Tag: advert

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Videos: TV

The man who walked around the world.

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For reasons I can’t entirely explain I find nothing quite as exciting as a good long take, whether its a trip through Russian history, or some college kids making a lip dub.

You can add to that mixed bag this masterful new commercial for Johnnie Walker, featuring actor Robert Carlyle delivering a five minute monologue about the history of the famous whiskey while walking through the Scottish countryside captured in one continuous take on the 40th attempt.

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Videos: TV

A fresh coat of awesome from Dulux.

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Elaborate, ambitious, dramatic and passionate are some of the words I find myself using when describing something that really impresses me.

Directed by Adam Berg, this beautiful commercial for Dulux ticks all those boxes.

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Videos: TV

Toshiba use 200 cameras to try and sell you a TV.

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Shot using 200 cameras, and costing £3 million, this new commercial from Toshiba employs a new filming technique dubbed “timesculpture“, an evolution of the “bullet time” method made famous by The Matrix.

Like any good ident, I like a commercial to be elaborate, ambitious, and just a little bit pointless. Toshiba ticks all the boxes with this new ad, and while clearly a play to get the kind of buzz generated by the brilliant Sony Bravia commercials, this spot is a notable effort, and reminded me that Toshiba actually made televisions.

And although I’ve suddenly find myself in the market for a TV, I’m not sure it will be a Toshiba yet. That said, I started drinking Schweppes after this amazing commercial, so maybe I’m more susceptible to advertising then I thought.

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Channel 4 Videos: TV

Channel 4 goes live for a Honda advert.

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A few hours ago Channel 4 broadcast what The Guardian is calling Britain’s first ever live commercial during a break in the reality show Come Dine With Me. The three minute ad came live from the skies above Spain and featured a team of professional skydivers demonstrating Honda’s latest tagline “Difficult Is Worth Doing”.

The live nature of television is one of its biggest redeeming features, and while this commercial is certainly full of the novelty factor, its an example of the innovation that not only the advertising industry will have to adopt, but also the whole television sector in general.

For more advertising fun check out a new show that started this week on ABC1 called The Gruen Transfer, a very funny and interesting look into the industry. Or just check out some of my favourite ads, here and here.

– Thanks for the video Craig

Continue reading “Channel 4 goes live for a Honda advert.”
Categories
Videos: TV

The beautiful escape of carbon dioxide.

idents

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Captured at 10,000 frames per second, and shot in Australia, this ad for Schweppes by agency George Patterson Y&R is simply stunning. Accompanied by the track “To Build A Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra the 90 second spot creates the kind of inspiring, engaging, memorable and beautiful imagery that drove me to start this site.

Long time readers of this blog may have figured out by now that I have a strong belief that the commercial aspects of idents detract greatly from the creation of a successful spot. Which is why my most favorable comments are generally left to public broadcasters, or more progressive commercial stations who are willing to take the risk to create something beautiful and artistic.

From that you can probably gather that there are even fewer advertisements (purely commercial devices) that I feel strive for or attain the kind of artistic levels that some idents do. The “bouncing balls” of Sony Bravia for example is exceptionally well crafted, and traverses the gap between between ad and art, as does this amazing spot from Schweppes.

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Videos: TV

It’s not an ident, but it is my birthday. Part 3.

idents

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idents

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I’m not sure this tradition quite has enough traction for me to continue with it, but when I turned 21, and then again when I turned 22 I posted the latest Bravia ads.

Well I’m 23 today, so here it is, the two latest ads, Pyramid and Play Doh.

All these advertisements from Sony have always reminded me of the kind of installation art Christo and Jeanne-Claude are famous for, and if they weren’t ads they would probably make spectacular idents.

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Videos: TV

It’s not an ident, but it is my birthday. Part 2.

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It seems like only a year ago today I was turning 21… now as a 22 year old facing his first birthday on a (full time) work day I’m so thankful I like the people I spend eight hours a day with.

In keeping with the tradition I started last year, here is the latest Sony Bravia advertisement. And, while this one is a hell of a lot more dramatic then ‘bouncing balls’ I think there’s something about the use of Heartbeats that will keep last year’s ad my favourite.

Here’s hoping they’ve made another one by the time I turn 23 (or I finally give up on this blog, whatever comes first).

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Videos: TV

It’s not an ident, but it is my birthday.

bravia

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Somewhere between starting and finishing my degree, I got totally disenchanted with advertising. I still love brands and logos, but I think it was when I stumbled onto idents that I felt I’d found something with a bit more credibility to it.

Don’t get me wrong, I still get excited by some ads, and it was the music that first caught my attention in this Sony ad. The song is a cover of The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’, sung by José González (if you haven’t heard the original its excellent too). I love the simple premise of the advert and its brilliantly executed.

For more about the ad visit bravia-advert.com