinted with the salon logo and the catchphrase "Hair You Want to Show Off." Wonderfully creative and effective. People loved the free gift and were only too happy to spread the message all about town.


Runner Billboard

Why put up a single billboard that people won't notice much, when you can put up two and really get them talking? This is certainly a case where 1+1=3 .


Smart Puppy

Click these to enlarge:

A really fun ad series promoting Iams' "Smart Puppy" food. You need to study these for a moment to get it, but there's good payoff.


Wheaties

Proof that consumer product advertising can be witty and effective at the same time. The iconic "Wheaties box " brand combined with imaginative art direction makes this series a real winner.


Well, that's it. I've emptied out the current contents of my swipe file (almost). I hope you've enjoyed this series.

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(c) Copyright 2002-2010 Victor Urbach
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