Stop adoring the theft of the original concepts and the idea plagiarism

These days there's a lot of buzz around the latest Durex visual. People find it "awesome", "brilliant", "great" and "funny". 

But when being a thief became so "great" and "funny" thing? 12 years ago United Colours of Benetton created for 2000 Summer Olympic games the following visual. 

Do you find differences, except the logos and messages - same concepts, same ideas, even the same subjects. 

Behind every visual there's a concept and history of creation. The history behind the above visual of Durex is "Copy - Paste". It's not a history, which to be adored. Please, stop saying YES to artworks from the planet "NO" and let's stop adoring the theft of original concepts and the idea plagiarism.

Have a great day.
Yours K.K.

Pepsi Kick print visual - tastes or kicks?

Let’s talk about design. There are no rules how to touch human hearts except by inspiration. And this is the effect, which every advertising visual should have.

But here comes one example for a big company with long tradition, launching new energy drink with an advertising print visual, which makes me say: “Is it real?”

Here is the print visual of Pepsi energy drink, called Pepsi Kick, which one is already launched into the Dutch market. What do you think about it?

In fact there are a lot of people, who like it. But this fact doesn’t delete the truth. And the truth is:

• the idea and the message “Tastes like Pepsi, kicks like boom” are good, but the visual execution isn't
• the whole visual looks so artificial, that you lose the meaning of the message
• the bottle is looking so strange. Is it a 3D model? Look the shadows and the light on it. Then look again. Is it a good looking product, which one you would like to grab? It’s a dark, sad looking plastic bottle and even the colorful background could not compensate this.

So this visual tastes like Pepsi, but kicks like something else.

Have a great day.

K.K.

Mobile addicted generation

Mobile devices are already an important part of consumers' life.

Each of us everyday could not go to work without his mobile phone. It's already like the air and we all are geting mobile addicted and mobile dependent.


Regarding a survey by Prosper Mobile Insights, released in June 2012 for U.S., half of smartphone and tablet users (51.1%) say they now check their email using only their mobile device.

The survey annouced as well, that 7 in 10 smartphone or tablet users (69.3%) conduct at least one web-based activity solely with their device:

• 45.3% admit to mobile-only internet searches
• 42.3% connect with friends on facebook sans stationary computers or other internet-capable devices.
  
• 29.6% say they conduct all their online banking on a mobile device.

 So how much mobile dependent are you?

Have a great day.

K.K.

Source: Prosper Mobile Insights Survey

Image source: morguefile.com

Social media and kids

We live in the time of the social media’s revolution. Even the kids spend more time in front of their computers and are interested in online social media.

Ipsos MediaCT realized its syndicated study LMX Family. It’s an annual survey that examines U.S. kids’ and families adoption and adaptation of new media and technology.

And here are the results of the study, showing the influence social networking is having on kids aged 6-12 years old:

• Most kids do have access to a host of Internet-enabled devices.
• 29% of kids age 6-12 have an account on a social network site.
• The oldest kids are more likely than the youngest ones to have a social networking profile
• Among all kids, Facebook is by far the most popular social network, followed by Twitter and Google+.
• Girls are use more Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace than the boys; boys like more to use Google+ than are girls.
• Some 20% of kids who own a mobile device (e.g., smartphone and iPad) have a social network app on those devices.
• Nearly three-quarters of kids who have a profile on a social site visit that site daily, and four out of ten visit at least twice a day.
• “Seeing what other people are writing” is the top kids’ social network activity, followed by playing games.

The younger Generation Y parents allows its children to join social networking sites, in order their children not to fall behind in terms of experiencing the newest devices, platforms and digital technologies. But here comes the question where will this road lead?

Have a great day,

K.K.

Source and tables: ipsos-na.com

Image Source: morguefile.com

Developing good leadership qualities

Talking about the Leadership, how do you think - how can somebody develop good leadership qualities?





 I believe, the truth is in the quote of E.M. Kelly:
"Remember the difference between a boss and a leader - a boss says "Go!", a leader says "Let's go!"

The real leader has to own three main things: a heart (to inspire), strong will (to be very good at what he's doing, to get even better and to make the world a better place) and love to what he's doing and to the people, he's leading.

Have a great day.
K.K.

Image Source: morguefile.com

Is it so hard to create an interesting communication campaign for a brand?

The answer is "no" and Axe Bode Spray proves it. I love interesting advertising campaigns, which ones fight the cliché. One of them is the campaign of Axe Bode Spray in Puerto Rico, that allows men to peek into ladies bathroom in most popular discos and bars.

 

The QR codes are placed in men’s bathroom and when you scan them with your smartphone, they lead to “very interesting” videos. While men watch these videos, the action suddenly stops prompting them to continue the experience at AXE’s facebook page, where they unblock hotter video.

