Super Bowl ads : Go Daddy/GoGaddy.com 2013

Sex does not sell. Instead of having sexed up models stripping, pole dancing or prancing in a wet t shirt, the GoDaddy.com 2013 commercial has gone back to revisit their basics of advertising..that is, focus on what they sell. They kept their promise made before the Olympics 2012 that they would steer away from sensual tv commercials that they have come to be associated with.

The latest GoDaddy Commercial revolves around couples around the world discussing to put their "Big Idea" on Internet business online, each thinking they are the first to have the brainstorm but finally only one registers a domain name on GoDaddy.com and cashes in on the "Big Idea".

Go Daddy has teamed up for the third straight year with .CO domain encouraging entrepreneurs to buy a .CO with GO Daddy.

Danica Patrick makes cameo appearance towards the end of the 30-sec comic clip.

Vintage Ad : Kellogs Corn Flakes - Rare Print Ads

Vintage Ad : Quaker Oats - Rare Print Ads

Quaker Oats company was started in 1901 by amalgamation of 4 cereal milling companies.

• Quaker Mill Company of Ravenna,Ohio.:  Henry D. Seymour, one of the founders of Quaker Mill company, trademarked the Quaker brand in 1877, making it the first registered trademark for a breakfast cereal. Though none of the founding members were Quakers , the image was chosen, for the Quakers represented purity, simplicity and quality as per the encyclopedia article that Seymour was inspired by.
• A cereal mill in Iowa
• The German Mills American Oatmill Company, owned by the "The Oatmeal King"
• The Rob Lewis & Co. American Oats and Barley Oatmeal Corporation.

The 'Quaker Oats' man is not modeled after a real person and does not have a name. Though within the company he is called 'Larry'

Windows 8:Lenka - Everything at once

The release of album "Two"  in April 2011 by Lenka, the Australian artiste, did not witness much commercial success. However, the single "Everything at once" after being used in Windows 8 ad saw a significant increase in popularity and was re-released digitally in Nov 2012.

The ad is cleverly crafted with the lyrics falling in sync with the features of Windows 8 devices.

Windows 8: 'Daav Laga' You and Me together

This is a Windows 8 ad tempered and garnished for Indian audience with Indian song "Daav laga" for background score from the movie "Ishq Vishq".
The vocals are by the popular playback singer Sona Mohapatra.
Dancers are Prosenjit Guy Kundu, a dancer and choreographer of French and Indian roots (www.kundudance.com)
and Payal Balse, make-up artist and [V] Footloose contestant.

It is captivating to see the hip-hop moves in the ad mimicking the motions made on the Windows 8 tab.

HP Deaf DJ

This is the original mix by Zedd called Stache which is used in the HP Envy Ultrabook Ad.

This is a video of DJ Robbie Wilde talking about how he "sees" music and how HP Touch is the best in class for him to cope with his limitation of being deaf.
Born deaf in the right ear and losing the sense of hearing by 80% in  the left ear, Robbie did not stop listening to music. Though he has his limitations where  lyrics are concerned, he maneuvers his way through with beats and bass. He does not just remix but creates music. He does not just sustain in the competitive world of DJ-ing but excel at it as the only 'deaf' musician.

Charles C. Ebbett - Lunch atop a skyscrapper: An inspiration

Charles C. Ebbett's iconic picture titled " A Luncheon atop a Skyscraper ( New York construction workers lunching on a crossbeam)" was taken on the 69th floor during construction of the GE Building at the Rockefeller Center in 1932. It has been a source of inspiration for several ad campaigns globally.

The outdoor advertisement of Lego, titled " Builders of Tomorrow" was released in June 2007, by Jung von Matt Advertising Agency. It won Cannes Gold in 2007.

 Sony also draws inspiration from Charles C Ebbetts vintage photograph, using the tag line: In photography: Timing is everything.
 The other ads of Sony camera coming soon on this blog.

With Volkswagen Girder priced so low, the team at DDB Milan has shown that the target audience for the product transcends all social classes. It entices the blue collar class also to go for Volkswagen Girder. The image of an empty construction bar and a tag line that "unfortunately the word has already spread" speaks for itself..

