The Red Blogs

Ad of the Week ... whats the worse that can happen.....

2009-04-24T10:15:00.002+01:00

Needs no introduction or explanation .... watch, laugh then go buy (the zero one of course!). Drink and Enjoy.

Some people say Dr Pepper tastes a bit like cough syrup and is one of those drinks that you're never really sure you like. Oddly enough thinking it might be yukky doesn't ever seem to stop you having another one. A bit like husbands (as someone once said).

I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper,
She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper,
Would not you like to be a Pepper, too?
Be a Pepper ~ Drink Dr Pepper.

(and someone was paid to come up with that! I wonders if they's a pepper too?)

"Cry 'God for Harry, England and Saint George!'"

2009-04-23T11:27:00.006+01:00

Great battle cry, great film ...... joking ....

A snippet of did you know information courtesy of the Headcheese this morning was that the lance with which St George slew the dragon was called Ascalon, so named after the city of Ashkelon in Israel.

I love a good story!

Be proud and have a happy St Georges Day!

And the clever stupid balance hangs …..

2009-04-23T10:02:00.002+01:00

A mix between car, motorcycle, and spaceship, the BMW Clever concept car is a three-wheeled vehicle designed to be manoeuvrable and environmentally friendly. Running on natural gas, the Clever can move at speeds up to 50 mph while consuming an impressive "188 miles per gallon" — an estimated equivalent to regular fuel. At only 3 feet wide (I think this means you could get at least 5 in a single garage, there's usful) the vehicle can carry two people, with the passenger sitting directly behind the driver. What makes the vehicle stable despite the three-wheeled design is its unique tilting mechanism that leans the passenger compartment into the turn, like a motorcycle, up to 45°. It also has the benefit of looking much cooler than a Hummer while not creating its own Rhode Island-sized hole in the ozone layer every time you take it to the supermarket. It isn't known if the Clever will ever be produced for consumers. A bit pointless then maybe?

Three wheels (like a wheel barrow ) tilting, a space ship that has none and can't and with a back seat driver to boot which by the way it doesn't seem to have and running on something I don't think you can buy, question is would you?

Saint Hubbins

2009-04-22T15:50:00.006+01:00

Marty DiBergi: David St. Hubbins... I must admit I've never heard anybody with that name.

David St. Hubbins: It's an unusual name, well, he was an unusual saint, he's not a very well known saint.

Marty DiBergi: Oh, there actually is, uh... there was a Saint Hubbins?

David St. Hubbins: That's right, yes.

Marty DiBergi: What was he the saint of?

David St. Hubbins: He was the patron saint of quality footwear.

This being so Saint Hubbins must look fondly upon The Art Company who quite simply make the so most funkiest footwear known to men, women, postmen and ….. and saints. We are rather liking the Bio range but just can’t choose, oh which would Saint Hubbins bless …?

(with thanks to the This is Spinal Tap script for the mostly memorable quote)

B'ad of the week

2009-03-13T09:30:00.000Z

Seen the Mattessons smoked pork sausage advert yet? Everytime I see it and even when I don't because I've screwed my eyes shut but can still hear Mr toe curling man, I cringe.

There are a number of ads using this ‘tongue, or even sausage, in cheek’ sexy voiced blokey speaky part at the mo, Mattessons have given us a great example of getting it wrong unlike More Than who’ve got it so right with their TV ad currently being aired drawing our attention to sock insurance.

So you can keep your sausage which doesn’t look that appetizing anyway, bad advert or not, I wouldn’t want it near me in any shape, slice or form in other words I know I don't want it .... not ever!

Watch the b'ad of the week
here

Club soda not seals

2009-03-11T09:30:00.002Z

During Canada's annual war on seals, hundreds of thousands of baby seals are killed for their skin in the most horrific ways imaginable. Seals stand no chance against club-wielding trappers who are after their fur, and they must look on as fellow pups are bludgeoned to death before meeting the same bloody fate.

Sign the petition here
and help end the Canadian seal slaughter.

These words are for spreading

2009-03-09T09:30:00.000Z

Blatantly stolen, copied and pasted as it were from Chris Cardell who emails me his words of wisdom every so often, this latest offering from him is so relevant to the here and now in business that it’d be wrong to keep them to myself …. A wise chappie is Mr Cardell, wiser than Mr Wise from Wiseville.

