Here at Global Mechanic, creating beautiful animation and inventive advertisements are what we do best. We are especially driven when we get the opportunity to help a non-profit organization deliver an important message to the public.
We believe in the power of storytelling and we know that many valuable stories go left untold. After the tragedy in Darfur we teamed up with an organization called Stand For The Dead whose mission is to get the stories of the victims heard.
Giving the victims a voice helps others connect to their story and understand the enormity of genocide. The PSA we created called Darfur Drawings used animation based on actual children’s drawings from Darfur.
Bringing awareness to issues that are outside our backyard is important to us. We really enjoyed our next project with Plan International, one of the oldest and largest international charities in the world. They founded an initiative called Because I Am A Girl.
A Global Campaign to claim a brighter safer future for girls.
This initiate operates a wide range of programs to improve the lives of girls around the world by giving them access to health care education, protection, independence and an opportunity to participate in society.
We also love the challenge of conveying a time -honoured message in new and creative ways. We approached AIDS Vancouver for a collaborative project and they suggested we contact a local agency called Rethink to bring a refreshing alternative to AIDS advertising. The copy for our ad called Petri Dish is so compelling and visceral that we wanted as much physical texture as possible.
We shot the animation and artwork with layers of dirt, hair and liquid and used distorting filters and flickering lights. We created this ad ten years ago and the animation is so striking that it still holds strong today.
It’s humbling to get the opportunity to apply our love for art and design to communicate an imperative message. We take on projects like this because we want to give back, and yet at the end of the day, when we have done our job we walk away with so much more than what we started with.
1. Humor: Yes whether planned or not, most viral videos are funny in some way. If you’re in the category of “I WANT a viral video” then I would suggest that a brand utilizes most of their budget on a Creative Director and savvy comedy scriptwriter. Failing that you may need to strap a Go pro to your forehead everyday for a chance to capture some epic event that’s newsworthy.
2. Budget: Most will come in at the low budget level, but not necessarily. Content is way more important than budget. Dollar Shave Club pulled off a low budget planned viral video with great success.
3. Provoking: A viral video often has either thought provoking or downright ‘OMG’ reactions from its viewers. Such as the poor kid featured in ‘David after Dentist’
4. Surprises: These come in many forms and lots of ‘planned’ wannabe viral videos fail under this category for obvious reasons. However those that are not planned can reap huge rewards in the viral video stakes, for example Simon Cowell’s X Factor in the UK had a huge hit with the unlikely pop star ‘Susan Boyle’.
5. Topical: Keep it current. Many will feature current trends, news, politics films and music. Unfortunately, most of us were unable to be spared of ‘that tune’ by the now overnight pop sensation Psy. The most viewed video online ever with 1,571,307,743 (btw I’m the 3 on the end, I managed to not view this video until writing this piece!) And if you’re brave enough, you can always jump on the back of such success and release the baby version for a mere 2,183,160 views.
Another viral video of 2012 was certainly topical with the release of Skyfall. A great concept coupled with a twist on an iconic tune and the feel good factor of the Bond franchise, made this an obvious choice for Coca-Cola!
On that note you have the masters of advertising who I like to refer to as the trickster, pulling off a charade with subliminal advertising. This video was released a few months ago but re-surfaced the same week of the Boston Marathon tragedy so it had instant share appeal with everyones’ mood being somewhat somber and in need of a lift. I shared it on my facebook status then I watched it again as the likes soared on my post. Only then did I realize that the video was very likely put together by the most recognized brand in the world, Coca-Cola. The funny part is that I once worked for Coca-Cola for several years and I didn’t catch it straight away. Watch the video and see what you think! It’s a conspiracy, but I’m feeling Coca-Cola made it.
So when planning a viral video, try to use a few of these elements but realistically, it takes a whole bunch of luck, somewhat like winning the lottery! Bonne Chance!
Advertising in 2013 is certainly an interesting time. With online content and constant changes to the formats of social networks to allow for better advertising opportunities for business, we’re in an ever-evolving environment. However one thing that’s remained constant in recent years is the success of a viral video on a brand.
For the past two years, my phone has been ringing daily with the request “I want a viral video”! And for those of you in advertising I’m sure you hear my pain. To the tune “we want eyeballs” and believe me, we want to create a genius masterpiece that fits that bill also! And we’re not alone. So what are the successful key ingredients that take what maybe an everyday video to suddenly turn viral?
