Ladies, can I have a big cheer please for Boots No7. Their Ta Dah! campaign (by Mother, which has been running since last August) makes me very happy because they haven’t used airbrushing, models with lash extensions or models who have had cosmetic surgery. But not only that – the campaign implies that their products … Continue reading Ta Dah! Finally, a feel-good cosmetics campaign
Category: trends
get set for a long haul celebratory Summer
I did a project a few months back for a UK retailer looking at all the events planned for Summer 2012 and assessing the likely impact. Without giving away all the insight the client paid for, it’s a little bit worrying. For a start, it’s going to be a long-haul Summer. From the Diamond Jubilee … Continue reading get set for a long haul celebratory Summer
press just isn’t performing
Last week in a client meeting, someone looked up and said “we’re just going to have to stop using press”. This client’s conversion rate via press has recently dropped from merely unimpressive to unsustainable and to put it in context, for them online activity now converts 100 times more effectively than press. You could of … Continue reading press just isn’t performing
Northern agency Recession Watch
As a freelance, I inevitably get about a bit. So I hear an awful lot about how well (or otherwise) businesses and individuals round my way are doing. I can’t comment on the daily media stories about how the economy is getting better / worse / becoming more unpredictable by the day, but I certainly … Continue reading Northern agency Recession Watch
why isn’t anybrand saying that the gym isn’t always the answer?
I’ve had a bee in my bonnet for a while about what I see as the broad perception among the health, diet and fitness profession that being fit & healthy = going to the gym. Apart from the super fit fitness fans and some of my Dad’s 60+ mates (who seem to use the gym … Continue reading why isn’t anybrand saying that the gym isn’t always the answer?
the rise of the high street assault course
No wonder our high streets are struggling – they’ve become a shopping assault course. In my second Planning job one of my clients was a big shopping centre. One of the insights we came up with was that this out of town complex was simply shopping made easier than the high street – it was … Continue reading the rise of the high street assault course
homemade gifting is on the up, but will AdLand feel the impact?
I detected a definite shift this year towards homemade gifts, with jam, chutney, Turkish Delight and flavoured vodka all being unwrapped at my house on Christmas Day. Having heard similar stories over the last few days I can only imagine that businesses selling kilner jars and jam pot covers had a bumper December. From Kirstie’s … Continue reading homemade gifting is on the up, but will AdLand feel the impact?
what’s with all this obsession with cool (and by extension, youth)?
Sometimes, when I meet someone at a party and they find out I work in advertising (and especially once I explain what a Planner does) a flicker of surprise crosses their face. I suppose I don’t seem the type, perhaps like someone more likely to be a teacher or accountant. You see, I’m not cool. … Continue reading what’s with all this obsession with cool (and by extension, youth)?
TV ad in actual behaviour change shocker
I put Winter Tyres on the car last week (it’s rear wheel drive, I got stuck three times last Winter). There’s a badly shot but concise video explanation of the benefits of switching here. I asked the nice bloke at Kwik Fit how many people he thought would be doing the same as me this … Continue reading TV ad in actual behaviour change shocker
the *other* facebook marketplace
My facebook newsfeed has recently turned into a virtual version of exchange & mart (or even, say, ebay). It seems that some people are more comfortable buying and selling with friends-of-friends than from random strangers who have positive feedback from other random people (cough, ebay). So my network are merrily flogging second hand cars and … Continue reading the *other* facebook marketplace