Twitter and why it's not just the whale that fails...

Ok, I've been feeling a bit negative towards Twitter as a social platform and wanted to jot some thoughts down as to why:

• Too much noise, so much noise in fact that it is nearly impossible for any brand to cut through the clutter without spamming their followers.
  
• If you want to follow more than 50 people (which most Tweeters do) then you are looking at about a tweet per minute showing up on your home page, meaning that any Tweet you make, rapidly becomes hidden in the myriad of other tweets.
• The platform is so one-dimensional it's not funny. Ok, I know the web lends itself well to succinctness but what really can 140 words display about a product or service? It's like going back a hundred years to the joyous days of when advertisement artwork just lay with the copywriter. No colour, no images, not visual assault... I have a mental image of a black and white poster on some swinging saloon doors in the wild wild west!
  
• If a brand wanted to appear professional then Twitter isn't the place. Do I really want to know when you are going to bed, going for lunch, getting a plane, enjoying your holiday (I'd suggest you gtf off Twitter if that's the case) or scratching your arse? No!
• ^ All of these personal activity Tweets were once the forefront of Twitter's USP but now? Well now it's like some late 90's congested internet chat room.
• It's simply a time-killer, after looking at the amount of time people spend Tweeting, I'm amazed that they can sustain it with other work related activities during their day. Other than personal fulfilment, what ROI is Twitter really offering? I know from my Tweeting experience that hardly anyone has clicked through to visit my blog but yes that's probably just me.
• Without any internal filtering systems, it is really hard to find relevant Tweets. You can be really selective with who you follows by just having 10 or so really informative and inspirational Twitters but where is the fun in that. You won't understand half of the @ replies.

That's it for now but I'm sure there's another 10 or so inside of me.

Night...

Pepsi goes fugalicious

Pepsi have redesigned their packaging and logo... into the style which you see below. Drastic but cyclical measures for any brand.

Before:


After:

So what are you thoughts? Fugalicious or ridiculously fresh and zexy?

P.S. Wtf is with the text speak on Mountain Dew.

Sssh! I'm being quiet!

Just wanted to do a quick post to say that I've just started a new role, so have been a little physically and mentally inundated with that. I hope to get some posts up soon as I've hit a creative streak again.

In the meantime, feel free to start following me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateKendall.

Hamish & Andy Cadbury Gorilla ad parody

Phil Collins would be proud.

Original ad can be viewed here: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=CbLr2NEV_7o

The Zeitgeists ranked number 88 in top 100 Australian blogs *!

* Marketing Blogs ;)

Thanks to Julian @ Adspace-Pioneers for the inclusion in the updated Top 100 Australian Marketing Pioneer Blogs. The list includes some invaluable marketing content from talented and upcoming bloggers.

Check out the full list here:
http://adspace-pioneers.blogspot.com/2008/10/top-100-australian-marketing-pioneer.html

Shanghai Walkabout

It escaped me that there were numerous versions of the new Tourism Australia TVC; my critique below was focussed around the "New York" one, so here is the "Shanghai" one for completion. Thoughts? Looks a little bit more like Tim Burton, than Baz Luhrmann to me with the tealight candles in the tree. =) My preference is for the "New York" one as I feel the story doesn't develop as well in this version.



I also just wanted to throw some e-pinions in here from some comments following the clop on YouTube... interesting but mixed messages:

RoboDouche
Oh you Americans and your miserable urban existence. Don't you wish a small Aboriginal stereotype would wander into your home off the street and throw dirt at you so you could jump around in a river too?
Oh Baz.
Impressive production values as always... but very little class.

homiejarvis
Absolutely glorious. No sweeping shots of beaches and skyscrapers and running horses and smily children with zinc. Just a beautiful waterhole at sunset. Beautiful, sexy and smart. With a brilliant understanding that there are wealthy women all over the world who have lost themselves and who make the choices about travel destinations! Brilliant move Baz.

liberatesputnik
Absolutely perfect.
With the way the market is going, the only Americans who could afford to travel to Australia will be the rich ... who will probably be overworked and stressed. They recognized their market, and they hit home.
Well done Baz. Gave me chills.

fivecougarsoz
why is it so depressing!?!? and why is there 1 minute of a depressed woman, backed by depressing piano, and only 30 seconds of anything about Australia???
Stick to movies Baz.

Ok, one last point superficial point before moving on, wtf is with the bleached blond hair on the little boy!

Come Walkabout - Bazza's New 'Australia' TVC

Ok, quickly wanted to get this up as I've just watched it... it's the new Australia TVC by Baz Luhrmann:



+++++
- I like the use of Sybilla Budd as the actress and prefer her any day to Lara Bingle (but it seems a little strange that she would play an American?)
- Beautiful scenery and Australian imagery which shows a different side to the usual tourist-clap (like beaches and Sydney - please no more Opera House & HB)
- I feel that the way it is executed would help it stand out internationally amongst the competing clutter

------
- It must have to be the corniest, most awful, OTT tagline (or whatever it is)... "She arrived as Ms K Matheison, Executive VP of Sales" and "she departed as Kate". Which by the way, is an interesting use of the name Kate, as the epitome of a female Australian name =) Anyway please excuse me whilst I go vomit; which is in large part due to the choosing of sales as the chosen profession.
- Perhaps the execution is also too similar to Bazza's other Chanel TVC with Nicole Kidman; the suspense, the melodrama, the excitement, the predictable resolution, blah blah blah - I'm a little bit like I've seen it all before
- The Aboriginal boy is a good inclusion but the way that he is represented is a bit cliché, if want of a better word, and perhaps lacks a modern day portrayal of Indigenous culture
- Finally, the target audience... wtf! Which is from what I can gather is some overtly sophisticated, affluent, lonely, city work-horse in a poor relationship. Now that is where Hollywood and marketing differ - there needs to be a real empathy with the audience.

Whatever happened to the good old backpacker market, or even the grey army? I can see what they are trying to do... highlight Australia's USP - space but you can also get space and wilderness driving an hour or two out of the average city. Is it really enough to promote people flying 15-20 hours across the world to rediscover themselves by having space?

Overall it's a big improvement on the previous campaign and I like the fact that they will leverage the TVC against the release of Australia the film but still I feel there are a few weaknesses. It will be interested to see the impact on the Aussie tourism dollar...

Two Talking Cats for Thursday

The original:


The translation: