Cut Loose, Footloose, Kick Off The Sunday Shoes...

I don't know about you guys, but when I purchase a pair of shoes, lately I aim for comfort more than anything else. Don't get me wrong, looks are also important. I mean, shoes are the final frontier of your apparel. They can either compliment what you are wearing, or make you stick out like a sore thumb. That's the power of them. Very subtle, yet oh-so-deadly. No wonder women love them so much. That's some crazy female power right there.

A woman can wear, do or say almost whatever she wants to, if she wears a pair shoes that is still out of this world, it tends to shut the competition up. A smart woman knows this, and she'll use it. Very effectively. If you don't believe me, pay attention next time you are at a fancy work function or some gala event. We guys might be known to check out every other part of the female body, but women , they scrutinize footwear. Shoes are the boobs of the legs. Or ankles. Ankle-boobs. Chicks check out ankle-boobs ALL the time. They are that arresting.

Looking at these print ads I get the impression that Metro Shoes have an approach similar to mine. They go for the practical option of a comfortable feel more than just a look. (If only all relationships were this easy). The market they focus on are definitely young kids and 20 – 30 something adults. What they say to each of those I actually consider to be quite accurate. 

 

The chosen art direction for these ads are well done. It manages to capture the essence of what is important to the target market really well. For the kids, they show something that is fun and care free. To the older crowd, that which is considered important in their world. When coming up with a concept, this piece of information is especially of value. Knowing and understanding what exactly makes your target market 'tick' is what will help you execute a strategy, and an ad, that will best serve your clients and their product.

 The cool, retro couch design inside the one shoe in one of the ads definitely communicates some strong ideas about luxury, comfort and style, and it brings that concept of the brand across very clearly. The 'in-love' feeling you get from the woman sitting bare feet in the other shoe is also quite cool. In-love, is how you'll feel about a shoe that sits great on you, and the most comfortable shoes, are usually the ones you are hardly aware of. Almost like you're not wearing any.

The choice to use the interior of a convertible motorcar as the inside of one the shoe pairs, is also a good one. Freedom isn't free, but it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg, least of all your feet. They're not the most exciting ads ever, but they say what they have to and I'd like to believe that they weren't just signed off on for that sake.

Luckily at the end of the day taste is personal. However, what you choose to wear in order to make your walk worth one to remember might be exactly what somebody else will choose to forget. With Metro Shoes you can style in both. 

Groovy Baby!

Man, Austin Powers on his best day, packing heavy armoured mo-jo to the max, ain't got nothing on this crowd. That's the feeling you get when looking at these ads. I recon this is the bunch people who put the 'oove' in the groove, if fact the 'mo' before Austin's 'jo', and if this 'jol' went down at our 'Gala', there will definitely be a couple of 'j's' too. All ads to flavour 'ek sê'!

The creative team managed to capture a feeling here that I so associate with disco. I didn't grow up in the seventy's, so unfortunately I never got to experience it first hand. The big collared shirts, flanneled pants, massive shades, it must have been a special time and really cool to have been part of. If I did though, I suspect I might be the one that's still walking around with a disco ball around his neck. I guess things happen for a reason. 
Be that as it may, I have to say that the disco balls as heads or faces is a touch I really like. That mirror-ball epitomises the music, the people, the vibe, the hype, everything, the atmosphere, and having them as faces in these ads for those attending just seems to underline that these guys are 100%, pure disco devils.

In fact, what they very cleverly do is to create a certain air of mystique around whoever is there. That's cool. That's really cool. You can be whoever you want to be, as long as you're there. That's it. Plain and simple.

In the first ad I have to say I love the checkered floor. The fact that it's set in an old fashioned barber shop gives it a feeling that is rich and almost peiodic. Perhaps they have 'escaped' to this world (who knows what's inside those blingy, decadent, disco head-masks.) Okay sure, the woman with the hairspray probably belongs in a salon rather, but hats off to the brother sitting in the stool, oozing with cool, letting her do her thing. Another great nuance. Somewhere in the back there's a guy sweeping up the remains of someone that was clearly off their face. Next to him is a lady dressed up in Madonna 'Hung up' outfit, who perfectly clinches the feel of an authentic disco dancer.

 

This second ad also bounces with lively energy. The colours blend well together and the POV shot of a lady's foot right in front of you is classic. You can almost sense it's about to swing first to the left, then the right and then all of a sudden see her jump up and shake her ass like a woman possessed. You go girl.

In terms of a unique selling point (USP) or strategy, I think it's pretty clear. They are definitely showing us that if you want to have a trip down memory lane like no other with some wicked people along with you, then this is the party to be at.

The 'party sapiens' is a nice and fresh way of describing these people as 'party people/animals'. 

With this vibe on a cruise-liner out at sea you can be guaranteed of one thing, it sure is gonna get messy.

Now you see it, now you don't...

Centella Anti-Cellulite Tablets

That's the promise Centella makes with this print ad. It's a brief that was done by advertising agency Grey Argentina for the product Centella Queen Anti-cellulite Pills in October 1999.

One of the reasons I think this makes for a good ad is the fact that the client's product literally got used to portray the benefit it wishes to communicate to the target audience.. No over-the-top illustrations or empty promises. What you see, is what you'll get, and with a delicate matter such as cellulite it's never going to be about what you say, but how you say it. Something I'm sure most women will agree with.

I'm impressed that with their ad they manage to negotiate this obstacle very well, and as a result, there's no grey area that might get misinterpreted and create possible offense. Speaking of offense. Sometimes you actually want to make use of it to target your audience, but with cellulite I don't think that's the route to go.

So how did they do it? 'Formulate an effective strategy', are the words that come to mind. Do that and then execute it by showing your benefit in a way that is surprising and entertaining. By now I know to be effective, you have to relevant. If your strategy is falling by the way side, chances are you are going to end up doing a Humpty Dumpty ad, and 'all the king's horses, and all the king's men, won't be able to put your brand together again'. They obviously invested some decent time into compiling a good strategy for the Centella brief and both agency and client should feel proud.

This ad is pretty simple like I said. No fancy fonts or dramatic colours. Very straightforward. It shows and says what it has to, but does so in a fresh manner. That's it.

What they do achieve that I consider great is to make a promise with regards to their product's benefit and that is that it actually works. It's not just some sales pitch, it's real, and that's always good for business. Perhaps that's the reason why in this print ad it's only necessary to show the benefit in a very simple manner.

One thing is for certain, you won't see your cellulite anymore, and if this kind of not-see-seeing is still considered believing, then I'll be a believer too.