When advertising really works...

There's always a preconception that advertising is about the 'sell, sell, sell' and solely concerned with making money for a brand rather than concentrating on the brand itself, what it stands for, and why it's the right decision to 'buy' it's product rather than be convinced you 'need' to. If the message is true, and the outcome is beneficial, then the hard sell will never exist. You donate to a charity because you believe in what they do, not because someone told you to on the street. We don't generally like being told what to do, but love being involved in something good that we can feel a part of. There's an old Chinese proverb “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”

That's why I love what Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne did for Guide Dogs of Australia, and why I think it's one of the best ideas I've ever seen. You can't help but feel good about what they did, and want to be a part of it too. It's nice to be reminded that whatever some people may think about advertising, it's actually helping to do a lot of good in the world. You can't sell someone a good feeling, but you can give them away with everything you do.

Nothing a lick of paint couldn't fix...

Dulux's new project called 'let's colour' www.letscolourproject.com is a great way of showing in a beautiful but brutally simple way the benefits of what they produce. I really like the fact that they've not tried to flog paint as being paint, but that they are selling you 'colour' which is a lovely idea. The improvement as you see it transform buldings, houses and even carparks really does just show what a difference a bit of paint can do. So simple, and amazing to think it's not been done until now. The accompanying website encourages people from around the world to join in and share their colour transformations. Stunning work from Euro RSCG.

Never miss an opportunity.

I think this is great bit of local advertising. A shutter company showing exactly what their product can avoid happening. I spotted it on Whitechapel High Street and it made me smile even more a few days later when I saw that someone else had added the 'Roman Glass' sticker too. Brilliant.

Coincidence...

I saw this and it made me laugh. Is it saying that religion is scary? Has a sinister motive? Or that it's made up from lots of different stories? (sounds familiar...) Funny how mostly all religions centre themselves round some kind of 'book of old' too? And they say the medium of print is dying out, what's going to happen to these books? I wonder if the iPhone has an app for the Bible yet?

Can i get any more question marks in this post? I thought so.

RADS 2010

At this year's RAD awards we managed to pick up four awards which was a great achievement for everyone and were the most awarded agency on the night. I was lucky enough to pick one up for work me and Alex did on Nestlé a while back.

Guinness Extra Cold

Well it is very cold.

We'd love to wish you all a happy holiday...

...but this year we just can’t seem to find the words.

Makes Christmas

Just a thought.

Kettle Chips

Hand-cooked potato chips. Taste like what they're made from.

Photography by Owen Smith www.owensmithphotography.com

One of the most beautiful ads ever...

This ad for the NFL is quite simply stunning. You can watch it over and over again and spot new things, like the sheer anticipation on the faces of the people on the sidelines. Simply awesome, and aptly named 'Ballet'.

The world in 8-bit....

An experiment I've done recreating iconic imagery but in the style of the old 8-bit computer games graphics. To see them better, squint your eyes or stretch the far corners of them.

Peperami brief for Idea Bounty

Fingers crossed for the $10,000...

Cadbury's fun...

Some shots from a recent photoshoot with Owen Smith www.owensmithphotography.com

Cheshire beauty consultants...

A pity it's not on brand.

Looks a bit fruity...

Concept ideas for Wilkin & Son Tiptree conserves.

Shots kill

One idea that's part of a campaign me and Ady Thomas have thought of. I'll upload the others as we scamp them up. I'll be getting this shot for real soon so watch this space....

John West tinned seafood.

Just some ideas me and Ady Thomas thought of. Will hopefully shoot them for real soon.

Network Rail photographer

A strip ad for the bottom of newspapers and for online banners.

I thought this was funny...

So I did it :-)

Cover story...

After receiving a big envelope through the mail at work I opened it up to see mine and Alex's Colgate 'Torch' advert slap bang on the front of the cover of the Chip Shop Awards winners supplement. This was brilliant, and something to be incredibly proud of given all the other entries. I also have to admit, it's probably the only thing that's come out of the CSA's that was actually worth paying for :-) - Shame the cover was a bit mangled during transit though :-(

Just add a logo...

And sometimes you've got yourself an ad. The simpler the better.

Blaze Kid...

While sitting on the number 17 the other morning i couldn't help but notice some young ruffian had scribbled his 'tag' at the back of the bus on the window ledge, the window itself, and the inner wall of the bus. But what made me laugh the most was that written biggest of all was one on the back of a seat (below) where the person had clearly spelled his tag wrong. It makes you wonder if this was the first one he wrote, or more worryingly the last?

WINNER! Chip Shop Awards Best Consumer Ad

The Chip Shop Awards took place last night and while it was hardly a lavish bash, or full of advertising celebrities, myself and Alex McGhee were extremely pleased to pick up the Chip award for 'Best Consumer Ad' for our Colgate 'Torch' advert. PG Tips was also a finalist in the nominations but unfortunately didn't pick up any awards. I'd like to say "There's always next year" but in my honest opinion the whole bash was a lot of money for very little reward in the end. It makes you wonder about an awards do when less than a handful of the judges bother to turn up. You live and learn...

Totally wrong, but kinda right...

Just an idea i had with Kate Flury for a brief set on the website www.dontpaniconline.com/designbrief/client/glaceauvitaminwater It's not the right answer to the brief, but we think it's quite a nice idea anyway, and often you find you come up with an idea for one thing when you're supposed to be doing something completely different. Well, we do anyway :-)

There's an ad for something in every picture...

A man searches through the waste from a food warehouse fire in Basra, Iraq. I wonder what could have started it...

Wii - Dance Party

An idea me and Alex had for a while. The aim was to get more boys/men interested in playing dance games or better yet, buying them. Admittedly a little crude, but it's pretty clear what the benefits of being a good dancer are for guys. I'm off to practice my 2-step...

Chip Shop Awards

Fantastic news for myself, Alex McGhee and Ady Thomas as some ads we wrote have been nominated for a Chip Shop Award. We are in 'Best consumer Ad or campaign' for our Colgate 'Torch' ad and in the 'Invent your own category' for our PG Tips 'Olympics' ad. Our category was called "Best ad representing Britain in 2012". A big big thank you to Owen Smith for photographing these for us – Very chuffed, and fingers crossed...

You can see the nominations at www.chipshopawards.com/nominations

Nestle - Management Accountants

The job was for Management Accountants whose sole job was simply to make Nestle products more profitable. Does what it says on the tin.

LFB

A mac scamp of an idea that's part of a campaign i'm hoping will run soon.