Another BIG waste of space

We were having a discussion in the office yesterday re. how many un-posted poster sites we've been seeing recently - mainly underground 6 sheets - and what a shame it is that these don't run pro bono activity in between paid for campaigns.
Then last night, I saw this blank landmark Clearchannel site pictured above on the corner of Blackfriars Bridge and Stamford Street....what another waste of space.

Holy Smoke!

Saw this poster the other day and thought I had time travelled back to the 80's with this crude Silk Cut style ad for some kind of smoking cessasion cigarettes.

Not sure what I think about it really - does it encourage smokers to stop, or will it encourage smokers to light up?

Compelling Men's Fashion

I'm a regular shopper at ASOS and was pleased to see the A/W 2011 Menswear Urban Tour activity come into my inbox today. 

A really involving & genuinely compelling piece of work showcasing their mens range across several cities (of course I think London is the best!).  Take a look.http://www.asos.com/urban-tour/#!/london

Safety vs. Profit

Everyday on the way to work I see hundreds of people wobbling along on their bikes, dodging cars and people while they head to work.

One thought comes to mind each time “Why are they not wearing a helmet?” It is then I remember that there is no law stating that you have to wear a helmet while cycling.

The helmet is to a bike what the seatbelt is to a car (it is illegal to drive without a seatbelt); and on a bike there is no protective exterior, there is no ‘crush zone’ – just you and the object you are hitting.

Although there is no law for it, an ad was recently banned from TV as it had large crowds cycling without helmets. The ad was said to “encourage young children to not wear a helmet”. The ad itself had no children appearing and was not aimed at a young audience.

So why are we not seeing this changed? Could it be due to the Boris bikes that are now all over Central London?

If the law was changed and we had to wear helmets to ride a bike, would people still use Boris Bikes? I personally am doubtful.

Perhaps this is why the law won’t change anytime soon as the bikes are still paying back the debt they cost to set up…

Relative Irony?

Saw this in a Newsagent shop window recently...newish ad format from streetad.tv. Given the size of the window space, it doesn't really make sense to have a small LCD sceen in the middle with 2 other small static formats either side. But that aside, the irony of this being, the fact that the screen reads - CAN YOU SEE THIS? but as per the picture above - the answer is - NO, NOT REALLY.

Blank threats or reality?

Over the past few weeks the media world has been watching the story unfold of the relationship breakdown of what is said to be the worlds biggest ad sales contract. The £1bn ad sales contract between CBS and Transport for London (London Underground to be more specific).

"Sauer, executive vice president and general counsel, CBS Outdoor, dismissed the suggestion that the current proceedings had anything to do with the fall in ad revenue in 2008/9. Sauer said: "This is not about revenue, it is about construction costs and construction delays. We began talking in 2007 before the recession. This is about cost increases. It's not about general revenue consequences." - MediaWeek.

As an outsider looking in at the situation, I ask myself "Would we really be reading about a termination of contract if revenue was up YoY?" - My thought is no...

Deadline on negotiations are 1st October - are we about to see the biggest ad sales contract end? Who will take it from CBS? Only 3 weeks left until deadline....

Hanging around on the Wobbly Bridge

On a trip to Calabria last year, I noticed a load of padlocks that had been attached to some railings at a popular sightseeing spot, overlooking the coast from the town of Tropea....the modern day version of etching 'we were here' in to the railings I assumed - adding a sign of unity relating to who you were there with at the time.

I hadn't seen this before, or indeed since, until I embarked on my daily walk to London Bridge last night .... where there were dozens of them hanging from various parts of Millenium Bridge.

This morning the number had escalated to 100's - different colours, shapes and sizes.

Interested to see how many there will be tonight ... and in turn, how long they will continue to be placed there before someone decides to put a stop to it all.

Watch this space

Long Exposure Photography....

I am always on the look out for innovative pieces of creative work and today I think I found one of the best (at least in my opinion!).

Very simple Long Exposure Photography. High impact, great results. Not seen many ads use this yet...time for someone to break the trend?

Click here to view 35 amazing images.

Going Up (side down) ?

Spotted this digi ad in the lift at Heathrow airport the other day advertising holidays in Taiwan.
Clever if it had been for Australia or NZ ... but surely a techinical glitch given it was displayed upside down.
The lift dwellers don't look too bothered ....aside from the lady standing next to it looking inquisitively up at it out of the corner of her left eye!

Healthy Looters.... continued...

As you heard earlier in the week; we have a fruit looter somewhere in the building. A trap was set up in the fruit bowl and the bait was taken.

Above is an example of how the looters bag may look like...

The story continues...

