http://adage.com/rss-feed.php?section_id=270 en-us 120 http://adage.com/rss-feed.php?section_id=270 http://adage.com/img/adage-logo-sm.gif http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140716
It's quite hard to get excited about a vacuum cleaner. Unlike men with cars, the typical target consumer for vacuum cleaners -- the housewife -- is not wowed by technical specifications and suction power. They are, however, concerned about the cleanliness of their homes. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140716 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:14:41 -0500 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140634
To ensure that the best new German film-making talent came to its annual Shocking Shorts film festival, crime and thriller channel 13th Street went to extreme lengths, stalking the film directors that the festival was hoping would come. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140634 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:36:46 -0500 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140500
Canadian sports radio station AM640 wanted to promote its live commentary of ice hockey games. To show fans how exciting audio can be, it installed a talking poster over a urinal that provides commentary of the person doing their business. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140500 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:56:05 -0500 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140323
People who are afraid of your product or service aren't usually a brand's core target, but that is not stopping Virgin from creating an app to help people overcome their fear of flying. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140323 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:59:47 -0500 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140025
Out of the multitude of ways a brand can spread its message, using insects to do so must rate as one of the oddest. But that is exactly what German publishing house, Eichborn, did when it let a load of flies loose at a PR event. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=140025 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:15:40 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139837
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and, in order to raise awareness about the disease, Victoria's Cancer Council used a newspaper's "grab marks" (used in the printing process to hold the paper to the machines) as a creative vehicle. The charity printed onto the grab marks to make them look like a mole, and the ad then reminds people to get their moles checked. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139837 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:22:00 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139688
Ever since the Asian Tsunami back in 2004, that corner of the world has been hit by an almost incessant string of earthquakes, floods and further tsunamis. The problem facing the Canadian Red Cross was: how do you draw the public's attention to an issue to which they have been desensitized? For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139688 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:04:10 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139532
When we talk about children "playing soldiers" we often think of little boys running around a back garden with sticks as guns. "Playing soldiers" as a child in Africa is often less about sticks and gardens, and more about AK-47s and civil war. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139532 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:39:29 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139375
Condoms are not sexy but play a crucial role in combating the rise in sexually transmitted diseases. LAFA, the department of Stockholm County Council dealing with sexual health, wanted a fun way to get young Swedes talking about, and using, condoms again. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139375 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:42:12 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139238
Creative agency Fischer & Fala wanted a way to demonstrate the dangers involved in smoking, not just for one's own health, but the health of others as well. To coincide with the anti-smoking laws coming into effect in Sao Paulo, it decided to put passive smoking to the test -- the sunflower test. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139238 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:59:47 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139068
The main selling-point of a zoo is its animals, but most of those animals are kept in cages for a reason. This was the quandary facing Belgian safari park, Beekse Bergen, when it sought new ways to promote its wildlife in the surrounding towns. You can hardly walk down the road with a lion on a leash ... or can you? For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=139068 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:03:52 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138912
Londoners tend to expect the worst when they see somebody loitering too close to their bags, and usually they would be right in doing so. But telecom firm Talk Talk has launched a campaign employing ex-pickpockets to distribute cash to people in London without them even realizing it. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138912 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:30:02 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138755
Alka-Seltzer knows its target market. Having gained a reputation as the perfect hangover cure, it released a run of print ads in Kazakhstan showing various pieces of machinery with an arrow pointing to the area of the device that best sums up that morning-after feeling. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138755 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:12:52 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138686
Stuff, the New Zealand news and entertainment website, isn't prepared to let its reputation hang in the balance, but its reporters? Well, that's a different story. To show how determined it is to break the big stories first, Stuff pushed one of its staff members off a balcony. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138686 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:18:04 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138556
Emirates decided that if people weren't going to on vacation, then vacation would have to come to them. A clever ambient campaign placed iconic destinations outside of office workers' windows, inspiring them to fly Emirates. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138556 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:58:28 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138441
Brands love telling consumers their products are lifesavers, but rarely has the claim held as much water as when Aircel's Mumbai billboard rescued stranded citizens during India's monsoon season. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138441 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:16:12 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138315
