As part of the their #loveyourimperfections campaign, Match.com continue to help reduce our apprehensions about online dating. 

Online dating services are plagued with profiles that represent an individuals "ideal self" as opposed their actual self. The ideal is a person's conception of how she/he would like to be, whereas the actual self refers to our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we or don't have. So someone who goes to the gym 2-3 times a week, will say that they go 5 times, someone who is 5 9" has an online double which is 4 inches taller, and so on and so on. 

It is quite understandable that people want to portray themselves in the best possible light and that can lead to a slight exaggeration of the truth. But with all the the cat fishing scandals of the noughties people are losing confidence with online dating. Singles don't want to spends and hours and hours getting to know someone and falling in love with that individuals online persona only to find out that their prince/princess is really a frog in real life.

But it isn't only the threat of people pretending to be something they're not. The ubiquitous nature of these inflated profiles means that people feel anxious about putting their "real" self out there for fear of judgement. That's were the #loveyourimperfections campaign comes in. This refreshing strategy uses this consumer insight to make a campaign which reflects brutal truth.  It warns off the fakes and encourages people to be themselves online.

It tells prospective users the simple truth- None of us our perfect. But that does not mean there is not beauty to be found in our imperfections. This is reflected in the latest out of home material which are simple, uses real users (blemishes and all) and has a witty little imperfection plastered across it.

The #loveyourimperefction is positioning Match.com as: The online dating service were singles can meet "real" individuals, not profiles. Hey, thats a pretty good tagline wouldn't you say?

Very simple play on words, but I love it!

Eager to capitalise on the January's healthy living phenomenon which typical sees an uplift in green tea sales in the first month of the year, Clipper hope to attract new “considerers” as well as existing green tea drinkers to the brand.

The New Year Revolutions campaign will seek to encourage consumers to “turn over a new leaf” in 2016, and combines an outdoor and transport campaign with a playful online video, shot using hidden videos inside Clipper’s 'Truthful Green Tea Shop.'

The outdoor campaign is expected to reach 90% of adults across London and the South East during January. The YouTube video will be shared extensively through the use of bloggers and social media. It is hoped that more than a million people to watch the video during the course of this year.

The campaign was developed and created by Big Fish. The online video was produced and filmed by Exposure.

Personally, I still need to add a little honey to my green tea, but hey, each to their own.

The image of a malnourished, barefoot, african toddler collecting dirty water or searching through rubbish for food, does not have the same effect on us as it would've 10 years ago.

Sad, but true.

That is not to say it doesn't break out hearts. But its no longer enough for us to reach into our pockets to help fund the solution.

The simple fact it is that every charity has uses this image and the proliferation of such images has resulted in the vast majority of those who are in a position to help have become desensitised or no longer believe that their money makes a real difference.

There in lies the brilliance of this new campaign. It focuses on the positives and want You have already achieved!

So how did the do it?

Firstly, it starts with a positive message. All to often we see these type of appeals start with horrific images, and that's makes us do two things. Switch channels or switch off. This campaign starts by saying "The countdown to ending extreme poverty has begun."This immediately indicates to the viewer that this is not the usual charity appeal and worth working to see why.

Secondly, the novel use of real British donaters, with whom the viewer can relate, makes them at feel that they too can be part of this larger project. Unlike the traditionally ads which only shows the aid workers contribution this add shows all the contributors. Aid workers, donators and the impoverished people themselves are all seen to be working together to eradicate the disease of extreme poverty.  Seeing thus people who you helping, helping themselves is also 

Finally, It has long been proven that we love to feel part of the collective. And for many years now advertisers have used social marketing messages that involve call to action that makes you seem part of group. An example of this would be: "Join your fellow citizens in helping keeping these streest clean" instead of " Help keep these street clean." Believing that you adopting the behaviour the majority makes you more willing to participate in the activity. This is the technique that oxfam are using here. They are inviting you to join the countless others who are doing their part in eradicating poverty in a way that shows that you can really make a difference.

Sign me up!

On the eve of the New Year the time has come for me to announce my Ad of The Year. This year the honours go to FCB Inferno's"This Girl Can" for Sports England. From the insight right through to the execution, this campaign takes the crown in the face of stiff competition from the likes of BBH and M&C Saatchi. So hats off to all those at FCB Inferno, I hope 2016 brings you more brilliant ideas!

