TOUSABAO LEH

Doing this project actually reminded me when i had my graphic design classes where I have to recreate a whole new magazine from scratch. It was the most challenging and interesting thing that I have ever did. I enjoyed it so much but in the end the whole magazine did not made it into printing because my teacher that time did not have time. So we ended up only keeping everything in Ai file.

But now in my university, I was so happy that there is a assignment where we need to create a magazine cover and a feature article. I have a hobby that I am very involved with which is Cosplay. I have been cosplaying since I was 14-years-old. That is why I have always collected a lot of Cosplay magazine but it is extra expensive in Malaysia, also everything is in Japanese.

Here is a magazine that I have recreated myself!

ZOO

Here's a logo that I have design for Zoo Negara. It was actually a class activity where we recreate a new logo for Zoo Negara, Malaysia. I was not able to hand in in time (sadly) but I guess it is one of the design that I kinda like it myself so might as well share it here!

Concept and idea of the logo used:

1. The orang utan is used as the main icon for the Logo as because the orang utan is consider one of the prime animals that we have in Malaysia.
2. The graphic and the colours that i have chosen matches the colour of the orang utan. By using the bright orange, it is able to catch attention as because orange colour is close to the colour red.
3. The font that I have chosen matches with the boarder as it gives an edgy “safari” kind of feeling to compliment the orang utan. As the “negara” have a floral and leafy kinda font to compliment with the forest which the orang utan lives in.
4. I personally enjoy designing shaped and animated design that is why I create a geometrical orang utan to match with my style.

RELLY WATERPROOF?

This would be an additional post just to add onto my portfolio. One of the work that I have did last few semester in university was to create an advertisement for a product. 

The product that I have chosen was the waterproof stereo boombox. The reason I have choose this product was because my dad was complaining that his speaker was spoilt because he accidentally spilt water on it, it was very random but then I thought of "why not do an advertisement on a waterproof speaker!" What weird inspiration I got from.

The design was kinda inspired by the company's original advertisement where the stereo boombox was placed at the beach near the sea. And so I recreated it but with a more graphic look. Also, please mind the typography that I have used, the comic san serif was probably the worst idea of all.... But hey, I was just playing around. 

It was all retrace from the original product. And no, this blog post was not sponsored! Do not get the wrong idea hahaha. 

WEAVING YOUR DREAM DRESSES

This last post will conclude my final assignment that I have done for my copywriting class. This is also a very last minute and impromptu design which I have done like less then a week. 

It is not what I have expected, it could have been prettier and done more professional. I am disappointed but, of course I will learn from my mistakes and try to improve. 

So this is an advertisement for a costume customising shop. Mainly it is focused on the value proposition of what the service provides and how the customers should feel after purchasing from the shop.

Play Any part With Us!

Have you dreamt of becoming a beautiful princess or a knight with shinning armours? With us, you can! Alpha Costume Service provides series for those who demands that every detail of the costumer to be perfect. And creative designs mesmerise beyond imagination! Using the best material, and fabric that is so easy to care for you'll have time to spare for fun! Designs can be based on any types of character from Disney Princesses to Anime character and even Marvel Superheroes.

Discover Alpha Costumer Services, and give us a chance to make your dreams come true. Place your order now at www.alphaservices.com and claim your privilege to 40% discount. By typing in the code ALPHA. Its your special access to transform into your fantasy.

Weaving your desired costumes..

REAL BEAUTY

Topic: Interesting Layout

Type: Guerilla ad

Heres a back story on how I found this ad. Dove have always been leading a body image campaign which was called the Real Beauty Campaign. Through this campaign, they hope that they will raise awareness of how girls feel about their body and built confidence. Which is why I have always supported and follow up with their campaign because it is meaningful although they mainly targeted the girls. 

This guerrilla billboard ad campaign is called 'Girl Outdoor'. It shows a young girl peeling the billboard away to shield herself from stares by other people. This ad features a girl worried about her image. The advertisement brings a sad emotion to it because the girl in the picture does not look happy at all. 

The way they have placed the advertisement is very creative and has the potential to be very effective through its eye-catching use of the billboard medium, because it looks like the girl is really pealing the billboard away showing the empty billboard at the back. By using this physical structure of the billboard to make a point, viewers are more likely to interrupt their daily patterns such as driving and walking to pay attention to it. 

It is not only catching but I am sure that mothers who have so happened to see this billboard would remind themselves to not make their own children think the same way. It will definitely become a great reminder and people would burry this image into their head because of how they have advertise it. 

Here is some of the reason why using guerrilla ad will be more effective:

1. It would stand out more because it is different than traditional marketing messages. The ability to do something unique that can truly catches people's attention can be more effective then the ability to fund a cost and time consuming campaign that people will subconsciously ignore. 

