Media Tonic

The advertising campaign created by the Leith Agency to promote Scotland has a very catchy slogan. Not.

I don’t want to put the boot in because it has already been expertly done by The Times. And by Radio National, whose journalist suggested the alternative slogan “Are you lookin at me pal?” Years ago Triple J ran a competition inviting people from country towns to submit their ideal tourism slogan. Someone came up with one for Bindoon. “Whatcha Bindoon?” Respect.

Something The Times didn’t touch on is this: the campaign comprises posters at six Scottish airports. The people who see these posters have already arrived in Scotland. I know I’m pushing the envelope here but shouldn’t they be advertising overseas?

The justification for tourism advertising at local airports would be “now that we’ve got them here; let’s give them an incentive to travel around and spend some dollars”. Seldom seems to work though.

The problem with Government sponsored tourism advertising is that it can’t be seen to be favouring specific commercial tourism offerings or even specific regions, so most campaigns end up featuring landscapes without any particular call to action. Expensive wallpaper.

An American Study of 50 states and their marketing slogans found “almost all the states emphasize nature and culture/heritage”. Nothing like product differentiation.

You know what it says on the Western Australian tourism web site of course…

Welcome to Western Australia.

Go on. Have a good laugh at our expense. You think it was easy getting into those costumes? You think our reputation as a serious media representation business has not been damaged? Clients can be so cruel.

We’ll be working up until the 23rd of December and back at work by the 2nd of January. It’s been an extraordinary year for us with some big wins. Many thanks if you were part of it. 2008? It looks like a big year for working families.

The Dove anti-beauty industry ads are great advertising. Here is the latest:

An article by Ad Age says that only one in a hundred consumers realize that the parent company, Unilever, also owns Axe, perhaps not quite as enlightened in its advertising. Here is a Mexican execution for example:

In an era of user-generated content, hypocrisy can only lead to one place: You Tube. Here is what Rye Clifton, another ad industry man put out there:

The ad industry is becoming interactive in ways it didn’t expect. Big targets like Unilever need to understand that their critics can now use their ads against them. And they’ll have to get used to some public criticism. The more edgy campaigns of the future might come from smaller companies who don’t have to worry about corporate image so much. As for dumb sexist advertising, it won’t go away until dumb sexists do and as for the Dove campaign, it’s still great advertising.

Here is an online questionnaire that matches up your answers with the ones given by politicians in your electorate. Then it outputs a how-to-vote card showing which politicians are closest to your answers. I have to admit I got a surprise and it will influence my vote. The future of democracy: you read about it here first folks. Click below for the link…

B&T writes up the global study by FutureBrand reporting Australia as the top country brand for the second year running, ahead of the US. The UK was third, then France and Italy. New Zealand came in eighth spot. Which is great, it means that we have a week off and New Zealand have to play against Spain with the loser eliminated.

The research, which can be downloaded here, also said that Australia was a very popular country in which to extend a business trip. Thinking this might be to do with 30 hours’ travel time from Chicago and 27 hours from London.

Our Louise, who moonlights at istockphoto, is unable to help you with November bookings for the Australian Traffic Network. No avails. If you’re planning a pre-Christmas campaign on radio, you’ll need to phone her heavily airbrushed face quite soon. 9388 7844. If Louise is unavailable, speak to Mark.

Maxus Perth asked us to find a first-to-market large format landmark for the RAC so Media Tonic consumated a dusk-to-dawn deal between them and site owner BGC.

Adam Marshall at Maxus Perth and Anne Tindale at BGC both have happy thoughts about Media Tonic. Adam said this: “Large format digital OOH is a rarity in Perth; thanks to Media Tonic we have been able to deliver another media first to RAC. Without their help we would not have been able to deliver this format.”

One of our core abilities is putting together property owners and advertisers. Contact Mark on 04111 45766.

Foxtel kick off a new premium channel December 1st: Showcase. It includes quality US content; “Dexter” and “The Riches” but the one that will rate its socks off is the Melbourne drama, “Satisfaction”. Set in an up-market brothel, stars Alison Whyte and Madeleine West (pictured).

Madeleine West

Andrew Mercado of the Daily Telegraph called it “gobsmackingly stylish… the best new Aussie drama of the year”. So there. Call us if you’d like to advertise.

How often do you see great advertising that advertises an advertising agency? *thinks: “not that often”. Have a look at this 6 minute video by the UK’s Joined Up Company.

Only three easy payments of $29.99. Suddenly advertising doesn’t look that difficult. Wait. There’s more.