Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Perfect Cuppa

More than half of Irish tea drinkers believe “you know them” if you can make their perfect cuppa!

Today, Lyons Tea have released some really interesting research conducted for them by Amárach Research. The research shows that 51% of Irish tea drinkers feel that someone knows them if they can make them a cup of tea to their particular liking. Perhaps even more interesting, 20% of people said that they judge people on their tea-making skills.

Some other interesting facts thrown up by the research were:
  • More than 80% of Irish people drink tea every day
  • On average Irish people make three cups of tea each day in work alone
  • Using a specially developed pantone range of tea shades; from ‘perfect tan’ to ‘milky way’, it was releaved that ‘perfect tan ’is the best tea shade for 20% of Irish people
  • Also, 58% of Irish people take their tea without sugar or sweetener

The research comes on the back of the launch of Lyons Tea's newly crafted range of richer tasting tea. Don't be fooled though, there is real innovation here with Lyons Tea having developed a brand new, unique pressing technology. The new process means that the tea leaves are pressed at different stages during fermentation in order to capture and preserve the genuine and refined taste of fresh tea in each blend:
  • Fresh Blend: When in need of a pick-me-up….the tea leaves are pressed within hours of picking to give a uniquely clean, smooth, golden and fresh-tasting tea.
  • Gold Blend: The rich full flavour tea that tea drinkers have always loved, enriched with some pressed tea leaves.
  • Evening Blend: Perfect for moments of relaxation…a delicate tasting blend that combines lightly pressed leaves and decaffeinated tea.

Speaking at the launch of Lyons Tea’s new richer tasting range, Nicola Tougher, Lyons Tea Brand Manager, said, “We’re delighted to introduce our new range as Irish people have a passion for tea like no other nation, with a very refined palate. Our new range of richer tasting tea caters for just that! The two blends, Fresh and Evening, are totally new with a unique fresh taste achieved with our innovative and exclusive pressing technology. It’s a new chapter in tea!”

Dr Eddie Murphy, Clinical Psychologist (of RTE’s Operation Transformation fame), commented on the research, “It’s interesting to see what impact tea can have on relationships. It’s about noticing the small little things, the little things that become big things that enliven relationships. Small courtesies, warm smiles and making a cup of tea the way someone likes it, shows recognition and awareness - that you care about them. When people make tea for someone they’re making an emotional connection which in turn increases fondness and trust, thus enabling the relationship to grow and develop.”

Dr Eddie Murphy continued; “Unsurprisingly an overwhelming majority consider tea as a source of comfort – the ultimate problem solver. It’s the first thing we do when we hear bad news and in turn have something to celebrate. What the Lyons Tea research also reveals is that Irish people find it increasingly difficult to switch off and even experience guilt when relaxing. In terms of support networks the Irish mother maintains her legendary status as a central support figure however when we want to be cheered up best friends or partners are much higher on the list most likely as mothers tell you how it really is while best friends tend to dress things up and tell you what you want to hear!”

The new campaign has slotted in to the existing 'Talk' creative driving all of Lyons Tea's current advertising:

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Samsung Central Station



Loving this brand new video to promote Samsung's new Central Station range of USB hub monitors. It's a stop motion film featuring the perils of messy cables.

The monitors themselves include a wireless USB 2.0 dongle that you connect to your laptop. The monitor then ‘comes alive’ when your computer is within 3 feet of the ‘Central Station’. In addition you can plug all your desktop peripherals into it to be ready to go when you need them.

Credits
Client: Samsung Electronics
Director / Animator: Jey Mal
Production: The Viral Factory

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The ESB Electric Ireland Park at Electric Picnic


This week ESB Electric Ireland announced what they have in store as the official energy partner of Electric Picnic. Teaming up with comedian Karl Spain, ESB have revealed their energy-efficient playground for grown-ups where festival goers can play and use the energy they generate to charge their phones. The playground will feature an adult sized merry-go-round, a giant hamster wheel and see-saws, all of which generate energy that people can share and use. For those that prefer something a little less childish, there will also be fifteen bikes in the Park to help generate power.

