Don’t be a tool: pick the right one

March 19, 2024 | Art Director Nerd

Some data advice from Sir John Hegarty

You can’t eat soup with a fork. You shouldn’t hammer in a screw. And those who bring a knife to a gunfight find themselves at a severe disadvantage. Selecting the wrong tool for the job usually delivers poor results. It’s perilous too. There’s a section on the subject to be found in a safety handbook produced by the US Navy. It cautions against things like using a chair where a ladder is necessary, or a knife when you need a screwdriver. There’s more jeopardy associated with these things at sea – but this sort of thing is still cavalier on land. The physical examples are absurd. But in the digital sphere, we’re a lot more lenient when it comes to selecting the incorrect tackle. The worst offenders are those who obsess over the power of data – specifically, its ability to predict and measure things that were unmeasurable before. Research and evidence are fundamentally important, but we’re so enchanted with the capabilities of data that it’s started to feel like we can’t come to a decision without the reassurance of a stat. This is a problem – an emphasis on what’s been prevent the imagining of what might be. Data never invented anythingAmidst all the talk of data-driven businesses, the greatest commercial achievements of recent decades have had surprisingly little to do with it. Consider the most successful product from the (until recently) biggest company in the world – Apple’s iPhone. The story of its conception involved a handful of envelope-pushing tech executives drawing on their knowledge of the consumer, and the creative capacity of their development teams. Data took a back seat to human insight. This is the case with almost every brilliant product that we deem indispensable in 2024. James Dyson’s bagless vacuum cleaner, Elon Musk’s car company, Bill Bowerman’s running shoe. These contributions to our civilisation came from imagination. Data informs, creativity inspiresThe same is true in marketing and brand-building. Data becomes useful to businesses when it exposes a truth. As I’ve often said, when an idea possesses that quality, it becomes powerful. Uncovering a fact might spark the creative engine, but that isn’t enough. It takes empathy, intuition and perseverance to bring off a campaign around it. The great brand campaigns of the last twenty years are all built around truth, whether that authenticity is drawn from a data point or not matters less than most digital zealots would have us believe. A debate is raging when it comes to how AI will impact creativity and business. More tools don’t always result in better outcomes, but as they proliferate the best entrepreneurs – like the best carpenters – will know which ones to pick up, and which ones to leave on the bench.

Aimed at the stars

March 13, 2024March 13, 2024 | Art Director Nerd

Faced with the threat from it’s online competitors, Click&Go Holidays identified a critical disparity. While rivals boasted expansive online reach and ample budgets, their failure to deliver on promised customer service and comprehensive holiday offerings left dissatisfied customers in their wake.

Moreover, their actions tarnished the online travel industry’s reputation, prompting a necessary intervention. In contrast, Click&Go proudly upheld its status as Ireland’s favoured online travel company, backed by an exceptional Trustpilot rating.

To highlight this advantage, we devised a campaign leveraging the company’s 5-star Trustpilot rating. Through visually striking, impactful creatives, the campaign not only reassured Click&Go’s clientele but also sowed seeds of doubt among those considering other online platforms for holiday bookings.

The creative executions allowed us to showcase aspirational locations, and are flexible enough to work across all the different types of holidays that Click&Go offer.

This campaign marked a notable departure for us due to budget constraints, making traditional photography and stock images impractical options. In response, we generated these visuals initially within Mid Journey, refining them further in Adobe Photoshop using the software’s dedicated Generative AI plugin.

The campaign is due to run during Q1 and will be on all of Clic&Go’s social media channels as well as online display and VOD.

Digital Out of Home – Are we being creative enough?

April 7, 2019 | Art Director Nerd

If you ask any creative they would say Outdoor, as I still call it or Out Of Home (OOH) as it is now called, is one of their favourite mediums. You’ll see any creative go weak at the knees at the prospect of creating an outdoor campaign. Why? Well this is high impact format that challenges us to think clearly, simply and distinctly. To convey a message that has to engage and be memorable in a few brief seconds. It often said in the business that if your idea works in outdoor it will work in any other medium.

OOH is evolving, it now embraces technology, hence the term Digital Out Of Home (DOOH). It is no longer just the static medium it once was. Technology has given it new life. For good or bad this has presented us with new and exciting challenges. I believe this brings us opportunities to create new and brilliant creative work and I also believe that the full potential of medium has not been fully realised in this market.

