#SocialMediaCampaigns

Although not a particularly well-known campaign, I think the #DrawMyFollowers campaign by UK artist and clothing-label designer Greg Burney shows how social media has revolutionised creative advertising. By promising to draw the first 3000 new followers he gained on Twitter, Burney launched a successful social media campaign without ad agencies or large budgets. The campaign took off and Burney got almost 6,000 new Twitter followers in a few weeks, and the campaign made several 'Best of' lists which gave him even more exposure.  In an interview about the project Burmey said, ‘I am very keen on projects that connect people. The #drawmyfollowers project evolved from a smaller project in which I drew sketches of people on Chat Roulette. The people I drew almost always smiled and it often ended with both of us giggling and waving goodbye to each other. I learnt that I really love little connections with random people and that people like to be drawn, so I thought I would take it up a level and try the project on Twitter.’

This innovative and creative thinking shows how new media has changed creative advertising as it makes it more accessible, interactive and enjoyable for the audience. I think it also makes advertising more creative because it is more optional that more traditional media, as people choose to look at, watch or share something, so if ads aren’t creative, people will not be interested. Also, it shows how even just one person with a good idea can use it to their advantage, so the advertising and the products/services are more diverse and interesting, and it’s not just brands with big budgets who are seen.

You can read the full interview with Greg Burney here:
http://www.attentionusa.com/2011/11/an-interview-with-greg-burney-of-drawmyfollowers/#.UQbf4L9dBSQ

Laundrette

BBH's 'Laundrette' Levi's ad of the 1980s can be described as a piece of post-modern advertising because it shows several ideals and values which are typical of post-modernism. 
Post-modernism can be defined as, 'An emphasis on surface, image... a lack of seriousness expressed through modes of pastiche parody and irony; blurring of critical boundaries between high and low art, historical and present, the different genres... host to multiple inter-textual references.'(Stoddart, 2007). In the ad there is a lack of seriousness with the humour of the ad as the man strips to his boxers in the middle of a laundrette, which shocks the onlookers, which also shows an anti-authoritarian aspect which is also post-modern, as there is a soldier outside the laundrette and lots of people staring but he does it anyway. 'John Hegarty and Barbara Nokes recreated an image of 50s Americana that presented 501s as alternative to punk’s scruffiness.' (http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/thework/895156/)

A contemporary(ish) ad which I think is also post-modern is the infamous Cadbury's Gorilla ad of 2007. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo) I think it's post-modern because it is nonsensical and has a lack of seriousness which is quite post-modern and made it confusing and complex for the audience because the gorilla playing the drums doesn't obviously link to the chocolate.

70s Context

I have been looking for 70s ads which show the context of the decade for ages to be able to compare them with ads of the same brand from this decade, and it's been difficult. Most of the brands I have seen either don't use contextual references (other than the weird hairstyles and fashion choices) don't advertise anymore or just simply don't exist anymore. Luckily I've finally found a Smirnoff print ad which references a social issue of the 70s.

This ad references the bra-burning which is associated with feminism, which hit the UK in the 70s, beginning with the Equal Pay Act in 1970, and leading to the election of the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in 1979.
As well as the written language reference to feminism in the copy, the visual language could also reference feminism, as the woman is looking straight down the lens of the camera and holding the attention of the image. This makes her the focus of the ad, with the man barely noticeable in the background as he is wearing a dark suit in a dark background.

Today, Smirnoff ads do not seem to show many contextual references, although they mainly use social media to advertise, which links to the constant use of technology with their target audience of young adults. This ad which appeared on TV and also on-line. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZOoIWS61Ns&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEZOoIWS61Ns&has_verified=1

The Real Mad Men

The DDB ads of the fifties and sixties revolutionised the advertising industry, with thinking and creativity still admired and envied today. A key part in this revolutions was the social changes at the time. In New York, the post-war immigration of Europeans starting new lives in America had created a large Jewish population, and the second generation of these immigrants from many different ethnic backgrounds began applying and working in the ad agencies. Because of this, new humour and styles began to appear in ads, whether unconsciously or in response to a new, more varied audience. Aesthetically as well as socially, the backdrop of New York city was changing. New buildings and skyscrapers were cropping up, new music, poetry, literature, theatre, and art all affected the goings on in the ad agencies. With advertising having a bad name in the 50's due to repetitive, dull ads, this revolution was much needed.

The 'Think Small' campaign epitomises the creative revolution because it marks the change of advertising from the 60's onwards, and carved the way for better advertising. Before, the majority of ads used tried and tested methods of repetition to communicate the message, using little or no creative skill to engage and entertain the audience. With DDB's VW ads, the copy was chatty but also informative, letting the information be communicated almost seamlessly. It was revolutionary because it used new tactics which other agencies didn't dare use; transparent honesty over unrealistic images. By mentioning the 'flaws' of the product but also showing the many benefits, the 'self-depreciating wit' of the ads was almost endearing, and proved a  huge success with the audience. DDB's didn't try to out-do the competition in terms of style and visuals, but they out-smarted them with unquestionable logic and charm. The ads epitomise the creative revolution because they changed the way ad agencies worked, thought and the way the audiences responded to advertising.

