Archives for December 2010

Tobacco advertising

December 25, 2010 by Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director 1 Comment

Given the world in which we live today where so much is controlled (tobacco and alcohol advertising to mention only two), today’s generation cannot imagine an era gone by when tobacco advertising was not only permitted, but was done so darn well that it was “cool to smoke.” (Please, I do not wish to enter into a debate on the negatives of smoking, all I want to do is point out incredible advertising of yester year; especially that for Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes)

Peter Stuyvesant (1612 – 1672) served as the last Dutch Director-General of New Netherland until 1664 when it was handed over to the Brits before it was renamed New York. A cigarette brand by American Tobacco is named after Stuyvesant and very popular in Australia, Greece, New Zealand and South Africa.

Popular? You’ve got to be kidding me! Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes RULED and DOMINATED the South African advertising scene during the days of smoking. There was not a bigger honor (and for that matter, a lucrative one too!) than writing the jingle for the Stuyvesant commercials. The commercials all had the same concept: beautiful jetsetters traveling all over the world, with the Stuyvesant music playing in the background, living the good life, the one that so many of us aspire to. Who did not know the tag line:

PETER STUYVESANT, YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT TO SMOKING PLEASURE.

Composing the music for the Stuyvesant commercials was the ultimate prize in advertising in those days. Americans did very well and walked off with the top prize (hear say has it that it was a half a million some 30 – 40 years ago!) time after time. And then one day a call came from a production house with which we had done a lot of work. For the first time in the history of Peter Stuyvesant, the music was NOT by an American team, but rather a South African team and we were all invited to a preview. What an experience (unfortunately I was not able to lay my hands on that commercial, but I remember it so well: night skiing in the Alps to the tune of the incredible Stuyvesant music). Look at the two commercials below:

Filed Under: Features, In the field

Profanity in advertising

December 23, 2010 by Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director Leave a Comment

Many years ago I was awaiting a tape (of commercials) from a previous student when it arrived literally 5 minutes before class. There was no time to preview it and I thought: “Oh, what the heck … students know my philosophy, if commercials offend them, they have the right to leave without being punished.” Yeah you guessed it, the commercial below was on that reel. Check it out.

Well, I died three million deaths during the screening of this spot. The students were hysterical, I have never heard so much laughter, and so loud, in my life. They must have thought I am the coolest, no kewlest, prof ever … yeah right, those of you who know me, know better. When it was over, I hit the stop button and ask them if they thought it was a good or bad spot. Of course, the majority said it was the best thing since sliced bread. I stood there in silence and then someone asked me what I thought: “The worst commercial ever made,” I said, “and it has nothing to do with the savory language. Now y’all tell me why I think it was so terrible?”

It did not take long for them to get it. The intended target market cannot speak English, so it does not matter whether there is cussing or not. There is very little doubt in my mind that this commercial was made to win awards … which it did.

Now compare the foregoing with the next one.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant … like all Bud spots

Filed Under: In the field

IMC 315: Plevel

December 23, 2010 by Heather Starr-Fiedler 1 Comment

Advanced Desktop Publishing (IMC 315) serves as a continuation of the theory and skills learned in IMC 306. Students learn advanced desktop publishing with a focus on visual display of ideas and information. Students will apply digital page layout skills to create the type of publications most widely required in the communications industry. The theory and use of typography will also be discussed. The poster below was created as a project for this course.

Posters by Advanced Design student Plevel

Filed Under: Student Work/News

IMC 315: Maksin

December 23, 2010 by Heather Starr-Fiedler 1 Comment

Poster by IMC Advanced Design student Maksin

Filed Under: Student Work/News

The Coke days … days gone by?

December 22, 2010 by Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director Leave a Comment

In my mind Coke, the #1 global brand, has given us some of the best commercials ever. I can remember growing up, enjoying all those wonderful Coke commercials … beautiful people playing on the beach, being happy and singing about “Have a Coke and a Smile.” It would appear that the one commercial after the other that Grant advertising produced was a hit. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at some of them (you can also find the Mean Joe Green commercial under another post).

Surely the most famous Coke commercial has to be the one shot on a hill top in Italy … I’d like to teach the world? As far as I know the first (and only?) commercial where the jingle was recorded later by a pop group (the New Seekers) as a song that made it to the top of the hit parade.

And who can ever forget those wonderful Coke holiday spots

In the early 90s, Pepsi broke with its “Gotta have it” campaign. At first I loved the campaign (who in his right mind would not go ga ga over Cindy Crawford), but there was something that bothered me about the campaign. And then it came to me … Coke has had the slogan, “Coke is it” and now Pepsi was claiming, “Gotta have it.” Thus, after all the years, Pepsi was “admitting” that they had to have a Coke? In my mind the greatest faux pax by the Coke Agency (I believe it was Grant at the time?) for not capitalizing on this, even if it would have been done tongue in cheek!

Filed Under: In the field

The greatest TV spot of all time?

December 22, 2010 by Johan Yssel, IMC Program Director Leave a Comment

I do NOT have the answer to this question, as advertising is certainly the most subjective topic of all times. The one person may love a commercial, while the next will hate it. If I am asked that question, I will take the cowardly road and say: “There are too many, it is too difficult to choose.” However, if you hold a gun to my head and say, “You HAVE to choose,” I will, once again be a coward and pick two, making it a tie which is so much easier.

The one has nothing to do with my present roots with Pittsburgh and its beloved Steelers … yes, you have guessed it … it is the Mean Joe Greene commercial. When I saw this commercial many years ago in South Africa, I had no idea as to what this was all about, as they play RUGBY in South Africa, and NOT American football! The same applies to my other choice for first place, the well-known Apple 1984 commercial. I remember the day that I saw this commercial for the first time so vividly.

I was a freelance copywriter and dropped off work at Leo Burnett in Johannesburg. Martie, the receptionist/telephonist, informed me that there was going to be a screening in the theater during lunch (lunch in South Africa is between 1 and 2!) On my inquiry what it was all about, she said that she did not know but had to do with something that happened a few days ago in America. Well, the good old USA, I was intrigued as cultural imperialism was alive and well even in those days.

The theater was packed. The MD (Managing Director, NOT Medical Doctor!) addressed us and told us that the commercial we were about to see, was screened a few days ago during Superbowl and took the country by storm, after only ONE screening! Of course, not a single one of us knew what the Superbowl was as they play RUGBY in South Africa. I have seen this commercial many, many times and I still don’t get it and who cares? All that matters is that this commercial demonstrated that advertising WORKS! … even when it broke every rule in the book!

Mean Joe Green

Apple 1984

Filed Under: In the field