Top Of Mind

The next time you sit down to play your favorite your XBOX 360 or PC game, expect to see advertising - lots and lots of it, thanks to what some would describe as the unholy alliance between E.A (If it’s in the game) and Microsoft (The Wow starts now).

The guys at ars are bummed and so am I.

It goes like this, consumers put up with advertising on network TV because advertising makes it possible for them to see great shows like Haraldo, WWF or Nanny 911, not to mention the lesser know shows like 24 or LOST. People consider it a relatively fair trade off.

Games cost us anywhere from 40-60 US$. Will running ads in games help reduce the cost, will it, like network TV, help subsidize the entertainment? It’s not official yet, but I don’t think so, and I have a pretty good idea where this lucrative revenue stream will end up.

I work in advertising so I know that we ‘chase’ the consumers to reach them with ‘relevant,’ messages. But is this going too far? Personally I have yet to play a game with dynamic content on em, so I cannot judge how intrusive or not the ads will be. But the idea is simply annoying.

And I am not even touching the privacy issue. Unlike network TV, these advertisers will know exactly who you are, your age, your address, even your credit card number (which you used to pay for LIVE or whatever service you will use). They will know exactly the type of ads to serve to you - the ads that you get maybe different from the one I get although we are playing the same game! Are you going to be OK with that?

I do have a bit of a suggestion to those who will seek to place advertising in games. My suggestion is not a perfect one, but at least it is the lessor of the evils.

The key here is to let the consumer decide if they want an Advertising Enabled Version of the game or the Advertising Free Version. So those who opt for the Ad Enabled version gets to pay less - just like how some websites make money or ad supported software works. I mean we are used to this paradigm already on the internet.

Alternative is not to buy games that have this technology. In that case, everyone loses. Otherwise go get a Wii or a PS3.

Why does shining a light through a dog so it comes out of it’s ass, make a great ad? You heard that right - light, coming out of a dog’s ass.

Well these ads by JWT Australia won the Prestigious Lions award at the recent Cannes Awards, so someones at Canns must have thought they make for great ads. Far be it for me to dispute the choices made at the Cannes, but what happens when the idea isn’t even original?

The headline reads : For healthy digestion.

This is exactly what happened; whether the guys at JWT Australia knowingly borrowed the idea (hoping that they will never be caught) or just happen to come up the same idea, they are now being accused of stealing the idea of a student. Stealing is bad enough, but from a student? See the student’s ad at the bottom and believe it or not it won a Clio in 2005.

Is it too close and suspicious a coincidence?

I have no idea what actually happened so I will reserve judgment (ahem), but this type of thing happens more often than we think and actually get to hear about it. If the guys at JWT are innocent, this is a nightmare scenario for them - especially since all of their names are credited along with the award winning ad. But if they are guilty, then I question their taste in stealing - come on, have class and steal a better ad.

This is just me, but I don’t want my name associated with an ad that showed light coming out of a dog’s ass. Unless, of course, it wins a Lion at the Cannes.

Via the ever excellent Adrants

A month ago, I wrote an article Must we offend large women to sell them yogurt? But even before I can move on to another topic, I come across these ads for Fiats.

The headline reads “Fiat Stilo with Skywindow. The largest sun roof you have ever seen.” Nice, really nice. The ads do get the message across, but isn’t the use of large people to show largest sunroof a little bit too easy an idea to use? A bit too convenient?

While I am not into being Politically Correct about stuff, this type of ad just shows poor judgment by agency creatives in getting the message across. This is nothing more than plain lazy typecasting.

The reason you are called creatives is because you are expected to do something new and creative (shocking isn’t it?). Recycling juvenile jokes that you made in 5th grade will NOT make you creative. This is definitely not cool.

I don’t find the ads charming (despite the friendly looking large people), convincing or compelling. And who the hell approved these ads anyway?

How do you know when advertising is trying too hard?

Consider; one of the roles of advertising is to convince consumers to buy something that they may not think of buying. Usually this involves making the product or service attractive and removing the barriers. Advertising agencies do that and some do it really well.

Now bring in Junk Food into the mix. Fast Foods have acquired a certain reputation over time. Hell they have been linked to obesity, diabetes and whole bunch of unpleasant and unsightly meladies.

So what do the Fast Food manufactures do? Do they change their recipes, ingredients? Of course they do the sensible thing and change how they advertise the products. I mean, it is so much cheaper to come up with an ad campaign than actually do anything about it.

McDonalds. Yep, the yellow arches of goodness has a campaign somewhere (because I am not sure of the origin of the ad) telling us that they care as much for our children’s nutrition as we parents do. Good sentiment, responsible corporate citizenship and all that. It’s true because they say so.. there!

The copy reads : You might be surprised at who thinks about your child’s nutrition as much as you do.

The execution is quite clever and believable. Using the nutrition panel borders on pure genius or pure evilness, depending on how you see it. On top of that, look at that healthy and fit child, kinda hard to find parents who don’t want a fit and healthy kid like that. The agency did a great job here on the copy as well – only thing is that it is stretching incredulity.

Aren’t they reaching abit here? Isn’t it an obvious over claim?

I am all for Fast Food, but not the way it currently is – and while I am not averse to going out for a burger or two (not at McDonalds though, I am more of a flame boiled man) – only thing is that I am not sure I want to bring my kid there.

Are you surprised yet?