Scrooge would approve

How refreshing it is to see a Christmas commercial that doesn't extoll the festive virtue of goodwill to all men, but instead focuses on the less attractive human trait of spoiling ourselves rotten. Reminiscent of Steve Martin's famous Oscar acceptance speech (in which he declared: "Thank you all so much... It was all down to me, me, me... and nothing to do with anyone else..."), this commercial created by Adam & Eve DDB (who incidentally brought us the comparatively sickly 'Bear and Hare' for John Lewis) is a delight. The casting and timing of the performances are spot on. If this doesn't make you chuckle, there really has to be something wrong with you.

Campaigning for the homeless

How do you raise awareness of the plight of London's homeless? Creative Guerrilla Marketing has come up with an original and eye-catching solution - nicely dressed individuals carrying messages written on cardboard scraps in much the same way as the homeless advertise their own plight; only in this instance the messages tell the public that these collectors do have homes and meals to go home to. This form of reverse psychology is clever; it reminds us all of our own good fortune and makes it strangely easier to give donations. And by using social media to tell the story of this novel approach, the charity is managing to raise awareness further. Ample proof surely that creative and effective marketing can sometimes be achieved on a shoestring.

Brilliant use of the digital medium by BA

From time to time the advertising industry goes and does something really interesting with the media. Back in the 1980s, Araldite glued a real car to a 48 sheet poster to demonstrate the strength of its adhesive. Thirty years on, Ogilvy & Mather has achieved the equivalent creative leap in the digital age.

This brilliant digital poster comes to life every time a BA plane flies over it and a small child runs into view, pointing up at the aircraft. The headline even informs us where each individual plane has come from. It's a beautifully creative way in which to deliver the airline's key message: 'More flights to more destinations.' Thus making the promise both compelling and utterly believable.

Like the Araldite poster, this poster for BA is a wonderfully creative product demonstration. And like the Araldite poster, it deserves to pick up heaps of awards. If it doesn't, I'll eat my bloody hat.

How much schmaltz can you take?

After much speculation, the John Lewis Christmas commercial has arrived. It's a stunningly beautiful piece of Disneyesque animation featuring a bear and a hare. Interestingly, it has divided opinion quite dramatically. People seem to either love it or hate it. And no, the retailer isn't flogging Marmite.

Production values aside, it unashamedly goes for the cheesiest, sickliest form of overly sentimental schmaltz laid on thick with a trowel and served with a side order of schmaltz.

Whatever your view though, I have to say that the idea isn't as fresh or original as the two previous John Lewis productions created by Adam & Eve. But I guess that was always going to be a difficult trick to pull off.

Selling the charms of Paris

This TV commercial created by AMV BBDO for Eurostar appeals to our sense of adventure and the prospect of discovering the charms and delights of Paris. It takes the bold decision not to tell us anything about the train journey and everything about the destination. In doing so, the intention here must be to get more people to visit Paris - thereby getting more derrieres on seats. It might just work, because this delightful little commercial certainly does make you smile. I particularly like the French voice over and the mischievous sense of humour, all of which is very French. Full marks to a brave client and a creative agency.

Chrimbo magic for M&S?

At a time when Marks & Sparks is feeling the pinch, a lot will be resting on this new Christmas commercial to steady the boat and inject some life into its flagging sales performance of late. So the retailer's advertising agency RKCR/Y&R has pulled out all the stops in terms of lavish production values and big names.

This commercial pays homage to 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'The Wizard of Oz' , and employs the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Helena Bonham Carter to add a bit of glitz.

So have they managed to pull it off? Well, yes and no. While it's probably a great deal better than any recent M&S offering, it doesn't exactly ooze charm in the same way last year's 'Snowman' Christmas commercial did for John Lewis. It's all very nicely edited and put together, but I can't help feeling that the use of perfect models who clearly can't act, lets this commercial down, and gives it the feel of a commercial rather than an epic film.

But there's a more fundamental question to be asked here. Is the marketing strategy on which this commercial is based, credible? In other words, can we realistically be expected to buy into the end-line 'Believe in magic and sparkle' in the context of Marks & Sparks? Call me an old cynic, but I'm not convinced that anyone in their right mind will ever associate M&S with magic and sparkle.

Everything Everywhere or just all over the place?

 

There was a time when a certain brand of mobile phone managed for years to adopt a distinct look and tone of voice that we all became reasonably familiar with. At times it was a bit esoteric and self deprecating - but it was always consistent. If you removed the logo, you'd still know the brand.  In the cinema, Mr Dresden and his film board would make us chuckle about mobile phones ruining movies. The line 'The future's bright. The future's Orange' became so ingrained in the public consciousness that even when France Telecom replaced it with 'Together we can do more', six or seven years ago, everyone still remembered the old line.

