Radio Station Audio Branding

In my last post, I mentioned how much I liked the innocence of the e-on TV advert.

At the opposite end of the scale lies the self proclaimed 'alternative' radio station Xfm.
When advertising shows and features, a young-ish male voice-over is used. The tone of voice of the advertising is sarcastic, smug and self-satisfied. It credits the audience with insider knowledge as it assumes they will understand in-jokes about certain DJ's and bands. Sometimes these announcements are quite amusing, but the most recent one I heard showed great self-awareness. The phrase 'smart-arsed station branding' was used, followed by 'Im not a smart-arse, Im a genius'. Brilliant- the advertising industry taking a swipe at itself is always good for a laugh!

e-on TV advert

My favourite thing about this advert is the backing music- the playfullness really backs up the concept of the rest of the ad. People are shown laughing and enjoying the unusual weather (rather than the typical British response of complaining about it!). Seeing this on TV always brings a smile to my face because it is so joyful and innocent- two attributes that I find unusual for a power company, but fitting seeing as e-on is trying to sell itselt as 'green'. The camera work makes the viewer feel like they are in the scene being blown about by the wind as well, giving a sense of inclusion. It's quite refreshing to see something so warm and friendly when there is such a climate of cynicism around advertising at the moment.

Patrick Gannon

I think Patrick Gannon's style of illustration is quite unique, and shows how hand rendered techniques can still look fresh and modern. The artist uses cut and torn paper of different colours, textures and patterns against backdrops of either more paper or wood. I love the jagged edges and the 3D quality of the different layers. In the top example, the black ninja is a strong and modern element, influenced by urban/street styles. The dainty, patterned ninjas as well as the delicate, washy background form quite a contrast and I really like the combining of these two stylistic ideas using such an unusual process.

I think Gannon's illustrations are a great example of how you don't have to be a slave to technology to produce work that is new and different.

I don't mean to be a feminist killjoy, but...

There has been a lot of hype around the American drama series, Heroes (I know many people will have seen it already but I watched the first 2 episodes on BBC2, so that's what Im judging it on). It's an interesting concept for a program, and the filming is quite impressive considering the relatively small budget for all the stunts. What struck me most, however, was the blatant stereotyping, inparticular the portrayal of the female characters. As the show is supposed to be about a global phenomenon, the makers have had a stab at representing other nationalities, although I wonder whether there are any European, African, Australasian or South American Heroes? But back to my main point- the women.

The male characters have such noble professions as University professor, member of congress and nurse. After two episodes, there are two female heroes and they are...wait for it... a stripper and a cheerleader. Is this a joke? Where did the 21st century go with sexual equality, women in high powered jobs and respect between the sexes? Of course, the two women are both slim, blonde and attractive. I don't have so much of a problem with that (sex sells afterall), nor do I have a problem with stripping or cheerleading. I just can't believe that such a high-profile program set in the present day can get away with ther lead female characters being such blatant sex objects.

Am I wrong? Am I on my high-horse of political correctness at the expense of creative freedom?
Get debating...

New Designers Exhibition- Business Design Centre

On the 13th July, I went to the New Deisgners Exhibition in London. It featured displays by graduates from univertsities throughout the country in the fields of furniture design, graphics and interactive media, illustration and animation, product design and spatial design. There were also talks given by several employees from the visual communications and marketing department at Nike.

I listened to one talk, given by Alvin Chan, a senior brand designer. He gave a background to his career- from working at design agencies in Australia to becoming involved in designer exchange programs in Europe and finally accepting the job at Nike. He explained that he was at first apprehensive of taking the job at Nike because it might mean compromising his integrity by working for a global company, and also that he would be bored designing for a single brand. These fears were unfounded, he said, as he was able to work with some of the most talented people in the industry, and there were many projects running alongside each other that he had the opportunity to stamp any number of different personalities onto.

Unfortunately, Chan did not give much insight into how the design team at Nike works- the rest of the talk became something of an advert for Nike products! However, I did find his career path and his reasoning behind wanting to work at a big brand very interesting and informative.

Finally, I took the above photo because I really liked the entrance to the centre! The large glass atrium is very obviously art deco-inspired, and these shape are repeated throughout the building in the other windows and also by the structures inside.

TV Advert- Carphone Warehouse

Although the Graphics here are very simple, I really like the idea and the way it has been executed. This is a great example of both the successful use of music and the extension of a brand identity. The Carphone Warehouse have used the animated character 'mowbli' for several years, usually placed in real footage with actors. Here, they have kept the essence of the character, but gone for a completely different approach. 'Mowbli' multiplies, and the simple form is seen wearing many different outfits in order to illustrate the wide range of phones available, while the non-specific outline demonstrates the fact that the company is independent of the phone networks.

