Havas Affair

This ad agency is the envy of others. It makes people think twice about a product. It created a man that is apparently the most interesting man in the world. This ad agency is Havas Worldwide, and it is the most interesting ad agency in the world... 

Okay, obviously that slogan doesn't work for this situation. But what is obvious is my strong admiration for this agency.The agency was named after Carles Louis Havas, who founded the company in 1835. In 1968, the company went through a drastic change. Havas became known as Havas Counseil S.A., they became an anonymous company, and Havas took off.  

Havas is a very exciting company because it's different, they're very analytical of their clients, which makes them creative and very original. Havas tries to find a particular aspect or quirk of their client and highlight it. In this ad for Disneyland Paris, the company tried to make a very American icon relatable to Europeans. So they used a question that scares most parents, which is "how are you going to tell them?" Instead of making it intimidating, they turned it into something heartwarming. More importantly, something parents would want to tell their children. They asked European families to record their children's surprise reactions to going to Disneyland. This ended up pulling on many heartstrings, it left the impression that Disneyland is about making memories with loved ones. It made Disneyland Paris something to look forward to.

Another ad that I really enjoy is the work for Dos Equis. What I like about it is that it's funny and unusual. It's defining for the product, with a mascot that isn't too exaggerated or campy. Dos Equis was a beer better known in Mexico, and a lesser known one in the U.S. Havas took this small business opportunity and made it into a big one with an iconic character: the Most Interesting Man In The World. This man is so revered I have to capitalize his title. What they did with Dos Equis was simple. They gave young men the impression that a great, and awesome man drinks this underground Mexican beer and yet, he's incredibly sophisticated, and well... interesting. Young men want to appear interesting, it's part of a man's natural bravado and character. Havas smart enough to play on that.

But I think the company's best ad (or at least the most impacting), is for Fragile Childhood. Fragile Childhood is a foundation that promotes a very sensitive topic, parental alcohol use. Havas found a way to take the studies found in Finnish homes scary for both parents and children. By turning the children's fears into their parents, the commercial is a strong reminder to caretakers. Children can easily see their parents as monsters. Kids are impressionable in many ways, and parenting needs to be taken seriously.

Overall, Havas is a very creative and extraordinary ad agency because it looks for something different in their clients and in their products. It's this analysis and keen interest in both, that the company has prevailed. What I like most about this ad agency is that they are creative, intelligent, and they are also very considerate of their audience, product, and client. That is what makes Havas the most interesting ad agency in the world.

Brands: "A Marker of Quality"

(Taken by AD 2010)

"It all started with a mouse,"- Walt Disney

This mouse is known as one of the most memorable brands in the history of entertainment: Disney. Disney is a great example of smart and intelligent branding for many reasons. When we think of brands, we consider that brands are a “marker of quality.” Everyone is their own brand; we're a product of what’s been exposed in our lives. With the  rise of social networking, and a diverse selection of products; distributors and producers have to consider who they are, who their selling their brand to, and what defines their brand.

It’s easy to say, “My brand is separate from others, because point A and point B;” it’s harder to let the brand speak for itself. Disney is one of the most identified brands because it has two things. It has an adorable talking mouse, and a little bit of "pixie dust." These two pieces/mascots, somehow convince people anything is possible. A small studio in Burbank proved so, now that studio is world famous.

Disney evolved from award winning films, to theme parks that have over fifteen million in attendance. Walt Disney started the company in a little studio in Burbank, California in 1923. He and several animators produced short films like Steamboat Willie and Alice's Wonderland. Eventually, he came out with the financial and award winning success, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937. After that, Disney went on a roller coaster of big successes and financial flops. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, the company got caught in an unlucky period until the sudden success of 1989's Little Mermaid. And from 1980-2000, Disney continued to flourish with a variety of TV stations, theme parks, and any form of entertainment value the company could get hold of. It's because of this long, and thriving history, people sympathized with the company. Having a 90-year span of growing and evolving, Disney created a name and brand for themselves. They even joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the 90s.

Now when people think of Disney as a brand, we tend to associate it with several key terms, some of which the company uses. These words are "magic," "family," "animation," and "legacy." These key terms define the company's brand, which we all know helped define American pop culture, and entertainment;  huge export in the U.S.'s economy. Overall, Disney as a brand has two things going for it, a positive and a negative. The positive outlook for this brand is that it is defined, it has a talking mouse ( if that's not definition, I don't know what is!). Everyone knows it as something, but because of this, the brand also becomes limited. This is Disney's weakness, and it has been since its flops with films like John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger. These flops happened because of the restrictions Disney has as a brand. Disney can't move too far from its comfort zone, or else they'll lose their audience. Although the company knows this, time will tell if they'll adapt to it correctly. And knowing this particular company, they will continue to thrive.

In conclusion, brands help define the product and familiarize it with it's audience. Disney is a brand because it knows it's audience, and the company is willing to conform into their audience's preferences. However, that also means it can't venture too far from it's brand without losing some followers. Because of this, I like to think of brands as a double edged sword. Using a brand correctly and to it's full potential can be beneficial. Misuse the brand and misunderstand it, well the brand is screwed. It all comes back to brands being "markers of quality," brands help identify the product, the company, and the owner. What makes Disney a good brand is that it understands the kind of quality it can deliver. It also informs the audience what it wants to know and see. And that is what makes a great brand.

My Opinion on Advertising

(Taken By JCD 2010)

I've always been excited about advertising. It changes our views, and influences our choices. It even helps one decide between products. Advertising has always fascinated me. It is the most ingenious ploy to have ever been crafted. In some way, everyone has been influenced, inspired, persuaded, and even convinced by it. Advertising is tremendously intelligent, it serves its purpose: to catch the attention of its consumers; to sell a product. Advertising sells a way of life, or better yet, an idea. 

The idea of advertising is sharing, consuming, and selling. I like advertising for a variety or reasons. But I've always found it incredibly manipulative. It gives reasons for people to buy something that may or may not work, or need. However, advertising sells products in such way, the consumer will feel some obligation to purchase a product. It’s the messed up part about advertising, but that is what makes it so interesting. It changes the way we think. But more importantly, the way we buy things. Advertisers use art, slogans, and design, anything that can be used to sell. Coca Cola is a great example of highly influential advertising.

Coca Cola had to find a way to sell their product in winter. People normally drink something warm, or hot in cold weather. To solve this, they reinvented a character that we now associate as jolly, bearded, red, and old. He checks his list twice, comes down a chimney, and visits once a year. More importantly, he finds out who's naughty or nice, we all know him as Santa Claus. He was originally portrayed as a saint, and wasn't quite pleasing to look at. So an artist changed the look. This look became a more relatable, and an iconic figure. In 1931, the Santa we all know and love came to be. His image was literally crafted, and defined by Coca Cola. Since the 1930s, generations of people now associate this image as Santa. The message they sent to their consumer was: Santa's like everybody else. He enjoys a nice, cold drink; especially in the winter. That kind of innovation changed a character for mass consumption, it's pretty extraordinary. It's unusual, but admirable. In my opinion, advertising is just a smart way of influencing the masses. Be it positive, or negative, it has an impact. Some think advertising is a cruel way of tricking people. I think it's just a smart way of selling a product, or an idea. 

Advertising is like a salesman, it tries to promote something. That kind promotion was crafted so well, it's hard to imagine a world without advertising. It gets into a consumer's head. Advertisements connect with people in some way. It's like what graphic designer Saul Bass said, "Thinking made visible." Advertising is like selling an idea. And isn't just exciting, it's extraordinary.

If you want to read the link about Coca Cola and Santa, here it is.