Those of you who watched I-Robot in 2004 will agree that viewers are subjected to a considerable amount of product placement.  When Will Smith wasn’t parading around in his ‘converse vintage 2004’ footwear he was racing around in a custom-made Audi.  That is, of course, when he wasn’t at home listening to music on his Sony CD player.  Despite these exploits, branded entertainment in the UK was prohibited by Ofcom.  This prohibition was based on EU legislation; however amendments to these laws have paved the way for product references and trademarks to be used on British television in exchange for money.

I-Robot 2004

The new rules, which are due to be incorporated into UK law at the end of 2010,will allow product placement in TV series, films, entertainment and sports programmes, but not in children’s and news programmes. So to reassure those of you who are concerned – Bob the Builder will not be fixing things with a Black & Decker multi-purpose saw. What we might expect to see however, is a Carlsberg tap at the Rovers Return or even Clear Blue pregnancy tests on Jeremy Kyle.  This will provide a new channel for advertising so maybe now it’s time to think inside of the box (for a change).

Hello all.

My name is Joe, and I am the brand new Marketing Intern in the Big Cat office. I sit next to Dan, opposite to Jenny, and diagonally from Ben. My view out of the office window is of a canal and a few buildings. I regularly bring a sandwich and a bottle of water into work, along with an energy drink, depending how alert I am in the morning. I have lived in a small village for the entirety of my life, and despite enjoying being away from home and travelling, have never ventured far away for a lengthy spell.

I would describe myself as a thinker, not in the conventional philosophical sense, but one who lets his mind run in a million different directions, which would explain the completely random observations and questions that will come your way when around me for more than an hour.

The obvious question that any interviewer, or anyone in general to whom I am chatting about my job, would ask is ‘Why Marketing?’ I would respond with another question; ‘Why wouldn’t I want to be involved in marketing?’ Having only been at Big Cat for just over a week, I have made contacts from various companies, I am involved in a potentially very successful campaign, and have not had one moment of boredom in the office.

I’ll finish with a few words on life so far at the Big Cat Group. Despite being here just one week, I have felt it very easy to fit in to the office structure. For now it is more of a learning curve than anything, but I can only expect to gain the best of experience during my time here.

Last Week it was announced that Entertainment Weekly, the US’s weekly entertainment guide (obviously), would be the first printed publication to include a video ad in it’s pages.

Pepsi will be the first company to be advertised on the small mobile phone screen sized display advertisement, along with CBS network previews. The technology used is similar to that which is used in the (utterly hilarious) singing greeting cards. The chips can hold roughly 40 minutes of footage and have rechargable batteries.

Watch it here

So when we watch films like Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Total Recall, Minority Report, even Harry Potter (see the Daily Prophet) and we laugh at the idea of a hoverboard or interactive and holographic ads, is the advertising industry laughing with us, or is it busy taking notes?

So, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s both impressive and exciting (and maybe a touch novel). At the moment, it is only brands with MASSIVE advertising budgets like Pepsi that can even consider splashing out/experimenting with this kind of marketing.

But what does this mean for the wider advertising industry?

Well if this takes off, a market which is even more competitive than it currently is. This technology isn’t going to be cheap (until they can be mass produced for a few pence), and along with the increase in printing costs, the publications are going to hold all the cards surely. To use a football analogy (if in doubt…): With their new wealth and ambition, Manchester City have single-handedly increased the market value of any player by 50% . Everton can now name a price for Joleon Lescott, now a £24m player, according to the word of Manchester City. How much would he cost to another club without if City’s financial influence wasn’t practically monopolising the market (the Real Madrid-less market that is)?

Anyway what I’m trying to say is that these ad spaces will be priced out of smaller brands budgets. Although the Video.Chip.Print ads will not be abundant for some time, therefore competition for places is going to be fierce, especially if this is successful. And the more money thats being pumped in, the bigger it will get.

It will certainly go a long way in helping create a good impression, maintaining that when the competition hits will be the next test.

On a final note, I’m waiting for the day this happens as I walk past Cineworld:

Advertising is everywhere. You cannot and will never be able to escape it.

The advertiser’s utopia of Los Angeles, as depicted in Blade Runner, is very much here and now (see Times Square below). If there’s an unoccupied piece of land, advertising companies will snap it up and whack an ad there.

Home-owners are even willing to offer out the road-facing side of their houses as a billboard, because it faces heavy traffic on a long commuter route. These selfless vigilantes are on a mission to help local businesses promote their products and services. An intention twinned no doubt, with an almost rabid thirst for cash.

Understandably, blanket advertising can get people’s goat. The characteristics affiliated with advertising are greed, lack of ethics, ruthlessness – typical fat cat traits that give the industry a rotten reputation.

Sure, brands like Coca-Cola and Tesco have practically monopolised their industries by pumping billions of dollars into their advertising campaigns. How do you compete against these monsters with this much financial clout? You can’t, leave them to it.

But what about the thousands and thousands of other companies, genuinely competing for custom? How do you persuade one person to buy Evian Water instead of Vittel? Bore them into submission with a few stats about minerals? Why not offer a new perspective. Does the advert have to be based around the springs at Lake Geneva? I’d love to have been at the meeting when the creative team had this idea:

Evian Babies

Brilliant! Babies dancing to Rapper’s Delight. I’m thirsty, might go grab an Evian…

Seriously though, this demonstrates perfectly the creativity and “outside the box” thinking which is becoming so prominent and practically unconditional in the advertising industry. This advert has achieved viral status, forwarded to colleagues, friends and family and has currently attained nearly 10 million views on YouTube.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Olympus created this stopmotion video. The PEN Story is a staggering piece of work by any standard. A 3 minute advert using over 60,000 pictures, 9,600 prints and 1,800 pictures had to be re-shot.

The artist is Mr Taijin Takeuchi

The PEN story

That companies are commissioning incredibly talented artists to create pieces like this, stretching their imagination and raising their profile simultaneously, is surely proof that advertising provides opportunity and pleasure.

Subliminal Advertising mentions must go out to Cadbury’s (yes, the drumming gorilla – seen it?), and perhaps the pioneer of the genre – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VCfOC69jc.

Is this Subliminal Advertising by definition? Or is the term evolving?

Hi there

Welcome to Big Cat Strategy’s blog. My name is Daniel, I’m pretty much a year into my role in the Big Cat Strategy department, so I guess I’m relatively new to marketing. I’ve learnt a lot in that time and have been involved in some great projects. I’m looking forward to learning more and am excited, intrigued and a little bit scared by the unknown.

My plans for this blog are simple.

I don’t profess to be an expert, but I will be able to offer a different viewpoint to other marketing blogs. I’ll also be coaxing the Strategy Director to share his abundant knowledge of the marketing, advertising and social media industries on this blog.

I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts. I actively encourage both rage and praise.

Follow me on Twitter @danielbigcat