With Amazon expected to surpass Macy's to become the biggest apparel seller in the US next year, many people are wondering what this means for the world of fashion?

In recent years, the consumer's increasing desire to shop online has certainly forced brands to invest in their digital ecosystems. However, brick and mortar has managed to co-exist, if not tentatively, with online platforms. But is this indicative of a future without shopping malls? 

Indeed, the shift would represent a huge shake-up for the apparel industry, which has long been dominated by department stores like Macy's, JCPenney, and Walmart. 

There are also signs that Amazon want to enter the world of high fashion. The company has started to shift its fashion strategy toward offering more high-end designer names such as Zac Posen and Stuart Weitzman. To help with this new strategy, they have even hired executives from luxury fashion companies such as the Vogue editor Caroline Palmer.

Given the close ties and similarities between the UK and US, there is some speculation over whether we could see this happen in the UK. But I don't think it is all doom and gloom for the highstreet - well, in the UK at least!

Brands in the UK simply need to play to their strengths, instead of trying to compete in the digital space where Amazon is a founding father.

This is not to say they should abandon their digital stores - a good online UX experience can be just as effective as a good marketing campaign  - but they should focus on offering what online retail can not - the human touch.

Simple enough idea - but there are not enough brands doing it.

Validation of one’s fashion choses is still important. More than 65% of 16-34s “don’t make a fashion decision until they have discussed it with people they trust,” and 70% are “more excited about a decision they’ve made when their friends agree with them.” (Forbes, 2015)

Their desire for affirmation is so great that we have even seen the rise of "chelifies."  Shoppers are now asking friends from the changing room for their opinions on new outfits via social media. A survey of 2,000 young people found they can wait up to 2 hours to acquire 'likes' before buying an outfit. (Daily Mail, 2015)

But there’s a tension - they’d prefer it if their mates were really there. Females aged between 16-34 want shopping to be a group activity and shop twice as often with their spouses, friends or family members compared with non-millennial women. Indeed, 59% of 16-34s say they prefer shopping in-store for clothing, fashion, and accessories. (YouGov Reports, 2016, Innovations in Retailing)

"Whilst online shopping is becoming ever-more convenient with the advent of within the hour and same day deliveries, it is clear that the desire to touch, feel, try on, compare, and above all see and judge, clothes/accessories when worn remains strong.”
(YouGov Reports, 2016, Innovations in Retailing).

These young women also want a better "experience". When shopping, they prefer an ‘experiential’ retail environment, where shopping is more than a transaction and the pleasure of being in the store isn’t limited to the goods that customers take home.” (Forbes, 2015)

Based on these insights, brands on the high street need to recognise their customers desire for great in-store retail experiences. They need to transform retail spaces into social spaces. The ultimate goal is to give their consumers such a brilliant in-store experience, that they will feel they are not getting the full product if they just shop online.

This new advert from Beats by Dre is fun. Imbued with a healthy dosage of nostalgia in the form of a classic disney song, and filled with all our favourite celebs dancing and miming the lyrics perfectly, it certainly leaves you with a big smile on your face. But I can't help but feel there is missing something.

Now, not every advert needs a call to action or wants to "sell" you something. Living in an age when an ad-blocker comes as standard on every iPhone, and consumers are becoming increasingly immune to traditional forms of advertising, an old school "let me sell you something" ad just doesn't work. Content is king and the impetus is now on brands to provide us with interesting, innovative, shareable pieces of content or contribute meaningfully in the passion areas of lives.

However, ultimately brands need to sell their products or get us to do something and all the above is basically a new way to do just that . Therefore, every advert or piece of content needs to contribute to the customer journey. 

So what does this advert do? Well, it introduces the consumer to the audio brand's new range of wireless headphones and induces positive feelings towards the brand i.e. brand love. That I suppose is enough, but I think there is room for more.

This is big shift for the brand. They are no longer selling the headphones with wires. They should be celebrating this, right? In my opinion they need to communicate the product benefits e.g. "Why should I buy beats wireless headphones over sony ones? or as an aspiring lifestyle brand tell the consumers what purchasing these headphones say about them. Heck, even just explaining why wireless headphones are better than wired ones would be nice. Indeed, the products are implicitly conveyed via the lyrics "I got no strings". These words imply that you are not impeded or constrained by the wireless from traditional headphones, something that is amplified with the celebs dancing freely throughout the spot. But I still think there is room for improvement.

