Facebook Fury!

I have officially become the 'grumpy cat' of Facebook browsing. Almost every time I scroll through my feed, I feel like I am subjected to sickening confessions of love, half-naked bathroom selfies and irrelevant, irritating political opinions. I roll my eyes in pity as I look down at the bored, boring 'friends' I have on Facebook that have nothing else to do but share their dog's eating habits with everyone from their ex-boyfriend's Spanish cousin to school friends they haven't seen in 10 years, with the blind expectation that people will 'like' it. There are days when I go on what I like to call "Facebook Massacres" where I delete all of those who have recently vomited their useless information onto my feed but it seems to continue, despite my efforts to ignore all of these oversharing idiots. This is why I would so greatly appreciate a dislike button, or even better, an  "I don't care" button. Have a look at this great infographic which explains perfectly how an "I don't care" button would work, using some common examples. I loved it!

Source: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/03/20/9-reasons-why-facebook-needs-the-i-dont-care-button-infographic/

Hashtag killing #firstworldproblems

Almost all of us have used the hashtag 'firstworldproblems'. We think its funny. In fact, the hashtag has become so popular that up to five tweets are sent every second describing the trials and tribulations of the developed world. 

"When my dishwasher is running, I can't hear the TV #firstworldproblems". 

From complaints about the cleaning lady who broke some frivolous high priced item that we probably never used, to not being able to reach our mobile chargers in bed, we believe that by merely placing a sarcastic hashtag to it, we don't sound like spoiled brats. 

But the truth is, while we make fun of our first world problems, there are real problems that are happening around the world that are far from funny, and that make our at home seem trivial. That is why Water for Life, a non-profit organization together with global advertising firm DDB created an ad campaign where impoverished Haitians respond to #firstworldproblem tweets in an attempt to 'reverse-trend' the popular meme. Probably social media's first ever attempt to kill a hashtag, rather then promote it.

Some of the Best Car Print Ads

Audi Q7 V8 326 CV. Makes everything else go pale. 

Fiat Stilo with Skywindow. The largest sun roof you have ever seen. 

BMW 530i. The ultimate driving machine.

Fiat Palio. Now with tinted windows as standard.

Comfort at work. Commercial vehicles by Volkswagen.

Closer to the road. The Golf Sportline.

Ford Focus 2009.

Mazda MX-5. Suddenly the world seems slower. 

Symmetry Sucks. New Nissan Cube.

Get in and get out safely thanks to automatic ambient lighting. Skoda. Simply clever.

The Volvo XC90. With seven seats. Sorry. 

For those who care about nature. Passat BlueMotion. Less pollution. 

For the love of automobiles. Volkswagen.

Touareg 5.0 V10 TDI 313 HP. Where no other SUV has ever been before.

Source: http://www.coldscoop.com/2011/11/24/21-funniest-car-print-ads-ever/

Volkswagen: The Volkswagen Search Engine Experience

Almost everyone wants to game Google search results for the benefit of their campaigns. But as I have been told by some techies, Google does not like being gamed. And it is very, very hard to do so. This is why Volkswagen's campaign for its 'business car' range has created such a hype. Developed by a group of masterminds from SEA-Team with the help of brilliant SEO (Search Engine Optimization)-craftsmanship, Volkswagen managed to take over the Google search results and display a complete ad in the image display. Had it not been documented, the activation would only have lasted a few days. 

Anti-abuse ad that is only visible to children

The ANAR  (Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk) Foundation and the Grey Group Spain have created this unique campaign which allows only children below five feet four to be able to view a message of concealed assistance, which appears differently to the adult they are being accompanied by. With the rate of children being abused by a parent or guardian on a continual rise, the ad allows children to view a message without it being disarmed by their abuser. This gives children an opportunity to change their circumstances of abuse, without the abusing adult being any wiser. 

The ad was created using a technique called lenticular printing that exhibits two different images depending on the angle at which they are viewed. When anyone over five feet four views the image, the child simply appears morose. But for those shorter viewers (targeted at 10 years of age and younger), the boy's face is covered in bruises and cuts, reading "if somebody hurts you, phone us and we'll help you" with ANAR's phone number. 

Have a look at link the below the pictures for the video. 

How it works:

What the adult sees:

What the child sees:

To watch the video click here.

Source: http://www.mommyish.com/2013/05/06/anar-spain-child-abuse-ad-different-for-kids/ 

Calculated controversy

Controversy in advertising is not a new tactic in the industry, and if the controversy is intentional, the purpose is to be hard-hitting and get a point across in a harsh and direct manner. Below you will see some of the most 'popular' controversial ads from the past few years. Some of them are explicitly sexual, others are shock because of certain religious views and others are just plain weird. You will find that some of these ads are controversial because of association with the brand they are advertising.

I think it is valuable to realize that these ads are created with great strategy and decisive intent. They are not 'badly made'. 

The ads below are just a few of the many that sparked huge controversy around the world. But it not uncommon for us to be somewhat shocked by what we are exposed to. These are controversial for a variety of reasons.

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