Friday, 14 January 2011

One Last 2010 List

Promise. Just a quick mention for a few ads that didn't appear in the last post, including my pick of the print and digital ads form last year.


The Good: Virgin Atlantic


As if following 'Still Red Hot' wasn't daunting enough, this ad also takes on recreating one of the most iconic title sequences in film history. This takes an entertainingly facetious approach to the Bond scenes and shows that the brand, in all its style and extravagance, isn't taking itself too seriously. As ever, the red uniforms stand out prominently and as so unmistakably Virgin that this would be identifiable as a Virgin ad without any logo exposure. Furthermore, the production is slick as scenes flow seamlessly from one to the next accompanied by a modern take on 'Feeling Good' by Muse. Competitors must watch these ads with the sort of despair last seen on the faces of hapless Bond villains, as the target just jeeps on getting further and further away.




The Bad: Confused.com


Using the title of what you're criticising as its criticism is a bit lazy and not particularly witty. For example, when critics said of Franz Ferdinand's album 'You could have it so much better' that we 'could have it so much better' I rolled my eyes with boredom. However, here there is only one word for confused.com's latest offering: confusing. With this particularly bland cartoon character singing 'Somebody to Love', you could be forgiven for thinking that this is an ad for a dating service for closet homosexuals. If this ad endorses anything, it's the use of an ad agency. Not all in-house ads are going to be as successful as those for affordable glasses; perhaps confused.com should've gone to Specsavers.




The Ugly: VW Polo


In all fairness, this isn't ugly; but since it jumps between good and bad in my opinion, this seems like an appropriate category for it. The dance looks great, it's a popular ad and people remember it; but far fewer people seem to remember what it's for. I think this is because the link between the routine and the final frame is nonexistent. I've seen the Argentine Tango danced in the plazas of Buenos Aires and it is beautiful, here they've choreographed it to look tough, but I don't think it can portray both at the same time. Or, quite possibly, I'm being extra-tough on it because it's a VW ad and they've tended to be so brilliant in the past.






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