The clever use of celebrities and brilliant art direction overshadows the significance of this product's innovation. Hopefully the next iteration will let us know a little bit more about the product itself. 

I am not ashamed to say it, I am probably one of TWBA Media Arts biggest fans when it comes to their Apple adverts. They just have a knack of making all Apple products feel such a natural and essential part of our lives. The way they convey technology and product updates makes you feel that if you don't have that gadget that you are not truly living - okay, maybe thats just me but you have to admit they are emotive.

But I think I may have my have misplaced my rose tinted glasses when I caught my first glimpse of the Apple Watch Series 2 advert. If case you are unaware the main improvements between the first apple watch and this latest iteration are the GPS and that it is fully waterproof. Nothing to write home about. And surprisingly this is so clearly evident in the advert - nothing has really changed.

As to be expected the art direction is brilliant and the various of sports is interesting but i don't feel compelled to run down to my nearest apple. I don't know, maybe as an"experience hunter" - well, that's what they call us millennials anyway - I have lost my desire to have the latest "thing" valuing experiences over products. But I still like my gadgets so maybe it is just this one advert didn't strike a cord with me.

Match.com early this year launch of the second phase of its #LoveYourImperfections campaign, following the success of its roll out in 2015. Continuing in its mission to give singles the confidence to express their true selves, the brand has built upon last year’s campaign by strengthening elements of authenticity and intimacy. The new adverts bravely reveal imperfections and quirks Brits normally hide, including messiness, wearing your socks in bed, being obsessively organised, glued to your phone and clumsy. All these are based on the insight that people truly connect with others when they are being themselves.

I know this advert has been out for over 10 months now but with recent outburst against their use of a lesbian couple in their new adverts, they must be praised for standing up to the bigots and reflecting the open-minded and free world in which we live today!

Released back in January, the new "a better you" by Karmarama, has met mixed reviews upon release. Imploring people to join the Army to be a 'better you' has not gone down all that well on Twitter.

Join the army be a better you. A better type of ptsd sufferer a better homeless person a better angry brutal cop. Don’t join the army. @NECcollectables

"To find out how to be a better you search army jobs." Nah, you’re alright mate; my "best me" involves neither murder nor colonialism. @triceratops1892

Without delving in the debate surrounding whether anyone should even be joining the British Army, the advert itself it adopts a very interesting approach to attracting new recruits.

The ads continue the "don’t join the army, don’t become a better you" strapline, which first appeared in poster ads earlier this month. Karmarama created the TV ads (as well as the posters), each of which shows young men and women talking round parents and friends about their decision to join the army with an impassioned speech about the benefits and experiences they'll miss out on if they don't sign up.

The new TV campaign is aimed at 16 to 24 year olds but the advert also targets the Career Gatekeepers - parents, friends, carers, teachers and career advisers. This group has an important role in career choices made by school/university leavers. If this career option is dismissed this can have a major impact on the final decision as the individual often highly values their opinion. The older members of this group (parents,carers) often value their own opinion over that of the young individual they are trying to advise, adopting the all too familiar "I know best" mentality. But when they see these impassioned speeches from these young people it might challenge their belief that these young people are too naive to make such a big life choices.

It is not often that a mirror is held up to us so we can see what we are like or how we behaviour,  but when it is it can have a powerful effect on us. Here the career gatekeeper can see the scenario that they may or may not experienced first hand played out in front of them. The only difference this time is that they have the chance to hear what these young people have to say. After hearing these compelling arguments, it invites the viewer to question their own opinion and may encourage them to have more of an open mind when listening to the opinion of potential recruits. 

It is always hard to challenge an authoritative figure's "I know best" mentality,  especially because their opinion is often based on life experiences which are hard to refute. But this TV campaign is certainly has a interesting approach to tackling it.

As an aspiring strategist, normally I would focus on the brilliance of this ad's consumer insight or its use of behaviour economics. But the primary reason that I like this ad is that it makes me smile and reminisce about the pains of being the youngest sibling.

