I love TED Talks. I especially love to collect and binge-watch them when I am traveling. If you are unfamiliar with what a TED Talk is, they are short (less than 20 minutes) presentations about topics on Technology, Entertainment and Design. One of my favorite talks is about flags by Roman Mars which absolutely embarrasses the city of Milwaukee’s flag and has recently spawned a competition for a flag redesign.
The real reason for this post is that I have always thought about what I could talk about If ever given the opportunity to present a TED Talk. I have yet to come up with a topic . . .
What I have come across thanks to a colleague are numerous parody videos on how to mimic a TED Talk. There is definitely a recipe for the video and presentation style that even the Onion caught. Enjoy!
Below is a great video making the rounds on the net these days. Very funny and well done also. More truth than some would like to admit to, but it is reality. I like to say that yesterday’s wet darkroom is today—Photoshop. Enjoy Fotoshop by Adobé and thanks to Jesse Rosten for producing this little ad!
Another ad that I found extremely well done both in telling a story and in the execution of the production was this two-minute ad produced for Chipotle grill. The story in the ad is about a farmer that decides to grow his farm and in the process becomes a mega farm in which the animals and product no longer look like they are intended. In the end, the farmer decides to go back to the start where the farm once was—basically getting back to the roots of farming.
The other interesting story is how this ad was produced. Event though this could have been animated easily—it was produced using stop motion photography and a dolly over a 50-foot table! Even better, the models were made using an additive printing process.
What I think really comes through on this ad is the culture and mission that Chipotle is trying to convey. Simple, clean and fresh. Well done in my eyes.
I have been searching the web lately looking at great ads of the past and present. In particular, ads that were/are unique—not just the ad creative, but also the way it is produced. This ad for Johnnie Walker, shot in 2008 and airing in 2009 is a good example of what I am talking about. The unique part of this though is that it was shot in one continuous take. The final ad you see was take #40, and considering the distance one can walk in five-plus minutes, there was a lot of travel involved to restart the takes. This ad was developed by BBH (in the UK).
Sometimes the story of the ad is just as fascinating as the the story the ad itself is telling!
Ah, hackers. This machine is designed to turn itself off once turned on . . . Simple enough; but one enterprising hacker took it a bit further and made it so it would have a fit. Enjoy the World’s Most Useless Machine!
Do you like the Old Spice commercial in which the actor Isaiah Mustafa ends up riding a horse? Care to know more about the creative? Leo Laporte, tech journalist for the world and self proclaimed Chief Twit interviewed the men behind the ads; Craig Allen and Eric Kallman of Wieden + Kennedy. This 20-minute interview gets a not always seen, look into the creative’s heads. Enjoy!
Congrats to the Saints for the win tonight, but who was the real winner in the ad war? Well, my opinion may not matter, but what do you think? Even if you didn’t see the game, you can still see the ads at youtube. Below are my thoughts and who i think were the winners this year.
First, I noticed that Sprite and 7up were not in the ads at all this year. Hyundai had a strong showing this year, and there was only one U.S. car maker in the commercials, Dodge (I assume the U.S. government-owned GM needed to spend its money a bit more wisely, so no Cadillac this time.)
Another trend that I piked-up on this year was the one of lifetime progressions. Cars.com, Dove, Dodge, Google and Monster.com all used the lifetime progression to sell their products.
Last thing I thought was that Bud Light seemed to be running on empty. One, there were fewer ads from them and nothing really hit me as great. What did you think?
Now for my winners. Bud Light, Budweiser, Coke and Doritos seemed to have the most ad dollars this year and to me, Doritos (Underdog), Budweiser (Bridge), Doritos (Snack Attack Samurai), Hyundai (Brett Favre), Coke (Hard Times), Budweiser (Fence) were clear winners. And for the loosers . . . Boost Mobile, Go Daddy, Taco Bell and 2010 Census (thanks for spending my money wisely though).
Please note that I did not consider any CBS or Movie ads in my thoughts, although the Leno, Oprah, Letterman ad was a good laugh.
In all, the days of crazy, great ads like the lat 90’s really seem to be over with. Please feel free to share your thoughts. What were your favorites and the ones you pan—and were you really offended by the Focus On Family ad that had Tim Teibow and his mother in it? One thing for sure is i registered to get a free pair of pants. I’ll let you know if I actually won a pair tomorrow.
Every once in a while public service announcements (PSAs) actually grab your attention. This PSA for Sussex Safer Roads in the UK is artfully done and rather simple in the message; “Embrace Life. Always wear your seat belt.” This simple style also tugs at a personal level which I think is the most effective way to get this style of message across to a broad audience. It is rare to see such well done PSAs, but this one is a clear winner!
The creative team at Jib Jab is at it again and now you can insert your photo into the creation to send to friends with Elf Yourself. Have a great time sending it to everyone you know as a little pre-holiday cheer!
The Triple B 