[Reference: Cracknell, A (2011) The Real Mad Men]

So Clean

William Hesketh Lever was the founder of the Lever Brother's Sunlight Soap empire, and changed advertising forever with his never before seen ads, which used art as well as copy to sell his products.
His early ads used paintings often depicting women and children, which fitted with the context of the period as children signified joy, blessings, purity and life due to the high infant mortality rate. In Bolton, where Lever was born, more than a fifth of the population died before their first birthday, and over a third of the population were died before they were five. Women were a common theme in the Sunlight Soap ads, which fitted with the social context of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century with the late Victorian and Edwardian gender roles, where traditionally women did the cleaning. The depiction of women changed with the times as the roles of women in society changed; the ads began to feature more commanding and controlling women who offered images of feminine power, as well as more sensual women.
Imperialism and Britishness were also common themes in the soap ads for domestic and imperial markets, as with the British Empire  spreading across the globe the soap ads showed 'washing and clothing the savage', associating soap with civilised people. The Britishness was emphasised during the first world war, playing upon the social morale at the time.
With the mass production of soap, social and economic conditions changed as the lower classes were clean so there was less distinction between the upper and lower classes. This changed the tactics of the soap ads, which then influenced social rules, making it socially unacceptable to smell, creating a new market for the product.

Surrealism

Surrealism in ads is quite difficult to point out, because most of the time it is too subtle to notice. Some surrealist techniques seem quite simple by today's standards and are easy to miss, but this Nicorette inhalator ad uses substitution deliberately to promote and draw attention to the product. [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RdiJGNYuM4 ] The substitution of the cigarette into the classic film genres is subtle but uses the surrealist technique to great effect, highlighting the inconspicuous design which was a main selling point of the product as users were conscientious of their image when using the product. The ads also make the inhalator look 'cooler' by substituting them into specific film genres like western and kung-fu so the users will feel less self-conscious when using them so are more likely to buy and use them.

Modernism

The LMS ads are a great example of modernist style, not only with the type of images used, but also the ads themselves.

The images were produced by different artists, but using a similar poster style, which seems quite familiar today but back then it would have been quite radical. The colour blocking is very modernist because with the threat of photography artists had to produce different paintings and explore with colour more as painting a realistic image wasn't really good enough anymore. Main characteristics of modernism were simplicity, anti-decoration and neutrality, which are the opposites of the characteristics of the style before modernism. The images on the ads clearly show these features, being simplified images of the places advertised. 

I think the ads themselves are also modernist, as they are quite minimalist and simple, and are opposites of ads before the modernist period. They also would work well with the new lifestyles which occurred during the modernist period. Industrialisation, new inventions, and denser societies meant that people had busier lives, and the eye-catching prints and quick to read copy would have fit in very well with this type of life. The attractive landscape images would have also appealed to the modern society because they may have been looking for an escape away from the city and away from their busy lives, so the poster shows them the solution.

Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernism, Student notes Modernity and Modernism Lecture 10/10/12

Myth

Looking at myth in ads at first seemed like an impossible task, only rarely do they have anything to do with myths. However, after looking at hundreds to try to find any, I realised there are more mythologies than just the classic Greek-style ones. Everyday myths occur in ads more often, but are still quite difficult to spot. 
One ad I found a 'myth' in is the poster for Elizabeth Arden's perfume 'Splendor'. As ideology is myth, I think that this ad shows a myth which is clearly linked to the layout and style of the ad which makes it effective. 
The poster makes a parody of classical film posters such as 'Casablanca', which is suggestive of a Hollywood romance ideology. This ideology refers to fairytale romances, with heroic men and swooning women, which is the kind of relationship which some women may want. This is shown by the composition, and also the poses and style of the figures in the ad. The hairstyle of the woman looks quite 40's, suggesting the classic Hollywood style. This suggestion of Hollywood romance, as well as associated traits such as elegance and beauty, are transferred to the product.

Another ad I looked at was the Givenchy 'Organza' perfume print ad. This shows a woman in a desert wearing a classical white column dress which has connotations of Egyptian or Greek history. As it is the desert, it is more likely to hint at Egyptian myths, and could be denoting Cleopatra, a well-known beauty. Through Cleopatra, it could also be showing the Egyptian goddess Isis, who was the goddess of motherhood and nature, represented the ideal mother and wife and was also the patroness of nature and magic. This ideology of the perfect wife and mother could be transferred to the product. Also, Isis means 'she of the throne', and with the end line 'slip into luxury', there are connotations of royalty and luxury.

Speaking without words