However, what I can say is that Mercedes uses our negative perceptions of used items to make us want to buy a second hand car from them. 

By enlarge we look at used items negatively. We assume they are lower quality, undesirable and outdated. But instead of immediately trying to challenge that perception makes this ad embraces it. 

The majority of the 30 second spot is used to demonstrate how bad second hand items can be. It is only at the end of the ad that our perception of used items is challenged. However, this is done in a very light hearted manner with the tagline "Not What Your Used To."

Just like TBWA's Lidl #Surprises campaign, the ad turns a negative perception into a positive one. Lidl’s ads use a tongue-in-cheek tone that uses people’s negative image of the brand to highlight the quality of its products. Mercedes do the same thing. They want to first highlight how bad second hand items usually are so they can emphasis the "abnormal" quality of their used cars.

See for yourselves below.

In the latest iteration of its "We're Open" brand campaign, Smirnoff introduces the nation to #deafdancers. Owing to my ignorance, I did not think that there would be many deaf dancers given the fact that they are unable to hear the music and, by extension, the rhythm. But that just goes to show how much I know about dancing. As the ad explains -You don't "hear" the rhythm, you "feel" it!

In fact the whole ad is an educational experience, one that focuses on challenging perceptions, empowering individuals and inclusivity. 

Adopting a documentary style approach, the 40 second spot centres on deaf dance teacher, Chris Fonseca, who teaches other deaf dancers that there are other ways to enjoy music beyond just hearing it. Through the ad the viewer comes to learn that the group can feel the beat on the dancefloor, just like everyone else.

The TV ad is currently be supported by an out of home campaign which features Fonseca and other deaf dancers alongside taglines like ‘I don’t feel the music but feel the beat’ and ‘deaf or not, everyone can dance.’

This advert, which was created by ad agency 72andsunny, demonstrates how advertising in the UK is increasingly trying to reflect a changing and progressive nation which is starting to embrace all the benefits of its diverse, multicultural society.

As Julie Bramham, Smirnoff marketing director, said: "We’re excited to launch this next step in our campaign to celebrate diversity and move people to be more inclusive.”

So put on your dancing shoes and check it out below.

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.

Sit down for breakfast, stand up for farmers! 29 February - 13 March.
#YOUEATTHEYEAT 






All the information you need to get involved is below:

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight-2016

"Everyone is welcome". That is the message that England Rugby want to communicate as they attempt to encourage more people to take up the contact sport.

These HD, digital ads can be seen all over London's underground and railways stations. In a similar vein to the 'This Girl Can", "Like a Girl", and "Let Go" campaigns we saw last year, this campaign is about empowerment. The only difference being, it is also aimed at men. 

This campaign wants to remove the idea that only certain people play rugby.  They want people of different shapes, sizes, sexes ethnicities, backgrounds, disabilities and beliefs to feel that they too can play the sport. 

Even some the country's lending rugby players are taking part to emphasis this message. For example, England fly half, George Ford, illustrates that in spite of not fitting the stereotypical rugby physic, he is still able to be one of best players in the country. 

It is all about removing the barriers to entry that exist in our minds. "I am not big enough", " I am not manly enough", " I have never played it before".  And this campaign uses humour to make light of some of this so called "imperfections" or "disadvantages". 

Taglines like " I ignored people who I said couldn't play. Being deaf helped",  displays a "So what!?" kind of attitude. This is done to help reduce anxieties people may have about something that in the past has prevented them from playing the sport. 

The execution of the campaign is also note worthy. The use of HD images which shows every frown line, blemish and spot is done purposefully. Firstly, it helps us believe that the message it truly authentic and real. Secondly, by showing the subjects flaws re- emphasises that their is no ideal , perfect rugby player. They are just like you and me, normal.

My only slight criticism is that the campaign features a lot of people that look like they have played the sport for a while, particularly in terms of their build. Other than that it is a really good campaign.

As part of Samsung's never ending effort to challenge Apple's smartphone hegemony, their latest advert depicts them as The pioneer of "smart" technology.