That's all history now. The merging of TMobile and Orange in the UK has resulted in these two brands coming together and giving birth to Everything Everywhere or EE. The advertising produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency that no longer employs the two famous brothers, is the agency behind the new brand; and with the best will in the world, this was always going to be an impossible task. Indeed, many believe it was a fatally flawed error of judgement to kill off the Orange brand overnight, even if it was to be replaced by a brilliantly creative advertising creation. It's a notion I have a great deal of sympathy with, having worked for three years on the Orange brand myself.

The cinema advertising featuring Kevin Bacon isn't a brilliant creation: at best it's mildly irritating (the shed commercial featured here is particularly weak), while the green and yellow press advertising is frankly dull as ditch water (though ditch water might be a tad more interesting). This aside, whatever happened to Orange Wednesdays? Have they now become Everything Everywhere Wednesdays? Doesn't quite trip off the tongue, does it?

Powerful anti-gun campaign from New York

The fact that America still can't get to grips with its archaic gun legislation in the wake of so many hideous shootings, and overcome the brute force of the gun lobby, leaves most of us Brits in a state of utter bewilderment. So there's always a place for powerful anti-gun marketing, of which this is a very good example by Grey New York. The headline reads: 'Bullets leave bigger holes than you think.'

Anti phone and drive campaign from Israel

This very simple ad produced by Gitam BBDO in Israel to convey the dangers of trying to drive while attempting to key a number into your mobile phone, is a lovely example of an ad that makes you think and shudder at the thought of doing something so incredibly stupid. Sponsored by Opel (otherwise recognised as Vauxhall in the UK), this piece amply demonstrates that less can sometimes mean more.

Diabetes UK

Diabetes UK has a problem. The disease is on the increase at an alarming rate in this country; no one really understands it; and no one has ever heard of Diabetes UK. It's hardly surprising: the issue doesn't get a great deal of exposure, and any advertising and marketing produced by the charity has failed to resonate with the public. With this in mind, the charity has teamed up with Tesco and is now spending a small fortune on media plastering our national newspapers and the London Underground with a series of bleak images of sufferers being clutched by their loved ones. These would look at home on the wall of the average GP's surgery. But if Diabetes UK think they've finally cracked the problem with a national campaign that will open everyone's eyes to the issue, they are, I'm afraid, deluding themselves. This is a classic wallpaper campaign that isn't even going to register in the public's consciousness. And I don't say this lightly.

For a start, it's a massive mistake to focus on the terrible moment of diagnosis. Unless, of course, the intention is to scare the living daylights out of sufferers and those in fear of being diagnosed. The aggressively hectoring headline demanding you check yourself out for your family's sake doesn't help in the least. The fact of the matter is that Diabetese UK does a fantastic amount of work supporting and educating those with the disease. To highlight this, a brand campaign has to inform and connect with its audience in a memorable and engaging fashion. Just think of the wonderful job the British Heart Foundation did with the Vinnie Jones campaign; a campaign that not only amused and informed the nation, but actually saved 28 lives.

The truth of the matter is that this charmless campaign will do nothing to address the growing problem that the UK now faces. It's a crying shame and a terrible waste of money. Money that charities like Diabetes UK can't afford to simply pour down the drain.

A nice bit of recycling by The Balvenie

This initiative by The Balvenie malt whisky distillery is a lovely way to make good use of those old oak barrels that have come to the end of their useful life. Dubbed 'The Old Cask Afterlife', this novel scheme created by The Balvenie involves an upmarket Scottish contemporary furniture designer and the transformation of said barrels into one of three pieces of exquisite furniture: either a whisky cabinet, a table or a chair in which to enjoy the odd wee dram.

Members of the malt's Warehouse 24 are encouraged to vote for their preference and enter a prize draw, the winner of which will win the piece of furniture of their choice.

The creative way in which this appealing scheme is presented on the website made me smile. It's witty, endearing and gives you a nice warm feeling about the brand.

Full marks to TCA

Abuse of Women in Saudi Arabia

This strikingly powerful ad has been created by Ogilvy & Mather Saudi Arabia for King Khalid's Foundation. In a society that rarely addresses women's rights, let alone the abuse of women, this is bound to cause something of a stir.

Anne Frank Trust

This sweet little film has been created by TCA, the agency previously famed for bringing Bob Monkhouse back to life for Prostate Cancer. The Anne Frank Trust's mission in life is to tackle racism, hate crime and intolerance by drawing on the inspiration of Anne Frank. Needless to say, much of its work focuses on schools, where pupils can become Ambassadors for the charity. Its latest campaign for which this film has been made is dubbed Thirteen in 13, and urges kids who are or will be 13 in 2013 to write an open letter to David Cameron outlining how they'd make Britain a better place. The 13 best letters will be published in The Times and David Cameron has already agreed to respond via The Times to the winning letter.