Category: FMCG

Gatsby posters break the rules

Gatsby, the renowned hairstyling pomade from Mandom Japan, is known for its off-the-wall style creatives. 

So when the Mandom team approached Blak Labs, one of Singapore’s leading independent creative agencies with the challenge to create an out of home campaign that stops people in their tracks, the team needed no further invitation.

Using a mix of crafted illustration and photography from Japan, the creatives tell the remarkable stories of the everyday challenges in the “Art of being a Gentleman” Gatsby-style.

 

“These posters are not-so little reminders that it’s easy to triumph over everyday problems and look like a Gentleman at the same time. We hope these creatives add a little Gatsby magic to everyone’s day while helping them look their best, ”said Charlie Blower, Managing Partner, Blak Labs.

Bugis MRT provided the location. Moove Media provided the space as well as the buses.

Client:  Mandom Corp, Japan

Agency: Blak Labs

Creative Partners: Charlie Blower Esq, Nick Tan Esq.

Copy: Sir Gatsby, Charlie Blower Esq,

Art Direction: Sir Nick Tan, Squire Elliott, Page Leo

Project Management: Lady in waiting Alicia

Spot the difference

Here’s a print idea created way back in the early 90’s at DMB&B for client Burger King.

As you can see, it’s a tongue-in-cheek topical piece we created on the day of the fire at Burger King Robinson Road to apologize for the restaurant closure. The premise was simple. While we know our loyal fans love our flame grilled flavours, occasionally we burn the food…

The client loved it. Too bad they didn’t have the money to run it. Nor did the agency.

Fast forward to today and here’s the same tongue in cheek approach using a series of fires at Burger King restaurants around the world to celebrate the chain’s heritage and point of difference.

BS_ItalyIt’s just picked up the Cannes Gold Lion in Print.

BK_BS_Oregon_Creativity01

What separates them?

BKburnout

Not the theme or the sentiment. Both use humour to celebrate Burger King’s flame grilled flavours. To create an opportunity. To tell their story.

The answer is 26 years.

Fran Luckin, Chief Creative Officer, Grey, South Africa and Print & Publishing Lions judge said DAVID’s Grand Prix-winning campaign was “playful, authentic, and (had) a sense of being a little more edgy. Embrace your imperfection. It was brave and young, created in a social media age.”

Which just goes to show that there’s no such thing as a new idea.

Just new ways to say it with more reach. Chapeau to Burger King and the David team for making it happen.

Second in the series of Dumex mums. This is Rei

http://youtu.be/Ksuc5lg7QLc

Blak Labs new Real Mums spots for Dumex

Danone Dumex has had a year of real ups and major downs. Amongst the highs, the successful launch on Mother’s Day of their community site www.heartknowsbest.com.sg

This site has helped reposition them as experts and partners in parenting and nutrition. The major down was the contaminated whey protein issue, courtesy of Fonterra in New Zealand. As a result of that issue, Danone Dumex took it upon themselves to institute a precautionary recall – damaging brand image and their sales.

So how to venture back into the market after that particular event? Apart from an excellent crisis recovery campaign, which Blak Labs helped with, our clients bravely decided to take a completely different tack.

Rather than featuring kids achieving their Mum’s scholastic desires, the team focused on the reality of being a Mum, being pregnant and their thoughts on Dumex.

We filmed two volunteer Dumex Mums – Thirlynn and Rei. They had no previous experience in front of the camera and we give them any lines to say. We simply wanted to create the conditions where their heartfelt emotions would come out on camera.

The shoot took place one Sunday. There were tears on set – as each Mum recalled special moments in their parenting journeys. And then there were tears again as the rough cuts were presented to management.

Take a look – the films are really quite special and will be supported by both social seeding and digital media buys across relevant sites. And don’t forget to check out the Dumex site.

Big thanks go to Two Oceans director Warren Klass, producers Say Chong and Shu Hui. For the music, thanks to Fuse – Colin Pereira, Jocelyn, Justin. And to the team at Blak Labs, Ken Tam (producer), Regina Lee (digital art director) and Hong Jun Teo (art director) for pulling it all together. Creative directors on the job: Nick Tan (art direction), Charlie Blower (copy).

The biggest thanks of all go to our lovely clients at Dumex, Nicole and Sharon. They took a leap of faith and fought for what they thought was best at every step – they deserve a big hand for their contributions to the final films. This is Thirlynn’s story. Rei’s to follow.

Heaven & Earth Outdoor – Claw

Part of the Heaven & Earth relaunch campaign, this poster was designed to remind people about the spot they’d seen on tv the night before. Strategically located near 7-11s, they certainly cut through the street clutter.

Heaven & Earth Part deux

Following the success of Bruce, our city-wrecking monster, we built on the platform of clarity by leveraging other famous examples of “moments of clarity”. More stunning art direction on a shoe string, from Cher.

Coca-Cola packaging

When the “Open Happiness” platform started to roll out, we were asked to examine every aspect of the communications to ensure the messaging could be integrated seamlessly. We took this as an opportunity to ensure the messaging worked from “shelf out”. We refreshed everything from the bar code and legals and even built simple stories into the packs. They also turned out quite nice as a series of instore posters. Great work from Alf, Wai Ling and a bunch of others.

Heaven & Earth – taste test

2009 saw a change of direction for Heaven & Earth. This time, we focused purely on taste as focus groups told us that Heaven & Earth tasted better than the competition. What better way to bring this out than with a celeb telling the truth for once. Great thinking from Vic and the team.

Heaven & Earth Green Tea

We were asked to reposition Coca-Cola Singapore’s green tea brand “Heaven & Earth” in 2007. Previously the brand had focused on a zen positioning. Our head of strategic planning, Francois, uncovered the truth – that green tea includes antioxidant ingredients which cleanse the mind and body. Useful when you’re a stressed out exec in today’s competitive city life. (Or for that matter, a monster with a sore head.)

This is the tvc, which was preceded by a guerilla campaign that dropped 15,000 pics of “Bruce” randomly around town and drove people to his MySpace and Friendster pages. (No Facebook back then.) Results? Heaven & Earth was the first stills brand to join Coca-Cola and Sprite in the 2million unit case club.

Connecting Coke with the man in the street

The relationship began when Coca-Cola Singapore required an integrated creative platform for local markets in Asia-Pacific that could underpin the great brand campaigns produced at a global level.
The resulting platform, piloted in Singapore, is now recognized as the global best practise in the Coca-Cola system – a first. Plus this was the first ever campaign to be adopted 100% by markets in Asia. Winner Best in Class: Coca-Cola Teen Programme APAC. One of 6 finalists in Euro RSCG’s global Creative Business Idea awards

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