From the release of their SH-100 mobile phone in 1988 to the first wristwatch phone. The World’s smallest TV phone to their first MP3 phone. This new "Unpacking Samsung" advert, unravels Samsung's Mobile innovation story, one box at a time. 

The success of the Apple iPhone can largely be attributed to the fact that Apple has now become more of a fashion brand, with their smartphone being a "must-have" fashion accessory. 

But unlike Apple, Samsung aren't trying to be coolest kid in the class. No, Samsung want to be the "smartest". The Japanese tech company want consumers to perceive them as the most forward-thinking and innovative smartphone provider in the business.

Samsung are aiming their offerings at the tech-savvy millennial who value having the latest, greatest gizmos and being "in the know" about technology. Therefore they needed an ad that would appeal to such an individual! 

Check it out below.

Ever since the Oxford English Dictionary announced that its Word of the Year is a pictograph: 😂 - officially called the ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emoji - brands have being going emoji mad! 

Adidas, House of Fraser and most famously Mentos with their ementicons, have all seen some success with the incorporation of emojis in their marcoms.  And now Pepsi want to get in on the act.

Recently a Pepsi representative confirmed the "Say It with Pepsi" will be featured on packaging across the brand's portfolio of drink - regular, MAX and diet/light.

The PepsiCo Design & Innovation Centre created hundreds of PepsiMoji designs, to be used both globally and tailored for local markets. The PepsiMojis first appeared last summer in Canada, and since then they have been rolled out to other markets including Russia, Thailand and Pakistan, with more to come soon.

Indeed, 2015 saw their use, and use of the word emoji, increase hugely. But I feel that their over usage could make them seem a bit gimmicky. 

Emojis are cool and fashionable. And like with any fashion they can go out of fashion. With clothing, this happens when everyone starts wearing them or with the whole beard thing, when everyone man starts to grow a beard. 

If brands over use Emojis it could start to look like they are trying too hard to be cool and "down with the kids". The novelty of it will wear out and the "cool points" the brands use to get will be no more.

Millennials value organic, original ideas that they can relate to. But they are also very fickle. Brands should be more focused on the next best way to communicate with millennials instead of focusing on what has worked well in the past. 

Earlier this week Apple debuted their new executions for its "Shot on the iPhone 6" campaign. The ads produced by TBWA/MediaArts, feature artistic selfies and profile shots of individuals from around the world taken on a iPhone 6 camera. 

As I discussed when they first launched the campaign last year, "its the simplicity of the campaign that makes it work so well". People can see the functional capabilities of the iPhone 6 in one single photo, without Apple having to spend any time or money on a traditional TV advert. 

However, unlike the original campaign which featured mesmerising scenic shots, this campaign is focused on the people. With people enthralled in a search for the "perfect" selfie, these ads tap into this selfie culture and present the iPhone camera as instrument that will allow you to achieve this life goal (well,"life goal" if your Kim Kardashian anyway).

In their latest campaign, Lloyds Bank is tapping into its long heritage. Put simply, heritage marketing is the promotion of the heritage of your brand or your company. Just like Coca Cola did with their centennial anniversary last year, Lloyds are setting themselves apart from the competition by highlighting the fact that they have stood the test of time.

The 2008 banking crisis is not yet a distant memory, so any re-assure that your bank is able to weather financial storms is very welcome. Banks know 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. In fact our peers or family, rather than the bank itself, are the most likely to convince us to switch.

A friend or family member recommendation is far more persuasive than any marcoms. Banks know this (well the marketing agencies do at least) so concentrate on retaining customers and improving their experience. The hope is that they will eventually become brand advocates and convince their peers to join their “wonderful” bank.  That being said, it usual a combination of influences that make you switch meaning that banks will always continue to try to attract new customers. 

The campaign is highlighting this attribute in an effort remind existing customers that they have a bank that they can trust and will be there to support them in the long term. And it says to new customers "join a bank that won't go bust", very simple yet surprisingly effective.

As it's Valentine's Day I thought it would nice to look at some of the best of this week's love-filled marcoms.

Marks and Spencer

This might seem like a pretty straightforward situational advert, but the little joke that GymBox shares with it members will help retain them and attract new ones.

