The Impact of TV Advertising

by on January 17, 2013 in Bespoke Design

TV is one of many new technological innovations introduced in the 20th century which has had a huge impact and made a noticeable difference to how we conduct our lives and present ourselves. It seems as though no one prior to the introduction of radio, TV and the internet in the 20th could predict the impact it could make on people from all walks of life in a relatively short spell of time.

When TV was first introduced in the early 20th century it was only the wealthier members of society that could afford to watch a TV set. Throughout the twentieth century TVs have become more sophisticated in their construction and have become cheaper to manufacture and assemble. The social impact of this fairly fast transition is a literal social revolution. As more people had access to TV programming the nature of the programs being broadcast began to change to target the new audience which logically progressed to the introduction of advertising becoming the norm on the majority of channels by the 1980’s. As TV advertising became more commonplace body’s such as the ASA were formed to regulate the content and claims made by advertising professionals.

 

all response media

Even though sites like Youtube and streaming services are increasing in popularity all the time it is still debatably targeting a niche audience. Many media analysts have predicted a steep decline in TV’s popularity and its ability to influence today’s youth and future generations. However like many great, enduring ideas the key to its success is its ability to adapt and change with the current trends and patterns to reflect the attitudes of not just the youth but all cross sections and demographics of society. For example, All Response Media have a distinctive, vibrant style to their advertising which reflects the key values of today’s youth.

To some extent it is impossible to predict how the next decade of TV advertising will pan out, let alone the next generation. With more people watching TV online through streaming services and using set top boxes like Youview and sky products it is questionable how much affect TV will have on the younger generation however it cannot be denied that it will still continue to function in its current incarnation for some time and as the nature of TV standards changes there will always be avenue for manufacturers and advertising executives to collaborate so that the right audience is being targeted with relevant and unobtrusive TV advertising.

One of the ways in which TV advertising is evolving is by using humor, music and pop culture references and celebrities to create engaging yet entertaining and often funny or satirical adverts. A great round up of humorous print ads can be found in this post from One Extra Pixel.

Comments Off

Reinventing the Classics

by on January 16, 2013 in Animation

Disney is a wonderful brand, that for a lot of children and adults is simply synonymous with happiness and nostalgia. The classic stories that they have brought us over the years have taught us all about love, loss, heroics, courage and togetherness. Their adorable anthropomorphic animals and creatures have smiled, sung and danced their way through hardships and obstacles that captured our imaginations and held onto them for years to come. The characters they’ve created became instant classics, and the ones they reinvented quickly became the standard image of a beautiful princess or prince charming.

The progression of art and culture is all about taking what has come before and reworking and reinventing it in the modern day. Cinderalla, or sleeping beauty were wonderful fairy tales that have been told to children for hundreds of years being passed down through the oral tradition. But in the 20th century the wonderful invention of animation allowed for Disney to bring to life some of the images, and stories that everyone had heard with such joy and passion that these images soon became the standard. The longevity of these images is phenomenal; today it is not uncommon to see a little girl playing in sleeping beauty fancy dress, but the animated classic itself first arrived on our screens in 1959. Even the songs from the film, which most children could sing to you, are actually adaptations of the arrangements from the classic 1890 ballet version of sleeping beauty by Tchaikovsky.

By taking a classic character and reinventing it for a modern audience, Disney has managed to strike a perfect balance and develop characters so iconic that they have a nearly supernatural longevity; working on images, themes and ideas that are already hugely present in the public consciousness.

With this in mind, it seems a shame that Disney seems to be perpetually in legal battles over copyright laws to protect their brand and their characters. It is easy to see why they are fighting so ferociously to hold onto their creative property, the fantastically iconic character Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 and the copyright for the cartoons are constantly being updated so that they can’t be borrowed and distributed without the permission of Disney. It is often said that without the battles that Disney fights, Mickey Mouse would enter into the public domain – meaning anyone could reproduce the character or use him in films without asking, crediting or paying Disney for the use. However, the character is actually trademarked, meaning he belongs to Disney as long as they keep on using him as a company. But the earlier cartoons themselves could fall into the public domain without the extended copyright laws – often called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act by campaigners in large support of the public domain.

The character itself has permeated into the public consciousness in the same way that the characters of fairy tales became part of the oral tradition, it’s part of what makes up our culture. Mickey Mouse is something of the folk hero of the modern age, and perhaps in years to come, the image of the anthropomorphic mouse could be belong to all of the people and lives that he has touched over the course of nearly a century. From this, he could be changed, adapted, reworked and reimagined in order to reach more people and evolve for the future.

Comments Off

Beautifully Designed Promotional Business Gifts

by on January 14, 2013 in Product Design

When it comes to promoting your business; promotional business gifts are a marketing tactic which has stood the test of time. Everyone loves receiving beautifully designed and manufactured products and even more so if they’re a product which actually has some use. Promotional business gifts come in a whole range of shapes and sizes and pretty much any product you can think of can be used in such a way, however what are some of the main things to consider when planning your business gifts and their design?

