Colgate Coffee Cup Ad

I thought of this idea after seeing the novelty cups with different shaped noses on the sides. Coffee is known for its detrimental effects on teeth as it alters the colour and causes bad breath. Disposable coffee cups are used everyday and by a wide range of people from business men to shop workers to lorry driver etc. A simple and comical advert for Colgate toothpaste that will be used by the target audience and be seen by everyone else.

Creativity and Evil - Berys Gaut lecture at University of York 19th May 2010

I attended the lecture of Berys Gaut intrigued by the title, Creativity and Evil. The relationship between the two have never entered my thought process before but I came away having learnt not only this but also other aspects of the term 'creativity' I have not considered before.

Part 1.

The definition of creativity:

Creativity is the capacity to produce things that are (a) original (saliently new) and (b) valuable.

First of all, Gaunt reflected on the definition of creativity then began to question what was meant by value. He used the example of a Diamond. Diamonds are all unique therefore original. They have a high value, and they have been produced by the creator- a volcano. However, the volcano is not classed, in standard terms, as creative.

It was then suggested that creativity is a PROCESS that is a SKILL and not purely an accident. The process and creativity is the attribute of an agent. The process includes the judgement, design, thought process etc by the agent. For this reason the volcano that produced the diamond is not creative.

Gaut also stated the question whether the winner of the Turner Prize in 2001, Martin Creed had produced a creative piece that was awarded: The Lights On and Off. When asked the meaning of the at piece Mr Creed was reported to have said that it had no intentional meaning and it was up to the viewer to decide. This rules out the notion of creativity as ruled by the official definition and also by Gaut's expansion on the meaning. If the agent had no process then surely the piece is not creative.

I always believed there was a definite meaning of 'creativity', well, at least I had a definite definition in my own head. Now I will question the said creativity of an object, a piece of art, and advert etc.

And how does this apply to me as a Creative Advertiser? Well, what if I made an advert that I just thought of off the top of my head. I suddenly thought of it and there it was, apart from the fact I had to 'Photoshop' it up. Where would be the creativity. There would be no process as i didn't research, assess, develop the idea etc.

Also, if I entered this advert as a part of my work for a degree how would it be assessed? I wouldn't have a folder of research, I would have nothing to write in the rationale. It may be a great advert but where was the proof of my creativity?

Part 2.

Gaut's second part of the lecture focused on the relationship between creativity and evil. He question the acts of 9/11. Were the attackers being creative? Some may say that rewarding the devastating and murderous minds and motions of the attackers with the term 'creative' would somehow promote, condone or maybe just make them appear acceptable in that term.

Yet Gaut described the process used by the attackers is in definition terms a creative one. They developed a plan using technique, skill and definitely s process. They acted the attack with a process also. So surely they were being creative.

One naturally would not wish to admit or think so. Gaut then stated that if the attacks had never took place and instead a film writer wrote the exact event of 9/11 and made it into a film, the writer would be awarded on his creative thinking.

Another example Gaut used was a torture device named the Spanish Donkey that stretches a persons body by weight on their feet, while a blade cut the stomach the more they resisted. He stated the device is a product of creativity. It was designed with skill and thought; a process with an execution (sorry for the pun).

All very interesting.

Parody of Levi's Secrets and Lies advert

Currently, I am developing an advert that sympathises with the Secrets and Lies advert for Levis Jeans that was released last year as part of the Live Unbuttoned Campaign.

Here is the original Levis advert:

I will be using the themes, concepts, cinematography, styles etc to sell a completely different product or service.

As the advert has sexual connotations it will be interesting to choose a product that is not classed as 'sexy'. This will allow space for more creativity and originality and therefore will demonstrate my creative skills as a copy writer.

Let me know if you have any ideas for products that are unsexy!

So far my list includes:

Window cleaner

Dog Food

Plant Fertilizer

Education (service)

Politics (service)

Cillit Bang

Plant Food (NOT the illegal type...!)

Parker Fountain Pen

I will be researching into these products and see where I get to using 180 degrees thinking

Windows 7 (Bad Taste) for Chip Shop Awards 2010

These bad taste adverts were created for the Chip Shop Awards 2010. They are a parody of the original print adverts for Windows 7 operating system.

For those who can not recognise the faces they are (in order):

Michael Jackson - hanging baby Blanket out of his hotel window

Joseph Fritzl - The man who kept his daughter and his and her kids in a cell under his house (yuk!)

Kate McCann - mother of Madeline McCann

Harvey Price- son of Katie Price who has special needs

Due to limitations set by Chip Shop only one advert could be submitted. The Kate McCann advert was chosen to be submitted but sadly was not nominated for the awards. I think the adverts are more effective as a campaign rather than individually.

The Chip Shop Awards are my favourite of the advertising awards as they promote bad taste, simple ideas and open briefs that allow for creativity and originality as well as plagiarism and anything else that is usually frowned upon!

Check out the website for this years winners, they are a great laugh!

http://www.chipshopawards.com/

P.S For some reason the type face has gone a little crazy on 2 of the adverts and The 'P' seems to be partially invisible! I think this is due to converting the files from PSD to JPEG but unsure how to fix it!

P.P.S These adverts were created for the awards only and do not represent my personal opinions and are not designed to offend either the people shown or anyone viewing them :)

Bacardi Flavoured Rum campaign (D&AD awards 2010)

This is 3 of the print adverts created for the D&AD awards 2010.

The brief required the creation of a campaign to promote the new and exciting Bacardi Flavoured Rums.

The brief stated that the completed campaign needed to be flirtatious but not overtly sexy, encouraging young males between the ages of 21 and 30 to purchase the drink.

Our campaign idea features the lady version of each flavour, all with their own individual characters in essence of the nature of their flavour.

Here are Rosie (apple), Raz (rasberry) and Peaches (peach)

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my Creative Advertising blog! Here, I will be uploading some of my work for all to see and comment on. I will appreciate any feedback :)