Everyone loves to feel part of the crowd, especially the "in" crowd. So if you are member of the gym, firstly you feel that this message is aimed directly at you as it says "a" member, and secondly because you understand the joke it makes you feel part of something exclusive. Vice versa, if not a member you might feel left out, and so want to become part of this "in" crowd.

Notoriously, insurance is a very difficult sell. People hate paying for something that they hope to never use. So you can imagine how hard it is to advertise - let alone sell - life insurance in a way that is appealing to consumers.

No one wants to reminded about the mortality, especially not their premature demise. It all seems a bit morbid (pardon the pun).

So, how do advertisers get people to consider the importance of life insurance? By reiterating that you don't buy it for yourself. Pretty, obvious I know. But the challenge lies in how you execute that.

For example, you don't want to be too direct like "If you die unexpectedly you need to leave something behind." These type of messages are too blunt and very negative. In general, people are not receptive to these messages because they just make them concentrate on their death and nothing else. So, with offerings in this product category, a direct "call to action" is not always the best way to go about it. Nor is making light of the fact that you might die prematurely as people will view as such and overlook its importance. 

The message needs to get you to think about your death positively. You are probably thinking, "Is that even possible?" Well, yes and no. It is about getting you to think about why you taking it out (your family)and your love for them first. Then demonstrating that taking life insurance out is sign of your affection and love for them. 

That's what Legal and General have done with their first execution of their new life insurance campaign. The ads show positive, happy images of a an expectant couple, a boy playing superheroes with his dad, or parents enjoying quality with their new born. As these ads are aimed at adults with families, the target audience can admittedly relate to images and naturally start to think about the happy times they have shared with their own families.

Then, instead of the message on top being blunt, it gets the audience to think about their potential death themselves in a gentle, yet impactful way. Taglines like "Because things just got a bit more serious" or "Because now it about more than just you." in isolation would mean very little, but in this content the consumer can connect the dots themselves. This allows the consumer to absorb this hard hitting, quite sad message in a way that they are most comfortable with.

In short, Legal and General have successfully produced happily morbid adverts. Good job!

Lynx encourage men to embrace their individuality in their new global campaign, as they aim to broaden their appeal to a more mature consumer.

In this bold repositioning strategy, Lynx has abandoned their iconic tagline, "The Lynx Effect", in an effort to attract the older male to their brand.

Most would agree that the notion of ‘The Lynx effect’ is a bit dated. While over the years we have enjoyed watching “the geek get the girl”, it has all become a little bit, for want of a better word, samey. "The Lynx effect" has now become more associated with one's fantasies, as opposed to one's aspirations. 

The modern metro-sexual male is no longer preoccupied with being the “lad’s lad” or “a babe magnet”, leaving the brand out of touch even with hormone driven teenage boys. The sexual binaries that were prevalent in the early 90’s are no more. The lines have become blurred. In today’s society Lynx's stereotypical appeals to notions of masculinity no longer resonate.

So how does Lynx shake off their old image and re-establish itself as a modern brand, designed for the modern man?

After ending a 20 yearlong partnership with ad agency BBH, this task has fallen to 72andsunny Amsterdam. The latter is now charged with masterminding the deodorant's new advertising and rebranding strategy. In line with their brand makeover, Unilever (the parent company) have launched a new range of grooming products for men. 

The packaging of the range, designed by PB Creative, reflects a better quality, more sophisticated product, well the advertising campaign echoes modern society's emphasis on individuality. Lynx want to encourage men to be comfortable in their own skin  - oh, with a little help from Lynx products..naturally.

So, why the sudden change? Well, nothing beats a good bit of old fashioned market research. 

The repositioning was borne out of their independent research that found that not only do women overwhelmingly find men more appealing when they are “being themselves” but also that only 15% of men in most countries would define themselves as attractive - ummm wasn’t that the same bit of insight that spawned Dove’s Real Women campaign?

Anyway, Lynx used these finding to build a new strategy hence the tagline “Find Your Magic.” The campaign shows that guys will get the girl by being themselves and while urgung the 85% of men who don’t believe they are attract to think differently about themselves. I guess Christian Aguilera had already patented “You are beautiful no matter what they say.”

