PRIVATE VIEW: Giles Keeble

<p>What do we mean by an 'idea'? Creative directors and good creative </p><p>people look for one, but it is not so easy to agree what it means in any </p><p>given situation. Nevertheless it makes sense to be clear what it is we </p><p>are looking for from a particular ad to avoid misunderstanding, </p><p>particularly with our clients. An 'idea' or a 'concept' is something </p><p>that adds something fresh to a piece of communication - but it has to be </p><p>added to a clear message. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>So the starting point for any ad is clarity: there are many ads that </p><p>don't even get this far; and some that get this far but are boring or </p><p>insulting or both. I am also conscious, having been a juror at Cannes, </p><p>that there are cultural differences, but I have yet to be shown that </p><p>these are not, in general, differences of execution: how you say </p><p>something more than what you say. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Of this issue's batch, there is nothing exceptional, a few things that </p><p>are OK, one competent and two poor. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In reverse order: the Taikoo sugar ads remind me of a criticism John </p><p>Webster once made about a script: "Bang bang, speaking of guns." In this </p><p>case: "Surprise surprise, speaking of surprises." The surprise is that </p><p>Taikoo sugar is not a commodity but a wacky brand that has a range of </p><p>flavours - chocolate, cinnamon, coffee. The problem is that the </p><p>commercials have nothing whatever to do with sugar, the surprises aren't </p><p>very funny (and oh! how they try to be) and then you have to listen very </p><p>hard to hear the VO which tells you what the surprise is anyway - that </p><p>is if you think it is much of a surprise in the first place. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The commercials for Bundaberg Rum ignore the old warning about working </p><p>with animals and children: in this case the animal is a cross between </p><p>theHofmeister and Cresta bears and the kids are the rugby players who </p><p>have been asked to 'act'. The attempt to do something with sponsorship </p><p>has to be applauded, but the films themselves are uninspired </p><p>blokeishness. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>At least the guy in the bear suit can hide. I'm sure everyone in Oz </p><p>knows the trademark, but isn't it a bit odd that the symbol for a drink </p><p>that comes from the Caribbean is an animal that lives in the Arctic? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The ads for Jessica tell me there is a magazine called Jessica for </p><p>stylish women. I just wonder whether these women will be pleased to be </p><p>told that they "follow". And what does "the woman in you and me" mean </p><p>exactly? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There is nothing much wrong with the print ads for Singapore Zoo, and </p><p>they have a dash of wit. I'm not sure how hard they will work, </p><p>though. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Porche print work uses 'that road' in the US. They look good and </p><p>clean and the message, while not new for performance cars, is pretty </p><p>clear: in a Porche, such things as humps and corners seem to disappear. </p><p>I don't think the traffic-light quite works, though, because it seems to </p><p>say more about the road than the car. Puns, of the visual or verbal </p><p>variety, are best avoided. As a client once said: "The trouble with a </p><p>double entendre is that you could get more than one meaning." Amusing, </p><p>but he had a point. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>That leaves Sharp as this issue's winner, but only a commendation, I'm </p><p>afraid. A simple demonstration that is mildly amusing. If you examine it </p><p>too closely (which I did, but viewers won't), it announces flatness as a </p><p>virtue, but the guy is making his stomach flat from a different </p><p>perspective than ours - he wants to impress the girl who we couldn't see </p><p>because his round belly was obscuring the view. Sharp has flat screens? </p><p>Mission accomplished. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Anything else? No, but I'll settle for that. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Giles Keeble is regional creative director of Lowe Lintas & Partners </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>1 TAIKOO SUGAR </p><p> Project: Surging/Homecoming/Pick a Winner/Chicken Dance </p><p> Client: Taikoo Sugar </p><p> Brief: To surprise Hong Kong with the point that Taikoo Sugar </p><p> produces and sells a wide variety of sugar products </p><p> Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi </p><p> Creative director: Craig Davis </p><p> Copywriters: Tony Redman, Francis Wee </p><p> Art directors: Francis Wee, Tony Redman </p><p>2 BUNDABERG RUM </p><p> Project: Bundaberg Rum Rugby campaign </p><p> Client: Andy Gibson, marketing manager - Bundaberg Rum, United </p><p> Distillers & Vintners </p><p> Brief: Leverage Bundy's sponsorship of the Australian Rugby </p><p> Union </p><p> Agency: Leo Burnett Connaghan & May Sydney </p><p> Creative director: Nick Souter </p><p> Copywriters: Monty Noble, Trent Christie </p><p> Art director: Katie Manekshaw </p><p> Director: Josh Frizzell </p><p> Production house: Eight Productions </p><p>3. JESSICA </p><p> Project: First anniversary celebration price campaign </p><p> Client: Jessica magazine </p><p> Brief: To boost the magazine's circulation in Hong Kong </p><p> Agency: In-house </p><p> Marketing director: Kitty Wong </p><p> Director: Mabel Leung </p><p> Image Director: Tracy On </p><p>4. SINGAPORE ZOO </p><p> Project: The Singapore Zoo Children's Art Festival and The Great </p><p> Easter Egg only at the Singapore Zoo </p><p> Client: Singapore Zoological Gardens </p><p> Brief: To boost visitorship to the zoo's event </p><p> Agency: Batey Ads Singapore </p><p> Creative directors: Gary Tranter, Matthew Cullen </p><p> Copywriter: Andrew Reznik </p><p> Art director: Darren Hogan </p><p>5. PORSCHE </p><p> Project: "Traffic Light"/"Curve"/"Hump" </p><p> Client: Stuttgart Auto </p><p> Brief: Promote the image that the new Porsche 911 is one of the </p><p> fastest machines on the road </p><p> Agency: FCB Singapore </p><p> Creative director: Chris Kyme </p><p> Copywriter: Robert Gaxiola </p><p> Art director: Eric Yeo </p><p>6. SHARP </p><p> Project: Washboard </p><p> Client: Roberto Littaua, assistant manager, Sharp </p><p> Brief: To take viewing pleasure to greater heights by highlighting </p><p> the product's no-distortions, no-glare features </p><p> Agency: Jimenez D'Arcy, Philippines </p><p> Creative director: Don Sevilla </p><p> Copywriter: Joey Melliza </p><p> Production house: Unitel </p><p><BR><BR> </p>