Advance

2008 – THE YEAR LEGO TOOK OVER THE INTERNET

28/01 2009 // Annette Flinck

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Besides the fact that LEGO is one of our biggest clients, we can’t help but have a natural respect and admiration for the brand’s ability to constantly reinvent itself. The brick turned 50 years old last January and the past few years have seen the company make great strides in the digital world.

A good friend just pointed me towards a good post detailing LEGO’s online adventures, from LEGO’ed Simpsons to the Presidential inauguration represented in LEGO. I think the cool thing about this is the fact that the majority of these ideas weren’t marketing-driven initiatives, but consumer-generated and uncontrolled, each one existing in its own domain.

We think 2009 will be even more interesting for LEGO and its legions of fans – and for us too. We’re currently working on several major projects together with LEGO, including the launch of an online multi-player game, the Bionicle sequels and the big launch of LEGO Power Miners.

Many thanks to Dizz the Whizz  - via Threebillion.

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OBAMA IS IN – JAMES P. CAIN IS OUT

20/01 2009 // Annette Flinck

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Friday, 16th January was a bit out of the ordinary here at Advance. Well, the big breakfast is a regular Friday ritual, but in addition to this we had ‘Højskolen’, which is something we have every other month or so. It is a forum where we invite people that intrigue us, people we can learn from and people that show us new perspectives on our business as well as on our personal lives. We’ve had the pleasure of a broad range of people, e.g. a priest serving in Afghanistan, Pia Kjærsgaard, a homeless person,  and a transsexual – just to mention a few. 

Last Friday we had the pleasure of Mr. James P. Cain, the American ambassador here in Denmark. He’s been here for 3 ½ years, and in a week from now he’ll be going back to the states. An inevitable consequence of the political changes happening in the US these days.  

Mr. James P. Cain is by far the most profiled and talked about American ambassador we’ve ever had in this country. He was talking about this popularity and how it has been being an American ambassador serving under the most unpopular presidents of all times. What struck me, and what it is that maybe is the reason he has become popular, and like he said “we are a country that would like to like the USA, but can’t because of the guy in office” is that he has managed to divide and seperate the the office of ambassador and that of the president.  

 He talked about his book where he’s elaborating on his cycling trip around Denmark, and his top ten most embarrassing situations during his time here. 

He finished off by giving us all some perspective on our small country; Measured by our engagement in the war against terror and other foreign political initiatives, Denmark is the most courageous and generous countries in the world. You could of course always argue that we could do much better, and what are we doing at war anyway? Well I will leave those questions unanswered and just appreciate the 60 very interesting minutes of laughs and astonishment in the company of the pleasant american.

And though he calls himself a good republican, and a close friend to John McCain, he could not deviate from the fact that as a hopeful American and diplomat he is excited about the future with Obama. 

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CULTURA PROBIOTIC SHOTS – A SUCCESSFUL CATEGORY BREAKER FROM ARLA

19/01 2009 // Annette Flinck

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In Fall last year, Arla launched their newest family member of the probiotic Cultura range, a new ProBio shot full of fibres and other probiotic goodness (read more here).

The latest research from AC Nielsen shows, that the consumption of the so-called shots is 43% higher than it was six months ago before the launch, and the growth in the consumption is primarily driven by the Cultura Probio Shot.

The newest variant in the range (blackberry/raspberry) is now is available at a store near you. 

Tags: Cultura Probio Arla ecological shots probiotic

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LET’S PUT ON SOME MORE LIPSTICK – THOUGHTS ON A RECESSION ECONOMY

17/01 2009 // Annette Flinck

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It should come as a surprise for no one. We are in recession mode. It’s difficult to say where exactly we are on the recession life cycle, but since new years the biggest Danish companies have sacked +150 people every day, and the general prospects from the IMF etc. are rather dim.

But how will this dark time affect our lives as citizens in a reality where we have spend the past 6 years spending, beautifying our homes, our bodies our self-representation and invest in shallow materialistic enjoyment?

Even though it is extremely politically incorrect to say this, I feel rather okay with the fact that we’re heading towards more troublesome times and sluggish growth. (And let me say that this has absolutely nothing to do with the ‘70% off’ sales that every retailer is offering these days ).

