Michael - you rocked!

Michael Jackson was a legend. I heard somebody call him the first brand in the music industry. Brands do have a social responsibility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZnZglcECH0&fmt=18

Youi Car Insurance - new ads, old thoughts

I've spent the last 5 weeks in Sydney making some new commercials for Youi Car and Home Insurance. It's been lots of fun and hard work but I think the commercials have turned out well. The style is developing and is becoming a real signature.

But working with freelance film crews and acting talent it becomes immediately apparent how deep the 'recession' is biting. A lot of the people have had a really difficult year so far. The sooner things change the better for everybody. I just think sometimes these people naysaying the recession from their comfy 9-5 jobs need to get out and speak to the entrepreneurial people in the community. They might see a very different picture. Society needs to cherish and revere these people and not let them become victims of this 'thing'. In fact society should be harnessing their creative energies when plotting the way forward. 

Anyway I'll get off my soapbox now!!!!!!!

New Youi car insurance ads-and owning 'assumption'.

Well, not actually car insurance, but we've launched home insurance now so I've just finished directing some new commercials for it. But the point here is 'research'. The launch of Youi car insurance has been amazing...far exceeding our expectations. But this can throw up its own problems. Which part of the campaign is working, what should we keep, what should we dump...tricky. Last week i was at the model makers (studiokite) who were making a model for our new ads. The guy clearly hadn't been told what who the model was for. So during the conversation he asked what is was for. Somebody replied that it was for a financial services company. Without saying who i said that the model was about making assumptions. To which he replied...'it must be for Youi then...'. I was astounded that he could so quickly leap to that conclusion. He then went on to explain the other chap, verbatim, one of the ads. (and then said how much he liked them! phew...I always hate those moments!) So as an adman, director and marketer i was amazed that we've been able to own such a strong positioning in a new market so quickly. I had a creative director many years ago, who stills remains the most powerful person I've ever worked with, by the name of Ricardo de Carvalho. His mantra was, be 'uncategorylike'. I loved this and hope that our campaign for Youi has achieved this. Our new ads will start soon and I'm looking forward to the reaction to them....

On another sadder note the beaching of over 50 pilot whales on my home beach in Kommetjie in South Africa left me really shocked last week. My friend, Lee Doig, and my sister Sandi Unite live in Kommetjie and spent the day trying to get them back into the sea, but they just kept coming back. They ended up euthenasing over 40 of them...hectic. check it out on youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0b-PAoRhNk