depressed copywriters

I recently discovered a group of copywriters who have decided to pretty much go against all current marketing and twist its original meaning. By placing scraps of paper over the ads with either a witty slogan or a humorous line, the group known as the ‘Depressed Copywriters’ have thrown a spanner into the copywriting industry. Reading through their Tumblr, I am a huge fan of their work, I love what they do and how they do it. It maybe considered as slightly cynical but I personally think its intellectual on a whole new level. It makes you realise how much we crap we are fed to believe, and how changing a few words can reveal a completely different message. Clever stuff from Chris Sheldon, Mariana Oliveira, Whitney Ruef and Tedd Wood.

View more - http://www.depressedcopywriter.com

Dream Job

Finally finished university for the summer and couldn’t be happier. My lack of posting was mainly due to my never-ending workflow towards the last few weeks, in particular my portfolio. One of the briefs set was to think of a way to grab the attention of a dream employer. With advertising being the career I intend of venturing into, I considered the ways in which I could stand out to creative director Damon Collins who previously worked for Y&R Advertising.

In order to grab his attention, I researched his interests and hobbies and discovered he has a strong love for Nike trainers, as he owns 47 pairs. With this in mind I suggested sending him a pair of paper Nike trainers designed by the illustrator David Brownings, with nothing but a QR code placed on the shoebox lid. The limited branding and lack of explanation aimed to intrigue Damon into scanning the QR code, which would then lead him straight to my online portfolio.

Understanding who you are targetting can make things a whole lot easier.

KKK

Currently bogged down by the ridiculous amount of uni work I have at the minute, I have been looking into the shock tactics that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) enforce to gain media attention. Generally impressed by their passionate approaches, I was more than shocked when I read about the organisation dressing up as the KKK outside the Westmister Dog Show. PETA dressed in white sheet-like clothing to evoke the presence of the KKK, the protesters claimed that the American Kennel Club wee attempting to build a master race of pure-breed dogs and by doing so is unhealthy to all dogs. The controversial stunt gained tons of publicity which was exactly PETA’s aim, but I can’t say I agree with the comparison and I actually find the organisation quite inconsiderate comparing the two. Until the Westminster Dog show starts to lynch and burn dogs at the stake, Ill choose not to support such a ridiculous campaign.

text and collect.

If I liked coffee I would be even more impressed than I already am with Zipwhip’s new text enabled espresso machine. Exclusivley for Zipwhip’s offices only, the machine allows you to text your choice of coffee and by the time you get to work your coffee is made. Pretty impressive, but it doesn’t stop there, it then prints out the last three digits of your mobile number in edible ink to ensure you collect the right drink. I have to admit I had never even heard of Zipwhip before I saw this video, but its definitely a good way to get themselves noticed, and with over 12,000 views already they're not doing a bad job.

Indifferenti

When it comes to branding we are all aware of the multinational companies in the industry but what would happen if you were to combine the unexpected? A project brought to you by Tommaso Guerra,‘Indifferenti’ merges six company logos, arch enemies of their business and demonstrates the way in which they would sit together. When you look at each one you cant help but think how well it works. If it is this easy to adapt, you have to ask the question of what a logo really means.

You think differently, just like Tommaso Guerra intended.

Steal Banksy

 Over the quiet summer period last year, the Australian Art Series Hotels solution was to hang a piece Banksy’s artwork and invite guests to steal it without getting caught and if they did so, they could keep it. The hotel asked people to ‘Stay the night to steal the art’. The artwork was exhibited and moved around between the three hotels with clues to its whereabouts shared via social media. I think its a really clever way of increasing revenue to the hotel and engaging with new and existing customers. With international coverage from over 61 countries and gaining over 7 million twitter impressions, its clear to see the campaign was a huge success.   

Sunny Sale

So we’ve all seen QR codes dotted around but how do we make them stand out? Well eMart, the WallMart of Korea designed the Sunny Sale, a QR code that could only be scanned when the sun shined and a shadow is created. Between noon and 1pm the Sunny Sale mobile site offered special offers in 13 different locations. Lunch hour sales rose by 25% and membership rose by 58%, pretty impressive stuff. With ideas like this, brands need to start thinking outside the box and considering new ways to connect with the public.