I’m sometimes disappointed to see DOOH sites regurgitating the print version of ads on digital screens or using 10 second cut downs of a TV ad that been retrofitted onto a DPOD.

By using DOOH like this, it feels like it is being used as an afterthought just to fill a space or to backup a campaign that was designed for other media. Surely we can do much better than wasting money and wasting opportunities for brands to have greater engagement and impact with their audiences?

DOOH now utilises a whole range of technologies, it’s a very rich medium. It can use motion tracking, heat sensing, facial and voice recognition, AI, AR, VR, video streaming and contactless payments. It can use real time data such as weather, time, traffic and shopping transactions. Messages can be updated in real time and geo-targeted. Or it can can display using something as simple as the humble gif. It’s integration with mobile give us countless opportunities to engage with audiences from sharing photos, dispensing products and vouchers to live streaming.

There are some great examples of creative and innovative DOOH from around the world, from the very simple to the more complex. Some of these use existing technology while others have had the tech specially created for them. This trend has been reflected in the past couple years at the Cannes Lions were it has its very own innovation category.

DOOH definitely involves more work than traditional OHH, particular on the technical side. I would not expect every person to be a technologist, but it always pays to keep your finger in the pulse with latest goings on in technology. It might be an obvious thing to say, It’s like any creative process, enjoy the challenge, have fun doing it, learn on the way and you won’t go far wrong.

My tips for working in DOOH.

The most important thing is still the idea:

No matter how good the technology is, if you do not have a good idea, it’s not going to work. It’s all well and good announcing you are first to market with new technology but if your idea is not engaging with your audience with a relevant message you are polishing a turd.

Research the technology:

You are not expected to know the exact detail of every piece of technology that available in DOOH. But keeping your finger on the pulse and researching what’s out there and helps you stay informed about what you can and cannot do. Collaborating with technologists, media specialists and outdoor suppliers at the earliest opportunity is very important. It will help them feel as part owners of the execution and get them excited about the project. There are people you can talk to in JCDecaux, PML and Exterion Media who all want to help. They all want good work on their showreels too. This will also reassure the client that you have done your homework and you know what you are talking about.

Stress test it over and over again:

We can sometimes get over enthusiastic about a piece of technology and loose the run of ourselves particularly when we get bogged down at ideation stage. I often find when tapping to the minds of technical people their enthusiasm naturally runs away with them and they go in to ‘nerd’ mode. It’s important to stop, check and remember to put yourself in to the shoes of who your talking too. The last thing on people’s mind as they go about their lives is your ad. Stress test the technology, and ask yourself will it engage your audience? If you are asking them to download an app – will they? Be your own worst critic. If it doesn’t work, make it simpler or bin it.

Location Location:

DOOH sites are now in a variety of locations, from roadsides to inside shopping malls. It’s vitally important to know where the location of your sites are and what your audience will be doing in those locations. There’s no point asking your audience to engage their mobile phones on a site next to major road.

Invent it yourself (or get someone too)

Sometimes you maybe fortunate to come up with an idea that involves creating a piece of technology that doesn’t yet exist. There is no harm pushing the boundaries of what can be done. With risk comes reward. The idea might be quite nebulous in your head, but this were research comes in again and finding the right people that will help it come to fruition. It’s the nature of tech people to love a challenge and they will generally pulls out all the stops to create something groundbreaking. At worst they’ll be honest and say they can’t make it happen. At least you’ll know where you stand before presenting it to the client. Take look in the area of tech start-ups and university labs, you might find the answer in the basement of Trinity College.

Examples of DOOH

Apotek Hjartat Blowing in the wind

HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/264556996

Women’s Aid #lookatme campaign

https://vimeo.com/122550922

British Airways – Magic of Flying

https://vimeo.com/122826929

Jetstar Dream Holiday Eye Tracking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=52&v=ppC6Qh4CT4A

Mega shark attack at Southern Cross Station

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjoMM7NvFog

Coca Cola – Bringing India & Pakistan Together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts_4vOUDImE

Norwegian Centre against Racism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijUYmOWlTZI

Netflix gifs Campaign

I love how clever and simple this campaign for Netflix is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBy2Tz_pmKA

What is it about Instagram?

August 22, 2011 | Art Director Nerd

Like many addicts I have been busily snapping away at almost most anything of interest or even things of no interest at all.

