Archive for June 2011
Marketing the revolution in Egypt
The last frame from a video produced by Vodafone's advertising agency after the Egyptian revolution
I’ve been reading a few posts from various sites, which have been dealing with the response of advertisers (as in companies like Coca Cola, Pepsi etc etc) to the Egyptian revolution. I’d thought I’d summarise the bare bones of the articles.
Here’s the Wall Street Journal’s article from a few days ago on this:
“Since thousands of protesters ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in a nearly three-week revolt, the enthusiasm for revolution has been redirected and repackaged for television ads, billboards and jingles selling products including hair gel, soft drinks and candy…
Ad spending in Egypt actually increased to about $329 million in May from $310 million in February, according to data from Ipsos, a global advertising and marketing research firm.”
The most interesting of these is a controversial video (which actually looks like it was intended to be a submission to an advertising awards show – it’s got engagement stats and everything) that was produced by the advertising agency JWT, for its client Vodafone. This strongly suggests by quoting specific tweets from Twitter & YouTube* that Vodafone played a role in the revolutionary solidarity at the time.
*user comments quoted are:
“Vodafone inspired us before the revolution by their power to you ad. it was touching and inspiring when they said “it’s everyone’s power” “[sic]
“The new Vodafone Egypt campaign is amazing inspiring a generation to change their country” [sic] – most importantly this the endframe of the whole video
Here is the video which has now been taken down from YouTube because of a ‘copyright claim’. It is still available on Daily Motion however:
Both JWT and Vodafone have since distanced themselves from the video and Vodafone has done so at the most length, which can be seen in the following statement which was published on the Brand Republic website:
“Vodafone Egypt denies responsibility for the video that circulated on social media channels including highlights of a Vodafone commercial. Hatem Dowidar, CEO of Vodafone Egypt, confirmed that the company does not have any connection to this video and had no prior knowledge of its production or posting on the Internet. He added that Vodafone Egypt is part of a global Company that has strict policies refraining associating the Brand name with any political or religious affairs of any country in which it operates.
“Dowidar further clarified that this video was produced by JWT company for its internal use and not for public display, and he added that Vodafone has never used this video and is not responsible for its messages or claims.”
Additionally both Coca Cola and Pepsi have also produced much less arrogant videos in the revolution’s aftermath which celebrate people power using some easily recognisable visual metaphors:
Coca Cola
Pepsi
Obviously these latter two adverts are interesting in a completely different way to the Vodafone video. These well-produced adverts are good examples of how the visuals can be used in quite an evasive fashion; whilst these images endorse the idea of change they actually visualise little else apart from the generics of people power. But considering no one can really predict with any certainty where Egypt is going politically this is nothing but good old business sense I guess.
Sources:
The Battle of Waterloo, its re-enactment, and some images of it
As mentioned in my previous post I went to a re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo on the weekend. Here are some of the other images. Rather bizarrely (and annoyingly) the aesthetic and the idea that I had for some of the project run closely parallel to the work of another photographer who has only just been unearthed to me. Not ideal at all. I need to go back to the drawing board and re-arrange my thoughts perhaps…
(yep I realise that there is some dust on my sensor too – haven’t had a chance to cleanse the images yet!)
Some deserters
Napoleon's cavalry charge the English
Skirmish in the forest
Senior officer from Napoleon's army
Peering into the dark
Role-playing
I just got back from a trip to Belgium where I was part of the re-enactment of the the Battle of Waterloo.
Although I was out on the battlefield with the men I was also living in an 1815 style military camp with the rest of the Allied forces trying to learn the ways of the 1815 military, light fires, follow orders, and hold muskets. Serious thanks to the brilliant 94th Old Scotch Brigade for allowing me to be embedded whilst they were part of the 1000 man re-enactment. Unfortunately I didn’t get to fire any weapons but we’ll have to save that for next time.
More to come but I thought I’d give you my self portrait of me being the action hero first. I have my mean face on and everything:
Self-portrait with musket and 1815 English military 'red coat' uniform
Day out in Rochester for the Dickens Festival
I went to Rochester a couple of weeks back to take in the glories of the Dickens festival. I find it exotic enough just getting out of London period but one thing’s for sure – when half of any town town have dressed up in Victorian costumes for a three day weekend it’s got to be a pretty amazing place.
I was only able to make it for a one day unfortunately but I still had a laugh.
An old couple and a pigeon
Rochester cathedral
The end of a Punch and Judy show
Child playing by a castle ruin
Some Dickens fans in front of a parked van
Fantasy armoury (with skull)
Men, waiting
Boy dressed in Victorian costume
Bill Sikes (from Oliver Twist) lookalike
