Tongue in cheek: the campaigns that make us smile
By Barney Cockerill, marketingdirectmag.co.uk ON 08 JUNE 2009
Given the state we're in, Rapp's executive creative director Barney Cockerell thought he'd look for campaigns that made him smile.
Cockerill: 'in gloomy times, let's celebrate work that tries to make us laugh'
The world's economy is on its knees, the ice caps are melting, we’re all going to die of swine flu and Manchester United are bloody champions AGAIN.
So in these gloomy and serious times, I thought it would be nice to celebrate some work that tries to make us laugh, or at least smile.
Were all staying in more and finding pleasure in life’s simpler things. So the www.lurpak.co.uk website for Lurpak, that helps people rediscover the joys of laid-back Saturday breakfast, couldn’t come at a better time. It’s all really interactive and fun, and has great recipes. My favourite bit is the clever function that lets you order breakfast in bed by emailing your partner. I’m definitely going to try it but I'm not too hopeful about the response from my wife...
Agency Carlson
Art direction Scott Bedford
Copy James Minta
Design Bjorn Jansen
Lurpak: 'interactive and fun'
This page take-over is part of Heineken’s global ‘know the signs' campaign www.rubyagency.com/knowthesigns/ to promote responsible drinking. It's all based on the universal truth we, or at least someone we know, turns into one of five characters when we have too much to drink: the fighter, the crier, the exhibitionist, the sleeper or (in this case) the groper. Using physical comedy overcame potential localisation challenges and got the message across without preaching or patronising.
Agency Ruby/The Red Brick Road
Art direction Richard Megson, Mark Slack.
Copywriters Matt Davis, Gemma Philips
Heineken: 'using physical comedy overcame localisation challenges'
Humour can make it easier to discuss difficult things. In this case, it’s death. This press campaign for Remember a Charity uses famous people's unique dying wishes to convince us to leave a gift to charity in our will. Did you know, for instance, that Tchaikovsky donated his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company for use in performances of Hamlet? The answer to this brief could easily have been very worthy and dull but the team have used a lovely light touch of wit and some particularly good copy to create something different, impactful and memorable.
Agency Touch DDB
Art direction Chris Lapham
Copy Deborah James
Remember a Charity: 'lovely light touch'
Now for a bit of toilet humour. These ads were designed to coincide with the launch of a national bowel cancer screening programme. The challenge with bowel cancer is getting people, particularly men, to talk about it. It’s just too embarrassing. This campaign for Bowel Cancer UK seeks to persuade couples to talk about it when they first notice the symptoms. By acknowledging how awkward the conversation might be, rather than pointing a nagging finger, these ads have a much better chance of changing behaviour.
Agency The Good Agency
Art direction Julian Clark
Copywriter Lynn Higgins
About Barney Cockerell
Barney joined RAPP in 2002, was promoted to creative director in 2005 and became ECD last year. He has previously worked at BHWG, TBWA/GGT Direct, Saatchis and DP&A as well as founding his own agency, Alphabet. His work has picked up awards from D&AD, Campaign, LIAA, Epica, John Caples, Echo and DMA as well as a Grand Prix for Best Cinema Commercial at the New York Festivals.
http://www.marketingdirectmag.co.uk/news/911719/Tongue-cheek-campaigns-us-smile/