"Powerful"

You're more powerful than you think.

Apple's latest commercial Apps from a new microsite that you can explore...
and purchase at some cost!

Engaging advert, but sigh, uh hum, another Apple product.

Seven Dwarves

Seven Dwarves is the latest reality TV show on Channel 4 - I love their exposure and marketing push for the screening which aired this week. The camera filmed residence marks the latest subculture richness that seems to draw us all in ... well most of us - remember ' Big Brother' OR 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding?'' And you should know what I mean, it is trying to:

"Break through Panto stereotypes to show how this group of dwarf actors face the challenges of ordinary life head-on."

The marketing material out and about is clever - cliché maybe ... but Channel 4's in-house creative team have done well, they created 20 mini billboards which launched before the show around London, see below. Great stuff!

Absolut BLANK .

Absolut Blank from Sérgio Costa on Vimeo.

Absolut BLANK is a campaign created by TBWA, USA - in collaboration with a new generation of artists they have created a global movement that appears to lead the way in contemporary creativity. Absolut have worked with other artists in the past such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Spike Jonze and now it is their daring nature that provokes me to post this.

I love their passion for the blank canvas ... inspiring other artists to get involved, turning the blank canvas into a collaboration of art and creativity. The 20 artists participating in Absolut BLANK represent a variety of creative disciplines from across the globe; from drawing, painting and sculpting to film making and digital art. See below for Mario Wagner’s attention-grabbing cut-out imagery, and the detailed work of Good Wives and Warriors - they are vibrant and most importantly allowing people to work together. This is something that does inspire me, and hopefully all other aspiring artists too ... as they think about sharing their skills and creative passion.

RHYTHM Jerk - MTV idents

RHTHM JERK from MTV WORLD DESIGN STUDIO on Vimeo.

MTV have launched some new idents to define their visual identity onscreen - with four idents in total they have collaborated with agencies such as The Mill and ilovedust.

The one that I think has the strongest creative concept was designed and directed by Carl Addy from The Mill - called 'Rhythm Jerk' which shows five bespoke pop-up toys dancing collapsing and jerking to music. They include Metal Dude, Weather Man, Bangle Gal, Bananamana and Sumo who went through to the final film. The pop-up toys remind me of the childhood toy with the spring underneath that uncontrollably collapses and springs back to life when released. Obviously there was a lot of editing and skill involved to direct the timing of each toys, to coordinate the dancing pattern and movement.

It is a step forward from what MTV have previously done - the more modern and younger approach seems to suit the direction of who they are aiming at and why. Nice work from all of whom were involved!

Cadburys 'Dancing Clothes'

The latest Cadbury's video which launched on the 15th May, is most definitely a glass and a half full! Not only have we seen a Guerilla drumming, eyebrow party freak out and now it seems - Clothes Dancing!! The larger than life clothes and props were specially made, and over 2 weeks dancers prepared the moves which would ultimately create the theatrical performance.

A Cadbury spokesman said: ‘They were effectively blind within the suits. They had to rehearse heavily to ensure they could perform without crashing into things.’

Sam Hibbard, from advertising agency Fallon, (who always produce such amazing creative and provocative work) said: ‘People now are so used to CGI so we wanted to create the ad in a traditional very lo-fi way. It’s almost a performance rather than an ad.’

And I love it! As always, you might question the relevance to chocolate - but who cares when it makes people smile, enjoy life and it has the feel good factor.

Read more here.

MORE TH>N FREEMAN

You may have noticed the recent release of the MORE TH>N Freeman TV adverts, such excellent copy and art direction needs a massive round of applause! They create a new wave of complete motionless advertising that captures the attention of the viewer straight from the word go ... you are totally absorbed in the voice and moving image (most of what many of us will take for granted, i.e. car tyres and roof tiles).

It also seems that MORE TH>N are branching out in terms of social media and have created interactive and engaging ways that you can experience the brand, check out there "I'm MORE TH>N Freeman" Facebook page http://on.fb.me/MT-Y .

Their mission is "We do More", and they have captured it beautifully!

"Happy Inside" Campaign

The latest Ikea campaign by agency Mother, saw the release of over 100 cats into the Wembley Store. This had had a lot of coverage over the last few weeks - and I have to admit that on first viewing I had a Marmite moment ...

The concept ... amazing - a great connection between the cats and the feeling of home ... However ... Cats - I am not too keen on them roaming around jumping on things.
I don't own a cat and probably never will so I think that although Mother hit a huge target audience, I think they also alienated others because like Jack said from UHC - "I'm allergic to them".

But to say the least it is a fantastically shot advert - Ikea have put themselves at the heart of the home and it shows!

TV ADVERTS: British Gas "Your home is our world"

Released in February 2009, this superb animation is a favourite of mine. There are so many adverts competing for the same product that is it no surprise British Gas succeed.

The animation connects with us on a human level, clever with the narrative and how they promote themselves, I love the world they create and how we can depend on them.

Visually it is stunning, British Gas have touched upon this in previous TV adverts but never on this scale. Created by agency CHI AND PARTNERS they excel themselves, and I hope to see more of this in the future.