Mar 09
Was offered this on Facebook recently in that little Advertising block on the right hand side of your screen offering a free marmite cereal bar. So I though ‘What the hell… let’s give it a go.’ Well I got it in the post yesterday and I was impressed by how integrated the whole campaign was in terms of Marmite launching the new innovation. The objectives must certainly have been awareness and trial, with a higher focus on trial of the product since the messaging of the campaign encourages feedback on their new product.
The product itself, well, it falls under the general feeling around Marmite doesn’t it? You either love it or hate it. Well, I do like Marmite in general and the cereal bar is pretty good. It’s not overbearingly marmite, but you get the taste and it fulfils all the passport factors of being a cereal bar.
I don’t know if they’ve done any TV advertising around it, but the Outdoor is fairly ubiquitous in London and very eye-catching and engaging. I especially love the twist and the emotion it creates around even thinking of having a Marmite showergel, Fabric Softener or Perfume. In contrast, the cereal bar looks like a great idea.
Check ‘em out…
Ad Agency: DDB
An overall brilliant marketing campaign which fitted Social Media into its mix and overall strategy pretty brilliantly and was the first FMCG brand to do so. The bars were also sampled at tube stations and other places and the sample bars through facebook were obviously voluntary and you had to put in your address. So instead of Social Media i.e. Facebook Ad units being the main driver it was, in fact, only a part of the campaign for marmite to increase its reach.
Great Idea. Great Work.
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, Sampling, Social Media
Mar 05
Thus should spark debate amongst the coffee cognoscenti. The age old generally accepted fact that instant coffee would NEVER match that of filter. Starbucks choose to challenge this assumption with the launch of their new instant range which they promise is just as good as their filter coffee (also, it gives them a nice intro into the instant coffee market, where they don’t play currently).
Further to proving their claim, they’re inviting Starbucks customers to come in on the weekend of 12th-15th March and have a taste-off of their VIA Ready Brew range vs. Their filter coffee. They also just sent me a taster in the mail.
Starbucks VIA. This should be interesting…
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Coffee, Innovation, Launch, Starbucks
Mar 05
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin
Two Muslim women have been the first to reject going into the controversial body scanners at Manchester airport.
News Report: Daily Mail “Muslim women who refused to take ‘naked’ full-body scan are barred from Manchester to Pakistan flight”
I think Ben Franklin had a very legitimate point and the consequences of the actions of the current British government (and the US), with their gross insecurity, keep coming to light. I think the problem stems from the “Us and Them” mindset which is so prevalent in Western Society. It’s childish and not very constructive to building a vision for humanity which is sustainable.
When will people learn from history? NO Nation rules for long and all glory is short-lived save by being remembered for great action in the service of humanity. What they are currently doing serves nothing but their own purpose and everyone can see it. wasn anybody even listening when tehy watched Spiderman? “with great power comes great responsibility” not “with great power comes great arrogance”, which could be true from we’ve seen in history, anyway.
It all depends on which side you fall on and your actions will betray your intention. The line between the hero and the villain is very thin indeed.
written by Muhammad
Mar 04
I gave a presentation yesterday at the “Social Media and the Employment Relationship Conference” in Holborn, London. Essentially, I was talking to a group of HR consultants and professionals and letting them know how to get involved and get started using Social Media in their particular context.
Here it is :)
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Employees, Employers, HR, London, Personal Branding, Presentation, Social Media
Feb 22
Where were they when you was walking through the dark path of sorrow and unhealthy self-flagellation for your failures? The ones who laughed with you way back when you were at primary school, at high school and at university. The ones who rode the tide across the happy days, sucking on the smiles.
And now when the darkness has come, after the glory days… when you hit that hard wall of reality and suddenly nobody’s smiling because nobody’s there. Except you, and you’re not smiling either. All you see is this mountain to climb, a long road ahead with little provision. All you have is you.
Does it make you wonder then, that your REAL friends, even those who did help a little, could only go so far… does it not make you wonder at the fabric of your life? Cloth stitched with decision after decision and it’s all up to you. You, alone, can take the action necessary and you alone should accept the consequences, the responsibility. Accept it. Take the first step up that mountain, on that lonely road. The others, the ‘friends’, will follow you. But you have to lead yourself, and eventually them too, to the sunlit path of smiles and laughter.
You, are ultimately your only friend.
Recognise.