When the shit hits the fan we reflect on our stuck-in-fuck lives, we evaluate, we vote for change, we think – and we put on some more lipstick. We start nesting. Turning off the TV, and get closer. Reading a book or simply just talking. It’s time to tighten one’s belt and say ‘no’. Not because we need to, but because it feels good and healthy.

Oh no! We’ve just spent the last decade arming the house with flat screen TVs for every room, a Fatboy for the dog, a wine-cellar in the kitchen and a 80m2 addition to the house. Does this mean that we need start cleaning up, focus on inner values, get the seven good habits and building schools in Africa?

It sure does. And it feels good. Now is the perfect time to quit the job you hate anyway, get an education, travel far away or do whatever you’ve always wanted to do – and blame it on the crisis.

Another positive outcome of the crisis is that we will start to ask questions. We will demand to know the facts and challenge our brand relationsships. We want to know that the things we buy actually work. We will start to think about ‘total cost of ownership’ and this will affect our buying decisions. We will not just focus on the purchase cost on the new fridge, but also on the electricity consumption during use and other maintenance costs.

We will start researching on where to get the really good bargains, thinking about what the purchase should replace and whether it actually will make us feel any better. We will go from ‘nice to’ to ‘need to’.

We will throw less stuff away. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we will spend less money, but evaluation criteria of what we buy will become more functional (e.g. longevity) and less emotional (e.g. design).We’ll start appreciating authority and experience.

And we will increasingly focus on sustainable innovation.

So that was the consumer behavioural perspective on things. What about the companies? How should companies navigate in these gloomy times?

Well, first of all, they should think of recession as an opportunity for growth. A survivor is a company that, while competitors panic, they stick to a plan. As Charles Darwin once said; It is not the strong, nor the intelligent who survive, but those who are quickest to adapt!

Companies that do well in recession see it as an opportunity to deliver a knockout blow to weaker competitors, through higher marketing spend and investment. In terms of advertising and communication, creativity will give you more of an edge than in normal times. (Many successful brands and companies have been launched in recessions.)

Successful companies spend 360 degrees. They explore new channel and media opportunities, particular in digital and they get the right balance between tactical activities that may grow volume at the expense of margins, and strategic activities that stimulate primary demand.

And most important, survivor companies, are companies building their presence around a big idea. A big idea that reflects on the cultural trends or tensions going on in our time. An idea that sticks with the consumers’ for better or for worse. Also during recession.

As concluding remarks I will just say, that in order to exit the recession in a good way, a new way, we need to learn from the past and start thinking in change, thoughtfulness, holistic, meaning and quality. I welcome 2009 in all it’s glory and cross my fingers for a happy ending. 

Tags: Recession

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MORTEN LUND ON GOING ALL IN

15/01 2009 // aaron

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Morten Lund has been there and got the t-shirt. The well-known Danish investor made his name as a Skype backer but his most recent venture – a free newspaper delivered to people’s homes – was rather less successful and he’s now been declared bankrupt here in Denmark.

I don’t know Morten personally but I follow his Twitter feed and he comes across as a great guy, relentlessly positive and extremely smart (though maybe not the greatest speller). Morten appeared at Le Web late last year and his short and snappy presentation outlining his beliefs about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship is fantastic viewing:

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MICROSOFT EXISTS IN A WEIRD PARALLEL UNIVERSE

14/01 2009 // aaron

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I just can’t get my head round this promo from Microsoft Research for its Songsmith software. As Videogum state: ‘It’s like Microsoft found some kind of Christian home-schooling commune in the woods and hired them to make their commercial’. What will no doubt be an avalanche of parodies has already begun with this merciless pisstake:

Maybe the promo tested well, maybe it was personally approved by Steve Ballmer, who knows. Whatever possessed them to release this on an unsuspecting public, it just confirms how deeply out of touch with reality the organisation is. The good work Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s ‘I’m a PC’ campaign had done last year in helping to humanise the company is undone in one fell stroke.

This may or may not negatively impact on the company (if nothing else it’s definitely raised awareness of Songsmith), and frankly I don’t really care. But I do feel a shred of sympathy with the ordinary folk at Microsoft who have to endure seeing their company ripped to shreds all over the internet by heartless bastards like me.

