Sonia Young

Research

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:40:56 +1000

I’ve been taking a close look at Ad agency websites recently. To see so many in a short period of time has led me to make some observations and conclusions.

I can tell which agencies I would give my left hand to work for (and I am left-handed) and which agencies I’ll be giving a wide berth.

Good things about some agency websites:

– They look good

– They work good too and don’t take a million years to load

– A human face. Who’s who in the company. Knowing who you should contact in the case of a potential client or job seeker. A bit of skin

– They’re up-to-date and they look up-to-date

– Honesty and transparency

Things that are shit about some agency websites:

– 80’s looking websites that claim they do digital

– A website without a street address, let alone a fucking phone number

– Spelling mistakes

– Sites under construction

– An agency that has gone out of business, yet still have a website up, that’s really shit from my perspective.

… and I’m seeing this all from my own job seeking perspective, what the heck do they think a potential client will think?

On the market

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:30:05 +1100

This is the first time I’ve ever posted something on Campaign brief blog, and it wasn’t an anonymous comment, how is that for bravery?

I’m hoping that the commenters won’t tear strips off of me. But most importantly, I’m looking for a writer who loves their craft as much as I do mine.

I’m willing to meet with anyone in Melbourne and there’s a free coffee in it for you. There is nothing to loose.

sonia@soniayoung.com

To hate is to love

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:31:43 +1100

Hate cannot exist without love. This ad for the Canadian Advertising and Design club, sums things up perfectly.

Mirror, mirror

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 12:54:18 +1100

I witnessed a market research group from ‘behind the mirror’ this week. It is the first time I’ve been along to one of these things. There’s a whole etiquette to it. I show up to the office and discreetly tell reception I’m on the client side, any mention of the client name is punishable by death. Immediately I’m whisked away from the respondents who have already arrived, my eyes averted to not catch their gaze, there will be plenty of that later.

I’m ushered into the room that has a large window overlooking the participants room with seats as comfy as Gold Class without the reclining. The large square table in the participants room is decked out with food and plates. All of a sudden I feel quite excited by the prospect of gawking at these people and my voyeuristic tendencies take over. As they walk in the show begins. Already I’m sizing them up, who goes for a sandwich first, who looks uncomfortable, and when they do their introductions the sniggers begin.

I watch Lie to Me. It is one of my fav shows, so I felt well equipped to pick the liars. I have a hunch there were at least 2. I began to feel frustrated with their responses or the fact there was little response from them. Then I was angry and I didn’t even have any buy-in to this exercise. Sure the sandwiches are great, but why would you submit to a market research group if you don’t really know anything about the category? for an uncomfortable 2 and a half hours… by the end it was like getting blood from a stone.

Anyway, I’m going back tonight, maybe another group will redeem my view of market research, or maybe not, either way there’s free pizza.

Sweet Ad

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:18:44 +1000

I really like this ad. There I said it.

The ad has gotten a shalacking over on the blog… but doesn’t most things?

Ok, if I take my Knitter Hat off (tongue in cheek), I can see where some of the comments are coming from. Maybe it’s a bit twee… but the rest of me really likes it. It is a positive, uplifting ad… I think that’s what they were trying to get across and it is nicely executed.

Still not sold on My Key

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:47:41 +1000

So I’m in advertising and I’m a heavy PT user BUT I still don’t have a myki.

Many people do have one I admit, including my mother! (If you knew my mum, you would know how ridiculous that is) but I digress…

Nothing up to this point has convinced me I need to have a myki. Nothing tells me it’s going to work, or cause me any trauma on my way to work; in fact it’s quite the opposite.

Why do I need to change my ticketing ways when I’m still getting my safe Metcard, good old trusty Metcard? Ha ha yes you heard me… I ain’t changing until you rip out those Metcard machines from their foundations and pry my yearly ticket from my dead hands.

myki has promised so much and delivered so very little; now with the tram fiasco and variations to the rules of ‘touching on’ and ‘touching off’, the seemingly simple system is now rather complex.

There’s the challenge: make me want you

Work with animals

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:00 +1000

Good radio is hard to find, but these are my absolute favourites. I bow to the genius of them, they make me want to be a better person.

Perth Zoo - Red Eyed Tree Frog by the Brand Agency, Perth

Chum - Mail Man by Clems, Melbourne

Thought for the Day

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:24:04 +1000

I thought this postcard was highly amusing when I picked it up from Aesop the other day, it promotes their new deodorant. But it didn’t make me think, ‘hmm I need to try some of that deodorant’, even though I’m a regular Aesop user.

Perhaps what might have been better, would be to make it a scratch and sniff card or a perfume card; so that you could smell the fragrance and not the BO…

I don’t know that creative ideas work when it comes to personal hygiene, they may have been better to stick to flowers unfortunately.

Award School 2010

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:42:02 +1000

Is it really August?

When I began my AWARD school journey in January this year for the application into this course, I could never have imagined just how ridiculously engrossing it would be.

IT. WAS. FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC! From the tutors to the lecturers who 2 nights a week gave up their free time to mentor students for nix; I’ll forever be grateful. I’ve learnt so much from them.

I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved in the 16 weeks of AWARD school, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my very understanding husband (lucky he can’t see dirt), Damian. Last night, my efforts were rewarded by having 2 of my briefs up on the wall, which really was quite thrilling.

Now, time to clean the house. Anyone have the number for a good house cleaner?

Bushman

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:51:01 +1000

Whilst working on my radio brief for AWARD school my thoughts turned to this guy, the San Francisco Bushman. I don’t think a more famous busker ever existed. Whilst he didn’t work for my radio ad, I was quite astonished just how far reaching his cause is and quite frankly how much this guy makes!

Yep, the Bushman got us once. Damian and I were strolling along Fisherman’s Wharf in our early days in SF. This guy has his act down pat. First of all you see a bush and then all of a sudden some ‘homeless’ guy jumps out at you. It’s pretty frightening stuff! What’s even more interesting is the spectators that watch. Is true fear entertaining? It must be, this guy draws a crowd.

The kind of ad I want to make

Sat, 1 May 2010 07:58:45 +1000