The taste of wheat

“We cannot tell from the mere taste of wheat who grew it.” – Deleuze & Guattari referencing Marx.

But isn’t this what we do every day? In making purchase choices and formulating opinions about brands we employ one dimensional signifiers such as “quality”, “organic” and “fairtrade” as a way of legitimising the brand mythologies to which we subscribe.

By deploying these symbols in our decision making, we expect them to extrapolate all the way back and tell us stories of smiling farmers somewhere exotic. And, in doing so, we anesthetise the intrinsic guilt we feel as consumers.

Who's idea was Windows 7?

These days Microsoft is all about listening to customers and empowering them in the development of its products. That’s great. Its advertising, however, fails to reflect.

Looking at the above piece (or any the others that form this campaign) it’s easy to see where they went wrong. If Microsoft wants us to know that it’s changed its culture to put users at the very centre of its creative process then why advertise in the first place? Why is a poster on the tube trying to convince me that this company cares about what I think?

The stock models, generic scenarios, over produced photography, contrived and barely quirky copy reek of the corporate giant trying to be colloquial. Trying to show how 3.0 it is whilst still wanting to own the brand through traditional media practices. I don’t think it can work like that. They ought to loosen up a bit.

If Microsoft has indeed listened to what real users have suggested – which I believe they have done – then why have I not heard from them first? Has Microsoft contacted these people personally to tell them which suggestions they implemented and why? It is not a massive step to turn a community of valuable testers contributors into advocates.

Microsoft could have used those people who actually suggested things. Or better yet, could have turned them into bona fide spokespeople for Windows 7. If it was truly “Their Idea” then they should be out their giving interviews, taking ownership of their contribution, blogging/twittering about it, talking about their relationship and the process and what they think of the outcome. The adverts imply that these contributors have a lot to be proud about. Well let them be proud! Give them a platform to do it from! Because they would be far more convincing than any number of anonymous adverts.

The Myth of Derren Brown

As an illusionist and performer Derren Brown is very interesting. However, as a character and product of post-modern telly he is fascinating.

What I find so interesting about Derren Brown is that he neither plays the role of magician (holder of secrets, deceiver of audiences) or the role of debunker (revealer of secrets, friend of audiences). He darts between the two like some undeterminable quantum particle; appearing to be one, the other, both or neither at the same time depending on where you look.

Sometime Derren is brutally honest and disarmingly supportive yet sometimes he is threatening and takes us for a ride - he wants us to think that we can tell the difference. He flitters between genres, between entertainment and documentary – using the truth and breaking the fourth wall not as way of reaching out and holding the audience’s hand but to add to their suspension of disbelief, the theatrical drama and ultimately the control he has as a performer.

In the ads for his latest shows he promises to show us how we can “get away with it”, yet these are acts of deception that invariably will take advantage of us as his audience. He isn't really helping us. Surrounded by such a paradox is it any wonder he is mystified in the way he is?

The question is, do you believe in Derren Brown?

When he promises to predict the lottery results rather than ask ‘how/will he do it’, as seems to have been the immediate response for many (the linked article takes a very interesting perspective on its role in his career). What needs asking, in my mind anyway, is ‘what theatrical devices has he employed to make us believe that this is really what he is attempting?’

The "magic" of Derren Brown is not in his ability to achieve these massive stunts, to fulfil the promises he makes (the conclusions of which are always wrapped in mystery and ambiguity). But, through different kinds of trickery, make us believe in the promises themselves. To believe in the myth (perhaps brand) of Derren Brown.

What is it with junk-food and UGC?

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. Unilever has brought its 15 year relationship on Peperami with Lowe London to a close and is now going to crowd source all future ad creative.

Unilever is calling the first campaign to be developed this way a competition (though the fact they're using ideabounty.com raises a couple of doubts that its really as innocent as that). Most telling of all, entrants must use the brand's previous character "Animal". Contrast this to Doritos own charming user generated ad competition.

Part of me wants to get excited that a major brand adopting this relatively radical comms model in a big way. However, the cynic in me can't help but think that Peperami is essentially saying "Thanks for 15 years of brand strategy Lowe, we've got our identikit ad formula to put into mass production now so we don't need you". That I think is lazy, exploitative (both of agencies and the young creatives that will take this up) and an appalling precedent for the future of client/agency relationships.

Sony's Big Ol' European Christmas Ad Push

It's that time of year again (almost) and PlayStation has tried to get itself on the brains of consumers before the competition with an £82m pan-European ad push.

The ad features the relatively newly announced PS3 Slim and takes a fly-by of console's features, with some long anticipated and exciting additions. Interestingly, as noted by Mark Sweney of the Guardian, it marks a step away from PlayStation's usual "esoteric" and "dark" creative style.

And its the art direction that seperates this ad from the rest of the feature heavy tech ambience too - a charming cut and paste collage style that owes more than a polite thankyou to LittleBigPlanet and is very similar to an ad for the PSP 3000 that I wrote about late last year (perhaps a clue to larger brand direction). The flying squares that make up the transitions are, I think, a reference to one of the PS3's music visualisations though I might be reading into it a little too deep.

Feature fly-bys are the oldest consumer tech trick in the book, but when the measure of success is christmas morning unboxings by definition you're looking at something accessible and middle of the road conceptually. In this context the use of the iconic "Start" button as a theme is watertight and makes perfect sense.

The call to action is "Search: Start PS3" (how trendy). Unfortunatly as of writing the top result on google for that is actually a blog from a user with a broken PS3... lets hope their search budget kicks in soon.

On a personal note, this ad has actually got me quite excited about the heaps of christmas game advertising we have ahead of us over the next few months.

Virgin Media: More ads slip games into the mainstream

One day I'll get over the use of videogames in mainstream advertising. The reason it excites me is because good advertising, driven by consumer insight, is implicitly riding on the cusp of popular sentiment (art imitates life and all that). As such, when good advertising makes reasonably intelligent use of the conventions and modes of videogames in its creative it seems to say to me that videogames as a medium are understood and accepted by society at large - as opposed to being threatening and alienating.

In the post-Wii world this feels kind of like a moot point, but the game related portion of this ad makes use of a number of very specific and sophisticated videogame references (non of which are really to do with the Wii). The troops preparing to deploy is right out of Killzone 2 and the juxtaposition of a gentle soundtrack with a stressful scenario is more than a nod in the direction of Gears of War.

Again, the fact that videogames are now seamlessly integrating into mainstream culture is becoming a less and less relevant insight - however I think its worth acknowledging and worth remembering that it didn't happen overnight.

Harvey Nichols - "Sale Fighter"

Superb Mortal Kombat-esque ads here from DDB London for Harvey Nichols. Sale shoppers can be ruthless can't they? There is an evident about of intelligence and understanding of the fighting genre implemented here (such as through placing the copy in the HUD) that makes it a far more convincing execution.

Again what this illustrates (picking upon a theme I've touched before) is that gaming as a medium is slowly permeating, along with its conventions, into mainstream cultural consciousness. The last few years have seen videogame advertisers become more familiar with the tools and techniques of sophisticated marketing that is particular and appropriate to the medium (rather than simply copying Hollywood). Now, however, the creative influence of videogames can be felt throughout contemporary culture.