Cool Marketing Thoughts

A little while ago, Europe was tormented by a storm of ‘rare’ force, wind speeds exceeding limits that haven’t been touched in years and years. On the day of the storm, when I drove up the yard, I had to put my car aside because some tree decided to fall right over the road, blocking all access. It took me 3 hours of chopping (the old fashion way with an axe and a saw) to cut off all the tree branches and the foliage and to get the tree trunk into movable pieces to clear the road. And then I was amongst the lucky ones. People died, houses were blown apart, small local floods, bigger floods, roof tiles flying around… The next day, an ad for Mercator – an insurance company – appeared in the paper:

A painful toptopical for the victims, but right on-point.

Client: Mercator Insurances
Agency: Duval Guillaume Antwerp
Creative Directors: Dirk Domen, Geoffrey Hantson
Copywriter: Kristof Snels
Art Director: Sebastien De Valck

Thanks, Sebastien

To announce the launch of the 24/7 Comedy Channel on Free-TV, something that appears to be satellite TV, some agency came up with the ads below. Unfortunately, the sender couldn’t tell me more about its origin but I thought the visuals were just splendid. Looking at the licence plate of the funeral car, I think these ads were made in the UK and that a German copy has been added afterwards. If anyone knows the right credits, feel free to fill me in.

Copy:
“Not a minute without comedy”
“On 15.01 comes the first 24 hour comedy station”
“Comedy Channel, new on Free-TV”

Thanks, Derrick

*Update*

Agency: Kempertrautmann, Hamburg, Germany
Creative Directors: Daniel Ernsting, Frank Bannöhr
Art Director: Axel Schilling
Copywriter: Christian Soldatke
Designer & Illustrator: Tim Belser, Marita Locmele
Account Director: Peter Matz

Thanks, Dave

In The Netherlands, Axe teamed up with Vespa and gives away 5 items of the legendary scooter with a branded saddle. A “Spray more, get more” print has been placed where the passenger can sit. It doesn’t have the brilliance I’d expect from Axe, but it is a very cool gadget and I’m sure the target audience will fall for it.

Another nice teaser is this mirror that has been modified in the men’s restrooms, where two saucy vixens have been stickered on the mirror above the sink and the blokes who’d come by to wash their hands could experience the Axe Effect, be it with a high ‘wishful thinking’ factor. Axe’s image is mostly about wishful thinking and making men dream about things the rarely come true, but it’s a great USP. At some point I think they’ll have to change the rifle from shoulder and try to approach the target audience on a different way. I don’t see that happen really soon, but I doubt that it can remain paying off with the same impact.

Both campaigns via Marketing Alternatif > Coloribus

Here’s two more ads for the archive, which is getting pretty extended. In case you missed something, I think I’ve lined it up quite complete at the bottom of this post. I must say it’s becoming quite an interesting case. I’ve used many examples already in presentations for customers and this brands keeps coming with new interactive stuff that can serve as a starting point to develop a good online experience for other brands. I think Axe/Lynx and Absolut are by far the most popular brands amongst youngster when it comes to collectable print ads or online experiences. Okay, the brands have been well-established and they’ve been around for a while already, but you’ve got to admit that the amount of ads they produce at a steady pace is pretty impressive. And I’m still not getting bored of them.

First ad (above) found on Advertising For Peanuts

Previously on Marketing Thoughts: Axe & Lynx Overview: Print / Interactive

• Axe: Wings Of An Angel
• A Load Of Axe
• Axe Tunnel Billboard
• Axe Gravity
• Axe Silver Lions: Get A Girlfriend
• 3 More Axe Ads
• Axe Effect
• A Few Cool Ads
• Some More Axe Ads (1)
• More Axe Ads
• Some More Axe Ads (2)
• Axe Ads
• Axe Valentine Days
• Axe Fantasy Mouse Skirt
• For the Axe Archive
• Axe Touch Ads
• Axe Ducks
• Axe Dressing Room
• Axe Car

• Axe Fantasy
• The Order Of The Serpentine
• Axe/Lynx Click Game
• Play With Me (Click To Tickle)
• Axe GameKillers
• Axe Spring Break Bootcamp
• Axe Click More Clip
• Axe Dry Pits Game
• Axe Shower Game
• Axe Keeps It Dry (Clip)
• Axe Booty Tones

• LynxJet Planet: Lola, Bambi & Candy
• Lynx Outdoor
• Billions Of Bikinis
• Lynx Archive

This is a very weird campaign from Belgian agency Ogilvy. It’s very arty-farty and I think it stresses the bizarre identity of the product pretty well. Exit Urban Shoes isn’t just ‘your ordinary shoe’. Exit is ‘the shoe with personality’, extravagant, remarkable and with a very high degree of ‘look at what I’m wearing. The campaign below might look edgy, but I think it has every intention to be so, since it’s a perfect extension of the brand image. Enjoy!

Copy: “They find a way out”

Site: exit & c°
Agency: Ogilvy (be)
Account Team: Axelle de Terwangne
Creative Director: Phil van Duynen
Creation: Phil van Duynen
Photographer: Christophe Gilbert
Retouching: Yannick Lecoq
Media: Magazines

This is a very very cool design for an AXE promotion. It tops many ad campaigns with its strong visual. A picture that’s good enough for winning prizes in professional shows. Art, photography and advertising melt together. The story behind this visual is this one: “the ultimate sacrifice for an angel is to give up his/her wings and become a mortal human being. Wearing AXE, you’ll be so ‘darn hot’ that beautiful angels like the one pictured below will sacrifice their wings to be with you.”. [Southern Accent] dammit wheres my boots? [end Southern Accent]. Impressive picture, really.

Title: Fallen Angel
Agency: Lowe Bull, South Africa
Creative Director: Gareth Lessing
Art Directors: Tatjana Buisson, Gareth Lessing
Copywriter: PJ Eales
Photographer: Jason R
Retoucher: Gareth Lessing