WEEK 10: QUIZ

Week 10: Quiz

Advertising: Project 3 (15%)

We have learned about marketing being the action or business of promoting and selling, while advertising is the art of communication and persuasion. 

This video clip went viral recently: http://youtu.be/iPQJe7yeVAE it shows a Volkwagen Polo ramming a Malaysian Police car from the back and then speeding off. 

The incident was recorded by a dashboard camera and was uploaded onto YouTube which then went viral on social media.

Viral marketing/advertising (sometimes) uses a pre-existing social phenomenon (like this incident) to advance a service or a product by leveraging on its popularity.

Task

Your task is to leverage on this incident that has gone viral on behalf of Volkswagen's Polo brand of cars, and increase the brand awareness of the car. You can approach this by using humor, wit, or any other means necessary and make play of the incident to ride on its popularity. 

Client: Volkswagen

Medium: Online Web banner

336 x 280 pixels

(Use makeagif.com to animate your banner. Use Adobe Illustrator to create your Ad.)

Your submission will consists of:

1) Flat Ad design measuring 336 x 280 pixels (not animated)

2) Animated flat design 336 x 280 pixels

News Portals: The Malaysian Insider, The Star, The Malay Mail Online, etc.

The ad will feature on the home page of the news sites and on the side of the online article featuring the incident. 

Deadline: Thursday 10pm, 5/11/15.

Marking Criteria

Communication (5%)

The message needs to be creative, clear and concise. The message has to be honest and not gimmicky. The message must be unique in order to stand out from the rest of the competitors. The message must have a sense of personality that relates to, or reflects the target audience.

Art Direction (5%)

Art direction here refers to the visual and copy "style" for the overall design. The crafting of the visual and copy must reflect good composition, appropriate choice of typeface & visual, hierarchy in communication, appropriate choice of colour and a synergy of style between visual and copy. Good art direction (visual & copy style) will reflect strong proficiency in the use of relevant software to realize the style sought after. Good art direction (layout, visual & copy style) must consist of the detailing that is involved in the creation of the advertisement.

Process (5%)

There must be exploration in the form of sketches, mind maps, thoughts and epiphanies. The journey from start to finish must be methodically documented and dated. oral or written Feedback must be documented. The written reflections must be clear, concise, revealing and insightful.

Articles:

http://www.star2.com/living/2015/06/25/watch-speeding-polo-slams-police-car-on-jalan-pudu/

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/greater-kl/article/student-speeds-away-after-crashing-into-patrol-car/student-speeds-away-after-crashing-into-patrol-car

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/greater-kl/article/student-charged-with-drunk-driving-claims-trial/student-charged-with-drunk-driving-claims-trial

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/06/24/Student-hit-and-run-police-car/

http://m.themalaymailonline.com/videos/malaysia/watch/daring-hit-and-run-vw-polo-rear-ends-police-car-flees

Research

So basically I researched some of the Volkswagen ads online to get a clearer understanding about the methods that they use to convey a message that increases the brand awareness of the car and how their ads were designed. Below are few of the examples that I found. I also researched the best car advertisements, immaterial to brand to prompt ideas as well.

Strategies & Ideas

Image:

• a regular image of a VW Polo with a caption
• a damaged Polo with the caption "You should see the other guy"
• the view from the drivers side, with a Polo in the rear view mirror
• just a picture of the Polo in the rear view mirror

Copy:

• Street credit upgraded
• Gangstas don't discriminate
• You don't want to be in front of me
• You've seen what happens to slow drivers in front of me
• Too fast for my/your own good
• Legit celebrities all have viral videos
• Reckless or not, you that video makes us look good
• We're German. So's the Rottweiler.
• With great power comes great responsibility. Responsibility to use that power.
• Did you see the crash test? 
• Proven: Impact Protection
• You should see the other guy

I liked the idea of using the rear view mirror most of all, but when I began creating the advert, I found that I didnt quite like how it looked.

I then moved to using a side mirror and I was much happier with the results. While creating that image, it hit me that I should use a version of the line 'objects in the mirror are closer than they appear' to aid its relation.

Submission

GIF: http://makeagif.com/zxhje2

Feedback

I have viewed your attempt for the Practical Quiz (Project 3), and I must say, I am very pleased. It is a marked improvement from Project 2. It was witty and relevant to the incident that your Ad seeks to ride on. 

The art direction was good, however your choice of font wasn't same as what is usually used by VW in their ads. A little research on that would have give you the answer. The static ad and the gif animation was good. You managed to communicate effectively and memorably. You were able to illicit an emotional reaction — a smile in the mind. 

All in all, good work.