Here you go …….

One of my favourite quotes is from Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the USA:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

And never was he more right than now, when in the middle of the worst economy in living memory, when conditions are dire enough to lead to talk of the Great Depression of the 1930s, business owners are battening down the hatches and just waiting to "ride out" the storm.

Waiting for this to end will kill your business. It will be a long, painful wait. It’s as simple as that. You have to be proactive and that proactivity will be driven by persistence.

Yet you'll notice if you look around you, there are some businesses which are not only "getting by" in these difficult times but are actually growing. I have members of my Platinum personal consulting group who can’t cope with the number of leads coming into their business. All those who do well share the same characteristic: "persistence".

There's no doubt about it: Recession is here and we're in the middle of it. And every day the media is showing you the worst of the worst. This can effect how you feel, day to day. The solution? A commitment to persistence.

And no one is pretending it's easy. It takes a certain mettle to keep your doors open when business is hard to get. It's tempting to give in, and let it all fall apart. That's the easy way out though.

But you can be smart about it. Because YOU know all the marketing tips, strategies, and techniques I've shared with you... and you know they work. YOU know how business is a matter of finding out what people want rather than what they need, and then giving it to them.

You KNOW price is not an issue and it's all about value. You KNOW how to do all this.

You know that if you turn your website into a lead-generation website rather than a ‘sales’ site you can improve your results by hundreds of per cent.
Yet it takes courage and fortitude to "do it all" when everyone else is doing the opposite. It's hard to plug away with your marketing when everyone else is cutting back.

But, right now, this recession DOES represent a grand opportunity to anyone prepared to stand firm against fear, uncertainty and doubt. Advertising costs are at an all-time low, and all your competitors will have slashed their budgets and be running scared.
Your customers still have money and most still want what you have to sell... if only you can go that extra distance to show them the value in what you offer.
I’m not talking about positive thinking. We’re backing this up with solid, advanced Marketing and Internet Marketing strategies. But the thing that’s going to get you to IMPLEMENT these strategies when everyone else is moaning is persistence. It always pays off. Eventually when you hit that "sweet spot" in your marketing, you'll find you've cracked it – and your business with grow and grow, regardless of the economy.

Ad of the Week ... it never rains it pours

2009-02-19T09:30:00.000Z

Ad of the week as picked by the Headcheese is this

Why (and in the Headcheeses own words)? Because it is simple and effective, takes seconds rather than a minute to get the message across. Not bad from a chap who has a liking for Frosted Wheats ahem!

On a personal note I like the way he holds his laptop with his knees ...

B'ad of the week

2009-02-18T09:30:00.000Z

This weeks award goes to Sacla

We dislike it alot because it's irritating ..... we've had to stop eating pesto, not hard for the headcheese because he hates it anyway

Art of Noise at one end of the scale this ad at the other, we are not surprised he lives on his own and the only reason for watching is in the hope that he cuts his hand off.

A sweet new bride for Bertie

2009-02-16T09:30:00.000Z

This story is not an early April Fools joke, I wish it was ......
Bertie Bassett is celebrating his 80th birthday after marking the landmark by getting hitched to his new "sweetheart".
Bassett's gave more than 60 workers at its Sheffield factory time off to attend the ceremony, which saw the famous Liquorice Allsorts character tie the knot with his new bride, Betty.
Betty is the face of Bassett's new Red Liquorice Allsorts and is the first new character to be introduced by the firm in 80 years.
Factory manager Shaun Wagstaff, who was Bertie's best man, said: "Bertie's been a big hit since he stepped into our lives back in 1929 swinging that liquorice cane and charming the ladies.
"I've only known him for eight of those years but it's good to see old Bertie finally settle down - he certainly looked extra sweet for his big day."
Two other factory workers, Craig Hitchen and David Golland, were ushers and Emma and Kayla Owen - daughters of staff member Tyana Owen - were Betty's bridesmaids.
Bassett's marketing director Martin Driver said: "Betty has already won a place in Bertie's heart but we're expecting her to be a big hit with the public too. We're confident that Bertie fans will approve of his new bride and wish them both the very best."
Bassett's said its Red Liquorice Allsorts contain red liquorice and replace its Fruit Allsorts.
The firm, which is owned by Cadbury Schweppes, first started making sweets in Sheffield in 1842. It said Liquorice Allsorts came about by accident in 1899 when salesman Charlie Thompson tripped up, mixing all the different sweets he was carrying.
Bassett's makes 14 million Allsorts a day at its Sheffield plant. Obviously they didn't make quite as many on Berties wedding day.

