PRIVATE VIEW: Geoff Naus

Now that all us gweilos have recovered from flying virgin spit and the horror of having plastic chicken feet waved at us by manic Hong Kong writers and art directors, it's time to get back to work. So here goes: This is a goodlooking, compelling collection of print ads for the Army Recruitment Centre in Singapore. But I wonder about the premise. Perhaps I've watched Platoon too many times but I imagine that those considering joining an armed force, even if it's in the kitchen detail, would want to view themselves, deep down, as warriors. But this campaign begins to blur the line between the army and the Red Cross. Doctors and nurses may tend to the weak, but soldiers protect countries. Two very different states of mind. So the question is, how will would-be warriors react to a campaign that appeals to their sensitive, nurturing side? I have my doubts. On second thoughts, maybe it's not a bad thing for armies to start recruiting soldiers who don't want to fight wars. Nice directing. Nice editing. Nice wolf. But as I followed the hero couple through all the crumbling bits and pieces of Hong Kong's murderous cityscape, a strange thing happened: I started to feel that living in a place where buildings shed their unwanted bits on top of people's heads could actually be darkly exciting. A sort of urban Russian roulette. Hell, it might be dangerous, but it's a sure-fire way to get a pretty girl to hold your hand. I enjoyed this commercial for the Hong Kong Government's Buildings Department. Perhaps I shouldn't have. Simplicity is something that's sexy to talk about, tough to do. I give this Refresh campaign full marks for shedding the unnecessary, and my gut tells me it'll probably be effective as hell. But how simple should simple be? Slapstick is fun and it gets your attention, but on its own it can wear out real fast. When that happens, it's simply annoying. Call me greedy, but I expected a little surprise at the end of each spot, if for no other reason than to be rewarded for surviving the manic product assault. I smiled when I saw these spots for the first time. I wonder if I'll still smile when I see them for the 20th time. In one of the TVCs for Prudential Unit Trusts I'm shown a yacht at sea and I'm asked: "What do you see?" Well, I see a yacht at sea. And maybe a voyage to exotic places. And a horizon that promises me endless freedom. But I'm obviously quite retarded in the "what do I see" department because, just then, the answer pops up and tells me that maybe what I'm actually seeing is "a market for solar powered vehicles". Now I'm lost. I thought they were talking to me. And then at the end, I find out that while I'm seeing these markets for solar powered vehicles, Prudential is busy seeing opportunities in the world of unit trusts. I know nothing about unit trusts. And now I never will ... Ah, the trusty "unexpected items wrapped in pages from the client's newspaper/magazine" idea. Currently or recently used in Asia by a leading financial magazine, I think. But I'm not putting down this work for the Print Advertising Organisation of the Philippines (PRADO). I like this incarnation a lot. It's simple, classic and strong. And it single-mindedly gets across the idea that newspapers will stimulate my thinking, my knowledge and, hopefully, my colleagues into thinking I'm a pretty smart guy. So what if it's not a new idea - if it hasn't been used in the Philippines before, it'll get noticed. Hey, if every ad had to be 100 per cent original, there wouldn't be a column like this. How does one write a hundred words about an idea that says it all without using a word? Apparently Laforet Harajuku is an edgy collection of boutiques in Japan, This poster makes me want to check it out. It's as simple as that. 1. ARMY RECRUITMENT CENTRE Project: Army Recruitment Client: Army Recruitment Centre, Singapore Government Brief: To highlight the fact that the Singapore Army has been actively involved in overseas humanitarian missions and United Nations peacekeeping activities. Agency: Mandate Advertising International Creative director: Paul Hume Copywriter: Cecil Hamilton Art director: Eric Chow 2. BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT Project: Buildings Department Client: Hong Kong Government's Buildings Department Brief: To alert people to the dangers of not maintaining buildings properly Agency: PMP Creative director: David Wong Copywriter: Vincent Tse Art director: Iris Sam Production House: Cinetech 3. REFRESH Project: Smoking Room, Motorbike, Shoes Client: Unilever Brief: For Unilever Indonesia's "Refresh" odour removing product Agency: BBH Creative director: Steve Elrick Copywriter: Todd Waldron Art director: Kelly Pon Production House: Renaissance Film Singapore 4. PRUDENTIAL Project: We See Opportunity Client: Prudential Unit Trusts Brief: To launch Prudential Unit Trusts in Singapore Agency: Leo Burnett, Singapore Creative directors: Linda Locke, Tay Guan Hin, Alex Shipley Copywriter: Alex Shipley Art director: Sachin Ambekar Production House: Moviola 5. PRADO Client: PRADO Agency: DDB Philippines Brief: To encourage people, especially the younger generation, to read more Creative director: Roger Pe Copywriter: Roger Pe Art director: Rhio Vargas Production House: Calypso Makati 6.LAFORET HARAJUKU Project: Laforet Grand Bazaar Summer Sale Client: Laforet Harajuku Brief: To announce the start of a sale on clothes for kids and teenagers Agency: Dentsu Creative director: Yuji Tokuda Art director: Yuji Tokuda Production House: Taki Corporation

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