The Society Of The Spectacle

Mid way through last year, I worked on some ideas for a new campaign for Lynx (Axe to all those not of UK extraction). The ad script ‘Anarchy’ that I read at the time immediately stood out as one of the most interesting and exciting that the brand had attempted in a while. Full of the verve, wit and fun that AXE is (in)famous for. (To be fair, it’s also quite a neat concept from AXE too).

So it’s great to see that the commercial (even in it’s trailer form) seems to have managed to translate so well from script to film. However, what makes AXE campaigns so much fun to work on is usually the stuff that goes on around the initial ad concept. This proves yet again to be the case with this digital idea from BBH New York. Another example of digital platforms bleeding into traditional media disciplines, and creating something fun and innovative with it.

The AXE Anarchy Graphic Novel mashes together ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ style narrative with participation from AXE fans around the world. Add them together and you end up with a ‘real time’ comic (all illustrated in the Marvel/DC Comic Book tradition) that incorporates the users whose suggestions won out. It should make for an interesting story, and would be interesting to see where this is taken, surely a printed version, or development of the characters further would be a great way to continue to build on the assets already established.

It’s a novel combination that, from the looks of the promo video, has been executed with flair and passion. (The AXE site from the brief glimpses you can see looks well done too. The YouTube channel is here).  With the full release of the commercial coming up, and add in some ideas I worked on (natch), it’s looking to be a strong start to the year from one the world’s consistently strong advertisers.

A couple of videos here from the masters of their fields. Essential viewing and just goes to show that success is truly aligned to authenticity.

Dieter Rams.

John Hegarty.

We’re back! A quick one to get us up and running, the most recent Google Chrome ‘test’ from BBH NY. It’s another fantastic addition to the Chrome series, which has taken a beautifully novel and lovingly communicated approach to explaining the under the hood benefits of the Chrome browser. Although I would recommend that Chrome take a look at their dropout rates. Other than that, the reality lives up to the creative hype. Check it out.

You can check out the making of here.

It’s done the rounds a bit now, but this is a fascinating and beautifully shot film for Johnnie Walker. BBH London hired the supreme acting talents of Robert Carlyle to narrate the story of Johnnie Walker’s evolution from ‘Victorian greengrocer’ to a worldwide dominant Whiskey brand. It’s delivered with real skill, the writing is spot on and the interaction with the props and setting along the way are just the right side of engaging and add another dimension to the story . The fact that this was an internal film for employees shows how much you can do with engaging businesses inside with a great bit of creative. Take a peek.

This has been knocking around for the last week on the twittersphere, spreading like wildfire through the marketing/creative community and rightly so. (more…)