SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge]  The Allan Gray TV ad has the following pay-off line: "Human beings are ruled by emotions. It defines who we are. We (meaning Allan Gray) disregard emotion. We research everything. Then we invest". This is a regrettable and poorly researched basis for an advertisement, when emotional intelligence (EQ) is increasingly being recognised as a critical component of superior performance. |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] The Patek Philippe ad is a compositional masterpiece. It deals with at least three layers of meaning aimed at creating the necessary 'signal' to cut through the human defence mechanisms and strike a deeper, more subconscious note. |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] The Standard Bank home loans 'Rent-a-balcony' ad has the tendency to catch one unawares, and herein lies its strength. It is 'busy' enough to engross the reader, particularly because at first it appears to be a legitimate advertisement of balconies for rent. |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] The Dulux "Add some (colour)" advertisement, which depicts a 'painting' of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, is an interesting one. Compositionally speaking, Eve whilst offering Adam the all-important apple, does so very casually, her gaze directed at something (or someone?) else. Moreover, instead of holding on to Adam, she firmly holds on to the tree of seduction? |
NAMIBIA [Dr Kay Brügge] As an 'old' Namibian, I couldn't resist writing about the Windhoek Lager ad, "German engineering where you need it second most..." The "Windhoek" ad capitalises on this instant recognition with a luxury car manufacturer's slogan and the borrowed and re-worked pay-off line is certainly humorous for those in the know. Yet, I am in two minds about it. |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] 'Genocide is not only permitted, it's encouraged'. Ja, well, NOT fine! Fujitsu's ad agency has pulled something so un-PC, it might amount to hara-kiri! |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] It's so nice to see a company adding an attribute to its product to protect its turf against the 'new kid on the block'... or is Skip merely trading off the success of the virulent pink Vanish brand? |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] This ad for an unknown budget airline was so bad, it looked like a spoof at first. Or a teaser campaign to direct traffic to the client's website. But research on the 'Net revealed that it was actually a serious advertising attempt that 'crash-landed' badly. |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] The Standard Bank Home Loan ads succeed in cutting through the clutter by virtue of their 'retro' appearance, creating the impression that they hail from 'way back when'. The message takes flight on the back of the whole nostalgia trip of: "Hey poppie, check this out: those were the days, when a huge house cost (only) fifty grand, in a place like Constantia, nogal". |
SOUTH AFRICA [Dr Kay Brügge] According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'individual' means 'single, particular, special, having distinct character, opposite to general. The Sanlam Stratus and Investment ad has the pay-off line, "for an investment package as individual (italics added) as you are" - the picture showing a person with 'funky' socks. So, what is wrong with the ad? |
Angola
Botswana
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Cote D'Ivoire
Ghana
Nigeria
Kenya
Uganda
Tanzania
Mauritius
Seychelles
Algeria
Egypt
Morocco
Zambia