Clear & simple - Do & die!

Standing on the platform at a station in the leafy Surrey suburbs the other day I noticed this poster .... pretty simple message really....Trespassing on the railway....Maximum Penalty DEATH

A Twist on Graffiti...

At lunch today I stumbled across the new craze of graffiti hitting the streets. "Yarnbombing" is the idea of covering public objects with knitting, and then running before you are caught. Seeing as the web you see above took 3 days to attach, I am not sure the artist was able to apply it so subtly before running!

Healthy Looters....

A healthy workforce is a happy workforce :) Well, that's what we like to think... so we stock up with fruit on Monday mornings for Pure Media folk to eat throughout the week.

Unfortunately, it appears we have some healthy looters in our offices .... as the fruit supplies have regularly started to diminish overnight.

Inspired by the story of the guy who used a tracking device and remote webcam to locate his lap top that was stolen from his flat in the midst of last weeks riots.... Operation fruit trap in now underway.

Watch this space!!

Yet another waste of space...

Meeting at VCCP first this morning required the use of the underground from Victoria back to the offices in Farringdon.
Once again, a journey where wasted ad space was encountered...RANT!
Kings Cross interchange - there were 2 x 6 sheet posters in each connecting passage ....8 in total....All of which were blank.
Surely these sites could be used to run Charity ads in between posting cycles, or missing person messages. Or on a more topical note, pictures of the rioters and looters from last week's mayhem.

Railworks opportunities?

Whilst waiting for my train at Denmark Hill station yesterday, (having missed my train due to station refurbishment) I couldn't help thinking that there could be an opportunity to turn the 12 month long project into a more commercial opportunity.

The wooden boards pictured, of which there are plenty around the station could easily be turned into low cost, pop up outdoor sites, reaching plenty of commutors on a daily basis, might make the place look a bit more bright and colourful too. They may not be fantastic quality but could certainly serve to advertise local services and shops. Perhaps the revenue earned could go towards making sure the project finishes on time, or shock of shockers even early!

Signing off, Disgruntled of Denmark Hill!

A Touch of creative humour

Recent events have marred our society of late and presented us with vilainous monsters.

Social media has hit the headlines both negatively and positively, for possibly exacerbating events due to orchestration via twitter and BBM, as well as aiding remedial community efforts to repair damages.

Rioters and looters blotted the copy book of the hooded yooof of today, many of whom were caught on camera, be it mobile phones or CCTV.

The link below shows them in a new light - these are fantastic examples of creative people using photoshop at its best.

http://photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/

Aviva Series Grand Prix @ Crystal Palace

We've had a great few months planning and buying activity for our client UKA (UK Athletics)- promoting the Aviva series outdoor events in Birmingham and London.....topped off by a fanatastic evening out at the Crystal Palace National stadium last Friday to experience a Diamond League event first hand.

Great seats near the finish line, we witnessed World Class athletes compete in various track and field events, achieving some season bests and some PB's too.

Hat's off to the athletes, as well as to the team at Fast track, who worked phenomenally hard to deliver sell out events across the season.

Fabulous Gossard Offer

Fantastic offer for our lovely client Gossard running today on Groupon.

£16 for £40 of beautiful lingerie

Click on the link below ....

Gossard Groupon Deal - click here

Trust

We spend our lives trying to deliver best value for our clients.... and evaluate spend, delivery and achievements to ensure campaign optimisation.

By it's very nature being a statistical model, online is a truly accountable medium ....and enables analysis based upon granular detail of achievements on an ongoing basis in order to access the efficacy and optimise accordingly.

In order to do this however, it is imperative to run campaigns through a 3rd party adserver, as no amount of trust can guarantee true campaign reporting.

With millions of impressions being bought and various areas being analysed to assess campaign achievements, data must run through an independent system/s to qualify campaign delivery and results.

The stats speak for themselves, and without direct access to the reporting, campaign delivery can be questionable at best.

No amount of trust can prove the real numbers - the real numbers need to speak for themselves.

Hit or Miss?

We have recently added a QR code to our email signatures and our business cards, linking through to the Pure Media website http://www.puremedia.co.uk/ ..... The problem is they appear to need a certain light to work, and therefore don't work every time.

So it's a bit hit & miss, but effective when it works.

Yet Another Win for Forex.com!

Just wanted to say a big Congratulations! to our fabulous Clients Forex.com for their recent win at the Money AM Awards. It's been a great 12 months for Forex.com, who have already picked up several accolades for best forex provider at the IC and Shares awards, amongst others. Now they have the Money AM 'Best online FX provider' to add to the trophy cabinet! Cheers to that!

