Sunday, September 16, 2007

Advertising in 3-D


Travelling out of town is a great opportunity to see how other businesses advertise their services. I love seeing what other creatives and other businesses are doing. Maybe it's because their in bigger cities, but I often see businesses as more focused and even riskier in their ad campaigns.

One recent example of a large corporation bending the rules a bit is Nationwide Insurance, corporate headquarters Columbus, Ohio. This large entity has a history of using some very creative ways to explain "Life comes at you... Fast!" But their latest ad endeavor must be their greatest.

In downtown Columbus, see photo, they've splattered the walls of an entire multi-story building, as well as a parking lot, attendant station, and some cars in the lot with a lime green paint. A can of paint, from a fictional company, has split over and created a huge mess.

The implication, I suppose, is that "life" aka sh** happens and Nationwide is on your side! While many clients don't have the budget to take on such a massive endeavor, I'd love to see more local businesses shaking it up a bit.

In our culture, where people are inundated with new information constantly, it seems there's an even greater need to be dramatic to get attention. However, dramatic doesn't have to mean complicated or showy.

As a micro-agency, MWD can provide tailored advertising and creative strategies. As an artist, I can work with clients on how to do something new that's worth the investment of money.