Vintage Ad: Domino's

The Noid was the mascot of Domino's Pizza created in the 1986 by Ad Agency Group 243.
The character "Noid" was representative of everything that could 'A-Nnoy' the customer, cold or pizza delivered late. This claymation character would stomp on the pizza carton, if it was cold or was delivered late but each time ,as seen in the ad, attempts on Domino's Pizza is thwarted.  

At a time that Pizza hut sold with the tag line "It is worth the wait" Domino's sold with the promise of a delivery less than 30 minutes , with "Avoid the Noid"

Vintage Ad: Pizza Hut

A lot of people remember Pete, the Italian Pizza maker, in the yellow scarf and the blue apron and a hat that hovers over his head. One hand giving an "OK" and the other a "thumbs up".  

Pete was the mascot of Pizza hut from 1965 and vanished into the void of forgotten mascots by mid 80's.
The first logo of Pizza Hut featured Pete holding the words "Pizza" and "Hut" .

From 1967- 1999: Pizza hut used the "Red Roof" logo.

 From 2000- Present: The "Red Roof" has adopted a more stylized avatar with newer font, a yellow underline and a green dot for I's tittle.

The place mat from the 1970s shows the steps that "Pete" follows to present his customers with the perfect pie.  

                                             

This is a vintage print ad of Pizza Hut with tag line "It must be worth the wait". 

The battle between Pizza Hut and Dominoes Pizza over the USP of pizza delivery time has been dealt in another blog post.

The retro television ad is of Pizza Hut from 1971. It is so uninspiring that it leaves one wondering if this ad helped in contributing to the sales of Pizza hut's pizzas at all. In the backdrop there is an old logo of Pizza Hut circa 1970s.

Print Ad: Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van

Ad for the Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van, trying to indicate the extra space in the van. The ad is slightly weird for me because , the spatially challenged person that I am, I find it difficult to understand if the ad shows the entire Van Size or just the size of the back of the van.  

Absolut 'Manish' Arora

A contemporary Fashion Designer, Manish Arora, encases the finest elements of his Paris Fashion Week in October of 2009, lending a surreal texture to the bottle.

Given his penchant for colors and patterns it comes as no surprise that he was appointed the creative director of Paco Rabanne in early 2011.

Absolut 'Vikram' Seth

Vikram Seth is not only a gifted writer but also a painter. In this campaign series, each of his canvases is a symbol of a "Rasa"  blending music,dance and art, giving them an ethereal feel . He breathes life not only into words and poems but also to colors by giving them a new dimension on his canvas.

 His Blue Canvas contribution to the Absolut campaign, has "Na Main,Na Mai" in Urdu and Nastaleeq script scrawling over the blue bottle in gold letters. It reflects the "Shanta Rasa" or Peace.  

 In the above canvas, his multifacted personality comes to the fore where he effortlessly blends hues of orange and red, reflecting the "Vira Rasa". The "Heroic and Energetic" flavors radiating from the painting are unmistakable. "Jiu" is the Chinese character for wine as exhibited in the canvas.

A nod to the peerless Harivanshrai Bacchan, Vikram Seth borrows "Pyasa Pyala" in Devanagiri script, meaning the "Thirsty Cup" from "Madhushala". The image is of surreal love that "Shringar Rasa" is about.

All the three canvases represent the true spirit of Absolut.

This exhibition makes Vikram Seth the fourth Indian to contribute the iconic Absolut campaign.

Absolut 'Subodh' Gupta

Subodh Gupta, a prolific artist has made a valuable contribution to the 30 year old legendary campaign of Absolut Vodka with the above sculpture.

He has taken everyday kitchen articles, placed them in a new dimension,  rehashing the mundane quotidian value of those articles and elevating them to represent the true spirit of Absolut.

Absolut 'Bharati' Kher

Bharati Kher, born in London, is a popular contemporary Indian artist with several paintings, sculptures and installations to her credit. 

Bindi, a decorative mark that Indian women wear in the middle of their foreheads, are used extensively her sculptures.

Her fascination with the "sperm" bindi, her signature, is evident in the Absolut Vodka installation which gives it a 3 dimensional perception.

Bharati Kher is married to the popular Indian Sculptor, Subodh Gupta.

A day in the life of India - 100 rupee note

Revisiting an old TOI ad.. which shows the life of a 100 rupee note and its worth as it meanders through the lives of several Indians each with a different tale to tell