Cool Marketing Thoughts

Secretary’s Day is approaching! Belgian electricity operator Electrabel has launched a website that lets bosses produce a mini-opera for their secretaries. A florist sings a personalized song with the name of the secretary in it. Available in Dutch and French.

By the way, did you know that Secretary’s Day was created by a marketeer? Harry F. Klemfuss of Young & Rubicam launched the idea in 1952. In the US the concept is now known as “Administrative Professionals’ Day“. This year it falls on 23 April. In Europa it’s still called “Secretary’s Day” and it’s celebrated on 17 April.

Campaign website: http://www.debestemanagementassistent.be
Agency: Proximity BBDO Belgium.

Aaaaages ago, when the ‘pc on every desktop’ meme still had to be dreamed of and DOS wasn’t coded yet, a company named the Philco-Ford Corporation launched a pretty foreseeing prototype video of the technology they would see arrive in the homes of people. Philco-Ford was funny enough an aeronautical company, but the devices they’ve placed in the living room or in dad’s home office look a lot like the ones you’d see in the early Bond movies. Despite the age of the movie, things like online shopping, home surveillance, automated backups and online payments were already being discussed. The movie is estimated to be of 1967. Enjoy the flashback.

Video: Digital Life in 1967

via

The first time I saw this clip I thought it was a real video, like the one I’ve seen earlier of a holiday resort that had a beach right before the start of the runway of the airport. Then when I saw the plane turn I began to suspect something fishy, but I never really expected the clip to turn out the way it did!

Video: Have A Nice Trip

This is in fact a commercial for X-Travel, a Dutch site aimed for teens and youngster who are looking to plan a vacation. It’s a clip that promoted a campaign where teens could ’start their own airline company’ meaning that if they would check in 6 friends, they could win a free vacation for all. Tempting idea, and an appealing video for that specific target audience.

Mmm. This one made me think about the old days. Where is the time when kids didn’t need a PS3 with 60 games to entertain theirselves? Where is the time when audio cassettes still did the trick? Observe the various implementations of this deluxe device Tiger once released, and think back to the endless days of super-spy-fun you once had. Fun for hours, unlimited rewind/rewrite functions… OMG. I feel sooooo old when I see this stuff flash by again. I think the clip is from 1995, but it seems almost like it’s from the 80s. Waaaaay back in the days.

Video: Tiger Deluxe TalkBoy

Living up to its brand promise, Axe came out with a tasty new commercial a little while ago. Unlike the ‘we make a nerd be loved by gorgeous women’ approach, they now offer you the real deal. Using their deodorant, you will be changed into a yummy chocolate man and all women will want to have a piece of you. I think I’m going to move to the US, buy the deodorant and then sue Axe for not living up to its promises. Hah!

Video: Axe Chocolate
Thanks for the clip, Arns

Arns just sent in a funny commercial I just had to post. Might be a bit older already, seeing that it’s from a beer brand from down under, and it sometimes takes a while for those campaigns to reach this part of the world. Nevertheless, I thought it was pretty cool to see a beer brand sponsor a philharmonic orchestra on the one hand AND supply all of their instruments on the other. Must have taken aaaaages to set this all straight to the right tones and to tune the contents of the bottles to create a synchronical melody out of it with such a group of people. Nice job!

Video:Victoria Bitter

In case you didn’t know: Australia’s favourite full strength beer, Victoria Bitter or VB as it’s fondly known, has a tradition of rewarding hard work and hard play, dating back to the 1890s. More info on their beersite.

Fido, a Canadian wireless provider, created the billboards in conjunction with Bos, Toronto to celebrate the holiday season and promote wireless video calling. They feature a man and a woman each projected onto separate buildings. Initially both are static and then suddenly the young couple begins to interact with one another as video is projected onto the buildings throughout Toronto’s downtown core from December 6th to December 29th. They are being projected by BC-based Media Merchants using high-power light projectors.

These is a nice way to grab the attention of passers-by, since it will trigger curiosity and invites people to either watch what happens. It’s also a good conversation starter because it’s definitely something that you don’t see every day. Love to see some of these around in my country. Such a nice change to see instead of those dull ones that are all over town.

There’s also a movie to illustrate what the concept exactly holds:

Video: Fido Toronto
Agency: Bos Toronto
Creative Directors: Roger Gariepy, Chad Borlase, Gary Watson
Art Director: Ibraheem Youssef
Copywriter: Mwewa Frederick Nduna
Client Service: François Mailloux, Erin Gooderham
Production: Todd McLellan, Sugino Studios
Post Production: The Studio Upstairs
Projections: The Media Merchants
Video Production: Stone Canoe
Seeding: Glossy Inc

Excuse me for the title, but it is Greenpeace’s latest campaign that actually triggered it. Yes indeed. Not that we should try to switch to human gas to light up the house, but umm in one bizarre way or the other some guys at some agency came up with this plan to link ‘light shining out of one’s behind’ to ‘using energy efficient light bulbs’. Selling this to the customer on its own is a fairly nice accomplishment. It’s daring, down to earth and ok, I agree, the message is clear. I’m just not so sure about the wrapping. Up to you to decide…

Video: Greenpeace