In Spain, Burger King has become the sponsor of a soccer team. Never known for modesty, players have developed a habit of pulling their tops over their heads when they score a goal. Deciding to crown the players in their moment of glory, BK has printed a picture of its King brand icon on the inside of the team's shirts. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138315 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:13:21 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138206
When it comes to beach attire, there is nothing worse than having a back so hairy you can run your fingers through it. Hair-removal brand Parissa Wax Strips launched a humorous attack on the hirsute by sending a man sporting an impressive back rug along a Vancouver beach. The back hair appeared to have been waxed to spell out the brand's name.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138206 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:23:35 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138081
Glaceau Vitaminwater launched a summer out-of-home campaign with a series of high-profile billboards displaying cheeky messages that specifically referenced people in the vicinity and encouraged them to interact. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=138081 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:29:23 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137965
Automaker Smart wanted to show that its Fortwo model might be small -- measuring just 1.5 meters by 3 meters -- but it's still fun. The solution was to create "big fun in a small space." With that in mind, Smart looked for small spaces in which to promote the world's smallest online game. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137965 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:32:59 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137812
Counterfeit drugs not only cost drug companies a lot of money each year but also can cause long-term side effects or in some cases death. Drug company Pfizer and its agency, Universal McCann, decided to take the lead in fighting against the availability of counterfeit drugs on the internet and shock people into taking the problem more seriously. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137812 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:46:12 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137739
Drunken driving is a problem among young people in Malaysia, who seem to think nothing bad will ever happen to them. How to get through to them? A car that had been wrecked in a drunken-driving accident was converted it into what looked like a wheelchair, as a warning to drivers. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137739 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:42:13 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137570
The Horse and Hound Boutique, a Swedish pet store, wanted to convey how well it understood its target customers. So it devised a series of witty print ads that show it "knows what dogs like." For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137570 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:49:55 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137383
UPS isn't a brand one would immediately associate with the glitz and glamour of the fashion world. But without the world's largest package-delivery company, there would be no garments for fashionistas to ogle on the catwalks. UPS decided to make more of this link, sponsoring a design contest at the Royal College of Art that challenged up-and-coming designers to best represent the UPS brand, culture and heritage, along with the concept of "free movement." For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137383 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:15:11 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137222
What's a personal-care company to do when it runs out of ideas for fragrances? Turn to consumers. Lynx 3 encourages customers to combine two existing Lynx scents to create a personalized, third scent. The brand got guys interested by building on an existing TV campaign that involved two women who crash into each other to form the "Ultimate Woman." For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137222 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:37:42 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137073
Deodorant maker Rexona wanted to encourage men in the Netherlands to get active -- and therefore sweaty -- while leveraging its Dutch Soccer Association sponsorship. So it developed the Sweat-o-meter, a sort of pedometer that could be attached to the wrist to measure movement or "sweat meters." For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=137073 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:45:18 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136897
Barcelona's statue of Christopher Columbus pointing his finger west towards America is an iconic landmark in Spain. So when reports and images appeared showing that the statue's index finger had gone missing, there was an enormous amount of buzz across the web. The brand behind the hoax was Samsung, which wanted to raise awareness about its new touch-screen phone. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136897 Thu, 28 May 2009 10:44:22 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136773
In 2008, youth crime exploded onto the news in the U.K., with several high-profile teen stabbings. The U.K. government's Stop Knife Crime initiative held a creative youth summit inviting 18 teenagers from six cities who had personal experience of Britain's knife culture. They were invited to come up with a campaign during a weekend of workshops. The concept they came up with was "It doesn't have to happen." (Warning: Image is disturbing.) For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136773 Thu, 21 May 2009 09:23:23 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136639
McDonald's installed a sign in Piccadilly Circus that encourages passers-by to interact with images displayed on a giant LED screen. A series of images ranging from hats to speech bubbles to idea clouds are shown on the billboard. People can then position themselves for photos to make it look as though they are wearing a hat, saying something or having an idea. For a more in-depth look at this Idea of the Week and other case studies, visit Ad Age and CMDglobal's Inspiration site. ]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136639 Thu, 14 May 2009 10:38:14 -0400 http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136483
There is no point wearing glasses if you are trying to ogle naked men or women in a steamy changing room. That was the basic brand message of Belgian contact lens maker Pearle with its web-based campaign The Steamy Room.]]> http://adage.com/mediaworks/article.php?article_id=136483 Thu, 07 May 2009 10:32:19 -0400