Ikea: Single-handedly bringing back the newspaper

Are you seeing this right now? I mean seriously, are you? I don't think you are. Click on the image to really take a look at it.

Yes, my friends, that is a brilliant media usage in (pause) a newspaper! What you're seeing is not only a clever idea, but an amazing way to use an old medium in a new way. I haven't seen anything done like this before.

The copy is concise and works well to support to the visual. It's to the point and doesn't ruin a great idea by trying too hard. Ikea knows nobody likes a try-hard.

Ikea has put out some impressive work over the past few years - who doesn't love the Lamp ad? - and I would put this simple piece right up there with the best of it.

Despite the greatness of this ad, I think it's time for me to graduate from Ikea furniture. You know, I'm an adult these days.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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Throwback Thursdays: I <3 PBR & so should you.

This awesome classic is from 1947. With a line like "It's blended… It's splendid," how can it fail? What an iconic campaign for a beer that does nothing but win blue ribbons. An amazing source for Pabst ads can be found here. It's well worth looking through the entire collection, especially everything from the 1930s through the 1950s!

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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JCPenney Hearts Teen Fornication

Let me preface this by saying the following:
Mom,
I did not have sex in high school. I never did it on any of your couches/beds/floors/walls/what have you. Whenever a boy was over I always kept the door open like you asked.
Love,
Jessica

Ok, moving on. The spot below is absolutely fantastic. (In fact, a lot of the work Saatchi & Saatchi has done for JCPenney of late has been uncharacteristically good.)

I love the decision to go for more of a branding-based message rather than product-based. It's a route very few department stores venture to take. JCPenney is doing itself a huge favor by stepping out of the norm and differentiating.

I would have loved to be a part of these concept meetings. I really want to know how this idea was born. It's a pretty great insight that you'd never expect to see picked up by a brand like JCP. Enjoy your bronze Lion, dudes.

(The sound in the video above is actually a bit off. You can watch a better version of the commercial here.)

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

UPDATE: Apparently JCP is as lame as we all thought and wasn't on-board with this ad at all (or were they until they got cold feet over it?). The JCP CMO claims it was Saatchi and film company Epoch Films that put this spot together "after hours" and slapped their brand on it without consent. Lame-O.

By the way, best quote from the article:

It's not going to reflect well on the brand in Middle America, but the ad is nicely done and the people in it are attractive; young people in New York and L.A. will get a kick out of it

- Alan Siegel, chief executive of New York strategic-branding company Siegel + Gale.

Right, because if you don't live in New York or LA you're a Puritan with no interest in sex or humor. Duh.

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Jeep digs deep.

You shouldn't be surprised when I tell you this ad received a gold in the outdoor division at Cannes Lions 2008.

















Take a bow, BBDO Proximity, Malaysia, because this ad is brimming on perfection.

Jeep makes vehicles for all conditions – everyone knows that – but this time the message is conveyed in a completely unique way. No winding roads. No snowy highways. No muddy detours. No treacherous mountains. No. None of that. Just a stunningly simple, brilliantly executed ad that makes Venn diagrams look cooler than ever.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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Yes, we are addicted to the NBA.

We can thank Hort for these SUPERB NBA ads. Commissioned by Nike, these fantastic posters feature the 2007-2008 rookie class and their ambition to show the pros it's game-time!

Check out more cool NBA work done by Hort here.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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A welcome throwback.

As you may or may not know, for these past few months I've been engaged in a heated love affair with the NBA Playoffs campaign. And just when I thought I couldn't be any more enamored, the love of my life had another surprise for me.



Yes, the Lakers and the Celtics, the two most successful and popular NBA franchises ever, are going head-to-head in the NBA Finals. The match-up is epic, and this series is being hailed as a renewal of the greatest rivalry in NBA history – a rivalry that grew dormant these past twenty years.

By featuring Magic Johnson and Larry Bird – two NBA Hall of Famers that squared off when the rivalry peaked in the 1980s – this spot validates the significance of this year's NBA Finals and sends approximately 3,332 chills down my spine.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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I call dibs on the window seat.

Tam Airlines, a Brazilian carrier, just released this phenomenal print ad.

















Wow, talk about a breath of fresh air. The concept is incredibly unique, extremely clever and beautifully executed. Tam Airlines really threw caution to the wind with this one, and the result is an ad that stands out in an industry of mostly safe, bland messaging. Check out the other ad from this campaign here.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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Apple's winning recipe.

I've seen this Apple spot plenty of times in the past two weeks – I'm sure you have too – but I still think it's killer. I could write a 142-page dissertation on how Apple has consistently nailed their commercials over the past few years, but it really boils down to merging relevant, hip vibes (Justin Long, Feist, Jet, etc.) with simple, slick and often beautiful imagery. Needless to say, this Coldplay spot sticks to the formula.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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The great outdoors.

The best kind of advertising is the kind that doesn't feel like advertising. Ambient advertising, when done right, can blend into its surroundings and stop you dead in your tracks. The most successful examples of ambient advertising compel you to pay attention and interact with the piece, even after you realize it's selling something.

Here are some recent examples of slick ambient advertising:

Casinó di Venezia at Marco Polo airport






















Nationwide Insurance
















Memphis Tobacco Bowl




















And here's a classic from The Economist




















9/10: Das Phenomenal Ads

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We're Number 1!

It' s official: McDonald's has been named the UK's most hated brand. It's hard to dispute that there's a more polarizing brand than McDonald's, and their recent commercials are nothing short of a disaster. But to celebrate this prestigious honor, I'd like to prove that McDonald's does know how to do at least one thing right: billboards.



9/10: Das Phenomenal Ads

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Prada-Trembled Blossoms

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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Welcome back NBA.

Coming off the heels of what was undeniably the most exciting NBA season in years, it's gratifying to see a playoffs campaign that does the season justice. Directed by the husband and wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), these spots merge the faces/words of players from teams that are currently squaring off. In fact, Dayton and Faris recorded enough footage of different players to air spots until a champion is crowned.

The commercials use the tagline of "There Can Only Be One" and focus on the make-or-break attitude of the playoffs. This powerful theme, along with the choice to film the spots in a single, zooming shot, shows the players' vulnerability and gives fans a rare chance to realize the enormous pressure that comes with the territory.

The print ads are a logical evolution of the TV spots, but their seamless execution furthers the campaign's split-personality.


And oh yeah: looks like the folks at Time Magazine have taken notice.

9/10: Das Phenomenal Ad

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