And the cactus goes to..

Before this week come to an end I thought I'd tell you about the last Golden Cactus awards. On Wednesday morning we all arrived at the Hilton Tel Aviv where the award ceremony was about to take place. As always it started with a gallery displaying both print ads and outdoors advertising followed by a typical events breakfast.
As always there where lecturers and speakers and of course the award ceremony itself (with brunch in the middle). The thing is though, that as always, it was boring. This event holds in it the best creative minds in the industry, with a combined production capabilities and creative experience of at least 100 years, and yet as always it's one of the most boring and dry events you can imagine. Still, as always, it was fun to meet all your friend and see who moved where and who did what.
But those of us who remember the Adeaters nights that were held at the trendiest clubs in Tel Aviv, know that there is a another way and for you youngsters...

http://www.adeater.com/night-of-the-ad-eaters.htm

Anyways...congratulation to all the winners, who proves once again there is good advertising here, if you know where to look

Creative of the week

Brand X Brand

We sometimes call it "Talent" or "Celeb" but basically when we use someone famous to promote a brand or a product we are actually using a brand to promote a brand. Well you know symbiosis. It's kind of funny when you think about it because the bigger the brand, the bigger the chances this symbiosis will occur (more money of course). But who is doing who service here? Obviously the "Talent" is getting compensated big time for his services. But still, if his career is slowing down a bit, he may come cheaper but the service done to him is priceless.
Now I know it not the first time and definitely not the last, but the great endless concept behind the Snickers ads is just, well....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys0cmMiW6bI&feature=player_embedded

Creative of the week

The rise and fall of the Haredic advertising

Someone dear to me asked me recently, why don't I (now, when my blog is celebrating its first years birthday) write something about Haredic advertising. I did work there for four years after all. Well, truth be told, and I do hope it doesn't come across as me being big headed, but since leaving the Haredic advertising world there wasn't anything to write home about.
I remember the start of this weird and wonderful friendship with this unique market. It started around 5 years ago, and as a creative director from the secular sector, it was quite a culture shock. A friend once told me, that designing for the Haredic market is like being asked to paint a beautiful and colorful picture without using three of the basic colors.
But still, the amazing potential, both from the business point of view and the creative one were obvious from the start, so we garbed it by the horns and never looked back.
Now 5 years later, every now and then I get stuff sent to me or I surf the blogs of this past life hoping to see a continuation to our legacy (yes, legacy) but alas, I never really do.
Maybe one day. One can still hope without being a believer.

4X4 Hippo

Congratz

happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear blog,
happy birthday to me...
Congratulations to myself for my blog's first year's birthday.

Creative of the week

Brother, where art thou?

In this day and age we are always trying to stay in touch. I even wrote about it not so long ago, how people can always find you, on the phone, through email, chat, Facebook etc. That's all fine and good as long as you want to be found. But now, there seems to be a need for some people to not only be found easier but also to show where they are at all times. It seems like something got basically wrong along the way. At the beginning it was apps that showed you if your friends and you are close to each other. But now it's up to ourselves to update where we are, irrelevant if anyone is near us at the moment. So... I am past it all, sitting down after a BBQ, with friends, drinking beers, having fun etc. It's 19:23 and I am now at...

No, No, No... that's for me to know and you to find out

Time out

Some say free time is over rated. I don't know about that, I am starting this Friday evening as a free man, Well... free from the kids that is. It's 18:30 the girls are at their grandma and it's just the two of us until tomorrow at noon. There are of course so many things one wants to do when the kids are not there. Go out clubbing, restaurants, bars come back late & drank or stay in have sex from now till tomorrow. At the end it's probably be a bit of everything although most likely for us it will be in doors. Because when you do have some free time, all you really want to do, is let it go by as slowly as possible. One of the options is having a nice and quiet dinner sit back and relax, watch the game as loud as you want with a cold beer in one hand and your wife under the other. After that we'll let it flow, but I am pretty sure we will use this free time to its full potential. Wow ,I even had time to post this and it's only 18:53. Who said time flies when you are having fun?

Creative of the week

Not the best creative out there, but I think you will agree it's spot on

A German brand

According to Wikipedia a brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color, combination or slogan. The word branding began simply as a way to tell one person's cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. This is the short definition of the word brand.
But today of all days, the Holocaust day, this word is viewed from a different perspective. One of the many horrible acts done by the Germans was branding the Jews by numbering each and every one of them like cattle. But this same Inhuman act will allow us and the rest of the world to remember these branded people forever and ever. Because future will show that us Jews, where always and will always be the best brand in the world.