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THE YEAR IN (7) NUMBERS

13/01 2009 // aaron

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This is the noticeboard that hangs in Advance’s ‘international’ department. Over the past year, we’ve covered it in images of people and things that inspire and amuse us. It’s a bit like a peacock displaying its feathers. Only with paper. Anyway, to herald the new year, we’ve taken down all the pictures and we’re starting afresh. But first we thought we’d commemorate the 2008 noticeboard with a quick rundown of the stories behind the images:

1. Carsten announced his arrival at Advance back in April with the terrifying news that he was a big fan of John Denver, pictured here with an eagle.

2. The Greek pianist and composer Yanni became a cult hero. No-one knows quite why. His image may or may not have appeared in a client brochure.

3. Barack Obama won a popularity contest in America, thereby perhaps averting nuclear armageddon for a little while yet.

4. Our attempts to introduce cricket to the Danes took the form of this awesome picture of Viv and Beefy.

5. Someone’s spoof of an Economist cover was the highlight of months of dreary ruminations on the credit crunch.

6. Mad Men’s Joan Holloway became a popular figure in the creative department.

7. A further attempt at explaining cricket via reference to the Bodyline series was also doomed to fail.

So there we have it. The noticeboard is now bare, a fitting metaphor for the new year and the opportunities that await.

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AND THE WINNER IS . . .

12/01 2009 // Annette Flinck

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Back in December, Elsparefonden went talent hunting and launched the Popload Awards competition. The goal of the project – developed by our lovely digital partners Wasabi – was to encourage youngsters to make their own version of Basim’s song from the third of our Elsparefonden TV spots. Same melody, but with their own lyrics.

Now, the first part of the competition (the Jury Award) has ended and 11-year-old Marie Sylvest Fosbo from Lille Skensved has been named as the winner. Marie will now spend a day recording her version at the Delta Lab Studio with Thomas Troelsen and Remee and, of course, Basim. See Marie’s contribution here, and be sure to check out all the super work from more than 60 young creatives.

The audience competition is running until January 31 so it’s not too late to join in and find your 15mb of fame. 

Tags: Basim, Elsparefonden, Langt ude i skoven, Popload Awards

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THE GAME’S AFOOT

07/01 2009 // aaron

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A growing sense of flux is gripping the ad industry. Either that or I’m overcaffeinated. The fortunes of the industry have always undulated along with the upheavals of the wider world so this is not exactly a surprise. Talk of refashioning the ad agency model to make it better equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing media landscape was already at fever pitch before the global financial meltdown. But now that the dust has settled on the economic cataclysm, everyone is surveying the wreckage and realising that we have to get our shit together.

This morning, W+K London’s blogger in chief nailed the scale of the challenges ahead, both for companies and the agencies that serve them. A brief synopsis: embrace change or die.

There’s a fin de siecle feeling to all of this, I keep thinking. The economic disaster is increasingly being viewed as just desserts for a morally bankrupt system of finance that put profit above all else. Attention is turning to smaller firms with bigger ideals, and to companies coming up with solutions to global probems. As agencies, our objective has been to help companies sell stuff to people. But the dynamics of consumption are changing fast now. And this is forcing us to reexamine our reason to exist. The game’s afoot.

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FUTUROLOGY

05/01 2009 // aaron

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Futurology is the ‘science, art and practice of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them’. It is also a ‘science, art and practice’ that becomes particularly popular around this time of year. Without fail, bloggers and journalists around the world, seemingly devoid of anything worthwhile to write about, bombard us with posts and articles detailing their various hopes, expectations and predictions for the coming year.

I have read my fair share of these and, for once, have come across some pieces that are actually rather illuminating. Here’s a few of the best:

- A very depressing piece in The Guardian focusing on the economic gloom ahead for us Europeans.

- A more optimistic piece from the same paper pondering where the green shoots of recovery might sprout.

- A thought-provoking post from blogger and prominent venture capitalist Fred Wilson on how the internet is hastening the demise of slow-moving, change-resistant companies and empowering those who embrace it.

- Jeff Jarvis continues Fred Wilson’s theme, arguing that the economic downturn is heralding a new world order of connectedness.

- Finally, maybe some good news for us ad types with the news that forecasters are not predicting an especially cataclysmic downturn in ad spending.

Happy New Year from everyone here at Advance.

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