Applause (3rd) (SPA)

Esta vez el aplauso es en español. No solo porque la campaña que se lleva la tercera felicitación de BRAND-IN-G es española, sino porque hay que serlo para que se te erice el cabello con esta bella historia patrocinada por Campofrío.

Y es que este anuncio no es un anuncio. La marca Campofrío es una mera excusa para contarnos un cuento de esperanza. Un cuento de esos que un padre susurra sentado en la cama al hijo que ha tenido un mal día en el colegio.

La maldita crisis es un nuestro mal día en el colegio, y necesitamos la esperanza de saber que no es para tanto, y que tener confianza en que todo va a ir a mejor es el primer paso para que realmente ocurra.

Coca-cola también intentó subirnos el moral hace un tiempo, y lo sigue intentando en concordancia con su línea de comunicación basada en la felicidad. La campaña "Razones para creer en un mundo mejor", de ser actual, bien podría merecer otro aplauso.

Pero además este aplauso a Campofrío no lo estoy dando sólo yo. Habiendo sido estrenado esta misma semana. El anuncio ya está “on fire” en las redes sociales. Es lógico, a todo el mundo le gusta el mensaje que transmite y la historia está genialmente contada.

Como amante del humor reconozco, además, que me toca en el fondo del corazón este conmovedor homenaje al gran padre del humor en España, Don Miguel Gila. Y más si éste consigue reunir a tantos grandes humoristas.

La marca aparece muy poco en los dos minutos y medio que dura la versión completa del spot, y aún así es muy probable que el éxito de esta campaña se vea reflejado en las ventas de Campofrío, que ya no es una más de las marcas de embutido de este país, porque ahora nos cae bien.

Brandin-4G and the "SMART-use-of-the-PHONE" movement

The downloading and usage of Smartphone applications have rocketed in the last 2 years, from being just a far-off novelty, to become our daily bread. And this trend is going to continue for the next years⁽¹⁾. In February a survey said that more than 70% of smartphones users had up to 30 apps⁽²⁾, which means nowadays they might be even more.

All this information is enough reason for companies for trying to use this new platform to offer their content -audiovisual companies-, to reach more clients and reach them better -services companies- and to interact and get publicity -any company in search for branding-. This is why “mobile marketing” is now one of the focuses for advertisers, publicists and media planners. All they try to find the way to get a share of the time consumers spend nowadays in front of this small screen.

But now, I put on the consumer hat, and see how we spend the time that we pass in front of our phones. And, at the same time I see some great advantages of using Smartphone applications, I also realize of some hazards when using them.

For example, WhatsApp is so useful and widespread that saves us from the insane charges for SMS messages⁽³⁾. But on the other hand, more that 1 billion messages are sent each day by this medium⁽⁴⁾, which means a huge amount of time spent texting someone that is not with us, and this is done many times accompanied by someone.

Many times we have the impolite habit of using our Smartphone apps when being with other people, this commercial (that surprisingly comes from a Mobile Operator) shows how all this takes a toll on us.

By far, most used apps are Social Networks and games⁽⁵⁾, which means that the time while going by train or bus, that we used to spend on reading, studying or just reflecting on our lives, now we use is to play Angry birds or look pictures and comment of “friends”.

Research shows that Facebook is the most popular Smartphone app among Android users in the U.S.⁽⁶⁾ (and I think probably in the rest of the world as well). That is, being all the time in front of our computers “connected” with our friends is not enough? How often we don’t meet in person with our friends because we “don’t have time”?

Technology should be a weapon to enjoy more our lives, not to become zombies that live through it. This is the main thought of the new movement “SMART-use-of-the-PHONE”, an initiative to support the responsible use of Smartphones and apps, making the best of all its potential but refusing to waste our lives looking to a phone screen. We all should think about it.

(1)- http://www.vecdis.es/?p=1664 (Spanish)

(2)- http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/02/01/build-up-your-appitype/

(3)- http://gearburn.com/2011/09/whatsapp-rocks-and-will-kill-sms/

(4)- http://www.bgr.com/whatsapp-users-send-over-1-billion-messages-each-day/

(5)- http://www.marketingnews.es/noticia/estudio-usuarios.html (Spanish)

(6)- http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=30327&_4ee1215729884

Applause (2nd)

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs deceased. Ater the firs days of shock and some news specials on his memory, some voices brought up the thought that, maybe, his death could mean a problem to the good results and image that Apple has had for the last years.

But Steve's death is not the real threat to them. The real (and big indeed) threat to Apple's hegemony in the field of smartphones is called SAMSUNG.

Here is their lastest TV spot:

The company from South Corea is decided to snatch them the first place in the ranking of Smartphones world sellers. And it's doing vey well. They fight the great power of Apple's brand image with good quality and much lower prices, and it seems to be bearing fruit.

This image compares they newest phones:

Despite the image, is hard to know which one is doing better in terms of product. But, in any case, the spot deserves this second Applause! Congratulations to the agency and the brand manager.