First I’d like to clarify. What exactly is a viral video?
In short it’s a video that becomes popular online without having any traditional advertising to support it. Viral videos live online and are shared via social networks and email.
There are two types of viral video in my world, those that were planned (usually for brands and businesses), and those that were born as happy accidents with no advertising goal in mind. Such like the sweet video of the two brothers “Charlie bit my finger!”
So my phone has rang, and we’re challenged with pulling off a ‘viral’ video for the client. As the creative shop, we need to provide a killer concept that not only sounds good to the client but ultimately will send their brand into the social media stratosphere and become an overnight success.
All sounds so simple however there’s usually one problem, the nervous client! Getting buy-in on concepts is the biggest challenge for ALL creatives’ in ALL ad agencies. With brand reputations on the line, many clients are nervous to agree to anything out of left field, and so your pitch to them is key. Client trust is everything and the folks over at DraftFCB Chicago certainly know a thing or two about that. The latest video to go viral is a risqué but hilarious ad for Kmart.
Utilizing a clever scriptwriter‘s talents, the play on words is a winner all the way. Getting the buy-in on that concept was huge and hats off to the Kmart execs for putting their trust in those creative genius at DRaftFCB. An approach that paid off for KMART big time.
Stay tuned next week for Part 2: So what are the top 5 commonalities for viral videos?
Branding is an interesting monster. Naming your company nowadays can come down to which domain names or social media handles are available. And when designing your logo, intense focus groups can wildly change what your finished image will look like (for good reason).
Now that you’ve got a name and an image… we’ve got to pick a colour.
There have been some fascinating studies (accompanied by always-fun infographics) about the distribution of colour used in company website logos, physical branding, and even movie trailers.
If we subscribe to this colour-feeling theory, we can apply it to a larger area of study. Trends have already been studied in certain areas of industry, but what about a geographic location?
Simply, what do the colours of local brands say about a city?
Vancouver, you’re up. Let’s take a look at some of the logos of B.C.-based companies past, and present:
As we can see, the results… are blue.
Being a coastal city, it’s not hard to guess why that colour is at the front of everyone’s mind when designing a logo. It’s also the most popular colour for branding. But when we apply what we’ve learned today, blue can indicate a Trustworthy, Dependable, Secure, and Responsible brand. True blue.
So what else could this be applied to? Are there trends that reach beyond industry or geography?
What’s your city’s colour? Let us know in the comments.
We get a lot of attention for – and questions around – our work for Coca Cola, so we thought we’d share our case study on the international pieces that helped break records for one for the most recognizable brands in the world. Enjoy!
THE CHALLENGE:Re-establish Coca Cola’s position as the leading brand in three distinct markets: South Africa, Japan and India
Bruce Alcock and team jumped at the opportunity to work with The Coca-Cola Company for their multinational television campaign. Coca-Cola needed to leverage their globally recognized campaign at the time to reestablish themselves in three regions where market share had been diminishing. The stakes were huge: media buy included the first minute of airtime in the New Year on every channel for each market. If you had the TV on, you were going to see the spot.
STRATEGY & INSIGHT:Uncover core market culture & values, and then connect those with the global brand
Bruce and his team were given lyrics and some guidance as to each market’s nuances. In order to uncover the true cultural identities of the three markets, Bruce enlisted the help of 25 artists in six cities. They cross-referenced imagery and techniques with local experts in each market, and once local visuals were systematically aligned with the right components of Coca-Cola’s global brand, it was time to sew the pieces together to form visual storylines.
EXECUTION:Authentic spots celebrating uniqueness of each culture’s identity
Bruce and his team took a unique approach to each region, nailing down the tone and feel of their cultures while appealing to aspirational sensitivities at the same time. The work was deliberately layered and dense to accurately depict the complexity of each region and stimulate the viewer. The spots built upon the strong brand recognition Coca-Cola’s global campaign already enjoyed.
The final product was a series of television spots for each market, including 17 versions of one for South Africa for all of its local languages. The execution was a masterful balancing of input from Coca-Cola, researchers and the artists – who constructed the thousands of creative elements that went into the final product.
RESULTS:Record Breaking Views
The spots’ success was attributed to their authenticity and ability to speak to the local audiences. Brand recognition and resonance was high, and especially so with youth in the markets, the largest of the waning segments. In India, the spot was the most viewed television commercial. Ever.
