From making "Probably the best poster in the world" last year, earlier this week Carlsberg tried their hand at producing the best chocolate bar in the world - A watering hole made entirely out of chocolate.

With Easter looming, Carlsberg and ad agency Fold7 wanted to capitalise on the nation's lust for everything and anything chocolate. 

Built in Shoreditch outside the Old Truman Brewery on Wednesday morning, the edible bar was originally disguised as a billboard in the shape of giant chocolate bar (the corner shop kind). But at 12pm Carlsberg unwrapped the foil to reveal a bar measuring five meters wide, three meters high and two meters deep.

Made from nearly half a tonne of chocolate, the feature included a traditional bar, bar stools and a fake TV showcasing one of England’s greatest World Cup moments, all made out of chocolate. 

Until last orders at 5pm, patrons could enjoy a half pint of Carlsberg from a special chocolate glass, and of course, take a heap loads of selfies!

While most companies just included easter eggs or bunnies in their marcoms, this stunt certainly helped Carlsberg's easter campaign stand out from the crowd. 

With experiential events, there is always the fear that they will not be experiential enough. Too many companies view it as just another touch point and believe it is enough to be seen giving free samples out to the public. Thank goodness Carlsberg don't.

As part of Carlsberg's ongoing "If Carlsberg Did" campaign, this stunt continues to show that the beer company is a master in the art of PR. But admittedly, after previously having a beer-dispensing Christmas tree and billboard on separate occasions, I thought the brewer had run out of tricks. Well, I guess I couldn't have been more wrong. 

However, I do think it would have been better placed near Farringdon station...but that could just be because I work near there, who knows ;). In any case, I think Dharmesh Rana, the senior brand manager at Carlsberg UK, accurately surmised the event by saying:

"We pride ourselves on turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, and by creating a world-first chocolate bar, we feel that we’ve done just that."

Lloyds Bank recently launched a new brand campaign, "For Your Next Step", created by adam&eveDDB. According to Mat Goff, managing director at adam&eveDDB, the campaign wants to communicate that "Lloyds Bank can help give their customers confidence to take their next step whether that’s a planned, unforseen, happy or a challenging one.”

The campaign should be praised for two reasons. Firstly, it is no secret that convincing people to change their bank is very difficult. Typically people choose a bank when they’re 18 and stay with that bank for life. Adverts promoting low interest rates or free phone insurance are by enlarge ineffective. 

But the beauty of this campaign is that its doesn't try to highlight the benefits of the bank and instead Lloyds Bank are taking a back seat in order to appear in a supportive role. When people are getting married, or have lost a loved one they are consumed with their emotions and preparations. They need to focus on themselves and want everything  to work smoothly without them whilst they deal with their situation. Lloyds Bank  - a big, sturdy black horse - is portrayed as the bank that can provide that reliable financial support that is so essential at that these times. 

By giving primacy to the situation rather than itself, Lloyds Bank appears to become part of that individual's supportive network instead of a cold, faceless bank. You trust your network to help you get through each major life experience and Lloyds Bank hope this approach will help them attain that same trust.

Secondly, it should be praised for its diversity. The campaign features many different characters, including an interracial gay couple’s proposal.  In the 60 second spot we witness the proposal and then the two men’s embrace later in the commercial after one of the men says, “yes.” 

Times are changing and this ad is a direct reflection of that change. Millennials see the world very differently, and are more accepting than previous generations. Many will have friends from diverse backgrounds and in same-sex relationships. 

Ultimately, the ad reflects their world thus making it more relatable and likeable while at the same time making Lloyds Bank appear to be the bank suited to the forward-thinking millennial.

All in all a good follow- up to their 250th anniversary campaign.

The campaign was launched on the 11th March and will run on TV, cinema, digital, print, outdoor and social media. 

The definition of "New Money" is someone who is rich but does not come from a wealthy background or family. So, for example, rappers might be described as such because they often come from an impoverished background. 

Typically the term is seen as being derogatory. Over the years         people from "old money" have used it to call into question an individual's status in high society, because that individual did not originally come from a "respectable,"wealthy bloodline.

The new PayPal campaign therefore is atypical. It makes new money appear as something to you would want to be associated with.

In this campaign PayPal is described as new money because it is a more efficient, safer, and quicker means of handling financial transactions. "Old Money" is this context refers to banks, paper money and face-to-face transactions, and is portrayed as being conservative and backward.

In essence, Paypal have taken this "dirty word" and made it clean.

PayPal's reapportion of the term for its new global campaign is extremely clever and in-tune with the world we live in today. 

Each day the Fintech industry grows and changes the way we pay for things, exchange money and save money. The old ways - bricks and mortar banking - as dying out and the monopolies in the finance world that once existed are no more.  

Today, anyone with access to the internet can be a millionaire and we are more in control of our finances than ever before. 

PayPal appear to be on the side of change and progress thus making this disruptive technology more in touch with that golden consumer group - millennials. 

So move over banks, here comes PayPal!

In an era when every brand is struggling to communicate with millennials, most fail because they trying to hard to be"cool."

Instead of trying to understand this segment, they often try and imitate them. Think - a dad trying to rap along in the car to the latest Drake song and thinking they are "with it", instead of asking their teenager son/daughter what sort of music they like listening to. 

Brands need to stop assuming what millennials like from data sources and actually sit down with them and take the time to understand  "how" and "why" they like, or do something.   

This is by no means an easy task. Speaking from experience, my likes and dislikes can often change in a heart beat. But by attempting this sort of research you might get some decent insight, which will hopefully stop the over usage of emojis!

Virgin Media, who have teamed up with BBH for their latest ad, seem to have some understanding of millennial culture. 

Set in a house party (how original) its use of augmented instant messages and Instagram is quite cool. However, some of the captions underneath the IG posts like " This house party is off the hook", needs a little revision. 

But all in all, it is a good effort and I don't spend the whole time cringing when I watch it.

Kerris Bright, Chief Marketing Officer at Virgin Media, commented: "We have a very clear direction for our brand and our advertising - to illustrate the power of the internet to help our customers to do more and have fun by connecting them to things they love, perhaps even helping them find love."

Yes - this is a great direction for the company and in my opinion they are thinking along the right lines. My only concern is the execution.

The extensions from the initial campaign are based around the theme of "It's amazing what you can do in one second," and are really clever. 




But its the content again that lets it down a bit. I mean, how often do people gather round to watch a dance off in the middle of party these days?

Maybe in the future they could film a real house party and ask afterwards what the attendees shared on their social channels.
Doing that should make the whole thing appear a little bit more organic. 

But hey, what do I know I'm just a millennial.

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