To help get everyone into full power-generating swing the ESB will have a number of Irish and international celebrity MCs on hand, including Karl Spain, Andrew Stanley, Damian Clark and Gearoid Farrelly. These guys will be tasked with recruiting festival goers to make use of the playground and also to find volunteers to get on their bikes! On top of this, the MCs will also host a number of small challenges throughout the weekend and may even take part in some of these challenges themselves.

Speaking at the launch, Karl Spain said, “Yes, ESB Electric Ireland has brought an even crazier element of fun to the EP line up this year and I’m looking forward to trying the playground out for size! It will really show people how much energy it takes to power even small things like a mobile phone. From see-sawing to merry-go-rounding and peddling there’ll be even more ways to generate energy at this year’s Picnic. It’s a great initiative and I can’t wait to share my energy with fellow festival goers in September.”

Ken McKervey, Commercial Manager ESB Electric Ireland commented “As the Official Energy Partner to the festival, ESB Electric Ireland is delighted to show festival goers how much fun sustainability can be. We are well aware how important having a facility to recharge phones is to festival goers so it’s great that we can provide this in an entertaining way! We are delighted to have the comedians back this year to MC and between the comedians, the bikes and the playground it will be a fully sustainable festival of fun.”

Outside of their energy-generating playground, ESB Electric Ireland's position as official energy partner of Electric Picnic sees them providing 6 km of energy efficient festoon lighting around the camp sites and walk ways to the main arena, and providing e-cars to transport artists around the festival site. All of this will see the festival’s lighting emissions reduced by 80%.

To stay up to date on all of the campaigns details and upcoming competitions, just head over to the ESB Electric Ireland Facebook Page.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Be a Budweiser Ice Cold Index Weatherman


By now I’m sure you’re well aware of the Buweiser Ice Cold Index and its spokesman, Ireland’s newest weather man Scott Campbell. In an exciting development of the campaign, Scott has landed in Ireland and has announced that he’s here to search for his weather presenting co-star. Scott is looking for one lucky individual to star alongside him and present a weather bulletin that will be broadcast on national television.

Speaking about his visit, Scott said, “I’m excited to finally arrive in Ireland and begin the search for my co-star. I’m guessing it’s going to be tough competition as I’ve heard the Irish really have the gift of the gab and combined with that great Irish charm, these are the key ingredients I’m looking for.”

As the face of Budweiser Ice Cold Index, Scott is recognisable for his slick weather presenting style both on TV and on outdoor ads all over Ireland for the last couple of months. Scott’s co-star will need to be just as effortlessly cool, and exude a instant likeability, as well as bringing buckets of charisma and charm. Essentially, Scott wants someone who can inject that Index excitement into their weather bulletin and really help to make this summer in Ireland a whole lot more interesting.

To kick off the search and to celebrate the USA’s biggest holiday, Scott is hosting a 4th July party from 6pm in DTwo, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 on Thursday 30th June. With help MC’ing from Today FM’s Ray Foley and music from Fourplay DJs (98FM’s Steven Cooper, Rory Lynam, FM104’s Killian O’Sullivan and Q102’s Ray Shah), this is your chance to put yourself forward.

Dublin is the first of three heats in the search for Scott’s co-star. Scott will continue his search at the Galway Races and also in Cork later in the summer. Each finalist selected from the three heats will win €1,000 and go through to the final heat to win the overall prize which includes starring alongside Scott on national TV and winning the ultimate holiday to Los Angeles.

