WSIB Workplace Safety Ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN2gpRcFKAQ - Chef
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5kiz7GhJt0&feature=related - Retail Accident
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUu0lVN6Nhw&feature=related - Construction Accident


They are disgusting. They make you squint and squirm and turn away from the screen. The graphic pictures are more horrifying and disturbing than any violent program on television, let alone any of the other commercials. The commercials for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB) get your heart and mind racing, and are some of the most effective ads on Canada tv today.They confront viewers with explicit images of disfigured workers who have suffered workplace accidents. A sous-chef slips, pours a vat of hot oil all over her face and screams. A woman in a retail store tumbles off a ladder straight into a glass table, then with blood oozing from her head explains how both she and her employer could have prevented the fall. After being impaled on steel beams, a factory worker matter-of-factly explains to his co-worker all the steps that could have prevented the cascade of materials that crushed him.

The message is "There really are no accidents," The WSIB campaign also features print and outdoor ads with similar themes. And there's a series of radio ads, one of them featuring screeching tires, screams and a theatrical voiceover about how a speeding delivery driver could have prevented the funerals of a mother and child.
Many people find the ads unsettling, distressing and even offensive. Last week, WSIB chairman Stephen Mahoney revealed that 60 per cent of e-mails received since the latest campaign was launched have been critical. Transit authorities in Mississauga, Windsor and Hamilton have rejected WSIB bus-shelter ads because they are too graphic.
But even if you're one of the people who finds the ads revolting, you can't argue that they don't work. Of course, being memorable isn't the only test of a good ad. And being sensational or provoking an emotional reaction is not a sure route to effectiveness. What's effective about them is that their sensationalism is right on point. They're disturbing because the issue itself is disturbing.
There are some things that are worthy of your attention, and require an ad equally as powerful!

So what did everyone else think of the ads?

Drive Safe Campaign - Aussie Style

The Transport Accident Commission in the Australian state of Victoria, is one of the world's most highly regarded producers of safe driving advertisements. Their ads, which are known for their graphic nature, have been running since 1989 as part of an integrated research, education and enforcement campaign that is credited with reducing Victoria's road deaths by more than half. You can check some of them out on YouTube.

The TAC's best known slogan, "If you drink and drive, you're a bloody idiot", has changed over time to "Only a little bit over, you bloody idiot" to reflect the dangers of even moderate drunk driving. Others include "Wipe off 5", which targets habitual low-level speeders, and "A fifteen minute powernap could save your life", which discourages driving while tired.

Department for Transport: Man in a Pint Glass

Now that we've all familiarized ourselves with Leo Burnett, here's an interesting example of Leo Burnett London's work.

In order to show the isolating consquences of being caught drinking and driving at Christmas time, Leo Burnett London trapped an actual convicted drunk driver under a giant upturned pint glass.

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett London, UK

Released: December 2007

Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/department_for_transport_man_in_a_pint_glass

The Super Bowl

Yep, in just 11 short days, the big event begins. Call it what you will -- a clash of wills, a take-no-prisoners war, a contest between the best-of-the-best to separate the real deals from the pretenders. It's the Super Bowl, ans it's America's biggest advertising day of the year.

Oh yeah, and I hear there's a football game too.

GoDaddy.com (see inset photo) has established itself as one of the bad boys of the Super Bowl ad game, regularly producing spots that generate controversy or are rejected by the networks and then distributed online to capitalize on the public's prurient interest.

There's plenty of news available online. For instance, check out this article from USA Today, which describes the rising popularity of campaigns that try to engage consumers and get them involved with the brand. The goal? To make good use of the $2.7 million investment advertisers must cough up simply to air their 30-second spot during the telecast (believe it or not, this figure excludes production costs).

The New York Times' Stuart Elliott also has an interesting piece on Anheuser-Busch's plans for this year's contest.

• Is it worth the money? See a discussion here.
• Want to watch last year's ads? See them online courtesy of iFilm.
• As usual, couch potatoes will be able to rate this year's ads from their home computer.

Cloverfield - Creating Buzz with Viral Marketing

Seen the movie Cloverfield yet? Plenty of people have -- J.J. Abrams' new action flick grossed $41 million in its opening weekend, surpassing the $35.9-million premiere weekend of Star Wars special edition in 1997, the previous best for January. And it's all thanks to some clever use of viral marketing (see this news story), a form of advertising that leverages social networks to spread messages quickly and cost-effectively.

Viral movie marketing kicked off in earnest with the remarkable success of The Blair Witch Project in 1999, but after the 2006 flop of Snakes on a Plane, some were left wondering whether the trend had run its course. Hardly. Feature films depend on 'buzz', making Internet-based viral campaigns a great fit...at least, for young, web-savvy audiences. Oh yeah, and the movie can't be crap either.

Previous Movies that Used Viral Marketing