Case Study stuff
This being the week of Cannes, many creative people are on the continent who would not otherwise be.
Last week I caught up with a couple of good friends who are now Aussie CDs. Coincidentally both of them did the same thing that I found odd’n’interesting: the work they mentioned having been part of or impressed by was the kind of thing that you would only have seen if you found the time to watch case study films.
I won’t use the real names (combination of anonymity and can’t quite remember the details and don’t want to get them wrong), but as they said, ‘Have you seen Persil Island?’ or ‘He did Smarties House Party’, I looked a little blank. This is not in any way to denigrate these fine achievements, but it’s an interesting illustration of how diverse and award-centric these conversations have now become.
Back in the day you would see a TV ad, or maybe a poster, in real life, then when someone mentioned it you could have a chat about its merits.
Then both scam advertising (no way you’d see that on real TV) and the rise of international work (ditto) meant that you’d have to seek out the work in Lürzer’s or wait for the D&AD annual/One Show to come out (and there were still no case study films to watch). But the number of ads you ‘should’ have seen was still manageable.
Then blogs (such as this one) showed the best ads in the world as soon as they became available. In fact, part of the PR machine for ads feeling big and known deliberately includes these channels, so you might well see the award-y work well before it actually wins anything.
But now we have the rise of the case study film, where so many award schemes require the two-minute explanation of the campaign for it to be successful in any way. Several categories (Branded Innovation etc.) need such films, while categories that never used to (Outdoor) now routinely give explanations about posters that power villages or elaborate stunts that take over a Danish square with old ladies dressed as bikers.
All well and good, but when do you watch them? I assume other ad blogs etc. show these films, but I never really come across them (nor am I particularly keen to do so), except over the next fortnight, when I’ll watch the absolute best on the Cannes website. Then that’s it for another year, and I will be condemned to offer further blank expressions when told about Nike: Project Frottage or Uniqlo Tramp Wank Week.
Apologies in advance.
I’m going to start doing my treatments in the style of a case study given that it’s the modern way to communicate ideas…….maybe I’ll pick up a few more jobs that way.
Excellent idea.
I thought Uniqlo Tramp Wank Week was a cutting edge piece of communication, and it deserves everything that it will no doubt win.
that is actually a good idea.
but i’m glad case study videos exist.
it saves me standing next to all my posters and pointing out the insight.
i’m also really pleased that small brands of LED light, highlighter pens and shoe polish are getting a good showing at cannes. it’s about time they were rewarded for their stand out work.
More highlighter pen ads? Awesome.
GL – Have you seen the short list already? Or are you judging? I hear that the shoe polish boys are lobbing gem encrusted ipads at jury members this year….
I loved the fact that they outfitted all the tramps with wifi hotspots in Uniqlo Tramp Wank week. And then wanked them off.
Then it was picked up by literally dozens of websites and a local news station.
Here’s one that won loads recently. They’ve stopped all crime ever. (I actually love the idea, but the case study is way over the top)
http://vimeo.com/64544595
Throughout the month of June…
@O’really: I’ve noticed unvandalised shutters around London for years. I mean, hats off to the guys for making some more of them but taking the credit for thinking it up is a bit rich. The stats seem shifty (since filming police have reported etc.) and could be down to all sorts of factors.
I made the same point after The Great Schlep won a Gold Pencil. In its case study video it took credit for getting Obama in. FFS…
What a load of cock. Give yourself a pat on the back, you spray painted some shutters with smiling faces, who cares how many people ‘shared’ it, what matters is if it worked. I’m getting tired of ambient/experiential that is created purely to film and put on the net, really it should be classed as a digital idea. Rarely do people who don’t work in advertising see these things. I don’t know any of my friends that have seen that coke 007 crap. That whole category epitomises scam. Or maybe it’s that I’m sitting in the office while all the scammers are out in Cannes
Even uni ad courses now teach the students how to make these case study videos for their portfolio, with voice overs saying it was then shared all over the place by this blog and that. It’s disgusting.
The films were distributed via the charity’s website and YouTube Channel and became their most viewed films.
I’ve spent about 5/6 years making case study films (filming and editing), for two very large agencies here in London.
They’re not only good for awards entries, but also clients often ask for them so they can show their bosses. Sometimes they contain some really blatant lies, but that’s usually the exception.
However, no matter how good the case study film, if the campaign is terrible there’s a limit to how much you can hide that.
I know this is weird to say, but I think that agencies should think a little about the case study film etc at the very start of the campaign. It would make for a much more interesting film.