Sports England’s #ThisGirlCan fitness campaign 

Figures show that there are 2 million fewer active women than men in the UK. Sports England designed this campaign to address this disparity and encourage more women of all different sizes, ages and abilities to participate in physical activity.

Why was it effective? 

The campaign’s 90-second ad has thus far garnered 23 million views on YouTube and Facebook alone. However, the campaign’s real success was its ability to truly affect the behaviour of its target audience. 

By enlarge, women have engaged positively with the campaign, and Sports England has noted a significant rise in female participation in physical activities over the past 6 months. The campaign had generated over 250,00 social media interactions and developed a social media community of nearly 300,000 users. Women across the country are also sharing their stories on the official website.

Why did it work so well? 

Research undertaken by Sports England showed that 75 per cent of females say they want to be more active but their ambitions have been stunted by a fear of judgement. They feared that they would be judged on appearance, ability or how they chose to spend time on themselves. The campaign was designed specifically to address these apprehensions and help women get back into exercise.

It is aimed at all females, therefore it uses 'real' women’ of all different shapes, sizes, and abilities to communicate this important message. Watching other women, to use one of the ad's taglines 'sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox', with all their jiggly bits on show, makes the ads both believable and relatable. 

The use of humorous taglines also off-sets the uncomfortable feeling one might get as a by-product of participation. By using one of the oldest tricks in the book, Sports England highlighted the supposed flaws before anyone else could e.g 'look at this horrible spot on my face'. Then by showing loads of women embracing these so called ‘imperfections’, re-enforced their normality thus reducing the anxiety surrounding them.

In recent times women have started to challenge misogynistic beliefs about women’s fitness. This can be seen by the recent backlash towards the “Are you beach body ready” campaign. This campaign is in step with this change in the discourse surrounding women’s fitness, which also aided in it being so well received. Instead of objectifying women, this campaign empowers them.

That being said, the most important reason for its success was the fact it was based on the premise of inclusion rather than exclusion. Sports England was able to engage all different kinds of women because they made these women the stars of the campaign!

Sometimes honesty IS the best policy. And in advertising that saying can’t be more true. Yet Y plan have taken it one step further and admitted that maybe advertising has no place. But before the advertising community get out there pitchforks and stakes it just a bit of witty of advertising. And in fact it is a testament to our profession.

This admittance only serves to emphasize that this deal on offer is not only soo good but also the lack of fancy advertising slightly communicates that the deal is exactly what it says on the tin.   So in my book, brilliant!

Boring. This is the only word I can use to describe this campaign. 

Entering into a market where Uncle Ben's rice has long established itself as the market leader, one would expect new entrants to produce an advertising campaign that would at least stand out from the crowd. Well, not Veetee. They have come up with the most boring and safe campaign imaginable!

Indeed the tagline “We have got a rice for that” is intriguing. But what they have put in front of it and their execution in terms of advertising material, lacks all ingenuity. Its either too boring i.e “Can't face any kind of potatoe for dinner this week” or just plain nonsensical. I mean, just look at the ad below. If you going to late home cause your so much work to do, how does having a microwaveable rice make things any better?

In short, if Veetee continues with this campaign, Uncle Ben have nothing to worry about!

With Christmas just around the corner, everyone is getting into the party mood. Over eating, horrible Christmas jumpers, late nights, and alcohol are  all part and parcel (pardon the pun) of the festive period. So instead of trying to prevent the inevitable, the London Ambulance Service are embracing festive frolicking in their new campaign. 

The traditional approach for social marketing ads has been to warn people of the dangerous of what many would class as “having fun." As you can imagine, this type of advertising often falls on deaf ears. People are not receptive to a message that basically says, “Don’t enjoy self” or “You not sensible enough to enjoy your alcohol sensibly.” And that is the sort of message that the London Ambulance Service wanted to avoid putting out!

So how you do warn people of the dangerous of alcohol abuse without looking like a buzz kill? By acting like the ‘Cool Uncle.’

No one likes to be told what to do, and in fact, prohibition only makes participation even more alluring.So an ad essential saying     “don’t get carried away”, might in fact encourage some to try and prove the ad wrong i.e “I know my own limits”. And that’s were this campaign is differs. Rather than assume immaturity, it assumes that we know how to drink responsibly.  

Encouraging us to do what we want, and then merely saying “be safe” it is perceived as a friendly, non-authoritative warning. And is something that head-strong autonomous individuals like ourselves would be more likely to listen to. 

This campaign is seemingly on the side of fun and therefore our side, just like that ‘Cool Uncle.’