Ad of the Week ... We've gone guerrilla .....

2009-02-12T09:30:00.001Z

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Yes I know it's not an advert as such but it's very clever and as a bonus there's not a drum playing animal to boot .... or any eyebrows!

www.bloguerrilla.it An unconventional blog to talk about Street, Ambient, Ambush, Viral, Buzz and Guerrilla Marketing ..... we like it lots.

Ad of the Week ... feel phenomenal.....

2009-02-04T09:30:00.001Z

My ad of the week has to go to the the latest offering from those canny chaps at Irn Bru.
Haven't a clue if the ad was / is successful as it was probably only on display in Scotland where its the alternative national drink and not just for tee-totalers and the under 18's either, in fact anyone who's ever read a Rebus book will not be a complete stranger to how important a role Irn Bru has at breakfast ... mmm each to their own!

For balance here's the company blurb ...
How would you describe the essence of a flavour that only two people in the world know? One that is such a closely guarded secret that it is held under lock and key in a vault in Switzerland? A taste so precious, so unique that it is our chairman Robin Barr, and he alone, who blends the unique combination of 32 flavours that can be savoured in every sip? There is only one word to describe it.
Phenomenal.

There you go. So go and de-tox your mouth with a can of IRN-BRU immediately ..... yes that means you Mr Red Bull drinker!

Pic of the week

2009-02-03T09:30:00.001Z

What is there not to like .....

Oh deer, we have some snow

2009-02-02T09:34:00.002Z

Ah yes it’s snowing, we must have at least a couple of inches of it and sure enough the UK is grinding to a juddering halt.

I do smile! My friends in Canada can’t stop laughing, I think the picture kind of explains why.

Pic of the week

2009-01-30T09:30:00.000Z

Why? Because we like it!

B'ad of the week

2009-01-29T11:41:00.000Z

Cadburys ......
Cadburys
Oh Cadburys .....

Sorry, yet another ad I can't stand from, yep you've guessed it, Cadburys. It does / says / means absolutely nothing. It's not cute, funny nor watchable. Weight Watchers and others in the diet industry will love it!

On the otherhand I for one have started to eat Galaxy.

It's enough to make you say "Mr Cadbury bring back the monkey" then again thinking about it please don't.

Ad of the Week ... Veggie Love .....

2009-01-28T11:25:00.004Z

The ad of the week goes to PETA's ad—which features a bevy of beauties who are powerless to resist the temptation of veggie love.

This advert was deemed too hot for the Super Bowl.
Apparently, NBC has something against girls who love their veggies! After PETA submitted their proposed Super Bowl ad, which features a comely crop of models demonstrating their fondness for fresh produce, NBC nixed the ad, saying it "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards." No joke, this is straight from NBC—so stop fondling your fruit salad right now and read the list of shots NBC requested PETA cut before they’d reconsider:

licking pumpkin
touching her breast with her hand while eating broccoli
pumpkin from behind between legs
rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin
screwing herself with broccoli (fuzzy)
asparagus on her lap appearing as if it is ready to be inserted into vagina
licking eggplant
rubbing asparagus on breast

Whoa there! The Headcheese is starting to blush and so am I and I’ve seen the ad! Think the bods at NBC have got fantastic imaginations ….. whey hey job done!

p.s. pumpkins are currently out of season and the only asparagus available in Tesco is from Peru (think airmiles people!) however root veg are blooming!

Every little helps

2008-09-23T10:21:00.003+01:00

Browsing through the advertising slogan hall of fame (the best in branding websites apparently but sadly not updated since 2003) it was interesting to see how many famous? slogans were still making the rounds today. The top 10 of said year were as follows
“Reach out and touch someone.” AT&T
“Vorsprung durch technik.” Audi
“Ah, Bisto!” Bisto
“The quicker picker-upper.” Bounty
“A little dab'll do ya.” Brylcreem
“Have it your way.” Burger King
“Where do you want to go today?” Microsoft
“It's Miller time!” Miller
“It's everywhere you want to be.” Visa
“Drivers wanted.” Volkswagen

Errrr we recognised a few shall we say, so 2003 wasn't a hugely memorable year for ad slogans methinks.

Is now wondering how long the current offerings will stay in the brain ……. I give you
“get the London look”
“because you’re worth it”
“zoom zoom”
“lick the lid of life”

Now this lot aren’t just slogans they are over priced laughable not worth remembering slogans – however before scoffing too loudly I think it would be kind to remember that those little dittys cost someone a huge wad of cash …….. When will that clever dumb balance ever be restored?

Watch the Heinz Deli Mayo sweet cheeks

2008-06-23T12:34:00.002+01:00

Seen the Tv ad for Heinz Deli Mayo yet? If you’ve not yet seen it there’s a fair chance you’ve read about it and the uproar it’s currently causing, why? It shows two men kissing that’s why – quell horror it’s the end of civilisation as we know it!

With 175 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority so far, the Heinz Deli Mayo TV ad is already on track to be one of the most complained-about ads of the year. This is the ad agency AMV BBDO's first work for the brand and I have to say we love it!

Some complainants said the ad was "offensive" and that it is "inappropriate to see two men kissing".

That aside its warming to know that only 175 people don’t ‘get’ what the ad’s about and hello, we’re not talking full on snog with tongues here in fact it could be deemed as less offensive than seeing your parents plant a smacker on each other …… is off to call the headcheese sweet cheeks thus sensing complaint number 176 coming.

Beans on toast anyone?

2008-06-23T12:30:00.002+01:00

Sir Paul McCartney has called on Britons to adopt “meat-free Mondays” to cut carbon emissions. The former Beatle said cutting out meat one day a week was popular in Australia, where shoppers had become conscious of the environmental impact of cattle rearing and meat production.

Sir Paul, a long-term vegetarian, said he was encouraged by the lead set by the UN on the issue. “One of the most significant conclusions of the recent report on climate change was that we should eat less meat. This is not the Vegetarian Society that said that. It’s the UN.”

Most of us at The Red Works will find this meat free malarky easy on any day ending in a y …… the headcheese on the other hand (he who thinks that without a certain quota of dead animal in his system means sudden death) might need a bit of (not so)gentle persuasion. There are times when bullying is an acceptable practise isn’t there?

B'ad of the week!

2008-06-12T10:25:00.000+01:00

The minute this advert starts you just know (yawn) it’s an advert (yawn) for a car – totally bored now with this format so for that reason it gets the b’ad of the week award.

We rather love the car though but in a thoroughly misguided way, 10 miles to the gallon maybe 12 we’re guessing …… is measuring carbon footprint with a small ruler.

Win a picnic blanket (like the one in the Waitrose TV advert – only smaller)

2008-06-11T08:43:00.003+01:00

There are 30 picnic blankets to be won, and the closing date for the competition is 12th July 2008. Enter here

join (RED) now!

2008-06-04T09:22:00.004+01:00

Do the (Red) thing, half the profits from your purchases of Gap (Product) Red support the global funds fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Get Registe(red)

Hey, nice tie!!

2008-06-03T22:09:00.003+01:00

Cruising the local businesses for mighty fine competitions worth entering we have ourselves a winner.

Ah yes or even Ah so, Paw Paw, rumoured to be, and who are we to argue, the finest Chinese restaurants in the Midlands are this week running a hoot of a competition with the winner scooping a meal worth £50 just in time for Fathers Day ...... all you have to do is make an origami tie – took the headcheese less than 5 minutes to make his so it can't be difficult! Register here to enter.

Ad of the week .....

2008-01-30T09:46:00.000Z

Be as Irresistible as Chocolate with Lynx Dark Temptation.

How refreshing …….

Lets face it, most men if they were made of chocolate would eat themselves so it makes a pleasant change to see it being shared among us very obviously not-on-a-diet and quite silly girlies. In fact this Lynx advert very nearly became the b’ad of the week but after a fairly democratic vote I was out numbered so ad of the week it is.

However, Fiona most certainly is and will remain so on a diet.