What Makes a Brand Ad?
Most of the ads we see on TV have a marketing focus, that is their intent is to highlight a USP — Unique Selling Proposition such as a product or service feature of offer to compel their audience into purchasing. Some ads take a higher level approach aimed at creating indelible impressions of their UBP — Unique Brand Proposition.
As a Brand Design Agency based in Melbourne, Australia we have a love of, a bias towards, and an expertise in the creative expression of brand strategy. On that basis we’ve selected the five ads we think tell the best brand stories.
Strongbow Cider
Where apple growing tradition meets cider making magic.
VB
Forget about those pretentious boutique beers, VB positions itself squarely and proudly as the beer for every-man; even men who’ve had an arm up a cow.
Queensland Tourism
The Best Job in the World was more a viral campaign than a TVC, but couldn’t have been stronger or more effective in it’s communication of everything that makes the Queensland Islands so unique.
SuperRad Extreme 2000
What started life as a fully sick ebay ad, turned out to be a rich & memorable brand statement for the creative talents of George Patterson Y&R.
Daylesford
We selected this ad for all the wrong reasons. The cinematography is sublime, the soundtrack spine shivering, the TVC builds a hauntingly beautiful and elegant brand story of the Daylesford experience. The only problem is, the brand story it so beautifully tells bears scant resemblance to the real Daylesford experience — which is rich and unique in its own right. Beautiful ad — poor brand storytelling.
David Ansett, Brandamentalist
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Brand & Corporate Image
Tags: 2009-5-best-brand-storytelling-ads, Brand, Brand Agency, Brand Design, Brand Experience, Brand Strategy, Corporate Image, Graphic Design Melbourne, Interior Design, Melbourne Brand Strategy, storytelling
I agree with you David, these are definitely the top 5 for the year! The Wicked Sick BMX is a cracker!
Yeah Tim, that one is a Cracker. They’re all working pretty powerfully for the brand.
All great ads Dave but for me it’s the VB one! I love the “Blokes punching above their weight” but even better is when the voice over comes on and says “of course some missing links”…“performing modern miracles”. Just brilliant!
Agree with all that Dom. When you read the words ‘I love…’, ‘even better…’ and ‘brilliant’ in relation to a brand storytelling ad — you know they’ve hit the mark.
Have to agree with you about Daylseford ad, shame, they’ve done it so well before with the Melbourne ‘Labyrinth’ ad and the Yarra Valley ‘Hide & Seek’ ad. I like the concept of Dalseford having a double life, but I just don’t recognise it from the ad they way I do with the other two.
Great reminder of the potential for entertainment in brand storytelling. Also the storytelling others do on behalf of brands, eg your very blog helps tell the brand story of You Tube and what it brings to the world. To all those blokes who punch above their weight…cheers!
Dave
Nice selection. We actually thought that this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnSIp76CvUI) Johnny Walker — The Man Who Walked Around the World is also quite inspiring…although it’s not exactly an “ad”.
Good call Alberto. The Johnny Walker spot got alot of comment at the time it was released. Not sure if it’s an ad, but it’s a great brand expression.
Reg, couldn’t agree more — although you tube is often most valuable for catching the ads that we’ve missed on have stopped running — as well as for viral of course.
Really love the storytelling aspect of the Strongbow ad. It’s got great cinematography too. Works with the brand, in my perception of it at least.
Sensory Branding — the Strongbow ad’s my personal favorite. For me it’s very strong on both the emotional and strategic messaging.
1) Strongbow… Nice way to bring cider into consideration set of boutique beer drinker.
2) Has Droga5 sent the check to Roy and HG yet? I mean really, if the standard of creativity for advertising is met simply by ripping off another cultural artifact…
3) Really good. It worked both ways too… the guy who came up with the concept landed a sweet job in New York.
4) The power of copy. And Steve Jobs says no-one reads anymore.
5) OK, you like the Coen Brothers and hot babes. Congratulations, you’re just like the other 1,000 creatives toiling in your city. What that has to do with Vic Tourism I have no idea.
Hi Anthony, Enjoyed the informed commentary — sounds like you might be an industry insider. Thanks for the feedback.