From shooting cute snaps of the family to taking highfaluting images of the seat covers on the bus, or moody reportage shots of chewing gum on the pavement, my iphone is nearly full of them. Why? Well like the 7 million other users Instagram addictiveness is probably down to a couple of things. One is its ease of use and the other it is social.

You can either select an existing photo from your camera roll or shoot a picture from Instagram itself. Once a shot is selected you have a choice of 16 filters to add effects to your shot. Some effects give a Polaroid style like 1977; others give a black and white graphic style effect like Gotham. Others randomly enhance the colours like Lomo-fi – which is my favourite.

You can also add in a ‘tilt shift’ effect that works really well with subjects shot from a height that makes everything look in miniature.

Once you’ve finished being all Robert Mapplethorpe, you can then share it with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Posterous. You can also connect to Foursquare and it will allow you to geotag your shot and check in at the same time.

Some of the functionality is a bit clunky. More effect filters like a pop art effect or a mosaic effect would be a great addition. Better cropping, zooming and rotating tools would also be useful. For some reason rather than keeping the resolution of the phones camera it reduces it. I’m sure many users would like to print their shots, the quality at the moment isn’t really up to scratch.

On the up side, up 150 million shots have been upload to Instagram so far. Even a few celebs have got in on the act, Justin Biebre, Jamie Oliver, Snoop Dog and Rosie O’Donnell. There is a even Flickr group devoted to it with over 4 thousand members.

There is a daily photo competition. Anyone can enter by posting the #instadaily with their shot. Other ‘Gramers’ can then vote on who they think has the best shot of the day. There are no prizes, but plenty of kudos.

If you experiencing Instagram cold turkey you can always download a cool screensaver from Screenstagram for you computer (Mac only I’m afraid) and you can watch your follower’s shots all sliding around on the screen together.

Swan Dive (The Man Your Man Could Smell Like)

August 23, 2010 | Art Director Nerd

Swan Dive (The Man Your Man Could Smell Like)

If (like me) you’re old enough, you’ll remember the Old Spice ads from the 1970’s. The one with the surfer confidently conquering giant waves to the sound of ‘Oh Fortuna’ while on a beach a pretty young woman looks on and gets all aroused at the whiff of Old Spice in the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rbZr7YoqK0&feature=related

However the reality of Old Spice was quite different. It was the sight of your dad first thing in the morning shaving in front of the mirror with his face full of soap. Once finished he’d splash the whole sorry mess in Old Spice before rushing to work looking like he’d been in a fight in a germaline factory.

Back then Old Spice was something you bought for your dad for Christmas. And he probably didn’t care what he smelt like. So any thing that covered up the odour of a hard days work would do.

But the world has moved on, Dads are now cooler, they wear deordorant. Everyday! Their razor blades are now sharp, they’re even parcial to designer clothes. And now they have wealth of smelly products to choose from with exotic sounding names like Aramis.

Your Dad could now smell like David Beckham if he wanted to. He could use a manly anti-aging cream, eye wrinkle cream and freshen up with a rejuvenating facial spritzer.

The 70’s surfer dude and his bottle of Old Spice were in retirement home in Lahinch. Old Spice had to catch up big time.

Old Spice scented body wash was launched in America on TV on Superbowl Night. The ads featured former American Football Star Isaiah Mustafa. Standing in a bathroom, dressed only in a white bath towel, with his defined torso in a confident pose he says in a deep, captivating voice, “Hello ladies. Look at your man, now back to me. Now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly he isn’t me,”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZOm2YhOI4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYvQ9jgXzIk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7e_igiPIUI

The reaction was huge, in America and across the world. Women swooned. Men sucked in their stomachs and went back to the gym. The ads went up on YouTube. Mustafa had a fan page on Facebook. He posted on twitter, he was even interviewed on Oprah.

Following the success of the TV campaign and its huge following online, the campaign was taken to the next stage. Isaiah Mustafa invited users to ask him questions or do requests online. His responses were posted on YouTube, almost immediately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTIowBF0kE

Behind the scenes must have been intense. Choosing requests, writing and shooting the responses and uploading it to YouTube. Mustafa had to act out up to two hundred replays over the course of one day.

The result was massive. Word spread like wildfire across dozens of social media sites. The hits on YouTube were record-breaking, sales went through the roof, and Isaiah Mustafa became a worldwide phenomenon.

Now I’m thinking I might smell like a man, man.