To check out Scott and keep up-to-date with the search for his co-star, visit the Facebook page where there will also be regular competitions, updates from Scott and invitations to the hottest events throughout the summer. You can also follow Scott on Twitter.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Heineken: Real Madrid vs AC Milan

The video really explains it all - Heineken's offline activation for last years UEFA Champion's League Real Madrid vs AC Milan match.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Match.com: 'Accidental Duet'

Every now and then you see an ad that just clicks. It works. It grabs your attention and really makes you pay attention. The following ad did just that for me. While I didn't feel compelled to go out and use the service promoted, I did instantly focus all attention on the ad and became fully aware of what the ad was for. It's kinda quirky and has a somewhat mushy sentimental feeling to it, but all that aside, I like the idea and the way it has been brought together. This is yet another example of some stunning work by Mother.



This is the first ad for match.com following the retirement of the dating site's "Jack and Jill" animated lovers that have been used for the last five years. The new £7m campaign, which is called "Start Your Love Story", is the first major work on the account for Mother since winning it last October. The new ad sees a couple finding love while singing a duet in a small music store. Amid an impromptu musical "conversation" between the two people who also play instruments across the shop, they fall in love. The advert closes by reminding the audience that to start their love story, they should visit match.com. The campaign aims to "capture that butterfly moment you feel when you find someone special".

"This campaign aims to capture that moment when you realise you have met someone you have genuine chemistry with,” said UK Country Manager, Karl Gregory. “The moment you know that this could be the start of something, the start of a love story. In our experience, we’ve found that it is often the little things such as a shared interest or common love – like that of music - which sparks a relationship."

The song that is used in the ad, called "just like me", was written especially for the commercial and is available as a two-minute version. The ad was filmed using anamorphic lenses to give the look and feel of a movie. Shot by Academy Film’s directors Si and Ad, it features new acting talents Amber Anderson and James Connelly in the starring roles.

Media Agency: Initiative
Production Company: Academy
Director: Si & Ad
Producer: Lucy Gossage
Editor: Jonnie Scarlet
Post-production: MPC
Audio Post-production: Factory

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Things I Like...

I'm not sure where this came from, or who the original author is, but I absolutely love it!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Google Xistence

Too busy to Tweet?

Feed up with Facebook?

Just not enough time in the day to record and upload a new video blog?

Or. perhaps all you want to do with the web is play computer games and send emails?


Well fear not, Google Xistence is here to help you out...



Ok, so Google Xistence isn't real, but this video does beg the question... what if it were real? Would you actually know whether it was your friend updating their various Social Media profiles? With the development of the Semantic Web (Web 3.0) and the ever increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence programs, could we one day find ourselves unsure as to whether we were talking to a real person or not?

Probably. At least in my opinion.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Injustice: The Ballad of Sharon Ní Bheoláin

If you're not Irish you'll miss a few of the references, but I'm sure the humour won't be lost. This is perhaps one of my favourite YouTube videos of the last 6 to 12 months. A fantastically well written and well produced song, and video, celebrating one of Ireland's favourite RTÉ Newspeople, Sharon Ní Bheoláin.



The song was written by Katie Holly, and the video produced by Evelyn Quinlan. Major hat tips!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Google Toilet

They know what you search for, they know what you email, they know who you call. What's the next step for everyone's favourite global mega brand?

Google Toilet!



via Geeks Are Sexy - cheers guys :)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Specsavers: 'Spermsavers'

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Specsavers has created a comedy ad about a blind sperm. The ad, 'Spermsavers', is currently being shown on the Specsavers YouTube channel and will also run on the brands Facebook Page between 11th and 14th January.

'Spermsavers' tells the story of a sperm swimming to be the first sperm to get to an egg. Unfortunately it swims straight past the egg. The blind sperm then turns around to give it one more try but again swims past and this time ends up trying to impregnate the Specsavers logo that has appeared.

While it is primarily being driven online, the ad will also be adapted for cinema and TV.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Friskies: 'Free Running' Cat

Pet food brand Friskies, who are part of the Purina group, will be launching there latest ad tomorrow (Tuesday 1 December). The ad will be used for TV, cinema and online, and was created by DDB London. The documentary-style ad follows Bobo and his 'crew' as the ‘world's best free-runners'. Of course this mighty accolade is all thanks to them eating Friskies.

