Government data could be thought of as being quite boring and dry. People typically have the same thoughts of accountants and other data driven organizations. But check out the video of how beautiful and interesting this information could be with some great design applied to it.

To see more, visit the Sunlight Labs webpage.

Thanks.

Rob

I love this, it's a great example of using design to innovate and to help the environment at the same time. Puma has developed what they call, "The clever little bag". It eliminates the old fashioned shoe box and replaces it with a reusable bag. They have eliminated tons of packaging and made a great mark to stand out from their competitors.

Great job Puma.

I love the opening intro to the show Mad Men. It's beautiful to watch. But if you look closely at it, it's telling a story. It's a story about a man who, after working his way to the top, finds his life crumbling around him. Click here or the image above to watch the video via YouTube.

If you watch the show, you can see how it relates. This type of opening intro graphics was first perfected by Saul Bass. The brilliant mind behind the magnificent openings for movies such as Vertigo and Casino. I'll post more on Saul Bass another time.

Ciao,

Robert Scozzari

First of all, I'll say that this is a great commercial. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and makes me take notice. Some of the comments are quite touching.

WOW...how beautiful!! I would have given anything to have shared just one more birthday with my mother in law who passed away to cancer...please support the American Cancer Society. – 4miamigrl

and

This commercial actually made my cry. – theshankenstein

and

I am a 3 year Cancer survivor, I saw this the first time the other night and it made me teary. Thank you for such a beautiful commercial, I just celebrated mine 3 weeks ago and I tell everyone they really should appreciate every birthday. :))) – TriviaGeek463

Very powerful, but I'm going to put aside all the heartwarming stories and talk about what they did to come up with such a powerful spot. There are two key points I want to mention that the ad agency did here that every business owner and marketer should learn.

Features tell. Benefits sell

The first thing is that the ad agency applied an ancient rule of advertising and marketing. The rule is this, "Features tell. Benefits sell".

Now, it takes a very creative mind to realize what the true benefit really is. Some would argue, and beleive that the main benefit of what the American Cancer Society does is helf fund research for cancer cures and treatments. Well, that's actually a feature.

Some may also think that what the American Cancer Society does is save lives. Well, that's a wonderful thing that they do, but it's also a feature.

The ad agency discovered what the real benefit is, more birthdays. Wow.

Tell a Story

The second thing that the ad agency did, which is an essential part of great marketing and advertising, they told a story. That's right, they actually told many stories. They told stories about the people who's lives were saved by what the American Cancer Society has done.

When you tell a story, what they did was include the viewers and made them part of the advertisement. They told a story that all people can relate to and understand. When you do that the viewer becomes a part of that story. They inadvertently become a cast member in the screen play that has just played out. Not directly, but in their minds. In their minds, the viewer is not seeing the actors on screen, but they are seeing themselves, their mothers, fathers or other relatives who have suffered from cancer.

Discover the true benefit and tell a story that your viewers can relate to. Do those two things, and you have a powerful advertising campaign.

Ciao,

Robert Scozzari RGD

Ciao,

Robert Scozzari

The Pomegranate Phone

Last year I came across this viral marketing campaign and was blown away. I'm going to spoil it a bit and tell you it's a clever disguise for something that isn't a telephone. It's very clever and fun to watch. Try to figure it out for yourself. I will tell you though, it's very handy to have a telephone that brews coffee.

www.pomegranatephone.com

I think it's fantastic. And here is why.

Using some Google tools, I have found that there are 227 websites that link directly to the homepage of this website. Search for yourself by typing into a Google search window, link:www.pomegranatephone.com

This is a great example of viral marketing.

Now the question is, does this translate to the desired outcome? That depends on what the desired outcome is. If the outcome is an increased awareness and a higher brand profile, then I think it will be successful.

Ciao,

Robert Scozzari | www.CloverRoad.ca

This video actually takes you into my mind as I explore concepts to a final logo. I'm very interested to hear your comments. Is my created process close to what you thought it may be? let me know…

Robert Scozzari RGD

Enjoy