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Friday 20 June 2014

Cannes 2014: The Beauty of Sharpness

Since when did anyone care about print ads? They're boring right? Well, yes. Print is one of the oldest and longest standing forms of advertising and in publications full to bursting with layout after layout and such overcrowding - who's going to notice one that's selling knives? Yawn. 
I would argue though that print ads are some of the most difficult to be inventive with. How are you going to provide standout about kitchen utensils in a foisty old media form? You can't make a viral film, use of uber cool technology is limited on smaller print budgets, and sharability is practically non existent. Typically print would support the wider campaign. With only print, how is your brand going to be cutting edge?  (No pun intended). Well, let's see what you think. 





This campaign's beauty lies in it's simplicity. All it does really is a product demo. Our knives are sharp. They cut shit. That's it. But they're special. Why? Well, I think they're gorgeous. Graceful and elegant and stylised like Japanese art. I'd frame that watermelon and have it in my lounge. Seriously. The shapes and colours are exquisite, clean and unusual to look at, and they've even managed a simplistic hint of a product shot. The true magic lies in the fact that your brain doesn't quite make the link. Let's be honest, we're all peering at it trying to figure out - erm, what the hell is it and what's it there for?





So we look a little closer (ah, the catch - now you've got me interested in your stupid knives). Intricate slivers of food cut by Zwilling J. A. Henckels' steely badboys. Oohh, it's thin food. Ohh, yes it's because it's a knife advert (silly stoner giggle as penny finally drops). Funny. Oh and they've hidden a silhouette of a knife in there too. Ohhh. (Second penny drops, more stoner giggles). 



The ad itself makes you work a little bit. It's not all revealing, it's got layers and it's intriguing. Any press execution that can make you do a double take on your commute is very very good. Will I remember the name of the brand in a week's time? Probably not, but I'll remember the campaign because it will be on my wall. Gold for the thin food. Creds here



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