Unfortunately the Englishe version isn't up on YouTube just yet but you can watch it here.





'Have You Seen This Cat?' Viral

You may feel a slight bit of déjà vu over this ad, which wouldn't be surprising. Back in August Friskies launched this viral:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tim Berners-Lee Apologises

I wasn't going to post about this as I thought most people had seen it but a few friends last night hadn't so here you go....

Tim Berners-Lee, the man who effectively invented the internet, made a tongue-in-cheek apology for the forward slashes at the beginning of internet addresses. The forward slashes have long been an annoyance to web users and Tim finally confessed that the // in a web address is actually "unnecessary".

The Times newspaper was told in an interview that in hindsight internet URLs could have also worked without the forward slashes.

"There you go, it seemed like a good idea at the time," he said.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Peperami Crowd Sourcing


In what may be seen as one of the biggest ad upsets of recent times, Unilever, the people behind Peperami, have made the decision to drop their Advertising Agency of 15 years, Lowe. Instead of using the traditional model of having an agency create your creative works, Unilever are handing over creative thinking to.... crowd sourcing.

So what is crowd sourcing I hear you ask?

Crowd Sourcing is not a new concept, either to adverting or Unilever, but it is a bold move to remove your agency of 15 years altogether. Crowd Sourcing is the concept of asking your fans / viewers / audience / customers to suggest or create you ads for you. Previous brands to use this approach have been Pringles and Doritos (Doritos Tribe). Both of which did so exceptionally well; both saving money and getting ads that ultimately blew everyone away.

In this instance, Peperami are launching a global search for their nexy big advertising concept through Ideabounty.com. Ideabounty.com is an online creative community, that invites the public to submit ideas for the next press and television ads. In return the brand is putting up $10,000 (£6,000) for the best idea.

Noam Buchalter, marketing manager at Peperami, says: “We believe Peperami is a brand that deserves radical creative solutions and are confident taking our brief out to thousands rather than a small team of creatives will provide us with the best possible idea and take our advertising to the next level. It’s a test to see if it works for the brand with a long-term view to using it in future advertising. We are extremely thankful to Lowe for the brilliant work they achieved over the last two decades and are looking forward to seeing the ideas to take Lowe's legacy forward into the next era of Animal."

The one caveat is that the brand wants to retain their iconic Peperami Animal character. So with that point satisfied, the winning entry will be produced by Smartworks. Going forward Unilever have said that they have no plans to retain a full-time ad agency for the Peperami account in future.

The campaign went live last Friday (28th August) and will close on 23rd October.

Doritos Tribe


This user-created ad was produced by two 25-year-olds for the reported sum of £6.50.

The Pererami Animal

Friday, August 28, 2009

In The Twittersphere


Two interesting things popped up in the news yesterday involving Twitter. The first is news of the confirmed launch of a new book entitled 'Twitter Wit'. 'Twitter Wit' is a compilation of the funniest tweets posted to the service - essentailly a round-up of all the daft things that have been Tweeted since the sites launch. This of course includes Tweets written by a number of famous Tweeters such as comedian Stephen Fry. One of Fry's featured Tweets "London city airport. Where form meets function. AND THEY HAVE A FIGHT", gives a good insight into the comic yet clever messages that the site has delivered.

The book, which has been written by Nick Douglas (founding editor of Valleywag.com), has been fully endorsed by Twitter and even carries a foreword by the Twitter's co-founder Biz Stone. Stone commented that there was no financial arrangement with the publisher Harper Collins, but that they did love the book so much they bought copies for all their San Francisco employees.

Stone wrote on the company's blog: "The tweets [in 'Twitter Wit'] are irreverent, inappropriate, geeky, and pretty much hilarious. If you don't like one, you'll like the next."

As part of the books launch, Harper Collins have created a competition that challenges readers to perform one of five tweets featured in the book. Entrants will need to create a short video of their performance, with a winner being selected by Douglas. The prize is an iPod touch and a copy of the book.