2. Brand building to develop an edgy or hippy brand image. The act of going against tradition and the creativity of guerrilla tactics can label a company and a brand as something cool to the consumers. Which would also bring a closer relationship to the young people. 

3. It has a lasting impression. Because of the creativeness, people tend to remember the company or the brand for doing something out of the box. 

#PaintAllSurfaces

Topic: Unique TV/Radio Ad





Type: TV Commercial/Advertisement


This is an advertisement for Nippon Paint. Remembering Ms Jenny which is our copywriting lecturer who have gave us one homework which we have to criticise on a Nippon Paint advertisement as well, but if compare with this, I think this Nippon Paint ad is more attention grabbing in compare to the one that Ms Jenny have gave us. Because it involves with graphics and they have their mascot in it as well which is also called the Blobbies.

In the advertisement itself, it stated the product benefits which is the Nippon Paint can paint on surfaces such as roof, floor, wall, ceiling, ceramic, tile, wood, metal, glass, and even automative. They used a unique was of explaining it without doing it in one go.

With the graphics in the advertisement it will also attract more kids to watch the advertisement as well. As it is clean and simple it gave examples without needing to explain about it. In the advertisement, they have also ad in another paint which is the spray paint. Pylon Nippon Spray Paint. It is like they are advertising two types of product in one advertisement.

They ended the commercial with a hashtag paint all surfaces and with their slogan at the end of the video. They kept the video short and finished it in one minute. It might be easy to film an ad for one minute but they added a lot of graphics and animations into it which make the advertisement so special.

Here is some tips for creating an effective TV commercial:
1. Represent your brand clearly. Your brand name have to be said repeatedly so that viewers with remember what brand's advertisement they are watching. If they take out the Nippon, then people would just think that it is every other normal paint which would do the same thing as shown in the Nippon Paint advertisement.

2. Create an interesting storyline. No one would want to watch an advertisement without any humour or action to it. As interesting the storyline is, the higher chances that viewers will keep watching and remember your brand.

3. Develop a signature character or a theme. Example for Nippon Paint they have their signature character which is the Bloobies. Kids would remember them easily and there is a chance even when they grow up, they would still have an idea of who is Bloobies and what brand it came from.

4. Keep it simple. Simple, clean and understandable. Commercial that talks can bring boredom to some people and they will skip the advertisement instead of continue watching it.

5. Do not cut corners. Quality is an essential element of an effective TV as. Quality does not necessarily mean you have to empty your pockets on the production of one ad. But do utilise a professional film production team to ensure the quality of your commercial.

JUST DO IT LOH

So I have to write a post for an interesting body copy in an ad, but the problem is advertisements nowadays only focus on the graphics and attention grabbing headlines. It is rare to see advertisements today with long body copy on it, and that is why I have to add on "vintage/old" onto the search tool to look for ad with body copy. I found so many but this is the one that caught my attention because I did not know how innocent and cute the brand was when it just started and was not that popular.

Topic: Body copy

"Now you know all about cross-training.

Now you need to know about the one shoe designed specifically for cross-training: 

The Nike Air Trainer TW. It has Nike-Hair. It's supportive. It's stable. It's washable.

Now what all that means: You can run in it. You can walk in it. You can lift weights 

in it. You can play volleyball in it. You can play tennis in it. You can ride a bike in it. 

And yes, you can even do aerobics in it.

So, you want to learn more about cross-training and nike cross-training shoes. So call toll-free:(number)NIKE (7am to 5pm Pacific Time)

So you don't have a phone, so write: Nike Consumer Relations, (address)

Type: Print ad

So if you did not read my opening sentence, I am explaining how interesting and whats the wow factor for the advertisement on top. As you can see, it is a very old old advertisement for Nike and it was when they had first launch their Nike Air edition. As I see how popular this edition now in our time now, I find this advertisement so cute and funny at the same time. Because now you don't even see any words in Nike's advertisements. The ad might just have a model or a famous person wearing it and pretend to run in it or doing squads. 

Lets start from the top, the visuals and headline is normal to me, but because it is a branded item that is why I decided to continue reading because if I were to be a big fan of Nike and didn't know what does this Nike Air can benefits me, I would definitely take the time and interest to read the body paragraph.

Firstly why do I think this is interesting is because, it is very rare to see sports shoe which can used in multiple ways in the olden days. (even now it is hard to find the suitable one to do cross-training). Cross-training was popular in the olden days and till now as well. They started of by introducing Nike Air as the shoe which is specifically designed for cross-training. Which means, it is a multipurpose sports shoe.

Secondly, it explained the consumer benefits and the product benefits together by explaining what can the shoe do one by one. I find it a little draggy but I guess that is just a way of attracting the reader to continue to read on. 

The style they put the words together is simple and it makes it easy to understand. Although they threw in different kind of sports to make the body paragraph looks longer and maybe more professional. I think it brings a little bit of humour as well, I mean you do not have to write out each and every sports in an ad right? 

