Saturday

Politics Can Be Fun

Hilarious campaign from long-shot US Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Although he doesn't have much of a shot, it's nice to see politicians who are willing to have a little fun during the campaign period.

Friday

Keep These In Mind

Stumbled upon some great facts from a comprehensive eye tracking study.

If you're in advertising or marketing, take a quick read. Well worth it.

(from Godin's blog):

- Ads in the top and left portions of a page will receive the most eye fixation.
- Ads placed next to the best content are seen more often.
- Bigger images get more attention.
- Clean, clear faces in images attract more eye fixation.
- Fancy formatting and fonts are ignored.
- Formatting can draw attention.
- Headings draw the eye.
- Initial eye movement focuses on the upper left corner of the page.
- Large blocks of text are avoided.
- Lists hold reader attention longer.
- Navigation tools work better when placed at the top of the page.
- One-column formats perform better in eye-fixation than multi-column formats.
- People generally scan lower portions of the page.
- Readers ignore banners.
- Shorter paragraphs perform better than long ones.
- Show numbers as numerals.
- Text ads were viewed mostly intently of all types tested.
- Text attracts attention before graphics.
- Type size influences viewing behavior.
- Users initially look at the top left and upper portion of the page before moving down and to the right.
- Users only look at a sub headline if it interests them.
- Users spend a lot of time looking at buttons and menus.
- White space is good.

Wednesday

Book Review: Small is the new big


If you're in the market for a fun read, I'd recommend picking up Small is the new big by famed blogger and marketing expert, Seth Godin.

The book isn't your standard advertising / marketing text book. It's 183 ideas and thoughts that Godin has put together over the last 10 years.

It is meant to inspire, spark and get something going in your organization, work life and mind. And it's all about ideas.

Next time your in a book store, check it out. It's worth it because, like most of Godin's thoughts, it's different.

Best Apple Ad Ever?


Apple has done some fantastic advertising over the last 20 years.

From 1984 to the emergence of the iPod TV spots, there are few brands in the world that can claim the kind of consumer loyalty that Apple has.

But in the changing digital world, Apple has to find ways to stay unique and innovative. It's not enough to simply re-purpose their Mac TV campaign and create boring online banners with super-low click-through rates - you have to be different to get someone's attention.

This online execution, using their Mac and PC guys, leverages the power of the web in a simple, yet fun way. That, and it can be found on the CNETS Window's Vista homepage.

If you've ever wanted to see some good, online advertising - click here and check it out.

Facts You've Never Heard Of

Found an article on Digg tonight about 35 facts you've never heard of.

Some highlights:

- There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar

- On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is American

- Winston Churchill was born in the ladies room during a dance

- It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

- The average person falls asleep in 7 minutes

What Men Want?

Although this spot isn't in English, it certainly represents what all American beer brands aspire too - the ultimate showcase of male dominance (by drinking their brand of course).

Not a huge fan, but quite the idea.




When Inspiration Strikes


We've all been in this situation before - the need to write down a seemingly groundbreaking idea immediately before it passes.

But wait? Where do you write it in a crowded bar or restaurant?

The napkin of course.

Using this "logic" Euro RSCG has created the Napkin Notebook - a bound notebook made solely of napkins.

Advertising can be hard when your product...is horrible. But hopefully good advertising will kill this product.

From Adrants

Monday

XBox; Play

The first few times I saw this campaign, I didn't really enjoy it. It seemed to random, all over the place and just off.

But after seeing it more and more, it's hit me. I love the song (surprisingly it's "Don't Need Nothing but a Good Time" by Poison) and the upbeat tone and manner of the spot.

XBox already has the hardcore gamer market with games like Halo 2 and 3. Their new campaign focuses on the casual gamer who wants to have fun with friends and just play.

With the emergence of the Nintendo Wii as the next top gaming device, it's not surprising that XBox would go after a more casual target.

This campaign does a great job setting up the device in public places and allowing anyone to test out the device. The reactions of the crowd, hesitant but then exited to pick up the controller, are spot on - very indicative of someone like myself who just wants to try it out and see what it's like.

Sunday

Social Networks and Email - ComScore Stats












Some interesting stats on the most popular social networks and email services on the web. Neat to see the growth of Facebook but the overall user dominance of MySpace.



Link from Valleywag.

Google's Conquest

A few nights ago, I had the pleasure of going to the CMA's with some guys from Google. As the night went on, we got to talking about the power of Search and I heard a phrase that I instantly fell in love with.

"Search is the database of Intentions"

Think about it. Search engines know what you like to buy, what books you read, what movies you want to see, where you want to travel - they know you. And they know you well.

Google's AdWords helps to ensure that brands answer the questions of their consumers. Looking for a new computer? We'll make sure that Apple comes up first. Stats have shown that the majority of people click on the first two options on their search results - lucrative space to be in.

The next evolution of Google (and by next...it could be a few weeks away) will be to optimize search results to predict future outcomes.

For example, they are currently attempting to predict the opening box office success on movies by the number of times people search the title before opening weekend. And from what I've heard, the results can be quite accurate.

We will continue to post on the amazing world of Google but for now just remember what you search. Google certainly will.