PRIVATE VIEW: Jim Aitchison

<p>Having just written a 500-page book about television commercials, </p><p>these six spots embody many of the learnings (and warnings) from all my </p><p>research. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The good folk at Dentsu, Tokyo, applied one of Adrian Holmes' classic </p><p>creative formulae, the "snowball", for their client Midori Bun-En smoke </p><p>extractors. Holmes, the chief creative officer at Lowe Lintas, told me </p><p>the secret of taking a fact and making it bigger and bigger - or </p><p>"snowballing" it. The Midori spot is of this genre. Dentsu took a </p><p>universal truth, that all Japanese smoke, and "snowballed" it. What if </p><p>smokers all over the world longed for the freedom that Japanese smokers </p><p>enjoy, thanks to Midori's smoke extractors? What if smokers from all </p><p>over the world smuggled themselves into Japan, like refugees, like boat </p><p>people? My favourite shot is a young American on a dinghy looking up at </p><p>the featureless Tokyo skyline and crying, "Japan ...", a great switch on </p><p>the migrant's first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>I'm an avid Springer & Jacoby fan. I love this Hamburg agency's work, </p><p>the way it thinks, the way it's organised in autonomous cells. Its </p><p>Coca-Cola "Car" commercial is brave and outrageous. A man walking his </p><p>dog in the snow is alarmed to see the door of a snow-covered car </p><p>suddenly pop open and a naked German git reaches out for two bottles of </p><p>ice-cold Coke. He is doubly shocked when he catches a glimpse of the </p><p>git's naked girlfriend in the car. "Try something different ... and Coke </p><p>at three degrees." Man-with-dog swiftly walks on, clutching his pooch </p><p>protectively. And yes, while it's funny, it begs two questions. First: </p><p>how does it build the brand? Secondly, like so many similar one-joke </p><p>ads, will you bother to watch it on the second screening? Probably </p><p>not. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Technique should serve the idea, not replace it. The Fiat Punto </p><p>"Volcano" commercial is a dazzling display of Framestore wizardry. The </p><p>effects are realistic and awesome, but sadly it all tries too hard. In </p><p>fact, the net result is that you feel cheated and insulted. As Graham </p><p>Fink told me, too many commercials build you up and up, only to leave </p><p>you with a weak finish. This ad is no exception. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Weetabix vs Bimbobix. The classic "ambush" ad. Full marks to Banks </p><p>Hoggins O'Shea/FCB London. We think we're watching the usual, insulting </p><p>rubbish: an impossibly thin girl in a bikini is swimming, while the VO </p><p>coyly tells us, "Now there's a cereal for the way you live ..." Bimbo </p><p>steps from the pool and a real-shaped woman (comedian Arabella Weir), </p><p>munching on her Weetabix, groans: "Oh, please ... All we need to know is </p><p>that Weetabix Advantage is naturally low in fat, high in fibre, and </p><p>doesn't taste like a gravel drive." Having established some truth, </p><p>respect and sanity, Arabella turns to the bix-eating-Bimbo and says, </p><p>"So, is that your first meal this year, yeah?" At which millions of </p><p>women all over Britain must have cheered and gone out and bought </p><p>some. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>I really like the Mars Starburst proposition: "Get your juices </p><p>going". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It could have developed into some great executions. But it didn't. This </p><p>commercial is just very average advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Stuck for a great idea? Start with the product name. John West, </p><p>according to Leo Burnett London, is really an intrepid adventurer who </p><p>fights bears and endures danger to bring us the best fish. This is </p><p>simple, endearing advertising. It doesn't take itself seriously. And the </p><p>idea is highly campaignable. Apparently it's spreading like wildfire on </p><p>the internet, too. Come to think of it, this is pure Burnett's heartland </p><p>work; old Leo was fond of creating characters like Snap, Crackle and </p><p>Pop, Tony the Tiger and Morris the Cat. I bet he would have loved John </p><p>West. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>1. MIDORI BUN-EN </p><p>Project: Smoking Defector </p><p>Client: Midori Bun-En </p><p>Brief: A frustrated American, sick of his health-obsessed colleagues, </p><p>joins a mass exodus to Japan to benefit from Midori's "Bun-en </p><p>Culture." </p><p>Agency: Dentsu Japan </p><p>Creative director: Masaaki Tsuruho </p><p>Copy writer: Yoichiro Abe </p><p>Production Company: Tohokushinsha Film Corp </p><p>2. COCA-COLA </p><p>Project: Car </p><p>Client: Coca-Cola </p><p>Brief: The tagline is "try something different', 'And Coke at 3 </p><p>degrees.' </p><p>Agency: Springer & Jacoby Advertising Germany </p><p>Creative directors: Hans-Jurgen, Lewandowski, Amir Kassei </p><p>Art director: Amir Kassei </p><p>Copy writers: Hans-Jurgen, Lewandowski </p><p>Production Company: Tempomedia film produktion </p><p>3. FIAT PUNTO </p><p>Project: Volcano </p><p>Client: Fiat Punto </p><p>Brief: The ad evokes the "spirito di punto" by means of the car evading </p><p>lava streams and falling rocks. </p><p>Agency: D'Arcy UK </p><p>Creative director: Nick Hestings </p><p>Art Director: Dave Godfree </p><p>Copy writer: Mark Waldron </p><p>Production Company: Stark Films </p><p>4. WEETABIX </p><p>Project: Bikinis Rant </p><p>Client: Weetabix </p><p>Brief: A cereal ad </p><p>Agency: Banks Hoggins O'Shea/ FCB UK </p><p>Creative directors: Rob Fletcher, Dave Alexander </p><p>Art Director: Andy Lennard </p><p>Copy writer: Jason Cascarina </p><p>Production Company: Tomboy Films </p><p>5. MARS STARBURST </p><p>Project: If </p><p>Client: Mars Starburst </p><p>Brief: The ad begins by asking a question. </p><p>Agency: Grey Worldwide UK </p><p>Creative director: Rob Baiocco </p><p>Art Director: Brian Lefkowitz </p><p>Copy writer: Sean Burns </p><p>Production Company: The Moving Picture </p><p>6. JOHN WEST </p><p>Project: The Bear </p><p>Client: John West </p><p>Brief: It features the story of the John West embroiled in kung-fu-style </p><p>battles with bears to get the best fish. </p><p>Agency: Leo Burnett UK </p><p>Creative directors: Nick Bell, Mark Tutssel </p><p>Art Director: Paul Silburn </p><p>Copy writer: Paul Silburn </p><p>Production Company: Spectre </p><p><BR><BR> </p>