As Stephanie Feeney, director of strategy at 72andSunny Amsterdam, puts it,  “Masculinity has changed”. It is now socially acceptable for guys to express themselves individually with their clothes, music, and hair (thanks Becks). And this campaign is representative of the modern man.  Now, while a comparison to Dove’s Like A Girl or Sports England’s “This Girl Can” on the empowerment front would be tenuous - the humour in the ad softens the impactfulness of the underlying message, and arguably making it too serious would take away one of brand's playfulness - it is still a ballzy call for men to be themselves while reassuring them that being themselves is still attractive. Or as Stephanie Feeney so eloquently explains,

“Where we’re trying to move the brand towards a celebration of individuality...whatever your thing is, as long as it’s true to you, then be confident in it, express it, and work it!”

In short, I am with 72andSunny Amsterdam Managing Director Nic Owen when he says that he is glad to help the brand move away from its crude “spray-and-get-laid advertising.”

This ad speaks for itself. What a brilliant piece of creative work.

Creative agency Sunshine have been appointed by BBC Three to help them make the transition from a traditional on-air broadcasting channel to an exclusively online platform.

Sunshine have collaborated with the writers and stars of BBC Three comedy ‘People Just Do Nothing' to produce a series of sixty-second comedic spots that will play out across BBC channels.

With the channel's 16-34 year-old audience firmly in mind, the first part this three-stage campaign is a video featuring‘People Just Do Nothing’ very own Chabuddy G telling the nation that “BBC Three isn’t closing, it’s moving to the interwebs.”

Sunshine's Executive Creative Director Hollie Newton explains the logic behind this unorthodox comedic approach:

“There’s no point hitting people with a mountain of straight information. If you want an audience to take in multiple messages, you have to entertain them. Make them laugh."

Share in the laughs below!

As the saying goes,"Life is too short." So in the midst of all the January health ads pandering to our best intentions for the New Year, it's refreshing to see an ad that accepts the fact that we are only human. As Lucky Generals (who created the ad) puts it "You shouldn't have to live like a monk."

Yes, on January 1st we all did say "I am going to walk to work"/"I am going to go to the gym 5 times a week"/ "No more junk food for me". 

But let's face facts;

1. It rains quite a bit in the UK. 

2. The gym is very busy Mon-Wed so it is better to go on the weekend.

3. We all love a cheeky kebab on a night out.

We all want to be healthy but at the same time we all like a treat from time to time. And that is what I love about this ad, it recognises that fact and makes light of it with the tagline "Be A Bit Good"! 

Besides, Popchips are only have half the fat of regular crisps so I can easily incorporate a couple of packets into my new healthy diet......right?

HM Revenue & Customs have been using social media and out of home adverts to spread messages of 'inner peace'  as part of a new marketing campaign to get self-assessment tax forms filed ahead of the January 31 deadline. 

The advert plays on the fact that tax returns can be very stressful and big headache for the self employed. There are a lot of tasks that we push back, "I will doing it next week", and tax tops that list. 

This campaign serves a friendly reminder that even though it can be boring, hard and very time consuming, once it is done it is a massive weight off your shoulders.

It can't decide whether this just pure tongue in cheek and good fun, or a bit too blatant?

What do you think?

In an effort to capitalise on January's healthy living phenomenon, Virgin Active have join the countless other gyms in vying for your membership. 

But instead trying to compete on price points. Yawn. Virgin are taking a smarter approach.

Focusing on the reasons why people go to the gym, instead of why people should chose their gym, this new campaign adopts a truly customer-centric perspective.

The vast majority of us go to gym "just to stay healthy", so we can keep do all the activities that we love. It more about staying in shape than looking good in the mirror.

Virgin has picked up on this subtle but important insight, to create the "we have got an exercise for that" campaign. This presents the use of their gyms as way to keep you doing your favourite activities. 

Instead on focusing on the gym itself, this campaign focuses on the users and what really matters to them. And that certainly isn't whether Virgin Active has the latest running machine!

People want to stay fit so they can play with their children, go on adventure holidays or going skiing in bunny outfits...... well some of us anyway. 

