Pasqualina's posterous

In memory of those who laid down their lives for us.

Poppy_day

In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

SAIL Amsterdam 2010 & Sea Fever - John Masefield

Sail_aug_2010

Sea Fever


I MUST down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.


John Masefield (1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) Poet Laureate


It is such a pity that l suffer from sea sickness, but l do love the sea and tall ships.

W&K Old Spice is excellent, but will the ROI deem it a failure?

W&K work for Old Spice is without a doubt excellent, but can good work really increase sales of a product, attract a new younger, fresher  consumer,  and detract from the fact that the perception of product is something your granddad would wear?


Putting my bias aside, my personal opinion is it smells  dated and awful. l conducted my own (very unscientific) research,  l asked questions to a panel of discerning ladies, as we are the ones who make most of the purchases and are supposed to be attracted to the man who uses the product (friends, acquaintances and random strangers on a train journey) the following:

  1. Describe the smell of Old Spice?
  2. What images do you have when you think of the smell of Old Spice?
  3. Would you buy Old Spice for anyone?
  4. Would you date a man who wore Old Spice?

Responses in general: after the //women who have actually smelt it
  1. Never smelt it / / The 70's - my granddad or uncle or my dad before we begged him to use something else
  2. The guy on YouTube  oh yes sexy guy half naked // a man surfing, big wave, yes l remember the old campaign - sexy guy half naked - my childhood 
  3. Should l ? // My granddad, but then again
  4. Don't know; should l? // Never, well only the guy in the ad but l would make sure he had a shower first

So my own and many others opinion that it smells truly bad aside, I have always argued that if a product is awful no amount of great work or activity can even with such an excellent campaign put together by W&K, an award  winning *Cannes Lion, which has now gone interactive http://bit.ly/9j59gE  could or would  increase  sales,  apparently I am not wrong, according to BrandWeek.

BW: Do Cannes Winners Translate to ROI ...............P&G that picked up the Film Grand Prix this year for Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” TV spot from Wieden + Kennedy. There is little doubt about the viral hit’s popularity. Launched in February, the official version has racked up nearly 12.2 million YouTube views..............But sales of the featured product—Red Zone After Hours Body Wash—aren’t necessarily tracking with that consumer appeal: In the 52 weeks ended June 13, sales of the brand have dropped 7 percent according to SymphonyIRI. (That amount excludes those rung up at Walmart.) P&G execs were not available to comment.

Please read the article in full http://bit.ly/9S4229

Could it be that consumers are now more savvy?  All advertising whether it be traditional or digital; regardless of the amount of hits on YouTube; Facebook fans;  no matter how clever or sexy it is;  how may awards the ad wins, whilst it might become more prevalent in peoples minds,   no amount of brand awareness once a product is tested, or in this case smelt, can turn that into a purchase.

Therefore, should a brand campaign be deemed a  failure if it does not ultimately increase sales?


My own personal question to P&G is why are they trying to resurrect a product that only a few want to use, and most would never dream of buying?

*In my humble opinion the Johnnie Walker - the Man Who Walk the World  - should have won. Would embed the spot but l haven't got a clue how to do it.

New Post : To sell to women you have to understand them – REALLY!!

Finally ad agency that may have worked it out, to sell to women you have to understand them – REALLY!!

After three years Midwest-based agency Hoffman York has after three years of intensive research set u a dedicated unit and think tank to address best practice for women in adverting to women.

 "The agency's biggest surprise is what it has termed The Times Zero Effect. Multiplying any number by zero will always equal zero. It has found the same holds true when advertising to women. If you incorporate even one element into an ad that a woman perceives as negative, the ad will not resonate with her. It's a zero in her mind."

Please read the article in full: http://bit.ly/da0cV0

Hmmm it takes three years of research to work this out? Women have been saying this for years, you just haven’t been listening!

All well and good, but if ad agencies employs only men who think they understand women to do the creative work, this research is a complete waste of time.

The smarter agencies will start to encourage more women into their agencies, nurture female graduates into the ad industry; as there is a huge sector to engage with and sell to, they are called WOMEN.  

Moreover, unless fundamental changes are made with the majority of ad agencies regarding the way women are treated, appreciated and valued. Ad’s for women will be made by men, men who think they understand women, which the majority do not, the same way as the majority of women don’t understand men, but that’s okay it’s meant to be that way………..

Marketers; CMO’s; Brands start demanding more FEMALE creative’s, then finally you might see more woman engaging with your brand and buy. Now there’s a novelty using advertising to sell…….do you think it will catch on?

 

 

 

Let's talk about porn

Learning  the  fourth most word Google by 7 year olds is porn, is alarming  when you consider that amount of hard core porn available on the internet today, the figures are truly astounding, and the first exposure that a child will see of porn could range from something soft or downright explicit, or in words of Cindy Gallop www.makelovenotporn.com .........something resembling open heart surgery

Banning porn is not the answer. I personally have no problems with people watching porn, l would like to see more porn made by women for woman. and if  there is anyone out there, l have several story lines if you are interested ( for those of you who think l am Ms. Prime & Proper, think again, for those who know me well, no surprises in that is there!) . Although l do have a very strong views  on  a generation who may think that what they see in these  films is the norm . We are living in an age were sexually graphic imagery is easily available, the internet  is a cornucopia,  name your predilection and you will find it. Turn on a music channel and within minutes you are exposed to scantily clad  women gyrating in a very sexual explicate way. Absolutely nothing wrong with that if you know and understand that there is a difference between reality and fantasy, imagery and actuality.

Like Cindy ( @cindygallop1 ) l believe that  it is every parents duty  to educate their  children regarding sex, sexual behaviour,  the difference between making love and having sex. Daughters/sons have to be taught to be  empowered to say  no to any sexual act that makes them feel violated or uncomfortable, and they have to understand that what they see in porn has little or no resemblance on the actual act of sex or making love.

Though we live in a world were sexual imagery is readily available, though we are  living in an era of double standards. There is less sex education been taught in schools, in some schools it is a topic that is banned. We have also have  become somewhat puritanical, even prudish  when it comes to open discussions about sex and porn. More frank and open discussion have to place and a good start would be to visit

www.makelovenotporn.com