Come See Me....

Link below for film created by our sister agency Fast Track for UKA, showing the power and might of some of the UK's finest athletes training for the Aviva Series.

Click here for the impressive video!

Only 2 of the summer events left to go now ... Birmingham Aviva UK Trials & Championships - 29-31 July and Aviva London Grand Prix - 5-6 August.

For tickets: Click here

Negotiate or loose out

On Brick Lane last night my American friends were astounded when I began negotiating with the doormen as to what special offers they were willing to offer in order to entice us into their Indian food establishment. 5 minutes work rewarded us with free drinks and a 30% discount off food – a saving of around £50 from the final bill.

Of course the restaurant owners were happy – they secured our business and presumably made a tidy profit on the meal / service which we did pay for. Having spent some time living in India, negotiating for products and services became second nature, and the practice is something which I would be keen to see made far more a part of UK culture (especially in lean economic times such as these). The lee-way to strike a bargain allows both parties a far greater opportunity to achieve a satisfactory result than our staid British ‘set- price’ system – where potential customers often come away empty-handed rather than risk offend a vendor (who is more often than not desperate to sell) by offering a lower price based on perceived value.

Within the media business, strong negotiation skills are an inherently essential tool in obtaining best value for our clients. Media buyers constantly face challenges from media owners who often refuse to offer discounts based on anything other than volume bookings, when there could quite likely be a deal to strike if they would only be open to taking a lesson from Indian culture where the emphasis lies far more on affordability than saving face, or other bureaucratic considerations.

Anyone for an ‘educational’ work trip to Mumbai?

Simple yet effective

Saw this sandwich board the other day on the Soutbank, prompting people to go and look through the telescopes the RSPB had set up as part of an educational experiential programme.

Simple, yet effective media and message.

The Challenge of the Dragon is Nigh

Since Jack Dorsey produced twitter back in 2006, it has enjoyed a meteoric rise to success, with fans now including such British luminaries as Lord Sugar and Stephen Fry – and with 52m accounts opened during the past 5 years, and 21m live accounts active each month, one might be forgiven for thinking that this phenomenon for micro-blogging was unprecedented.

Of course anyone familiar with the Chinese social media landscape would immediately refute that assumption with the mention of social media behemoth Weibo (which means microblogging). From its creation in 2007, Weibo has grown to boast a massive user base of 140m, translating to 50m monthly live accounts. They currently claim to be growing at an astonishing rate of 10m users per month – that is almost 1/6 of the current UK population.

The functionality of Weibo, whilst similar to twitter, does have some notable exceptions. For a start there is no character limitation on blogs (tweets are limited to 140 characters), and commentary is allowed. Weibo is also ahead of the game when it comes to monetisation – with more than 60,000 accounts being verified as belonging to major brands, celebrities and sports stars. Some people see Weibo as a kind of twitter – facebook hybrid, others argue that it is even better than either of them – it organises events based on cities and not just friends, and features the Google Hangout-like, multi-person video-conferencing tool.

The good news is that we Brits will soon be able to make our own minds up, as owner Sina Corp recently announced that they will be launching a Weibo English interface later this month. It will be very interesting to see how our old favourites facebook and twitter fare against newcomers Google+ and now Weibo.

Let the battle of the social-media super-brands commence!

Ad synergy we like

Perfect placement....ads promoting H2 on bikes parked in and around London commuter hot spots.

So what is H2? ... it's a gym for runners and cyclists providing a fitness and commuter solution.

They have a gym, spin studio and running club as well as luxury showers and changing facilities, bike parking as well as fixing.

Power of Public Perception

Last night I happened across the deneaumont of the hugely controversial Eastenders storyline which saw Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) snatch Kat Moon’s (Jesse Metcalf’s) baby following the tragic death of her own son. The Christmas storyline created unprecedented uproar amongst the British chattering classes, as the BBC were accused of sensationalising a truly terrible situation for the benefit of viewing ratings, and Samantha Womack’s career was left in jeopardy as she was victimised by the public for apparently willingly playing out the storyline.

What soon became apparent however was that the power of public perception was enough to shift carefully considered scripting, and even the legal implications of a presumably water-tight work contract. What is sure is that the hour-long special last night was not that originally drafted by BBC script-writers at conception of the plot.

In the same way then has public perception shifted against NOTW – apparently following the revelation that the answerphone of a young, murdered girl had been targeted in a phone – hacking incident. Never mind the fact that the same brand had been under serious police investigation for the same crime for more than several years (to the apparent oblivion of much of the UK).