First things first; you need to decide whether you’re going to go for a useful or a novelty product? Both types have their uses, however you need to consider your target market. If you’re aiming at the consumer market, novelty products will ensure your business stands out and is remembered for doing something that little different. If you’re primarily aiming for a business market with your gifts, however, it may be worth considering something a little more useful. As an example, a promotional frisbee, for example, may be considered as fantastic by a consumer market with an intended age range of late teens, and used for a bit of fun, however a business professional would most likely not take a second glance at such a product. If the product was a pen, diary or USB pen, however, there’s a good chance that such a professional would put the gift to good use.

In such an instance, the gift will act as a daily reminder of your company and, as soon as they require your services or products, it’s likely that they’ll give you a call or drop you a line due to that constant reminder. When it gets down to it; you need to think of the target market and how suitable the product is for that recipient prior to deciding the approach to take for your promotional advertising campaign. In addition, you need to ask yourself whether you’re trying to attract direct business from such gifts (as in an individual see’s your gift and gives you a call fairly quickly) or whether it’s more for brand awareness and you’re looking to alert recipients of your existence.

Carefully consider your target market and the potential suitability of any products and there’s a very good chance your campaign will be a great success. It’s all about selecting the right products for the right target market and, above all, ensuring you have fantastic products to give away which really hit home with the recipient!

Comments Off

The Importance of Bespoke Packaging

by on December 13, 2012 in Bespoke Design

 

Individual or custom-made packaging is paramount for the success of your company, product or brand as there are so many visually appealing packaging solutions on the modern market. This in turn can make it difficult for businesses to come up with designs that are innovative and consistent to reflect what services they offer.

However, there are ways to keep up with the challenging world of packaging design to keep your brand ahead on the best marketing techniques.

 

  • So what is the importance of packaging and branding in marketing?

Every business, whether they are in the public or the private sector, understands the importance of having packaging that promotes and advertises to as many consumers and traders as possible in order to sell their product. They need their marketing material to be memorable so that customers will want to buy what they are selling and may even recommend to their friends. Thinking about successful marketing ideas, Brooklyn-based Designer Chad Michael created a unique packaging concept for ION Mencare, which exuded a sophisticated, industrial theme.

 

  • Different types of promotional packaging come in all shapes and sizes but ultimately the goal is the same… to speak directly to your target audience. Some examples of the most effective forms of packaging include:

~ Literature e.g. a press release or a promo pack gives a detailed insight into the ideas and message you’re looking to communicate.

~ A flyer or poster helps to aid a high response by using clever visual design and bold colours.

~ An adshel in a bus stop or train station often has a strong impact on the public as transport is accessible all the time.

~ Taster events giving out freebies are particularly effective for new product launches as they encourage recognition and ‘word of mouth’ marketing.

~ Packaging with a bold logo or brand name is instantly recognizable and is ideal for use in things like presentations, trade shows and on deliveries.

 

Deliver your brand message effectively using a creative mindset, quirky layout and a strong strapline and you can’t go wrong. Consumers love interaction so ensure your customer is targeted immediately with something interesting. Think Tank Media understand that the benefit of say a branded Ted Baker tote bag would encourage interaction from the Ted Baker fashion brand with their target customer using a brand name with a catchy slogan. According to Marketing Deviant “the slogan must be precise and concise in order for consumers to understand what your brand is all about.”                              

 

Comments Off

Fantastic CD Packaging Examples

by on November 1, 2012 in Bespoke Design

When it comes to putting out a CD or Vinyl release by an artist, the packaging can play a large part in how great the overall product looks. Packaging has come a long way in recent years, with numerous artists putting out releases which come bundled in fantastic packaging. As such, we thought we’d put together some examples of some awesome bespoke CD packaging which we’ve come across courtesy of one of the UK’s leading packaging and CD manufacturing companies, Key Production.

Enter Shikari – Live From Planet Earth

The Enter Shikari release of ‘Live From Planet Earth’ comes complete with some fantastic bespoke packaging. Forget bog standard cases; this release documents the bands greatest performances from around the globe and comprises of a CD, three DVDs and a 60 page booklet. The carefully designed packaging looks stunning and really complements the bands image and style.

It goes to show what a carefully planned design which is in keeping with the image and feel of a band can do for the overall impression given by a release. Could you imagine this release in a standard CD or DVD case? I think not! It deserves some extra special attention and that’s exactly what it got!

 

 

 

Mogwai – Special Moves

For the release of ‘Special Moves’, Mogwai had produced for them a fantastic bespoke packaging which comprised of a number of slip cases within a covering cardboard sleeve. The release came combined with a poster a special edition booklet and, as the the Enter Shikari release above, it really complements the feel of the band.

Special releases deserve special attention and a carefully thought out, unique, approach to the packaging of the release can transform it into something special. Such releases are often only available in limited editions which, of course, make them even more special and collectible for die-hard fans.

Comments Off