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Friends, Life, Thoughts
Feb 02
The Judge walks in and everybody instinctively rises. I suddenly feel like I’m back in primary school and you had to stand every time a teacher or the principal came into the class and greet them loudly, unquestioningly. I know it’s a matter of respect and it does have its place but I have this innate problem with authority, especially authority which enforces rituals instituted by archaic social conventions.
So I grudgingly stand as the judge, a very chubby man of about 50 years old, walks to his seat. His impossible to hide double-chin depresses as he lifts his head from his notes and calls the first divorce case for the day, “Case two-oh-three-four, two thousand and seven, Mr James and Ms Jackson.”
The lawyers constantly refer to the Judge as “Your worship…” which irritates me again but I’m just an observer here. They bow as they leave the room, the judge doesn’t notice this at all and this indicates to me how ingrained the behaviour is amongst lawyers and people in general. Is this part of the curriculum at law school? “Etiquette and behaviour in court” or something similar? I wonder…
No doubt, social convention has its place. The masses are fucking idiots… just look at the lyrical content of the top 40 hit countdown and suddenly social conventions to keep people in line and instil some sort of structure makes sense. But then again, it’s the same system purveying the culture of self-gratification and delusion anyway. Which is why, from an overall perspective, the whole thing grates against my being.
Yes we need some form of authority and structure, but I reserve my right to question it and wholeheartedly disagree with it.
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Authority, delusion, Disagree, Question, Social Convention, Structure
Jan 29
He’s healthy. His mother loves him. He came into this world wet, beautiful and loud. Like most babies are. He glows in his tired mother’s arms… smiles and kisses everywhere. Love fills the room. He looks around his new world, he lives here now. This is life and his begins in noise, love and heat.
I wish I could tell him not to be afraid of anything. That everything will be okay. I want to tell him that he needs to pay attention, though. That sometimes he’ll feel just like the first time he came into this world. Change is scary. Change is life. He’ll scream again. Out of desperation, frustration, anger. He’ll also scream out of joy. Emotions run high and rampant and he will ride them, everywhere.
<this is just the beginning>
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Life, Writing
Jan 09
The Placebo soundtrack on the trailer really drew me in. That and the tag line "The Matrix meets 28 Days Later." Overall, it was following the recent trend i.e. normal vampire movie with a twist. Not very engaging. The only link to the Matrix was tehir se of humans to survive… for blood this time, obviously.. not being used as batteries. The Matrix had it done better though… they had a plan in place to replace dead humans… here the dead humans just die… leaving a blood shortage.
Anyway… it was a filler movie. something you can waste your time with and would be just as good if you got it on DVD or waited for it come on TV.
What was great about it was the colouring and the cinematography. It was noir in a modern way and the soundtrack fit the movie really well. Also, Ethan Hawke makes a really good vampire. On the plot… I like how they put in all the normal stuff that happens after being a vampire becomes normalised. Things like the economy, class systems, food shortages, etc. start to take over the agenda.
I’d give the movie a 6/10 :) Enjoy.
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Daybreakers, Movie, Review
Jan 08
Best Agency Christmas Present I ever received… so far.
"So what the hell does that mean?" is probably going through your head. Well here’s the rub… the Poster design for Inglourious Basterds was akin to having a great shot of a fishfinger on a pack of… well.. fishfingers. No differentiation, nothing to build the brand. Bland. Blends into the background. Status quo. Following Market conventions… Don’t agree? Let me prove it.
Exhibit A: The Inglourious Basterds Poster (Mainstream)
Exhibit B: The Valkyrie Poster
Spot the difference. None… design-wise anyway. Now you can see Brad Pitt in typical fish-finger style… blending into the background of mediocre poster history. Why would Tarantino bow down to corporate pressure like this and risk his almost instantaneously recognised style and colouring for mass-produced crap like this?
To be fair… there were incredibly great-looking posters made alongside this one… the issue I have is that the mass-produced poster was the most ubiquitous. Which was a shit move, marketing-wise. I’d fire whoever approved it, and am highly disappointed with Tarantino for condoning it.
Anyway… here’s the great ones…
So there you have it. On the mass poster, Brad Pitt is a fish-finger. That poster should not have been made, let alone be put up as the main attraction. The movie was fucking awesome, regardless.
written by Muhammad
\\ tags: Analysis, Branding, Cool, Design, Inglourious Basterds, Marketing, Movie, Tarantino
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Fists in the Air…