It seems clear that once the swell of public perception has been stirred and turned, it is a most dangerous phenomenon. I for one certainly wouldn’t want to be the object of animosity crushed in its wake.

News of the Woes

The recent events in the News International stable has thrown the national newspaper market wide open. The ‘killing off’ of NOTW is a smoke screen for the further ambitions of Murdoch. The protection of the forthcoming Sky deal is seen to be paramount and as Parliament is looking very aggressively towards NI this decision makes some sense. NI has a chance to make a truly modern Sunday paper but will they bother? Or will they just rush out a Sun on Sunday. Reading papers has just got interesting again

Google+

There is a lot of interest in the new social networking platform from Google, called Google + . The beta version was launched recently and already it’s over subscribed and closed to new users. The big question is will it eclipse Facebook?
The potential is there. We have seen mass migrations in the past but not on this scale. It will need some pretty nifty footwork by Google to make Facebook users move over in force. The new functions developed by Google+, such as Circles, Hangouts, Sparks and Photos are all compelling apps but will they be enough to make people change their engrained Facebook habits?

I don’t believe we are seeing the whole package from Google+ yet. Google has been developing their wide range of applications and sites into a more united brand, simplifying and standardising their user interfaces. These applications will have increased centralised functionality if used through Google+ and when used by a highly active userbase (prevalent in social networking sites) we will see people getting more from their social networking. It’s similar to how mobile phones have increased functionality – it’s now the turn of social networking sites.

The acid test for Google+ and any other network is ‘take-up’. Are these functions worth moving for? My guess is that they probably are. Especially when viewed on the new tablets/touch screens. Facebook won’t sit back and watch this happen, already we are seeing new tie-ins with other sites such as Snapfish.

Google is looking to collect more information from their user base. They need this information to generate more income via increased targeted advertising. A social network is a perfect place to collect this data. This is going to be a fascinating battlefield.

Oh Comely...

...browsing the magazine racks in the airport newsagents last week, looking for something other than the usual celeb/fashion focused mag I came across this magazine, 'Oh Comely'. It's refreshing to find a magazine with editorial content that is a little out of the ordinary, intelligent and creative, alongside a combination of beautiful illustrations and cool photography.

I've been searching for a new mag for a while, something that breaks the mould a bit and think I've found it, check it out and see what you think:

http://www.ohcomely.co.uk/

GENIUS ALDI AD !

It's not often an ad makes us laugh out loud... but this one did.
Click link below
ALDI TV AD

Random Recycling sign

I've seen some strange re-cycling signs before, but this one posted by the City of Londoncaught my eye this morning....CLEAN CARDBOARD ONLY (NO BLOOD).
Well, I suppose it was in Smithfield Market - so good reason for it.

Silly sign of the day

On your marks London!

We went to Maple Street Studios yesterday with Fast Track where we had our radio ad for UKA recorded, post produced and cleared by the RACC in record time. Sneak preview - Listen here... UKA Radio Ad

Pure Media experience World class athletics

We are really pleased to be working with Fast Track and new client UKA (UK Athletics), further to winning the business earlier this year.

Activity is currently running in the Midlands region promoting two events, the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix (already a sell out!) and the Aviva UK Trials and Championships, being held at the Birmingham Alexander Stadium in July.

A London campaign is also planned to go live imminently to support the Aviva London Grand Prix event being held at Crystal Palace on 5th/6th August, where the likes of big British talent as well as top class international stars will be competing.

For tickets and info visit:-

www.uka.org.uk/aviva-series

The Power of POS

Saw this posted on facebook yesterday - brilliant!

Gossard stops traffic with new ad

We've just run a highly impactful 1 week prime location London digital campaign for our fantastic client Gossard, to re-launch the new Glossies range.

The ad featured Gossard model of the moment Elle Liberachi, who was recently on the cover of FHM magazine, and had the same strapline that ran in 1996, "Who said a woman can’t get pleasure from something soft?" in what was described at the time as the controversial ‘Girl in the grass’ ad that shot Sophie Anderton to fame.

Enquiries through the roof for HomeSun

We are currently running a really effective campaign for HomeSun driving responses exceeding expectation.
Regional ITV activity has been runing in key areas in the South and South West of England, as well as targeted outdoor, print and digital media .....driving people online to find out if their roof is eligible for 'Free Solar'

Check out the new ad featuring Michael Fish below:-

Click to view TV Ad

Waste of Space?

Many of the buildings around the Farringdon Station area have been demolished as part of the Cross Rail regeneration project.

The picture here shows one of the next ones to go on the ever busy Farringdon Road.

However, it's been like this for month's now with the entire building clad in white building wrap.