The results of the campaign are really amazing:

• 53% increase in Facebook interactions with Axe Body Spray brand
• 23% of the audience peeped every day
• 602% increase in feedback and views on the social network.

And here is the case study of Axe peephole experiment. Enjoy it!

Have a great day. It's yours.

K.K. 

Image Source: morguefile.com

The three little pigs advert

The Guardian transits from old-school print product to digital first open journalism platform.

Regarding this, the advertising agency BBH has created this wonderful video retelling the Three Little Pigs fairytale through in a very modern way. 

The ad is showing how The Guardian’s open journalism would combine traditional sources and the social media conversation to cover a tale that twists in ways you might not imagine. 

The result is real fun. Enjoy it!

Br,
K.K.

Image Source: morguefile.com

Coca Cola ad, which will make you feel really good

There is today a feel-good ad for Coca-Cola, which one for sure will make you feel good. This is a security camera footage from around the world and the aim is to demonstrate the beautiful acts of kindness around us. The Supertramp song "Give a Little Bit" underlines the point of doing good deeds really strong.

For the first week of its release on YouTube this ad went viaral with over 4 million views.

This new ad is from Coke Latin America and production company Landia.

Guido Rosales, Latin America Integrated Marketing Communication Director for Coca-Cola says: "In many of the vignettes, we were able to buy the usage rights for the original footage - so yes, much of the footage is real. The others are recreations of real scenes. All demonstrate the reality of good people acting in the world."

And here is the video. Enjoy it!

Have a great day and do good deeds today.
K.K.

Image Source: morguefile.com 
Information Source:  socialmediaunleashed

Leadership through fear

Hi everybody!

The weekend is over so let's start the new week with a Leadership question.

Time ago I wrote about the fact, that almost everybody is already "Manager" or "Director" in area of audio-video production, advertising and PR, without having any kind of Leadership skills. These replace the lack of Leadership skills with Leadership through fear.

So I asked Anthony Gell, CEO & Founder of LeadersIn, the following question and believe me the answer is straight to the point:

K.K. Question:
"Leadership through fear - sad reality or happy ending? Often there are "professionals", who have a job and a title, because they äre "somebody's man" and not because, they have good leadership qualities. Their leadership is based in fact only on the fear of the followers. What do you think, is this kind of leadership just a sad reality, which could not be changed, or the happy ending of this tendency is coming?"

Antony Gell's Answer:
"Leadership through fear is the worst type of leadership.  Leadership is all about:
a) getting results
b) having people that want to follow you. Want being key word.
Somebody who abuses their position is never going to get the most out their people - and grade A people want to work for people they both respect and like, not fear.  Although fear can command respect short term, long term good people will always leave - and leaders need good people long term."

Now do you understand why there are so many young people, who leave the "great big advertising agencies" in Bulgaria?

It's good to know how to read between the lines and to see below the masks.

Have a great day.
K.K.

Image Source: morguefile.com

What does it mean to be a good storyteller?

Being really good presenter means you have to be really good storyteller. 

In the TED presentation today Nancy Duarte shows us how to communicate effectively an idea, so that to inspire and change the world. 

She's presenting worth examples, which ones are the base of her point of view regarding the common structure of greatest communicators.

 Enjoy it!

It's Friday. Fall in love:)

K.K.

Coca Cola's corporate responsibility initiative, which really deserves to say "Bravo"

Live Positivly Platform of Coca Cola is presented amazingly clear in the following presentation. This corporate responsibility initiative is driven by the power of every family’s number one buyer – the mom. She is the person, who “cares about well being of her family, community and the world”.

As the presenter L. Celeste Bottorff says “without sustainable communities, our business could not be sustainable”. So Coca-Cola makes moms to engage in community involvement and social responsibility initiatives through the corporate responsibility initiative LivePositively.com.

Enjoy the presentation! It’s really worth seeing.

Have a great day and be the best person, you can.

K.K.

Image Source: weheartit.com

The original Mad Man

He said : “Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything”.

George Lois is a great creator, art director and an author of breakthrough ad campaigns. He's called the original Mad Man.

He was responsible for the ‘I Want My MTV’ campaign in the early 80s 

And you’ll probably best know George Lois for some of the 92 covers he designed for Esquire Magazine. Here are two of my favorite ones. 

"People say the magazine is dead — bullshit it’s dead!” says George Lois. "When you read a magazine, you put it on your lap, it’s like a lap dance. [With tablets], you’re just looking at a screen.” 

Here is a lovely film by On Creativity, in which George Lois is presenting his point of view regarding the ideas, creativity and advertising. He believes:  "I don’t think I create anything. I’m really serious — I discover the ideas."

I love people, who know what they want and how to do it in the best way. George Lois is one of them and his artwork speaks for himself.

Have a great time.
K.K.