In other news, another new publication (this time a website) pays tribute to Twitter. Woofer, which describes itself as a 'macroblogging' site allows users to boost their usual 140-character Tweets to gigantic 1,400-characters Woofs. Although Woofer is just a novelty site and openly bills itself as a homage to Twitter in the form of a Social Media experiment, it does already have 9,000 users.

The site itself looks almost identical to the Twitter homepage, with the exception of the huge 1,400 character countdown for your Woofs. Woofers (users) can send messages attributed to their Twitter names. Unlike Tweets, the site asks that Woofers "Be eloquent, use adverbs and DEA (don't ever abbreviate)."

The site does distinctly distance itself from Twitter, confirming a number of time that it has nothing to do with Twitter and even goes as far as to feature a link in the top navigation 'Is this Twitter?'. Clicking on this leads users to page that simply reads "No" in giant letters.

The site has been created by digital agency Join the Company.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Social Media Addicts Association

Are you one of the millions of web users who just don't know when to stop poking, to quit Tweeting or to take a break from Facebook. Then the Social Media Addicts Association is just what you need. Run by former social media addicts who have had the strength and courage to admit to their problem, the SMAA will help you leave alone all those people you haven’t seen since college, and possibly never really got on with anyway!

To start with you will need to follow the 5 steps to kicking the habit:

  1. Admit you have a problem but don't tweet about it.
  2. Accept that you don't need upvotes to feel validated.
  3. Understand the risks of poking strangers.
  4. Repeat after me: "Twitter and alcohol don't mix".
  5. Don't go cold turkey! Just delete one friend a day.




The SMAA is the latest viral campaign from Sony VAIO.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Samsung: Master the Power of the Angles

The latest Samsung online campaign for their ST550 and TL 225 cameras is definitely worth a look. Created by the folks at The Viral Factory, the campaign aims to highjlight Samsung's latest camera models, specifically targeted to the digital savvy, online youth market. Recent research conducted by Samsung showed that a huge percentage of photos are now ‘self-shots’ that people are uploading to their various online / Social Media profiles. With this in mind the camera incorporates an image screen on the front of the camera as well as the back.

The Viral Factory's film is directly inspired by the internet meme , which was all about revealing the truth behind people’s overly flattering profile pictures. Through a cool 'Hot Spot' YouTube video, users can view six different scenarios and characters, each of whom first showing their ‘good’ angle and then reveals the ugly truth. The six characters in question are a troupe of aliens and ghouls, all disguising their true identities for their Social Media profiles.

“The Samsung research revealed that a surprisingly high percentage of photos are ‘self-shots’, so it’s brilliantly obvious to have a screen on the front of the camera as well as the back,” said, Viral Factory founder, Ed Robinson. “These photos are mostly taken to be shared through social media, so our task was to find a relevant idea which spoke to this audience. The ‘Beware The Angles’ meme felt relevant to us, and we thought we could take it a bit further". He added, “Hopefully we demonstrate how even the most grotesque-looking of us can look sexy and cool by using the angles…And offer a couple of tips on how to make the most of the cheats yourself.”

Check out the videos here...


You can also see a video of the phone and its features here...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Impromtu Public Singing

I was watching Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog again at lunch and I remembered that someone had done a musical/singing viral recently but I couldn't for the life of me remember who. So a little bit of Googling later and I remembered that it was a LastMinute.com viral from last year for their 50%-Off theatre ticket campaign.

I absolutely love this, and even though it's over a year old, I thought it was worth a re-share...



RubberRepublic were tasked with seeding out the campaign on behalf of Steel London.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Ally Bank - Would You Like a Pony?

A clever and humorous ad for banking? Hard to believe I know, but sure enough Ally Bank and BBH have done just that.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Brüno's Australian Premier Hijacked

Sasha Baron Cohen's shock character Brüno, had his premier hijacked by an impersonator who was sent in by Nando's to promote their newest Piri-Piri sauce. Funny stuff, especially the look on Baron Cohen's face towards the end of the clip.