Surely the Cross Rail team could have monetised the site and sold this enormous space to an advertiser ahead of the demolition.

Sans serif left and serif right.

Whilst I applaud the creative use of ad spaces that American Express have been running in print this year, and the genuine cut through and stand out they achieve ... I can't help but wonder why they mix the font styles in the copy .... running both serif and sans serif fonts in the same body of text.

Example here - with copy on the left looking distinctly different to that on the right ?????

Serif top & sans serif below?

Another example - this time different font style above and below ??

Relative Irony

Saw this vinyl banner yesterday - announcing the Kebab King is 'NOW OPEN' placed above a clearly 'VERY CLOSED' Shop front.

Tactical Live Ad for Upper Crust

Spotted this yawning, sleepy placard holder at London Bridge station yesterday morning in the thick of the morning commute ... directing people to Upper Crust for a wake up coffee.

A simple live, tactical ad communicating a synergistic and directional message in proximity to Upper Crust.

Not only does it work at this level ... but it also bringing to life the press advertising currently running.

Simple and effective.

Latest Newspaper ABCes - 28th April 2011

The top three national newspaper websites all reported record average daily browser figures in March, swelled by overseas visitors and coverage of key news events such as the Japanese earthquake, the civil war in Libya and the Royal Wedding.

MEDIA WEEK STORY

Waste of Space?

Whilst they were a great idea at the time, it has to be said, the XTP (Cross Track Projection) format has had a relatively sketchy existence since (the very dealyed) launch. The actual format is compromised and the quality questionable .. especially in light of progressive digital technology and the high quality formats now featuring in and around most under and overground stations.

That said, it seems criminal that such formats (unless the projector is broken of course) should not be used at all.

Surely, if they don't have paid for advertisers running campaigns - then pro bono campaigns should run instead.

There are plenty of charities that don't have enough funding to advertise at all, so giving them the opportunity to reach high footfall London audiences on busy commuter Underground platforms is surely worth consideration.

It was only a matter of time

As part of a self-regulatory initiative launched by IAB Europe today, Online behavioural advertising, which basically means ads that can target people based on their past web activity, will be flagged by a privacy icon (as per picture above)when used in Europe.

So every time I get served another ad for yet another pair of pink converse boots, exactly the same as the one's I bought my niece online for Xmas, or another Ben10 omnatirix or Scooby Doo duvet cover much like the one's that I bought my nephew last month - I can be reminded of the power of the web tracking my online behaviour.

Ouch!

It's usually print and online media that suffer mishaps with the placement of ads in proximity to inappropriate editorial environments, but it appears outdoor has come a cropper too ... the above example of outdoor posting gone wrong shows a 48 sheet ad for Channel 5 drama 'Waking the Dead' placed on the flank wall of this co-operative Funeralcare building.

Stop Press ..... Old School Innovation

Fantastic creative use of media displayed in the Daily Telegraph today for HSBC.
The format they are calling the Ribbon Cut Reveal Creative - is added to their print creative format portfolio, which now includes scratch and sniff ink, die cut magazine covers, and translucent cover wraps on all of their sections.

In an age where paper press continues to struggle to keep up with new innovations across other media channels and compete with the growth of digitised press consumed online and on mobile tablets consoles and handsets ... it's good to see the Telegraph is continuing to create and deliver innovative solutions in paper.

Free Solar Forecast by HomeSun

Advertorial activity is currently running to good effect for our client HomeSun promoting 'Free Solar'

TV Weathermen back HomeSun

Michael Fish and John Kettley - two of Britain's top TV weatherman - have forecast that solar energy is the future. Backing the kind of solar power for homes offered by HomeSun, John said: "I'm impressed with the cost savings and environmental benefits of solar power and it's great that companies like HomeSun are able to give people the chance to enjoy the benefits of solar panels on their roofs for free.

"People can now take advantage of the weather by transforming sunlight into renewable electricity for their homes."

Meanwhile, both weathermen have joined a nationwide search, organised by HomeSun and FindaProperty.com, for Britain's Greenest home. Michael Fish, says: "I think more and more people want to make their homes green."

Click here to see full feature

On Your Marks....Get Set ..... Go!!!

Let the GAMES begin............... The outdoor auction games that is, as the bidding started today for outdoor inventory across all formats in and around the London 2012 Olypmics next year.

Bidding will take place from today until June 30th. Unsold inventory will go back on the open market from July 1st.

It will be interesting to see how media owners manage the sale of unsold inventory post the auction period and ensure they don't jeopardise relationships with key (outdoor) clients.

Link below to latest news story on this topic from MediaWeek

£250M auction for Olympics begins