The call to action on the bottom offers the phone number in a twist the style of writing was humouring as well. It added in the end "So, you don't have a phone" and so they provide the address instead. It is cute and it would leave a good long impression for people who finds it funny. 

One downfall of this ad is that the body paragraph's font is too small and the colour makes it hard to read. Honestly, I would probably just ignore the body paragraph and went straight to the store itself to know more about the shoe. 

EXTRA

This ad does not have a specific targeted group, that is why they came out with another Air Max collection just for the ladies. And the shoe name is called Nike Women's Air Control II. 

AD FOR DUMMIES

Topic: AIDCA and elements 

Type: Print Ad

I will start this blogpost by explaining what does A.I.D.C.A. means and it's elements. It is very important that a print ad is interested so it can attract the viewers to look and understand what you are trying to advertise. Your print ad has just a split second to attract attention and quick explain why your product or service has some benefit to those who read about it. But in order to do so, your advertisement must attract attention, create interest, stimulate desire, cause conviction and trigger action. Which its what A.I.D.C.A. stands for, Attention, Interest, Desire, Credibility and Action.

I have found this ad online which is a print ad for one of the books under DUMMIES  and we will be using it as an example. Firstly that come on the A.I.D.C.A. is to grab attention. While there is a lot of ways to get people's attention, but will it last? Start with a bold and simple headline that would make the viewers to turn their heads. For the above ad, "GET A CLUE" and on the bottom there is a picture of a book of Forensics for Dummies. Its interesting and simple that would make the viewers read what is actually in this book that we need a get a clue.

Then it is to sustain the interest that the viewers have using the sub headline or listening out what consumer benefits and values will get after buying the book. In the advertisement on top, it is written there "DYNAMIC, ENTERTAINING, AND EDUCATIONAL.. BLOWS THE LID OFF THE SINCE OF CRIME" which is actually the consumer benefits.

Next, it is to create desire by writing an interesting body paragraph with the product benefits in it so there would be chances of increasing the number of consumers. Example in the ad given above is "IN THIS PLAIN-ENGLISH GUIDE, FORENSICS GURU AND CRIME FICTION CONSULTANT DR.D.P.LYLE DEMYSTIFIES THE SCIENCE OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONS, FROM FINGERPRINTS AND FIVERS TO TIME OF DEATH AND DNA." Of course you can't write the whole summary of what the book is about on an ad, so as simple it is, the easier to understand.

To establish credibility you can either insert facts, testimonial or a quote. As for the example ad, they have inserted a quote by Kathleen Anthim, author of Capital Offence which was also under the easy to sustain viewer's interest. (refer to paragraph three)

Lastly it is to instigate action by adding a simple phone number, website or offering a discount code and coupon for customers. Example that the ad have used was adding a phone number and it even listen where can customers get the book from.

A.I.D.C.A. is actually very important to create a interesting and successful advertisement that does grab customer's attention. Other than that, the graphic of the advertisement is also important. The ad example on the top is not eye catching at all as because the colour is too plain and it is harder to grab viewer's attention. Especially for viewers that is slightly younger would only be attracted to graphics and colours that is eye-catching.

THE PERFECT AD FORMATS

Topic: Master Formats





Type: TV Commercial/Advertisement


This week's blog post would be on formats of advertisements, so I was googling for "best insurance advertisements" and I came across this advertisement. This is a car insurance commercial by the Liberty Mutual Insurance in the United Kingdom. The advertisement is very humorous as it relates to real life problem that some of us have once faced. Example, forgetting to pull the hand break after parking the car, reversing without realising there is a car at the back and etc.

This is the first time that I have actually came across a humorous insurance advertisements. It is because the Thai always come up with teary insurance advertisements. This advertisement actually did a great job to break the ice and go for something complete opposite from what the Thai had did.

The best part was the starting. They have made a very attention grabbing opening and it can make the viewers to continue watching the advertisement rather then changing the channel. But it never stop from there, it gives you real life example which will make you think "hmm, what if something like that really happened?" it will aroused the viewer to actually buy insurance for their car.

The type of format for this advertisement have been use was symbolising the problem according to Donald Gunn's 12 master formats of advertising. The type of formats of advertising that have been listed by Donald Gunn all mostly appear on the TV advertisements. I find Donald Gunn's format very relevant and mainstream at the same time. But his format was over 130+ years ago, maybe in this new era, there would be a new type of format other then this 12.

For example in this Ignite Social Media website, they show that Snapchat that is recently one of the popular social media that have 10second long video advertisements. The commission for each user that watched the 10second video will earn 0.02sen each. Which is not consider a small amount because Snapchat is globally used all over the world. This is the newly format that was not included in Donald Gunn's master format.