The music is instantly recognisable- I would think most people old enough to buy a phone would know it! The simple melody dictates the rhythm of the dancing phones, which makes an entertaining and amusing spectacle. The fact that you are not immediately sure what the advert is for (I didn't realise the character was 'Mowbli' at first, and the colours are not usually used by the carphone warehouse) is intrigueing and make me want to watch until the end. A simple message with simple graphics- I think it works.

Wall Piano

This is an example of student work from Hon Lam Li (or Patrick as he is known) who graduated from London College of Communications with a BA in Interactive Design.

Patrick used sensors that 'hear' when people touch the wall. When the wall is hit hard, a computer translates this into low notes, whereas a soft touch produces higher notes. The full range of a piano (88 notes) can be produced. I think this is a great idea, and it is really inspirational to see a student produce work that seems quite technically advanced. By doing some research into the relevant technology, I expect many students could have achieved something similar.

Although I think it's a great idea (and I've seen the video, it really works!) I would like it to have been a little more designed- perhaps some colour on the wall, or some typography either introducing the wall piano or giving instructions. It is such a fun idea, I think it should be visually fun as well.

Dove Campaign for Real Beauty- Evolution Film

A fascinating short film showing the transition from 'normal woman' to model.

A woman sits down in front of the camera, then the sped up process of her transformation is shown, with lighting, make up artists and hair stylists, followed by the airbrushing using computer software. This is to promote the self-esteem fund and encourage girls to feel beautiful in their own skin. The message here is simple, backed up by this simple concept. Some feminine, curved typography completes the video, and is in keeping with the overall simplicity, using white lettering on a black background.

As advertisers, I recommend any student have a look at this, purely to see what is expected of us technically, whether or not you support the message.

Jodie Marsh

No, not a rant about Jodie Marsh, glamour model, party girl and dubious role model, but about the advert for her show on MTV.

Despite trawling the internet, I couldn't find any images, so above is the promotional picture from the website marrymejodiemarsh.com. The advert for the program is actually very stylistically interesting, treating video to look like stop frame animation. The footage is given an old fashioned feel and made to look jerky and clumsy. I like this quirky style, and like the fact that the aged feel is deliberately contrasted with the idea behind the show (Marsh being a one of the new breed of celebrity famous for doing nothing much)

TV advert- Freya

These images show the style used in TV adverts for Freya underwear and swimwear in sponsorship of 'The Clothes Show' on UK Style. Models are seen wearing the brand while walking through a fantasy landscape of 2-dimensional black and white illustrations with areas of
softly graduating colours. Elements of the landscape move, for example when a woman looks at her (illustrated) reflection in a pond and it ripples when she touches it.

I really like this style of animation, mixing hand drawn, still elements with video and stop frame animation. The flowing, feminine lines and feminine colours give the brand a strong personality, and one that is suited to an underwear label. The black and white allow the bright colours of the product to really stand out, and I like the fact that the models (in the TV advert at least) are not stick-thin catwalk types. This backs up the brand's message of making underwear in larger sizes than most high street labels.

I think the fantasy landscape makes sense, seeing as wandering around outside in only underwear isn't really an everyday occurance! It also gives the impression that this is for women- there are no other people at all, communicating the message that this brand is not for impressing men, it is personal. This is in stark contrast to many other underwear advertising (for example wonderbra, see below) which makes full use of the tried and tested phrase 'sex sells'. It's nice to see a company be a bit more imaginative!

Controversial Advert- Royal Ballet

Critics of this advertising campaign by the Royal Opera House to promote the principal dancer of the Royal Ballet have called it 'appalling and tacky'. I disagree with their view that it is unnecessarily 'sexy' and think that it is impactful without compromising the image of the company. I've never been to the ballet, but surely watching groups of athletes move round the stage wearing skin-tight costumes in a darkened hall is quite erotic? Why not use this element to sell it? Yes, the man in the advert is attractive, but the copy is about his strength, not his looks. Also, the colours used are quite masculine with the dark grey of the background reflected in the eye colour and the simple yellow and white of the text. The coat of arms gives a formal and official edge to this poster, although the wording is less formal, using the word 'he's'. I think the word 'Fact' is unnecessary and spoils the shape of the copy and more formal wording might work better for a poster promoting a serious subject matter. However, I really like the concept behind this campaign and it has certainly worked on me by raising my interest in ballet.

Book- After you'd gone, Maggie O'Farrell

I thought this book was brilliant- incredibly moving but without being soppy and overly sentimental. The story is about three generations of a scottish family, focussing on Alice who is in a coma after what is either an accident or attempted suicide. The stories of Alice and her mother (Ann) and grandmother (Elspeth) are cleverly told in fragments so that their histories are gradually pieced together and we find out how they came to this point.

Unfortunately, there are some clichéd details in the book (for example, Ann and her other two daughters are very fair while Alice has a dark complexion. We later learn that Ann had an affair... surprise, surprise). However, the focus here isn't really the scandal and mystery, it's about life and the impact of our decisions on both ourselves and other. Love is also a major theme, but this is NOT just trashy chick-lit with a fairy tale ending!