The reality is people would rather spend time doing the things they love then hours and hours in the gym. The only reason we go to the gym for an hour or so every other day is so we can keep the doctor away. Therefore, the gym is a means to an end, a fact that Virgin Active knows and embraces!

Aviva has launched a new app that monitors your driving skills. The point of the app is that once you’ve driven 200 miles, you’ll get an individual driving score out of 10. Safer drivers scoring 7.1 or more could save an average of £150 on Aviva car insurance.


Pretty boring stuff right? Wrong.

The new app is being promoted on the basis of playful rivalry; whether that be between the family, partners, the sexes or the counties. For example, taglines like; 
"Who are the safest drivers, county or city folk" are plastered across the out of home material.

The television campaign, the first execution of Aviva's new ‘good thinking’ global brand strategy, features a family from Newport using the Aviva app to discover who is the safest driver. 

The next instalment of the campaign revealed which member of the Newport family won the driving challenge.  And a final instalment will highlight how by sharing their score with Aviva, customers can lower their premiums. 

The use of a real family, the story, and the interactive nature of this campaign has turned a bog standard marketing tool into the next Angry Birds. Okay, maybe not. But it has certainly got people downloading it with over 50,000 downloads in the first week. 

In recent times we have seen the success of "storyboard" adverts, with the most successful being Compare The Market's -"Compare The Meerkats." True, this will never last that long but the use of a likeable, relateable family helps audiences connect with the adverts and makes them more receptive to what is being advertised. Furthermore by focusing on the rivalry, as opposed to the app itself, makes the app seem as a fun tool to settle some long standing debates, not a means to get you to sign up to Aviva car insurance. 

The Aviva's marketing team and Adam&Eve,who created the ad, have created a campaign and app that is not only engaging but has successful effected consumer behaviour. Aviva has created an app that is not just functional i.e banking apps but thats also fun! Aviva understands that digital offerings should not be seen as supplementary, but as something that is really important on the customer journey.

Aviva wants to be a "digital first" company as it rolls out more online services.  As Aviva UK & Ireland customer marketing director Lindsay Forster explains,

"In the way we market and promote the brand we will be far more digitally-orientated". 

With the success of this current app and their plans for the future, Aviva is set to be front runners in the digital space!

Always the pioneer when it comes to their marketing strategy (Glocalistaion- "The World's local bank"), HSBC have incorporated social media as a central part of their #StartsToday campaign.

#StartsToday is about helping you achieve your ambitions with a range of products and new offers to help you get your aspirations off the ground. Using Instagram style pictures accompanied with an explanatory hashtag, HSBC wants people to visualise their aspirations for the future in way that is familiar to them.  

January is notoriously the time when our hopes and dreams for the coming year are at the forefront of our mind. So when everyone is looking for a mean to achieve their goals, HBSC steps in to  offer a solution in the form of their #Startstoday campaign. Two small words, but two words that hold so much weight at this time of year.

The use of simple, relatable images with limited text is also refreshing. All to often ads for the banking sector heavily feature numbers and percentages that by enlarge mean nothing to the average passer by. 

By using familiar images allows the viewer to interpret their meaning on a personal level which in turns helps them to connect with the ad more. Furthermore, the use of images that do not specifically relate to banking i.e running shoes allows HSBC to be associated with more than just money, it becomes associated with ones lifestyle.

All in all, a very good campaign.

Breaking a habit or changing established behaviour is a notoriously difficult task. So not just encourage it?

Everyone falls victim to that impulse buy from time to time. Most of this type of buying is done on the internet and Amazon is one of main places people go to practice this vice. This campaign, therefore, encourages such behaviour.

Using humour as its main tool, it shows the act as less naughty and more 'normal'. It seemingly justifies impulse buying as logical and natural, while highlighting how their easy-to-use shopping app can help you impulse buy to your hearts content.

Lucky Generals created the two ads for a campaign. Each of the spots shows an Amazon customer being reminded of an item on their shopping list and then using the app to buy it. But this could just as easily be random item that just comes to mind that you had intention of buying.

It is truly a great campaign, but when we can't pay the rent at the end of the month we all know who to blame!