Big Issue trials their digital version

Big Issue in the North are launching a trial of the world's first digital street magazine. 999 Design have worked with Big Issue to create QR cards which are sold by the vendors and then allow customers to download the digital version of the magazine straight onto their device. Not only are the magazine keeping in line with the way technology is advancing but it's good to see that whilst doing this they are doing it sustainably because the vendors can still keep their jobs. Many printed magazines and newspapers all now have their digital versions so I think Big Issue are right to start trialling theirs because it makes them more current and accessible to the customers. It's currently only being trialled in Manchester for at least 3 months however if it seems successful it could move to London too.

Forever Ink tattoo care range

 

This is the new Forever Ink skincare range for tattoos. The visual branding has been carried out by Anthem Worldwide. They say the logo for the brand was inspired by David Beckham's tattoo of angel wings with the connotation of protecting something. I find the product interesting as it will attract a niche market of people with tattoos and there aren't very many products that specialise in tattoo protection so I think the product will be successful. There currently seems to be a trend for tattoos, most of my friends have recently had their first tattoo, and following on from a what's new session tattoos seem to be a British thing so it's probably a good job this kind of product has been released. 

Vintage art in advertising

 These ads are an example of vintage art working well within advertising. The vodka ad created by Wieden & Kennedy uses the work of Mort Künstler who is famous for his strong oil paintings of famous scenes in American history. The Stella Cidre ad from 2011, created by Mother agency, uses the same vintage aesthetic to promote their more sophisticated cider. Using vintage art creates a feeling of nostalgia around the products which could attract an older target market who may be able to relate more to the era in which the style comes from. Particularly during tough economic or political times people want to revert back to tradition and what they find as comforting so in these two particular cases the vintage feel could work well in gaining consumers.

Every little helps.

When shopping at Tesco this weekend I noticed they have changed the colour of their shelves from white to black. Now this doesn't seem like a major thing but it works well in making the aisles appear more upmarket and exclusive. Recently supermarkets have become more and more competitive in attracting consumers and so they have to keep changing tactics to gain customers. For Tesco, an average level supermarket, it seems they are now trying to market themselves higher on the scale closer to a supermarket such as Sainsbury's or Waitrose.

It'll be interesting to see if similar supermarkets such as Asda follow suit in changing the interior of the store to catch up to the competition. I don't think changing the colour of the shelves in Tesco will make a huge difference to the number of people that decide to shop there but it could encourage current shoppers to spend a little bit more on their products if they feel they are in a more luxury environment. 

Obama in a different light

 I thought these photographs seemed relevant to blog about considering the presidential debate currently taking place in the lead up to the election. They were taken by Pete Souza who is currently the White House photographer.

I think Barack Obama missed a trick in not using this pictures for his campaign because they show a soft, intimate side to him which makes him relatable. He could have probably won a few more votes with these! It's nice to see images we wouldn't usually expect of someone which I think is why these pictures work so well because they portray his true personality without being overly biased.

EE Ad

The new brand EE (Everything Everywhere) have launched their first TV ad tonight made by Saatchi & Saatchi starring Kevin Bacon. The ad explores how Kevin Bacon knows so many people from Tom Hanks to Ken Barlow thanks to the network EE and lets the audience know they can be like him by signing up. I understand the ad wants to connect with as many people as possible to gain consumers which is why they have probably gone with the humourous tone to allow people to relate but it just didn't amaze me. Considering this new network is a big deal and bigger than other networks out there (since they own Orange and T-Mobile) I just thought they might have created an ad that wows a bit more than this one.

 



Walking really is greener than driving

This is the impressive work from Jody Xiong of DDB China who cooperated with the China Environmental Protection Foundation to highlight how choosing walking over driving really is greener. Massive drawings of trees were unfolded on pedestrian crossings across 15 cities in China. Either side of the crossings were large green sponges that meant as people walked across the road they would create the leaves on the tree.

There are so many ads already out there trying to make people more aware of global warming and their carbon footprint but this is a different approach and seemed to work because it simply cannot be ignored. I find it more effective too because rather than being hard hitting or using an aggressive approach to try and make people change it's light hearted and makes you smile.